ArkLeisure™ is the market-leading standard for segmenting the UK tourism market.

ArkLeisure™ is a market segmentation system which is currently used extensively across the UK as well as by an expanding number of overseas destinations that wish to target the UK market. It combines an intuitively simple segmentation with a robust analytical framework, generating real insight.

This powerful, value based consumer segmentation system identifies the motivations and purchase drivers that influence people’s leisure choices in tourism as well as in what activities they undertake. This includes data relating to restaurants, pubs and retail preference and media uptake.

Segmentation schemes in the tourism and leisure market have traditionally been based on age, social class or life stage. Given the increasing flexibility and choice people have these systems are increasingly less able to predict people’s purchase behaviour or response to marketing. ArkLeisure™ can compliment or replace these approaches allowing clients to target customers on the basis of their values and aspirations.

The ArkLeisure™ system divides the UK market into eight value-based segments. The segments can be described in relation to two core values;

• The extent to which people embrace or resist innovation
• The extent to which they are influenced by mass culture and peer pressure.

ArkLeisure™ is both a segmentation system and a database of leisure behaviour amongst UK residents. Though highly adaptable, it is usually used in one of five ways;

• Requesting strategic analysis based on the existing database
• Commissioning research incorporating the ArkLeisure™ segmentation system so respondents can be analysed in the context of the broader market
• Recontacting client databases or classifying enquirers at time of enquiry allowing matching to ArkLeisure™ information by segment
• Recruiting focus group respondents on the basis of their ArkLeisure™ segmentation
• Adding ArkLeisure™ questions to in house or other agency surveys allowing segmentation of responses.
• The ArkLeisure™ database holds a wide range of information on over 150,000 UK residents distributed throughout the UK.