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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

    Uganda, CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    30000

    CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    CBI Netherlands required a detailed Value Chain Analysis of the Ugandan tourism sector to identify the challenges and opportunities to support the growth of the sector. The findings of the VCA would then define the scope of a five-year tourism…

  2. Address

    Aberdeen, United Kingdom, VisitScotland

    Telephone

    12000

    VisitScotland,

    Study commissioned by VisitScotland to establish the current and future growth of outdoor activities within the United Kingdom, in order to predict outdoor activity holiday trends for leisure and business tourism in Scotland up to the year 2005 and…

  3. Address

    Worldwide, CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    5000

    CBI, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    This detailed business guide was conducted to support local tour operators throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America to compete effectively in the European tourism market for walking tourism.

  4. Address

    Zanzibar, Tanzania, Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors

    Telephone

    36000

    Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors,

    Marketing and branding strategy commissioned by the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors to develop a realistic marketing plan, budget and source of funds from both the public and private sectors for implementation.

  5. Address

    Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

    Telephone

    5000

    Tunbridge Wells Borough Council,

    The 3-year Business Plan needed to address restructuring and funding constraints, while supporting local businesses, providing high quality service and increasing income. Relocation, proactive marketing, developing staff sales skills were key…

  6. Address

    Worldwide, Mintel

    Telephone

    2500

    Mintel,

    Specialist niche market report on Fishing Tourism that summarised the differing types of fishing; who goes fishing and where they fish; profiled the leading fishing tour operators and provided an analysis of the sector’s future.

  7. Address

    Royal Borough of Greenwich, United Kingdom, Visit Greenwich

    Telephone

    4000

    Visit Greenwich,

    Visit Greenwich is the Royal Borough of Greenwich Destination Management Company tasked with the development of tourism in the borough. In 2015 they contracted Acorn T-Stats to implement our online tourism statistics tracking system for the area.

  8. Address

    Aruba, Aruba Tourism Authority

    Telephone

    40000

    Aruba Tourism Authority,

    We assessed potential demand for niche activities in Aruba including Adventure, Birding, Culinary, Nautical, Romance, Sport and Wellness and conducted stakeholder consultations to identify the products that could differentiate Aruba from its…

  9. Address

    Falkland Islands, Falkland Islands Tourist Board

    Telephone

    10000

    Falkland Islands Tourist Board,

    Analysis of six niche markets that were identified as having potential for development in the Falkland Islands; these were: birdwatching, fishing, conflict tourism, trekking, marine tourism, and yachting. Each profile included the identification of…

  10. Address

    Jordan, CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Jordan

    Telephone

    240000

    CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    The overarching objective of the Jordan Sustainable Tourism Programme 2021-25 is to support the Jordanian tourism sector to operate in a more sustainable and responsible manner. We are supporting local partners to work towards this common goal,…

  11. Address

    London, United Kingdom, London Borough of Camden

    Telephone

    2000

    London Borough of Camden,

    Camden needed to know what tourism, arts and creative industry data sources were available for London and the Borough and how they could most effectively improve these resources or commission new research.

  12. Address

    Dominica, Discover Dominica Authority

    Telephone

    22000

    Discover Dominica Authority,

    Study contracted by Discover Dominica Authority to develop a sustainable voluntourism strategy for the country with the overall aim of increasing visitor numbers and expenditure. This included practical guidelines for the private sector on how to…

  13. Address

    Lesotho, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, World Bank

    Telephone

    55000

    Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, World Bank,

    This project brought together all the tourism statistics that had been collected over the previous 10 years and consolidated them in an online tourism statistics database that was programmed specifically for Lesotho. It also included improved data…

  14. Address

    Bristol, United Kingdom, Bristol City Council, Future Parks Accelerator, Bristol

    Telephone

    10000

    Bristol City Council, Future Parks Accelerator , Bristol

    Bristol Future Parks was part of a two-year national Future Parks Accelerator scheme to enable Bristol City Council to transform their green spaces and become financially sustainable. Assessments of 10 pilot parks and best practice case studies…

  15. Address

    Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, People’s Committee for Tourism, UNWTO

    Telephone

    42000

    People’s Committee for Tourism, UNWTO,

    Study to provide a series of interventions over two years to assist with the development of a system of tourism statistics and to assess the growth of tourism in the country under various development scenarios.

  16. Address

    Jersey, United Kingdom, Jersey

    Telephone

    2000

    Jersey,

    Jersey’s mission is to work collaboratively with the industry and government to promote tourism to and within Jersey in an innovative, economic and efficient way. Jersey contracted Acorn T-Stats in 2019 to implement our T-Stats Essentials online…

  17. Address

    Belize, Belize Sustainable Tourism Programme, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Inter-American Development Bank

    Telephone

    200000

    Belize Sustainable Tourism Programme, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Inter-American Development Bank,

    A 12-month project that developed tourism corridors in Corozal and Toledo that engaged local communities through extensive consultation, product development, branding and marketing.

  18. Address

    Mongolia, CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency

    Telephone

    20000

    CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency,

    The Minister needed advice on how Mongolia’s cultural tourism offer could meet internationally sustainable tourism guidelines and benefit remote and rural communities. We identified products to attract visitors from France, Germany, Japan, Russia…

  19. Address

    Senegal, IFC

    Telephone

    90000

    IFC,

    Assessment of the current demand for tourism in Senegal, creating a detailed profile of existing and potential visitors to the country. Using this data, the study developed a long list of potential investment projects to satisfy the expected demand…

  20. Address

    Marshall Islands, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, European Union

    Telephone

    15000

    South Pacific Tourism Organisation, European Union,

    Following the implementation of a visitor survey undertaken by Acorn in the Marshall Islands, data was collected from secondary sources regarding the supply side of the tourism sector and a first experimental tourism satellite account was compiled.

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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

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December 2021

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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