Rural scene in the United Kingdom

Supporting the sector to create a collaborative and sustainable future for people, places and the planet

Bridge over the River Tyne in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Providing dedicated expertise and strategic planning for regenerative tourism development globally

Riverfront in Copenhagen, Denmark

Helping tourism businesses innovate and stimulate the visitor economy

Remote hills and valleys in Lesotho, Africa

More than twenty years of sustainable tourism development for destinations worldwide

Welcome to Acorn Tourism Consulting

What We Do

Inspiration

  1. Market trader in Rwanda
    Our reputation in the field of tourism statistics and measuring the economic impact of tourism is unparalleled. We are experts in the development of systems of tourism statistics, compilation of tourism satellite accounts and natural capital accounting, as well as measuring the local economic impact of tourism. Our ATOM forecasting model and T-Stats tourism tracking system are two products we have developed and installed in destinations across the globe.
  2. Seven Sisters in East Sussex, UK
    We plan and develop tourism products and experiences that are financially and environmentally sustainable. Acorn’s in-depth understanding of niche visitor markets ensures we can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors by creating innovative market-led experiences. We can provide options appraisals, feasibility studies, business planning and capacity building to support your product development process.
  3. Kitesurfing in Aruba
    In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, it is essential to have a strong brand and a marketing campaign that clearly promotes your values and resonates with your target audience. Acorn builds destination brands and content marketing strategies. We deliver digital marketing campaigns, build national tourism websites and create inspiring content. Working with travel influencers we can do social media takeovers. We can also monitor your brand awareness and the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns.
  4. Boats on the Thames, Richmond upon Thames, London
    We can help you work out where you want to go and how to get there. Acorn uses a well-defined strategic planning process to establish how you can become a more competitive and sustainable destination or tourism business. Our approach is collaborative, engaging widely with your stakeholders, creating a joint vision and co-developing an Action Plan that can be implemented with the available financial resources and workforce.
  5. Sightseeing in Latvia
    We offer expert qualitative and quantitative tourism market research, including face-to-face and online surveys, focus groups, bulletin boards, and business and stakeholder consultations. We maintain and update vast databases of research that include niche market and destination profiles, inbound and outbound tourist flows, and industry trends. This allows us to commentate, predict and forecast with insight, intelligence and confidence.
  6. Camels in the desert, Namibia
    T-Stats is our online tourism tracking system for destinations. We understand that every destination is different, so T-Stats is tailor-made to allow you to track whatever is important, from accommodation occupancy, through to visits to attractions, footfall, attendance at events and even the weather. Bringing all this together into one easy-to-use database provides information for assessing the effectiveness of marketing activities, attracting investors, assisting funding applications or simply getting to know your destination better.
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Acorn Tourism Consulting has:

Inspiration

  1. Successfully completed
    328
    projects
  2. Enjoyed working with
    169
    clients
  3. Delivered projects in
    85
    countries
  4. Served the sector for
    22
    years

Where We Work

Number of results: 329

, currently showing 1 to 20.

  1. Address

    Lesotho, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, World Bank

    Telephone

    120000

    Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, World Bank,

    Design and implementation of a 6,000 sample visitor exit survey for Lesotho using electronic data capture through iPads donated by Acorn. The project also included the implementation of an online business barometer survey to track sentiment in the…

  2. Address

    East Sussex, United Kingdom, High Weald AONB Joint Advisory Committee

    Telephone

    5000

    High Weald AONB Joint Advisory Committee,

    A review of tourism in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was undertaken to inform managers, the Joint Advisory Committee, about how the area is used and enjoyed by visitors and how public understanding and enjoyment could be improved.

  3. Address

    Fiji, South Pacific Tourism Organisation

    Telephone

    130000

    South Pacific Tourism Organisation,

    21-month study looking in detail at the systems of tourism statistics in 15 P-ACP Pacific countries, making recommendations and implementing improvements, developing a regional online tourism statistics database for the Pacific, and training.

  4. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Centre

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Centre,

    Acorn Tourism conducted research for this comprehensive business guide to help local tour operators understand the luxury tourism market and learn how to target the wealthy traveller.

