Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
on-site is arranged. There are a number of points to remember when thinking
about visitors travelling by car.
1.
The business will need a parking area for less-abled guests to park at the
facility. This should be clearly marked and be near the main entrance to
the facility. The width of a parking bay for these slots should be at least
3
m
(12 ft).
2.
In some parts of the world many car rental companies will not let their
rental cars be driven 'off-road'. This means that dirt tracks to a facility may
deter some potential guests. These guests are often international guests who
could potentially be bigger spenders. If international visitors are important
to the success of the venture, then it is well worth considering having a hard
surface to get to the facility.
3.
If possible have clearly marked car parking locations. Most tourist oper-
ators agree that visitors left to their own devices will park anywhere.
Therefore to enable the facility to fit more cars in a parking lot there is a need
for designated parking bays. A solid surface is most suitable, especially if
you are expecting visitors in the autumn or spring when the soil could be
soaked. Many urban drivers are not used to driving their vehicle off-road
and can easily churn a field up and destroy a paddock.
4.
According to the British Department of Transport,
9
the distance to a
driveway at 48 km/h or
30
mph should be 22.8 m or
25
yards. This allows for
9.1 m or
10
yards of thinking time and
12
m or
15
yards of braking. If a ve-
hicle is travelling at 96 km/h or
60
mph then you will require 68.5 m or
75
yards for thinking time and
50
m or
55
yards for braking.
5.
An entrance should be 27.5 m or 30 ft wide at its entrance and nar-
rowing down to 4.1 m or 14 ft across to provide easy access on and off a
major road.
6.
According to Louis Berninger in his book
Profitable Garden Center
Management
,
10
you need
15
car park slots per
100
cars expected on an average
day. This research was carried out studying garden centres, but acts as a
valuable guide for culinary tourist operators as well, especially those with
farm shops.
7.
Electric cars are becoming a more common means of transport and an en-
vironmentally aware tourist operator may wish to consider putting in an
electric charge location for consumer convenience.
Coach tours
Most coaches are
60
seater and upwards. This means that a facility will need
a special parking zone to park large vehicles. Most businesses need prior
warning so they can book coaches into specific time slots. Coach travellers
tend to spend less per head and also require good toilet facilities. Remember,
the arrival of a coach means a rush of people at a specific time slot and a
facility operator has to question whether they want and can cope with such
an influx.
