As Director of the Tourism and Events Hub, my research interests link to knowledge exchange with the regional and UK visitor economy. Working as project lead across a variety of projects, I have delivered a range of consultancy projects in collaboration with other members of the Hub team, for regional and national organisations. Research outputs have been used to support governmental lobbying and advocacy, regional growth and cross-sectoral working between tourism and culture/the arts. Two reports, 'Breaking the Language Barrier' and 'The Perfect Storm', commissioned by UKinbound, the UK's trade association representing the voice of inbound tourism, were used extensively to feed into UKinbound's Brexit Campaign and helped them to respond to the consultations over the post-Brexit immigration policy.
The consultancy provided UKinbound with evidence-based research through which UKinbound could lobby government on behalf of their 300 member organisations, linked to skills shortages and the impact of the end of Free Movement on the tourism/hospitality workforce. From a regional visitor economy perspective, I have led and worked on research commissioned by Visit Kent and Locate in Kent to identify gaps in Kent's hotel provision and opportunities for future growth. 'The Review of Accommodation Provision in the Garden of England Report' was launched at a major hotel conference to provide investors and developers with vital insights into the accommodation sector in Kent. Research for Culture Kent (in partnership with Visit Kent) fed into the project's vision to position Kent as a leading cultural destination. Funded as part of the Arts Council England and Visit England's Cultural Destination programme, I led a two-year research programme, incorporating an evidence-review, semi-structured interviews, reflective partner interviews and a round table discussion event to deliver a range of research reports and industry case studies/best practice insights.