  5. Address

    Jordan, USAID

    Telephone

    15000

    USAID,

    Developed a model for projecting visitor arrivals and expenditure to Jordan, the Middle East and worldwide over the period to 2030. Scenarios for the development of the pandemic were then applied to identify impacts on visitor arrivals,…

  6. Address

    Worldwide, Mintel

    Telephone

    2500

    Mintel,

    A report on the dynamic and growing niche tourism market of gastronomy and culinary experiences that explores major food destinations worldwide, food tourism influences and activities, who are food tourists and how the travel industry packages such…

  7. Address

    Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Visit Richmond

    Telephone

    18000

    London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Visit Richmond,

    Study to provide up-to-date information on visitor and trip characteristics, and to determine the value of the visitor economy in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It also implemented an ongoing tracking system of the visitor economy so the…

  8. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    A comprehensive study about Sun and Beach Tourism in developing countries was required to support SME’s to prepare their tourism product for the European market.

  9. Address

    City of London, United Kingdom, City of London Corporation

    Telephone

    8000

    City of London Corporation,

    Assessment of the impact of the Culture Mile Pop-Up Art programme through observations and interviews with 200 persons showing a level of interest in the installations. Also included interviews with local businesses seeking the views of owners…

  10. Address

    East Sussex, United Kingdom, Hastings Borough Council

    Telephone

    25000

    Hastings Borough Council,

    This study set out the vision for St Leonards Gardens in terms of accessibility, enjoyment and understanding of the park by its varied audiences. The plan was successfully used to bid for Heritage Lottery Funding for improving the gardens.

  11. Address

    Isle of Thanet, Thanet District Council

    Telephone

    2000

    Thanet District Council,

    An online toolkit for businesses to understand what simple steps they could take to start/continue their journey towards sustainability, learn more about the biodiversity crisis and the commitment to Net Zero, find inspiration from successful local…

  12. Address

    Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Tourism

    Telephone

    420000

    Saudi Arabia Ministry of Tourism,

    Study to establish a market research and statistics unit within the Supreme Commission for Tourism to measure the volume, characteristics and value of tourism in the country. This involved the establishment of a number of surveys and other primary…

  13. Address

    Oman, Ministry of Tourism, UNWTO

    Telephone

    120000

    Ministry of Tourism, UNWTO,

    Capacity building project for the Ministry of Tourism to improve the system of tourism statistics. New surveys were implemented, including a cruise visitor survey, an attractions survey, and an assessment of the value of Oman's overseas tourism…

  14. Address

    Kent, United Kingdom, Thanet District Council, EU Interreg IVa

    Telephone

    40000

    Thanet District Council, EU Interreg IVa,

    Thanet's 17 beaches are its greatest tourist asset. This strategic action plan produced a master plan for each beach, identifying improvements to the visitor experience, locations for new beachside visitor accommodation and appropriate management…

  15. Address

    Osea Island, United Kingdom, Osea Island

    Telephone

    5000

    Osea Island,

    Osea Island is a privately-owned island in the River Blackwater in Essex. Acorn was engaged to undertake a needs assessment for the development of additional self-catering accommodation units in the south-western area of Osea Island as part of a…

  16. Address

    Albania, Albania Development Fund, World Bank

    Telephone

    32000

    Albania Development Fund, World Bank,

    This project reviewed the current system of tourism statistics in Albania, and made realistic and implementable recommendations on how to improve it over a three-year period. The study included the drafting of the Terms of Reference for this work,…

  17. Address

    Falkland Islands, Falkland Islands Tourist Board

    Telephone

    5000

    Falkland Islands Tourist Board,

    To monitor the tourism sector and enable regular and up-to-date reporting of visitor arrivals, the Falkland Islands Tourist Board contracted Acorn T-Stats in 2011 to implement our online tourism statistics tracking system for the Islands.

  18. Address

    Worldwide, World Bank

    Telephone

    2500

    World Bank ,

    Detailed analysis of the community-based tourism market in Africa, in particular looking at its potential for growth, in which countries, and to what type of tourists. Interviews were undertaken with tour operators and backed up with research of…

  19. Address

    Kensington, United Kingdom, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

    Telephone

    65000

    Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,

    The aim of this study was to provide up-to-date information on the importance of the visitor economy and to ensure that future policy decisions incorporated a detailed understanding of the benefits and potential conflicts that large numbers of…

  20. Address

    Mombassa, Kenya, European Centre for Agro Tourism (ECEAT), Green Tour Kenya, European Union

    Telephone

    2000

    European Centre for Agro Tourism (ECEAT), Green Tour Kenya, European Union,

    Acorn led a peer review for a local consultant who delivered a Comparative Study on Sustainable Destination Branding and a training programme on Sustainability Branding and Communications for the Kenya Tourism Board.

