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Remote hills and valleys in Lesotho, Africa

More than twenty years of sustainable tourism development for destinations worldwide

Riverfront in Copenhagen, Denmark

Helping tourism businesses innovate and stimulate the visitor economy

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

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
    310
    projects
  2. Enjoyed working with
    165
    clients
  3. Delivered projects in
    85
    countries
  4. Served the sector for
    22
    years

Where We Work

Number of results: 324

, currently showing 1 to 20.

  1. Address

    East Sussex, United Kingdom, Hastings Borough Council

    Telephone

    15000

    Hastings Borough Council,

    This project required the preparation of a Destination Management Strategy and plan for Living, Learning and Business Investment in the Hastings-Bexhill Urban Area, to complement the recently published 1066 Country Destination Management Strategy.

  2. Address

    South Africa, Statistics South Africa

    Telephone

    25000

    Statistics South Africa,

    Study to design and develop a national domestic tourism survey that included the data collection instrument, sample size and selection, and implementation of a pilot survey to assess its viability before the full launch as an annual and ongoing…

  3. Address

    Worldwide, Mintel

    Telephone

    2500

    Mintel,

    Niche market report on the evolution, definition and history of Slow Travel, who travels and why, along with typical slow destinations and slow methods of transport.

  4. Address

    Saudi Arabia, Private Client

    Telephone

    76000

    Private Client,

    Business study to assess the viability of a tour operating company that would focus on the international umrah market for inbound travel to Saudi Arabia.

  5. 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,…

  6. Address

    Eritrea, Ministry of Tourism, UNWTO, UNDP

    Telephone

    350000

    Ministry of Tourism, UNWTO, UNDP,

    As part of a Tourism Master Plan for Eritrea, Acorn developed a system of tourism statistics to enable the Ministry of Tourism to collect, process, analyse and disseminate tourism data and intelligence related to the sector.

  7. Address

    Jordan, Jordan Inbound Tour Operator Association, USAID

    Telephone

    15000

    Jordan Inbound Tour Operator Association, USAID,

    Research for the Jordan Inbound Tour Operator Association to better understand its importance to the overall tourism sector, and its value to the Jordanian economy in terms of visitor numbers, expenditure, direct value added and employment. The…

  8. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    This detailed business guide was aimed at supporting tourism SMEs throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America to compete effectively in the European tourism market for wildlife tourism.

  9. Address

    South Pacific, South Pacific Tourism Organisation

    Telephone

    15000

    South Pacific Tourism Organisation,

    Detailed market profiles of backpacking, diving and cultural tourism in the South Pacific region. The purpose of this study was to enable specialised and small-scale operators to understand these segments and thus help diversify the region’s market…

  10. 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 self-drive tourism market and learn how to target this group of adventurous travellers.

  11. Address

    West Sussex, United Kingdom, Horsham District Council

    Telephone

    60000

    Horsham District Council,

    Horsham needed to develop the district's identity to attract visitors, particularly in market towns and rural areas. Acorn collaborated with thinkingplace to develop a visual identity, Visitor Economy Strategy and establish a Visitor Economy…

  12. Address

    Pebsham, United Kingdom, East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council

    Telephone

    20000

    East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council,

    In-depth analysis of 15 recreational markets identified that a multi-sport activity centre with international standard BMX and skateboarding facilities at this country park outside Hastings would appeal to both young local residents and…

  13. Address

    Rwanda, Rwanda Development Board

    Telephone

    186000

    Rwanda Development Board,

    Study to develop a system of tourism statistics for Rwanda, including the implementation of a visitor exit survey, accommodation occupancy survey, and a process for the collection and compilation of visitor arrivals statistics. This led to the…

  14. Address

    South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Visit Doncaster

    Telephone

    5000

    Visit Doncaster,

    Visit Doncaster is the destination management organisation for Doncaster and the surrounding area. In 2018 they contracted Acorn T-Stats to implement our online tourism statistics tracking system to measure changes in the visitor economy in the…

