The Tourism Company

What The Tourism Company does

The Tourism Company is a privately-held UK tourism consultancy founded in 1990 and headquartered in Ledbury. It delivers bespoke professional services spanning six core areas: Strategies and Destination Management Plans, Policy Advice and Guidance, Project Development and Appraisal, Research and Intelligence, and Marketing, Information and Interpretation. These are supplemented by specialized services including Visitor Attractions Services, Sustainable Tourism consulting, Website Audits, Cruise Tourism Services, Equestrian Tourism Services, World Heritage Site Services, Activity Plans and Audience Development Plans, and Accommodation Studies. The firm has worked on nine of the UK's 24 World Heritage Sites including the Tower of London, Stonehenge, Giant's Causeway, and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, and has executed projects across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania.

The company's underlying intellectual property consists of proprietary frameworks — notably the '12 Aims for Sustainable Tourism' developed for UNEP and UNWTO, the '7 pathways' Tourism and Poverty Alleviation framework produced for UNWTO, and a Visitor Management System methodology for World Heritage Sites. Core technology is not publicly disclosed and there is no proprietary software platform; deliverables are project-based reports, strategies, and policy documents. The business operates exclusively on direct consultancy engagements with project-specific, quote-based pricing, and reaches clients primarily through competitive tendering for government contracts, a content-rich website serving as portfolio and credibility demonstration, and conference presentations at international bodies.

Revenue is generated solely through paid consultancy services to government agencies, international organizations, heritage and environmental bodies, tourism enterprises, and local communities. Clients include the OECD (G20 Tourism Working Group), European Commission (Tourism Sustainability Group), UNWTO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Arts Council England, VisitEngland, English Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces, the London Development Agency, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (Copernicus Climate Change Service). The company has no disclosed funding, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and operates as an independent owner-managed practice with a team of 1-10 specialist consultants.

Name

The Tourism Company

Legal name

The Tourism Company

Website

https://www.thetourismcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Tourism Company is a UK-based tourism consultancy founded in 1990, providing sustainable tourism strategies, destination management plans, feasibility studies, and policy advice to UK government agencies, international organizations, heritage bodies, and tourism enterprises worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Consulting Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting) (THAAANAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Tourism consultancy services
• Destination management planning
• Sustainable tourism consulting
• Heritage site management
• Feasibility studies tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Ledbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: The company generates revenue through providing paid consultancy services including tourism strategies, destination management plans, feasibility studies, market research, policy advice, marketing plans, and project development and appraisal to government agencies, tourism enterprises, heritage bodies, and international organizations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Tourism Company is a UK-based tourism consultancy that delivers bespoke strategies, destination management plans, policy advice, project development and appraisal, market research, and marketing plans to government bodies, international organizations, tourism enterprises, heritage agencies, and local communities. It supplements these core services with specialized offerings in sustainable tourism, World Heritage Site visitor management, visitor attractions, equestrian tourism, cruise tourism, website audits, and accommodation studies. Engagements are project-based, scoped directly with clients, and grounded in sustainable tourism principles.

