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RESILIENCE

The COVID-19 pandemic is exceptional, but unexpected events are inevitable. Tourism organisations need disaster response plans because resilience is essential for recovery.

INNOVATION

Progress requires change. This might involve product diversification, new market development and innovative revenue management systems, but it will almost always require cultural change.

SUSTAINABILITY

Change must be planned to be sustainable with every tangible objective visibly aligned to the SDGs for the benefit of host communities, with risks appropriately mitigated.

EXCELLENCE

With every country in the world competing for tourists, the experience must be designed to be outstanding and authentic for visitors and communities alike.

Carey Tourism

Carey Tourism delivers sustainable business solutions for tourism companies and destinations by supporting people to unlock the social and economic value of their heritage. CT’s team is led by managing director Benjamin Carey, who has 30 years professional experience of tourism in more than 60 countries.

MAP LEGEND
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Based in Scotland, Benjamin is an award-winning international consultant and influencer. Since 2002 he has been consulting to national governments and tourist boards, and advising companies large and small, NGOs, co-operatives and community groups on strategy and development, working with a wide range of partners and international agencies, including the International Co-operative Alliance, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, World Bank and World Tourism Organization. A former tour operator, he has held visiting faculty positions at six universities in Europe and lectures at conferences all over the world. He is a certified PM4SD Practitioner and has won awards for tourism projects in Africa, Asia and Europe. Elected a Fellow of The Tourism Society in 2007, Benjamin is also a member of the Tourism Consultants Network.

WHAT WE DO

Capacity building

CT’s team has designed and delivered training programmes for groups and individuals that include government ministers and senior executives, students and academics, local guides, heritage experts and community representatives, tour operators and protected area managers.

Crisis recovery

Drawing on earlier experience of epidemics (Ebola, Foot & Mouth), natural disasters (earthquakes, floods) and conflict (war, terrorism), CT has recently been advising companies, governments and destination organisations on COVID-19 strategy and market recovery options.

Heritage tourism

Whether natural or cultural, heritage is at the heart of every tourism strategy, because it represents the identity of place and local distinctiveness. It can contribute to branding and authenticity through visitor experience and local supply chains, and draws on both autochthonous heritage and cultural diversity that is a function of mobility. CT has recently been working on heritage tourism in Colombia, Laos and Yemen.

Investment promotion

Investor confidence requires a clear tourism strategy and a business-friendly environment. Finance can be accessed for more risky developments, but it might come with more conditions. The diaspora is emerging as an important source of capital for many emerging destinations. Recently, CT has been focused on emerging destinations and advising on investment promotion strategies in Laos, Nigeria, Russia and Sri Lanka.

Market development

CT’s team has provided representation services to a number of destinations and tour operators in Europe and the Middle East and achieved significant market development for destinations in sub-Saharan Africa, the MENA region, Europe, Mediterranean and Caribbean. Whether post-crisis or in normal times, market development has always been data-driven and demand-led to establish resilient partnerships that deliver added value.

Market research

Data are key to market research, both qualitative and quantitative. CT’s skills are in the statistical analysis of data to establish an evidence base for policy decisions and other interventions for sustainable product and market development.

Master planning

CT’s team has extensive master planning experience, especially in sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on innovation and diversification in emerging destinations and post-crisis situations. CT’s most recent experience has been in South and Southeast Asia.

Original research

As well as researching and developing concepts of co-operative tourism and public value in tourism, Benjamin Carey has previously produced research papers on tourism and migration for UNWTO and marketing sustainable tourism products for UNEP.

Policy development

Policy interventions can include changes to destination management organisations, business and investment regulation, visa policy and data collection. CT has recently drafted new tourism policies for destinations in Africa and Europe and has been working with destinations on policy responses to the current COVID-19 crisis.

Product development

CT conducts feasibility studies and options appraisals for a wide range of clients in the public and private sectors, as well as community groups for product development and investment promotion purposes. Recently in Europe, this has led to a new strategy for an organisation offering sustainability training programmes and wilderness retreats, and a plan for delivering a multi-million pound infrastructure development in a heritage town.

Public value

With the Samuel Lindow Foundation at the University of Central Lancashire, CT is developing a concept of public value in tourism. Benjamin Carey has contributed to a series of conferences and publications on public value.

Revenue management

With experience of delivering world class revenue management systems for tour operators since the 1990s, Carey Tourism is able to include specialist expertise of this discipline in all its work.

Strategy development

Historically, tourism strategies have been about growth in revenue and visitors. In the light of the Climate Emergency, this is no longer realistic, and the aim of a tourism strategy must be to deliver sustainable development, which is the focus of Carey Tourism.

Sustainable development

To be relevant, tourism development must be sustainable. In essence, this means aligning strategy and objectives to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Recently, CT has delivered a workshop with Equality in Tourism on tourism and sustainable development for DfID.

Travel advice

Benjamin Carey privately advises individuals on travel plans and responsible behaviours, especially when travelling in more unusual destinations. In 2004, he was appointed by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office to its newly established Travel Advice Review Group and its successor Consular Stakeholder Panel, which also comprised the UK’s leading travel industry organisations and NGOs.