Recent Projects

Dunira's current and recent project locations include France, India, Pakistan, Russia, Scotland, Sierra Leone and Yemen and projects are being developed in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Clients are heritage organisations and environment agencies, local authorities, tourist boards and ministries, and regional and international development agencies, leading travel companies, charities and private clients. Examples include the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, United Nations World Tourism Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme, Scottish Enterprise, the Prince of Wales’ International Business Leaders Forum, The Association of British Travel Agents and The Travel Foundation. We have also submitted evidence to parliamentary inquiries into tourism, foreign affairs and public ethics.

Examples of recent and ongoing projects include:

Nature-based tourism
Sustainable tourism policy and assesment
Measuring hotels’ performance
Destination marketing plans and PR
Storytelling and folklore
Consumer education
Training the travel industry
IT solutions for tour operators
The Sustainable Tourism Initiative

Co-operative tourism

Nature-based tourism

A rural tourism strategy for the south of Scotland

Commissioned by Scottish Enterprise for its Making Tracks initiative, and working with The Borders Foundation for Rural Sustainability and market researchers NFO System Three, Dunira designed a ‘cluster tourism’ marketing strategy (link to PDF) for nature-based tourism in the south of Scotland. This involved a survey of tourism sites across the region and the development of geographic and thematic clusters into marketable products, all undertaken in conjunction with consumer research and consultation with a number of stakeholders. This strategy, which includes a wide range of tourism resources and attractions, will help to promote greater supply-chain linkages between tourism suppliers and the communities and environments in which they operate. Dunira has subsequently applied this methodology successfully in other countries, including Ireland, Poland and Lebanon. It is relevant to any emerging tourism destination, especially those that are more remote or marginalised by central government.

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Tourism and conservation in the Caucasus

Commissioned by WWF International to conduct a feasibility study linking tourism and conservation for the development of ecotourism in Georgia and to assess product development opportunities in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, the first PAN Park (WWF’s Protected Area Network) in the Caucasus.  The resulting action plan is now contributing to master-planning in Georgia, where the country’s President has identified tourism as “the no.1 economic priority”.

Protected areas in Pakistan

Dunira was appointed by Pakistan's Ministry of Environment to conduct a review of its protected areas and of the country's capacity to deliver ecotourism. Conducted a Third Party Evaluation of the World Bank’s Protected Area Management Project (PAMP), which comprised projects in three of Pakistan’s most important National Parks. The outcomes included a review of local community networks and an action plan for ecotourism development, institutional capacity building, regulatory reform and financial sustainability.

Developing walking tourism

Dunira was commissioned by the Western Development Tourism Programme in partnership with DTZ Pieda Consulting to produce a framework and best practice guide for the sustainable development of walking tourism, based on the research and analysis of international case studies. Published in 2005, Walking in the West: A Step-by-Step Guide, proposes a new integrated development process to deliver a world-class walking product.

Sustainable tourism policy and assessment

A survey of tourism supply chain practices

Working with other members of Leeds Tourism Group, Dunira won a contract from The Travel Foundation to research tourism supply-chain initiatives. The three-month project identified the best ways of encouraging suppliers and purchasers to work in a more responsible and sustainable manner so as to minimise the economic, environmental and social impacts caused by tourism, particularly to mass market destinations. The survey covered a wide range of initiatives throughout the supply chain – from stimulating local enterprise through local purchasing to supporting improvements on waste management – and should influence working practices in the tourism industry. Dunira subsequently built on this research programme with an economic impact assesment of specific sustainable tourism development opportunities in the Caribbean.

Tourism and migration baseline study

Dunira produced a baseline study for the World Tourism Organization on tourism and migration offering a series of policy recommendations on the opportunities and challenges related to sustainable migration and tourism development.

Benchmarking Scotland’s Tourism Sustainability

Dunira developed a benchmarking system of sustainable tourism indicators for Scottish tourism, providing an annual national assessment and European benchmark on a range of national and international indicators covering economic, environmental and social pillars. Primary case studies were Austria, England, Estonia, Ireland and Romania.

Measuring hotels’ performance

Evaluating a hotel benchmarking tool

Dunira was commissioned by the International Hotels Environment Initiative to evaluate a benchmarking tool that had been designed to measure the environmental and socio-economic performance of hotels against a range of indicators and provide a foundation for improvement. The evaluation involved advanced statistical analysis and consultation with hoteliers in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific. We employed trial applications and assessments, along with questionnaires and structured interviews to obtain feedback. This process confirmed the soundness of the content, while also identifying opportunities for the development and refinement of the tool itself.

Destination marketing plans and PR

PR for emerging destinations

Dunira has been engaged by a number of public and private clients to produce feasibility studies and comprehensive marketing plans and PR strategies. Most recently, Dunira was appointed by the Yemen Tourism Promotion Board to act as the PR representative for Yemen in all English-speaking media markets within Europe. Other projects include product development plans in a wide range of destinations in the British Isles, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and have involved regional cluster and cross-border product development opportunities, including the British Isles, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. On every project we are working closely with specific stakeholders with particular local knowledge. This body of work builds on our team's experience of destination marketing, tourism management and sustainable development. In each destination we engage local and regional government, youth and community groups, environmental and sporting organisations, tour operators and accommodation providers to produce an integrated tourism strategy and development plan, and is regularly featured in leading publications including TTG MENA. Read more about the role of tourism in emerging destinations.

