Visitor Economy research group

Visitor Economy

The visitor economy is a place-centred concept concerned with the whole environment in which visitors, locals and tourists interact. It focuses on the elements that attract visitors and the infrastructure and services that support their visit. We have taken the lead in developing the standard methodologies of research in this field.

Our research has supported businesses in the visitor economy to develop memorable, emotive customer experiences whilst generating value for themselves and their local community and to take advantage of the period of sustainable growth the sector is currently experiencing.

During the COVID-19 global health pandemic, we have placed significant emphasis on resilience in the visitor economy. Our research focuses on multi-stakeholder engagement to promote businesses and better societies for a sustainable post-pandemic visitor economy.  

Impact

Our research makes a direct contribution to the economic, social and wellbeing development of individuals, organisations and destinations regionally and internationally. Strong links with our partners in the public and private sector mean we can ensure our work remains economically and socially relevant while maximising quality and impact.

In recent years we have published research on the international development of portfolio events to promote the unique identity of global cities and the emergence of authenticity in wellness tourism. From music and arts events in the Peak District to the promotion of a ‘street art’ identity in Naples, our work is unconstrained by location and instead centres around the practical application of theoretical approaches that cities and states take in order to improve the value of their visitor economy.

Key research themes

• Responsible Tourism — protecting the natural environment, building sustainable communities through tourism, promoting accessible tourism solutions, improving wellbeing through nature connectedness, assisting sustainable transport systems and data science
• Sustainable Hospitality Solutions — promoting ethically sourced ingredients, developing ethical supply chains, changing behaviour around food consumption, sourcing and provenance, encouraging corporate and social responsibility, finding solutions to waste management and ethical packaging, and disruptive technologies
• Building Better Business — focusing on increasing productivity through sustainable practices, using the principles of the circular economy to become more sustainable, improving workplace wellbeing and the development and application of new and emerging technologies for tourism and hospitality

Integration with teaching

We are committed to building a research-receptive, practitioner workforce. Our undergraduate and postgraduate curricula are designed to reflect the interaction between research, teaching and practice.

Our students are provided with the skills and tools to understand the research process and are supported to develop research in applied contexts.

Our Visitor Economy Researchers