Projects

I have worked with a variety of organisations and destinations to help implement sustainable tourism principles and practice at industry level, as well as 'on the ground'. Below are some examples of projects I've worked on, either as a sole consultant or in partnership with others.

Sustainable excursions in Jamaica

The Travel Foundation

Led project to explore the local economic impact of tourism excursions in Jamaica and to make recommendations for maximizing revenue flow to MSMEs through the provision of goods and services and tapping into customer discretionary spend.

Sustainability communications and guidance material

Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)

Preparation of guidance on key sustainability topics for ABTA Members, resort partners and consumers: including responsible business practice, working with suppliers, destination-based sustainability activities, plastic reduction and environmental reporting, as well as content creation for sustainable tourism web pages.

Tourism feasibility study

Pembroke Dock Town Team

Feasibility study to explore the options for developing sustainable tourism products and services that will encourage local residents and day and overnight visitors to spend longer in Pembroke Dock and to contribute more to the local economy, whilst adding value to the existing tourism offer locally. In association with Acorn Tourism Consulting.

Transforming Tourism Value Chains

The Travel Foundation for UN Environment Programme

Consultancy support for production of Action Plans for resource efficiency and GHG emission reductions in the tourism sector in Saint Lucia and Mauritius

Tourism impacts appraisal

Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Member of team led by NEF Consulting, assessing economic, social and environmental impacts of visits to six ‘honeypot’ tourism sites in a protected area in North Wales. Making practical and strategic recommendations on visitor management as well as opportunities to spread economic benefits from the sites to the wider area. Report available here.

Capacity building for Destination Council, Sal, Cabo Verde

The Travel Foundation

Planning and production of training materials and handbook to equip local stakeholders in Sal, Cabo Verde with the knowledge and tools required to develop, manage and evaluate evidence-based sustainable destination management projects.

Impacts appraisal of tourism excursions in Cabo Verde

The Travel Foundation

Member of consultancy team led by Thinking Tourism, to research the impacts of tourism excursions in Cabo Verde, and making practical and strategic recommendations to enhance positive and address negative impacts.

'Stay, Eat, Do' tourism feasibility study

Clwydian Range Tourism Group

Feasibility study with local tourism businesses to explore options to create packages to extend tourism visits and maximise local economic, social and cultural benefits from sustainable tourism while enhancing the visitor experience.

Research and presentation on modern slavery risks for tourism

Independent / World Travel Market

Published articles in Progress in Responsible Tourism and with Shiva Foundation exploring the risks posed to the hospitality industry by modern slavery; participation in House of Lords round table event on orphanages and modern slavery; presentation to World Travel Market 2017 on 'Tourism, modern slavery and trafficking: a blind eye to the risks?'

Market research and marketing plan

Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust

Researching and advising on the market for group visits and preparing a marketing plan for the Trust, which owns and operates a medieval abbey recently opened to the public for the first time in its history.

Valuing cultural assets in destinations

The Travel Foundation

Preparation of a toolkit of methodologies for the Travel Foundation to use in their programmes and projects, to capture the values of cultural assets in destinations.

Behaviour change methodology

The Travel Foundation

Developing a framework for capturing behaviour change impacts and outcomes generated by the Travel Foundation’s programmes and projects.

Berlin Declaration on Transforming Tourism

Equality in Tourism / Tourism Watch

Representative (for Equality in Tourism) at round table of over 30 civil society organisations debating tourism, the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals; leading focus group and member of drafting team of the Berlin Declaration on Transforming Tourism

Sustainability communications and engagement

Virgin Atlantic Airways

Communications and staff engagement including managing and producing content for annual company sustainability report; editing external sustainability web pages; writing copy for external news stories and onboard passenger magazine; internal publications and communications; setting up and managing staff intranet pages; creating a company-wide staff sustainability survey; running internal energy saving campaign.

Guidelines for meeting minimum sustainability standards

The Travel Foundation, Cyprus Tourism Organisation and Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative

Writing practical guidelines for hotels and inspectors in Cyprus on compliance with new minimum standards for sustainability, as part of business planning; addressing environmental impacts; engaging staff in sustainability; supporting the local community and communicating sustainability to customers.

Responsible employment

Progress in Responsible Tourism

Published piece on working conditions in the UK hotel industry and contributed to research on reactions to the national living wage in hospitality (with Andreas Walmsley, Shobana Partington and Harold Goodwin)

Market research

MEJDI Tours

Using knowledge of the UK responsible tourism industry and market to research and identify operators and agents to fit MEJDI’s ethos and brand; preparing marketing materials; approaching and liaising with operators.

Increasing tourist spend in the local economy, Jamaica

The Travel Foundation

Research project (sole consultant) in Jamaica examining factors encouraging and inhibiting all-inclusive guests’ spending in the local economy; reporting on recommendations for practical initiatives to increase tourist spend in the local destination.

Advancing Sustainable Tourism

UN Environment Programme

Editor, Series of three situation analysis reports: ‘Advancing Sustainable Tourism’ (Southern Africa; Caribbean; Asia Pacific)

Sustainability reporting

TUI Travel PLC

Supporting external sustainability communications and reporting, preparing best practice and benchmarking guidelines.

Sustainable livelihoods in Bwindi National Park

Responsible Tourism Partnership for IIED

Interviewing tour operators and tourist survey analysis for a project involving developing and testing new community-based tourism products and services to improve local skills and job opportunities, and the long-term conservation and livelihood prospects for the park.