Blackstone Consultants - Tourism Planning

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Blackstone Consultants - Tourism Planning

Our Tourism Services:

Blackstone has worldwide experience in responsible tourism planning spanning over twenty-five countries on five continents around the world. We are specialists in nature-based, cultural heritage and community-based development. Our services cover the following areas:

National, provincial/state, regional and municipal tourism plans and strategies, in both urban and rural contexts;
Market and financial feasibility analyses;
Market demand analyses and forecasting;
Our specially designed Tour Operators’ Perceptions Surveys (TOPS©);
Value chain analysis;
Resource and tourism product evaluation;
Institutional strengthening programmes;
Training needs identification;
Tourism legislation and policy development;
Economic impact calculations and projections;
Community-based tourism development;
Best management practices and standards for tourism;
Cultural heritage tourism;
Tourism policy for coastal zone management and island ecosystems;
Winter tourism and ski resort studies;
Marketing and promotional strategy development, and investors' prospectus design;
Tourism linkages studies (e.g., tourism and transportation; environmental impact assessment; biodiversity conservation linkages; tourism and other economic sectors).

Our Clients:

World Bank (IBRD);
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB);
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA);
Private sector developers and businesses;
Municipalities;
First Nations and Tribal Councils;
Tourism and Economic Development Associations;
Provincial/State Governments;
Federal/National Governments.

Our Tourism Philosophy:

...Helping Our Clients Make Informed Choices

Tourism is fundamentally a market-driven industry. In today’s world, it is consumers who are deciding which tourism products are viable and which are not. It is no longer true that “if we build it they will come.” The global tourism market has become extremely complex and highly fragmented, consisting of hundreds of different specialty market niches, each with their own needs and preferences.

Destinations that invest in tourism without having a deep understanding of their specific market niches’ characteristics, in relation to the tourism products they have to offer, are at risk of investing unwisely. As a result, we virtually always provide our clients with direct primary research – our Tour Operators Perceptions Surveys (TOPS©) - that includes personal interviews with specific, targeted tour operators to determine market preferences and attitudes towards a particular destination. As a result, we bring leading edge knowledge of global tourism market trends to our clients. We are then able to make recommendations regarding investments in the tourism product base that responds to long-term market demand trends.

We assist our clients to bring a sustainable approach to tourism planning, based on informative market research, inclusive consultation with stakeholders and sound planning of the tourism product. At one time, for example, so-called “ecotourism” was seen to be more environmentally friendly representative of a strong eco-ethic. Mass tourism was seen by many as detrimental to the environment and local people. Based on our extensive experience there are examples of both well-managed mass tourism and destructive nature/culture-based tourism development. Our approach is to assist our government and private sector clients to plan responsible tourism that will be sustainable over the long term - environmentally, socially and economically.

There are many destinations that have failed to ensure that economic benefits of tourism reach local communities and some of these are experiencing social unrest which in turn damages the tourism industry. As our web page on sustainability underscores, it is those communities and regions that are deliberately planning for long-term sustainability that are most successful. Sustainability planning applies equally to tourism which, in most cases, depends on a well managed environment and a sensitive inclusion of culture.

Blackstone has become known for our innovative work related to assessments of the various "linkages" between tourism and other sectors. For example, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation retained us to examine the linkages between tourism and transportation in the province. The Government of the Bahamas has retained our services on several occasions, including a project to develop a strategy for strengthening the linkages between the country's tourism industry and the other sectors of the economy. In Bolivia, we carried out a project to evaluate the linkages between the tourism industry and infrastructural needs, such as transportation, power, water and sanitation.

Tourism Project Examples:

Aruba: Due Diligence Assessment of Impacts Associated with Major Tourism and Mixed Use Development Project Assessment of lessons learned throughout the Caribbean, and similar destinations, and assessment of socio-economic impacts associated with a major mixed use development adjacent to a poor population centre in Aruba;

Belize: A Strategy for Tourism Sector Involvement in Addressing HIV/AIDS Epidemic A project designed to assess the situation regarding HIV/AIDS in Belize, which has the third highest infection rate in the Caribbean; objective was to determine how the tourism industry, as the country’s largest employer, can work effectively with other parties to address the myriad of complex issues that are contributing to the situation, with regard to, for example, educating their employees, educating visitors, providing assistance to school programming for sex education, etc.;

Yukon Territory, Canada: Comprehensive Due Diligence Review of Major Tourism Project for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada: Blackstone carried out a detailed study of a multi-million dollar tourism development in Yukon, including financial analysis, product evaluation, impact assessment, etc.;

Nunavut Territory, Canadian Arctic: Stakeholder consultation process with indigenous Inuit populations throughout eastern Canadian Arctic related to new legislation for the tourism sector;

