Destination Research & Visitor Economy Insights
Delivering research results that matter
TSE Research has a long history of working with local authorities, destination management organisations (DMOs), Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), government agencies and third-sector organisations to deliver independent, evidence-based destination research and visitor economy insight.
We provide robust research and consultancy services nationwide that support the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of tourism, economic development and destination management strategies. Our work helps organisations understand visitor behaviour, measure economic impact, evaluate performance and make informed decisions that support sustainable growth. Our extensive experience includes delivering economic impact assessments, tourism and visitor economy studies, destination audits, visitor surveys, passenger surveys, industry performance monitoring and tourism product mapping across destinations throughout the UK. Whether you are developing a destination strategy, seeking investment, evaluating a programme or measuring the success of an initiative, our research provides the evidence needed to support decision-making and demonstrate outcomes.
Our Destination Research Services Include:
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Quantitative and Qualitative Research - Comprehensive research programmes that provide both statistical evidence and deeper visitor, stakeholder and resident insight.
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Economic Impact Assessment & Modelling - Using recognised methodologies including Cambridge Model 2, PRIME and Local Event Impact models to measure the value of tourism, events and visitor activity.
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Visitor Surveys & Visitor Profiling - Understanding visitor demographics, motivations, satisfaction, spending patterns and behaviour to inform destination planning and marketing.
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Passenger Research & Transport Studies - Research with airport, ferry, rail and cruise passengers to understand travel patterns, visitor flows and economic contributions.
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Destination Audits & Tourism Product Mapping - Assessing destination assets, visitor infrastructure, tourism products and opportunities for growth.
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Industry Audits & Business Intelligence - Gathering evidence from tourism businesses and stakeholders to support destination management and policy development.
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Industry Confidence Surveys & Performance Barometers - Tracking tourism business performance, market sentiment and emerging trends across the visitor economy.
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Survey Design & Implementation - Designing and delivering robust visitor, resident, stakeholder and business surveys tailored to your objectives.
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Structured Interviews, Stakeholder Consultation & Focus Groups - Engaging key audiences to inform policy development, destination planning and investment decisions.
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Desk Research & Tourism Market Analysis - Combining local intelligence with regional, national and sector-wide datasets to provide context and strategic insight.
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Short-Term Rental Market Analysis - Understanding the scale, performance and impact of the short-term rental sector within your destination.
Our research helps destinations and local authorities:
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Develop destination management plans
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Measure the value of the visitor economy
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Support inward investment cases
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Evaluate tourism projects and programmes
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Understand visitor needs and behaviours
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Monitor tourism performance
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Develop evidence-based tourism policy
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Secure funding and stakeholder support
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By combining specialist tourism knowledge with rigorous research methodologies, TSE Research delivers practical, actionable insights that help destinations strengthen their visitor economy and achieve long-term success.
Economic impact studies generate insights into the volume, value, and economic impact of visitor activity within a local area over a given year or specific time period.
TSE Research developed Cambridge Model 2 in 2024. Built on over three decades of expertise with the original Cambridge Model, this upgraded tool integrates modern metrics, new data sets—including short-stay letting intelligence—and contemporary economic indicators. The Cambridge Model 2 offers a more robust analysis of the economic impact, volume, and value of tourism in any district, county, or region.
Our PRIME model continues to be highly popular with event organisers. The results of the model enables event organisers to identify the economic impacts associated with their event and can be used to support financial bids.
For post-event evaluation we can offer a Local Event Impact Model which enables event organisers and sponsors to assess the economic benefit on the host area arising from the staging of their event. The model also provides a means for evaluating the impact of key social and environmental measures. An additional feature of this model is the inclusion of an attendance calculator which enables event organisers running non-ticketed events to estimate audience size.
The current and potential impact of tourism on local economies is of significance to all local authorities who have an obligation to promote economic prosperity. This includes those councils who are already proactive in tourism, and those who are not. Research into the impact of tourism on the local economy serves a variety of purposes, but primarily to:
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strengthen a local authority’s commitment to tourism
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assist decision-makers in formulating tourism development and marketing policies
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assist in creating or strengthening partnerships amongst beneficiaries
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provide information crucial for inward investment in tourism and wider sectors
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raise residents’ awareness of tourism benefits in terms of income generated, jobs created and local facilities supported
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to assess performance by means of year-on-year comparison
Methods used to fulfil the above needs can include, but are not exclusive to: Marketing evaluation – Identifying the ROI of campaigns and other promotions is critical in informing the effectiveness of marketing activities; Destination audits – a critical review of all the available information about the core commercial tourism facilities is key baseline data which establishes the nature and scale of the tourism industry in a destination; Business performance studies – these can include occupancy surveys, visitor attraction monitors and business confidence surveys.
Tourism South East is delighted to announce a new collaboration with Air DNA, enabling destinations to access valuable insights, empowering them to navigate the growing short term rental market.
With access to AirDNA's robust analytics platform, we are keen to provide destinations with the necessary tools to understand the dynamics of the short-term property rental market and harness it’s full potential.
In the year 2023 alone, South East England's private rental market showcased remarkable resilience, reaching an impressive value surpassing £9 million. This statistic highlights the substantial economic impact of STR properties on the region's tourism sector. With an extensive selection of over 410,301 properties available to rent.
Discover the details of our new packages and how they help destinations unlock vital data on the private short-term rental market in their area or contact the Research team on research@tourismse.com