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Featured Projects

Inspiration

  1. Caribbean Regional Tourism Marketing Strategy
    This Regional Tourism Marketing Strategy was developed to provide a detailed and instructive way forward for marketing Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a region in the Caribbean.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024
  2. Feasibility Study for the Development of a Cultural Heritage Research and Visitor Centre on the Farasan Islands
    This feasibility study was commissioned to assess the development of a Farasan Archipelago Cultural Research and Heritage Centre (FARHC), which would serve local communities, particularly educational institutions, as well as national and international visitors.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024
  3. Tourism Satellite Account for Botswana: 2019
    This study was the fourth Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) compilation for Botswana, with previous compilations being undertaken for the years 2006, 2009 and 2016. The main data for the compilation of the TSA was derived from the Visitor Exit Survey undertaken annually by the Department of Tourism and a range of data compiled by Statistics Botswana including GDP calculations, employment data and other economic statistics.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024
  4. Relaxing on the beach in Sierra Leone
    Acorn Tourism, along with joint venture partners, The Journey Tourism Consulting and Management, were commissioned to provide Sierra Leone’s National Tourist Board with an international Marketing and Rebranding Strategy, funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and the World Bank. The marketing and branding strategy and action plan delivered a roadmap to build a positive narrative for the country, improve the destination’s position, and increase the value of the tourism sector. The Journey-Acorn team also initiated the digital marketing campaign and advised on the domestic marketing campaign.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024
  5. Place Brand and Destination Management Plan for Melton Mowbray
    Acorn, working with thinkingplace, developed the Melton Story, Destination Management Plan and Place Brand, based on a robust destination assessment and extensive stakeholder engagement, to provide Melton Mowbray with the direction for a strategic, innovative and joined up approach to Melton’s future development.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024
  6. Green Business Toolkit for Thanet
    An online toolkit for businesses to understand what simple steps they could take to start/continue their journey towards sustainability, learn more about the biodiversity crisis and the commitment to Net Zero, find inspiration from successful local examples, find out about interesting resources available to them (training, financial support, etc.) and discover options for global recognition of their efforts.
    1. 1 Jan 202431 Dec 2024

"Acorn Tourism has produced multiple tourism research projects for the CBI including tourism sector Value Chain Analysis and niche market studies for SMEs in developing countries.  They are a very solid research partner and always deliver to great satisfaction."

Arthur Scheinhardt
Programme Manager Marketing Intelligence, CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency
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Blogs

LGBTQ+ Balloon

Attracting the LGBTQ+ market

Read time: 2 mins

The LQBTQ+ travel market is on the rise due to the increasing acceptance of the community worldwide and increasing numbers of Gen Y and Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+. While many countries still have restrictions and laws that make it difficult for the LGBTQ+ community to travel to, many others have grown in tolerance and acceptance, making travel safe and welcoming for this target group.

Overtourism is damaging destinations

Addressing Overtourism - A Strategic Approach

Read time: 3 mins

Overtourism has become a pressing concern for many popular destinations worldwide. The news is flooded with headlines of residents protesting visitors as the numbers rise for summer.

Solo Travel

Unlocking the potential of the European solo tourism market

Read time: 2 mins

The solo tourism market is booming with solo travellers now making up 18% of global tourism bookings and they are a growing audience eager to explore independently. To tap into this dynamic market, it’s crucial to understand the motivations, preferences, and behaviours of solo travellers.

Certification schemes for UK businesses

Which sustainability certification is best for your business?

Read time: 1 min

Many businesses have been asking this question due to a notable surge in recent times in consumers seeking sustainable products. This trend is particularly evident in the tourism industry, where research indicates a growing preference for sustainable options. However, issues arise around where consumers can find such products without businesses providing evidence of their impacts.

2024: our year so far

2024: our year so far

Read time: 2 mins

This year, we have both worked in both new and familiar destinations. New destinations include Thailand, Tajikistan, and Sint Maarten. We have continued our work in Jordan and started a new project in The Gambia, a country we worked in a couple of years ago. Our sister company T-Stats has also had a very exciting year with a new project for the Southwest of England.

Generations BLog

A snapshot of the different generations in travel

Read time: 2 mins

Understanding different generations' travel preferences and traits is crucial when tailoring and selling your product or destination. Each generation has very different travel preferences and interests, and understanding these is essential to making good business decisions.

This blog highlights each generation's critical expectations when making travel decisions.

Empowering sustainable tourism

Leading from the top: how tourism boards can drive the sector towards a more sustainable future

Read time: 4 mins

Tourism boards, both national and regional can play a vital role in supporting their destinations sustainable development. Historically, the traditional role of a tourism board was to market the destination, helping to grow visitor numbers and spending as the main goal. However, with the growing interest and need for the tourism industry to increase its sustainability practices tourism boards must take a more strategic approach. This includes shifting from a streamlined focus on marketing and putting emphasis on research, analysis, development and planning for the destination’s future development.

