The line graph illustrates the number of enquiries received by a tourist information office via three different methods – telephone, letter/email, and in person – over a six-month period from January to June 2001.
Overall, it is evident that the number of enquiries varied considerably depending on the method used. While telephone and letter/email were the most common means of enquiry at the beginning of the period, there was a clear shift in preference over time. By the end of the period, making enquiries in person had become the dominant method.
In the first three months, enquiries made by telephone and letter/email were relatively high, at approximately 800 and 600 respectively. In contrast, far fewer people chose to visit the office in person, with figures starting at around 400. However, this method experienced a steady and significant increase. By February, in-person enquiries had matched those made by letter/email, and one month later they reached a similar level to telephone enquiries.
From March until the end of the period, visiting the office in person remained the preferred option, peaking at around 1,200 enquiries in June. Telephone enquiries, after remaining stable in the middle of the period, rose noticeably in the final two months to reach just over 1,100. Conversely, enquiries by letter/email declined steadily throughout the period, falling to only about 200 by June.