  15. Address

    Hampshire, United Kingdom, Explore Worldwide

    Telephone

    9000

    Explore Worldwide,

    This study was commissioned by a leading UK adventure tour operator to examine the market for Free Independent Traveller (FIT) adventure travel, and assess its strengths and weaknesses to determine what opportunities may exist to expand into this…

  16. Address

    Worldwide, Mintel

    Telephone

    2500

    Mintel,

    A comprehensive market research study into the SAVE tourism market (Scientific, Academic, Volunteer, Educational) and how it is positioned within the broader global tourism industry.

  17. Address

    Botswana, Department of Tourism, UNWTO, UNDP

    Telephone

    120000

    Department of Tourism, UNWTO, UNDP,

    This one-year project focused on strengthening the Research and Statistics Unit by setting up a system of tourism statistics and developing a comprehensive tourism statistics database to formalise the storage, processing and retrieval of data.

  18. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    The study provided a detailed picture of the global cruise industry and offered a wide range of advice and tips including how to plan and market a cruise and selling shore excursions to passengers. Clear segmentation by cruise type and passenger…

  19. Address

    Botswana, European Commission, Department of Tourism Botswana

    Telephone

    21000

    European Commission, Department of Tourism Botswana,

    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…

  20. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, The Netherlands Enterprise Centre

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, The Netherlands Enterprise Centre,

    A detailed study into the Baby Boomer traveller market was required to support SMEs prepare suitable tourism products for the European market segment.

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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

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.

Nature and Conservation: What are the next steps towards sustainable destination management?

Nature and Conservation: 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.

Organisation and Planning: What are the next steps for sustainable destination development?

Organisation and Planning: What are the next steps for sustainable destination development?

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.

Influencer Marketing - the fastest growing trend within the Tourism Industry

Influencer Marketing - the fastest growing trend within the Tourism Industry

Read time: 2 mins

The trend of Influencer marketing has taken off in the last decade and is currently one of the fastest growing activities within the digital marketing space. The movement has been on the rise due to the growth of social media and the influence of word-of-mouth marketing. For marketers “brands are no longer what companies tell consumers but rather what consumers tell each other”.

World Tourism Day, Re-Thinking Tourism

World Tourism Day, Re-Thinking Tourism

Read time: 2 mins

As we celebrate the UNWTO’s World Tourism Day with the theme ‘Re-Thinking Tourism’, one can’t help but look back at the highs and (many) lows that the Tourism Industry has experienced over the last three years. And, although the lows were very low, we must look to the future and be thankful in a way that tourism did slow for a small while, as it gave us the unique and needed opportunity and realisation that there was a dire need for the tourism industry to stop and ‘re-think’ its future development.

How can you grow your business with online bookings?

How can you grow your business with online bookings?

Read time: 1 min

Online bookings are increasingly popular as they provide a convenient, trustworthy experience for customers, allowing them to book services from anywhere at any time, with real time information, while having full control over the experience.

Everything you need to know about using a website to grow your business.

Everything you need to know about using a website to grow your business.

Read time: 1 min

Your website is the face of your business, and a powerful tool to connect with your customers, present your products and services and grow your business. A great website can make or break your business. It is increasingly becoming essential for customers to find out about your business.

Courses to help boost your knowledge on Sustainable Tourism

Courses to help boost your knowledge on Sustainable Tourism

Read time: 3 mins

Here at Acorn Tourism Consulting, we believe in the strength of working together to build a greater sustainable future for the tourism sector and beyond. We have been promoting some sustainable tourism through our social media platforms and decided that it would be helpful to also collate them all into one blog.

News

News

March 2024

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December 2023

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April 2023

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February 2023

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September 2022

July 2022

June 2022

March 2022

January 2022

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

August 2021

July 2021

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Contact us

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

+44 (0) 1580 879970

contact@acorntourism.co.uk