ITB Berlin 2024: Sustainability, Aqaba and Awards

ITB Berlin 2024: Sustainability, Aqaba and Awards

Read time: 1 min

In early March, Director Alison Burgh travelled to ITB Berlin by train as part of Acorn Tourism’s ongoing CBI project work in Jordan. As always, it was a busy few days packed with meetings, awards and some extremely exciting milestones for Aqaba, Jordan.

Key trends in tourism for 2024 spearheaded by sustainability and regeneration

Key trends in tourism for 2024 spearheaded by sustainability and regeneration

Read time: 2 mins

Making the transition to a sustainable business is no longer just a trend. It is now an urgent and essential task to tackle the climate crisis and meet the commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Tourism is a major contributor to global climate change and the sector is forecast to grow over the coming years. To manage tourism growth responsibly, urgent steps are required.

Navigating a Circular Economy: challenges and opportunities for island based MSME accommodation providers

Navigating a Circular Economy: challenges and opportunities for island based MSME accommodation providers

Read time: 4 mins

The use of circular economy concepts for hospitality businesses has been on the rise in recent years and is a useful way to reduce the environmental impact of their operational practices. In 2022 Acorn Tourism worked with Buro Happold on a World Bank funded project ‘Circular and Resilient Tourism on Small Islands and in Coastal Destinations’. For this project we travelled to Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe and The Gambia to engage with the private sector to better understand the current opportunities and constraints they face in developing a circular economy model.

Big and small data infographic

Making sense of big and small data for destinations

Read time: 5 mins

More and more we are hearing that big data has all the answers that destinations are looking for when trying to understand what visitors are doing, where they are going, how much they are spending and so on.  This sounds enticing and useful.  But is it?

Overtourism

Using Data to Avoid Overtourism: Creating Smarter Destinations

Read time: 2 mins

Pre-pandemic, the term overtourism was being increasingly used as popular destinations struggled to cope with demand.  It was seldom spoken about in 2021 when focus shifted to encouraging visitors out of their homes to travel freely again, and breathing life back into economies and businesses. 

Business and Marketing: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management

Business and Marketing: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management

Read time: 1 mins

Sustainable destination management can be challenging, and it may sometimes be difficult to know where to start. From reducing GHG emissions, becoming nature-positive, supporting local businesses, managing waste, water and energy efficiently, etc., destination managers have a lot of responsibilities. All the while marketing and positioning their destination to attract visitors and satisfy their expectations.

Acorn Tourism Climate Action Plan

Celebrating Milestones, Awards, Longstanding Relationships and Our Continued Support to Sustainable Tourism Development

Read time: 4 mins

The beginning of 2023 has been a busy one, not only are we celebrating our big 21st Birthday in February, but we have also been awarded with a Green Tourism Gold Award for our ongoing commitment towards sustainability, within our office and operations.  We have also just released or Green Climate Action Plan for 2023, a requirement as a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration. The Glasgow Declaration was launched at COP 26, with the commitment, alongside many other tourism stakeholders, to halve our emissions by 2030.

Social Wellbeing

Social Well-being: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management

Read time: 1 min

Sustainable destination management can be challenging, and it may sometimes be difficult to know where to start. From reducing GHG emissions, becoming nature-positive, supporting local businesses, managing waste, water and energy efficiently, etc., destination managers have a lot of responsibilities. All the while marketing and positioning their destination to attract visitors and satisfy their expectations.

Culture and Traditions: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management?

Culture and Traditions: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management?

Read time: 1 min

Sustainable destination management can be challenging, and it may sometimes be difficult to know where to start. From reducing GHG emissions, becoming nature-positive, supporting local businesses, managing waste, water and energy efficiently, etc., destination managers have a lot of responsibilities. All the while marketing and positioning their destination to attract visitors and satisfy their expectations.

Environment and Climate: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management?

Environment and Climate: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management?

Read time: 2 mins

Sustainable destination management can be challenging, and it may sometimes be difficult to know where to start. From reducing GHG emissions, becoming nature-positive, supporting local businesses, managing waste, water and energy efficiently, etc., destination managers have a lot of responsibilities. All the while marketing and positioning their destination to attract visitors and satisfy their expectations.

News

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3 Woodland Enterprise Centre, Hastings Road,
Flimwell, East Sussex, TN5 7PR, UK

+44 (0) 1580 879970

contact@acorntourism.co.uk