Ningbo and Shaoxing Cities, China: Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management Projects: Funded through CIDA INC. and supported by the World Bank and the two municipalities, this project involved the preservation of historically important areas and structures, and the development of tourism strategies that will link these two areas and strengthen their ability to attract responsible tourism development;

Parish of Portland, Jamaica - "Early Actions" for Tourism: Through support of CIDA's Environmental Action Programme (ENACT), priorities for community-based tourism were identified with stakeholders, and funding solicited through various sources;

Alternative/Cultural Tourism Strategy for Nunavut, Canada: A project for Nunavut Tourism and the Territory's Department of Sustainable Development to identify needs and interests, assess assets and resources, determine markets and generate consensus regarding a practical strategy to attract adventure and cultural tourism to the eastern arctic of Canada in a way that benefits the Inuit people;

Assessment of Tourism Issues and Priorities in St. Lucia: A mission with World Bank staff was undertaken to identify the key issues that need to be addressed to ensure a sustainable future for tourism;

Best Management Practices for Responsible Tourism for Trinidad and Tobago: Through Inter-American Development Bank funding, guidelines were produced following a consultation process. In addition, lessons learned from other destinations and an assessment of market potential were included;

National Development Plan for Belize: Blackstone was retained by the Inter-American Development Bank to carry out this major tourism development project for Belize over a one-year period. The highly acclaimed action plan had broad support, having been prepared through an iterative and extensive stakeholder development and consultation programme throughout the country. The "Blackstone Plan" has been formally adopted by the Government of Belize and is being implemented through a major loan through the IADB and via several other funding sources;

National Ecotourism Strategies for Brazil and Argentina: Blackstone was asked by the Inter-American Development Bank to prepare national-level strategic plans for these two large South America countries, to assist the governments in supporting and developing ecotourism development in a sustainable way;

Ecotourism and the Inter-American Development Bank: A Strategy Paper: Blackstone developed a strategy paper, or "think piece", to assist the Bank in examining how it might develop its future programming with respect to ecotourism throughout Latin America and the Caribbean;

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Solid Waste Management Solutions for Six Caribbean Countries - Socio-Economic, Institutional and Tourism Components World Bank (1993) The company was responsible for undertaking socio-economic aspects of this World Bank-funded assignment, including consideration of institutional, legislative, cultural, land use planning, environmental education and awareness-building requirements related to the upgrading of solid waste management facilities on six islands, as well as opportunities for private sector involvement. The treatment of cruise ship and tourism waste generated by hotels were major aspects of this work.

Ecotourism Strategy for the Pantanal Region of Bolivia: Funded through CIDA, this project provided detailed ecotourism planning for a tourism region of the country, including detailed market segment analyses, tour operator interviews, resource planning, community consultations, etc.;

Ecotourism Strategy for Peru, World Bank: Blackstone was engaged by the Government of Peru, through the World Bank, to develop a comprehensive strategy for the development of the ecotourism industry in the country;

Green Tourism Strategy, City of Toronto: Retained to develop a strategy to capitalize on "green tourism" opportunities throughout the urban area, with a view to encouraging sound environmental practices and strengthened community economic development;

Tourism/Economic Development Linkages Study, The Bahamas: Retained by the Inter-American Development Bank to help strengthen the linkages between the tourism sector and other productive sectors of the economy;

Evaluation of CIDA-Sponsored Ecotourism Projects in Four Caribbean Countries: An analysis was undertaken of community-based efforts to establish their own tourism attractions, in order to learn what works and doesn't work in animating community participation and obtaining real results;

Tourism and Socio-Economic Assessments, Lake Malawi National Park, Malawi: Carried out tourism and socio-economic analyses as part of a project to evaluate development potential in and around the park, which contains 5 enclave villages and has been designated as a World Heritage Site due to the area's aquatic biodiversity;

Tourism and Transportation Linkages Study, Ontario Ministry of Transportation: Study to examine the linkages between all transport modes and establish the role of passenger transportation in promoting and supporting Ontario's tourism sector;

Tourism Strategy Assistance - Olsztyn, Poland: This project, through the Canadian Urban Institute, entailed assistance to the city of Olsztyn to determine its tourism potential, and institutional, infrastructural and marketing requirements;

Tourism Opportunities Study, Siberia, Russia: A mission to Gorno-Altaisk and Krasnoyarsk in central Siberia, to identify ecotourism opportunities and design a programme for action for a private sector consortium;

Winter Tourism Strategy for Republic of Turkey: S. Davidson and B. Lamb directed this project for a large engineering firm. Working with a ski resort facility planner, we developed a Master Plan for winter tourism as well as detailed financial and market feasibility analyses and physical plans for a major resort and established a plan for winter tourism throughout the country at several other ski destinations;

Blackstone Corporation