Product overview

The Tourism Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of professional consulting services organized into six core service areas: Strategies and Destination Management Plans, Policy Advice and Guidance, Project Development and Appraisal, Research and Intelligence, and Marketing, Information and Interpretation. These core offerings are supplemented by specialized services including Visitor Attractions Services, Website Audits, Sustainable Tourism consulting, Equestrian Tourism Services, Cruise Tourism Services, World Heritage Site Services, Activity Plans and Audience Development Plans, and Accommodation Studies. The company positions sustainable tourism principles at the heart of all its work, serving clients ranging from international bodies and national/local government to tourism enterprises, heritage agencies, and local communities across the UK and worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Tourism Sustainable tourism consulting services integrating environmental and social benefits with economic outcomes for destinations and tourism enterprises, including the proprietary 12 Aims for Sustainable Tourism Framework.
• Strategies and Destination Management Plans Preparation of tourism strategies and destination management plans (DMPs) for countries, regions, cities, heritage towns, and national parks across the UK and internationally, including projects such as the Bath Destination Management Plan for Bath and North East Somerset.
• Policy Advice and Guidance Advisory services addressing key tourism issues and providing policy guidance for government and the tourism industry, based on experience, consultation, and investigative research.
• Project Development and Appraisal Evaluation, guidance, and planning for tourism development projects of all scales, including market and feasibility assessment, audience development, business planning, and management proposals.
• Research and Intelligence Research and intelligence services helping clients understand tourism scale, patterns, impact, and potential through data analysis and original research including visitor surveys and market profiling.
• Marketing, Information and Interpretation Preparation and implementation of tourism marketing strategies and plans, visitor information strategies, and interpretation solutions utilizing traditional and digital communication channels.
• Visitor Attractions Services Comprehensive consulting for visitor attractions including museums, heritage sites, natural sites, parks, and gardens covering visitor surveys, feasibility studies, business plans, marketing, and audience development.
• Website Audits Assessment of tourism websites from a user perspective and search engine visibility, evaluating design, content, and structural effectiveness.
• Equestrian Tourism Services Specialized equestrian tourism consulting including strategy development, equestrian market research, riding holiday market analysis, and equestrian tourism action plans.
• Cruise Tourism Services Feasibility assessments for cruise terminals including market review, site assessment, and consultation with industry stakeholders for new cruise development projects.
• World Heritage Site Services Visitor management strategies, tourism planning, and marketing services for World Heritage Sites and aspiring WHS destinations, covering nine of the UK's 24 World Heritage Sites including Stonehenge, Tower of London, Bath, and Giant's Causeway.
• Activity Plans and Audience Development Plans Audience development and activity planning services for Heritage Lottery Fund applications, helping heritage organizations engage with wider audiences and communities.
• Accommodation Studies Accommodation sector research including hotel demand studies, feasibility assessments for hotel developments, accommodation audits, and policy work on grading and registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heritage Lottery Fund grants secured including £4.98m for Cobham Great Park restoration and £1.2m for Hall Place Bexley
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Commissioned by OECD to develop a report on seamless travel as a main outcome of the G20 Tourism Working Group, involving a survey of all G20 countries in coordination with Saudi Arabia's G20 2020 Presidency and leading international tourism bodies.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Cultural Destinations Programme was a major initiative resulting from a partnership between Arts Council England and VisitEngland. The Tourism Company, together with SQW, were appointed to evaluate the overall programme which ran from 2014 to 2017.
• VisitEnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Cultural Destinations Programme partnership with Arts Council England. The Tourism Company, together with SQW, were appointed to evaluate the overall programme.
• SQWcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2014Joint appointment with SQW to evaluate the Cultural Destinations Programme, a major partnership between Arts Council England and VisitEngland running 2014-2017.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Director Richard Denman appointed by the European Commission as facilitator of their Tourism Sustainability Group (TSG), authoring the influential report 'Action for More Sustainable European Tourism' (2007) which became the basis for formal EU policy communication.
• SNV (Netherlands Development Organisation)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2006Collaborated with SNV on a tourism and poverty alleviation project for the Konso community in southern Ethiopia, establishing projects to improve visitor experience and create economic benefits for the community.
• UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Prepared influential report 'Tourism and Poverty Alleviation, Recommendations for Action' (2004) for UNWTO identifying 7 pathways for the poor to benefit from tourism. Subsequently continued to advise UNWTO and other development agencies on linking tourism to poverty alleviation and UN Millennium Development Goals.
• Land Use Consultants (LUC)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2003Associated with LUC on the Conkers tourism development study in Leicestershire, looking at tourism-related development opportunities for the extended National Forest site.
• ACTA (Italian consultants)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1998Worked with ACTA, Italian consultants, on training for small tourism enterprises in and around Parco Alpi Marittime on sustainability issues.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted to supply a range of technical support to the GSTC in furthering the development and application of their standards for the tourism industry and destinations. Work includes reviewing and updating criteria, and preparing and assessing GSTC Recognized applications prior to presentation to the GSTC Assurance Panel.
• European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvolved as part of a pan-European team developing and delivering an operational Sectoral Information System (SIS) for the European tourism sector on behalf of ECMWF, as part of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
• CBA (Chris Blandford Associates)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFrequent collaboration partner on World Heritage Site management plans and visitor management strategies, including work at Greenwich, Stonehenge, Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Liverpool Waterfront, and other heritage projects. Also collaborated on parks and audience development plans.
• ADAS InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoined with ADAS International to handle the tourism component of a wider regional development strategy in Kyrgyzstan, which also included agricultural development and micro-finance systems, funded by EU TACIS programme.
• ECEAT (Netherlands)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with ECEAT from the Netherlands to establish new standards and guidelines for yurt camp operators in Kyrgyzstan.
• Seatrade Cruise Research CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloping expertise in cruise tourism, working alongside partners at Seatrade Cruise Research Centre and Beckitt Rankine on feasibility of new cruise terminals on the Thames.
• Beckitt RankineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarine engineering partner for cruise terminal feasibility studies, conducting site assessments and providing technical analysis alongside The Tourism Company's tourism expertise.
• VisitEnglandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned by VisitEngland to assist in the further development of the English National Parks Experience Collection, seeing how it could better support sustainable land management within National Parks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BDRC Continental: UK-based hospitality and tourism research consultancy serving destinations, hotels, and visitor attractions with customer insight, benchmarking, and strategy support — directly comparable as a boutique UK tourism research and strategy firm.
• Tourism Economics (Oxford Economics): Specialist tourism economics consultancy producing forecasting, economic impact, and policy analysis for destinations and government clients globally — overlapping directly with the firm's Research and Intelligence and feasibility study services.
• Acorn Tourism Consulting: UK-based tourism consultancy delivering visitor economy research, destination strategies, and feasibility studies for local authorities and DMOs — a closely comparable boutique public-sector tourism advisory.
• Toposophy: Place branding and destination marketing consultancy working with cities, regions, and tourism boards on identity, positioning, and marketing strategy — overlapping with the firm's Marketing, Information and Interpretation service line.
• TEAM Tourism Consulting: Independent tourism consultancy providing market research, feasibility, and strategy for destinations and attractions — directly comparable as a specialist advisory serving the same public and heritage-sector client base.

Emerging players

• TwentyCi: UK location-intelligence and visitor analytics firm providing data-driven insights for retail, leisure, and tourism property decisions — adjacent overlap through destination intelligence and catchment analysis.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte (Tourism & Hospitality practice): Global professional services firm with a tourism and hospitality advisory practice serving governments, DMOs, and hospitality operators — competing for larger destination strategy mandates with a full-service delivery model.
• PwC (Travel & Hospitality): Big Four advisory with established travel and tourism consulting serving airlines, hotels, and tourism authorities — competing at the high end of destination economic and policy advisory work.
• EY-Parthenon (Travel & Hospitality): Global strategy consulting arm of EY with a dedicated tourism and hospitality sector practice covering strategy, transformation, and economic advisory for tourism authorities.
• KPMG (Travel & Leisure): Big Four firm with a global travel, leisure, and tourism advisory serving governments and operators on strategy, ESG, and economic impact — broader scope but addresses overlapping tourism authority mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheTourismCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/uktourismcompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-tourism-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Tourism Company