Capacity building in South Lebanon

Working with Mercy Corps, Dunira established a regional tourism network and developed a destination management plan for South Lebanon as part of a $12M economic development programme.  Despite significant cultural and natural heritage, the region, which was already recovering from conflict, had suffered from a poor domestic and international reputation.  Activities include broad stakeholder consultation and training, as well as assessments of tourism potential and supply chains, and persuading the British Government to change its Travel Advice. Read more in Benjamin Carey's article on the opportunities for tourism in South Lebanon.

Marketing Sustainable Tourism Products report for UNEP

Dunira, with Leeds Tourism Group, produced a report on Marketing Sustainable Tourism Products for UNEP and the Region of Tuscany, reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of the tools and distribution channels available to promote sustainable tourism products. The report addresses understanding of the barriers that prevent demand and supply for sustainable tourism services from meeting, the main challenges for the promotion and distribution of services that claim to be sustainable, and the role that tourism distribution channels can play in strengthening the demand/supply link for sustainable tourism products.

Destination options appraisal and development strategy

Dunira was awarded a contract to deliver a new strategy for Whithorn Priory, Scotland's earliest Christian foundation (397AD), and is working with associate Rob Robinson and international expert Prof Myra Shackley.

DMO for Highland Perthshire

Dunira established a DMO for Highland Perthshire, including an economic impact assessment, vision, strategy, and business plan with sustainable funding model, action plan and joint alliances with neighbouring destinations.

Marketing campaign for Slovenia

In the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, Dunira designed and implemented a market development campaign for Slovenia using a range of media and distribution channels in the UK on the basis of economic analysis and cost-benefit assessments.

Tourism strategy for Sierra Leone

In partnership with Todd Associates (Scotland) and FJP (Gambia), Dunira developed a national tourism strategy for the Government of Sierra Leone.

Storytelling and folklore

Community integration and regeneration through tourism

Working with storytellers and artists in Scotland and internationally, Dunira is promoting the use of storytelling and folklore in tourism as a way of breathing life into cultural heritage and engaging host communities in the design and delivery of tourism. This can involve the creation of links between education and tourism attractions and contribute to the social and economic regeneration of communities through tourism.

Memorial artworks trail

Dunira has delivered a memorial artworks trail to commemorate Scotland's worst fishing disaster and  create a major new tourism attraction for the southeast of the country.  Jill Watson was commissioned to produce the series of bronzes. 

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Consumer education

Offering advice for British travellers

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Travel Foundation commissioned a series of projects to develop consumer advice for British travellers on sustainable tourism and responsible behaviour. The resulting Insider's Guides to a selection of mainstream tourism destinations and activities were based on consultation with a wide range of local people and industry experts, to ensure that the content was relevant, engaging and informative, and that the format would meet the needs of the travel industry. Dunira assembled together a specialist team that included experienced researchers and professional copywriters to ensure that the best results would be achieved. The research process itself also helped to establish a partnership framework for destination stakeholders.

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Training the travel industry

Training in Corporate Social Responsibility

Dunira has worked with Tourism Concern and the British Government’s Department for Culture, Media & Sport to design and deliver training in corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the travel industry. Some of this training has been provided through a seminar programme supported by UK Trade & Investment for members of The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Other training activities include capacity building initiatives for community groups and revenue management seminars and workshops for tourism SMEs in Scotland and Ireland, Croatia, Poland and Russia, Laos, Iran and Lebanon.

Training in Capacity Building

Dunira has delivered training courses and capacity building programmes for ecotourism operators and protected area managers in Bashkortostan, Iran, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Russia and Serbia in association with a range of stakeholders, including CEEWEB, ICRT, SNV and UNEP.  In recent months, Dunira’s MD has lectured on international marketing and revenue management at DEFI in France and at Edinburgh Napier and Queen Margaret Universities in Scotland.

IT solutions for tour operators

Revenue management development

After a career as a manager and consultant to leading tour operators, our managing director has wide experience of significant IT projects in travel and tourism from design to implementation, including business requirements gathering, analysis and process re-engineering. His particular expertise is in designing and implementing risk and revenue management systems for travel and tourism companies, and developing associated training components.

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The Sustainable Tourism Initiative

Developing sustainability in outbound tourism

The Sustainable Tourism Initiative (STI) was established in 2001 as a multi-stakeholder forum: as well as Dunira Strategy, the large team involved the British government, non governmental organisations (NGOs) and operators in the outbound travel industry. As part of the UK's preparations for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the STI’s objective was to develop the sustainability of outbound tourism. The capacity building process was managed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, and initiated a number of pilot projects. The work of the STI continues, now under the auspices of The Travel Foundation, a new NGO supported by the British government and travel industry. Dunira is a founding member of The Travel Foundation Forum.

Co-operative Tourism

India

In India, Dunira is working with YesBank to develop the concept of ‘co-operative tourism’ following its contribution to the 2008 international conference on the emerging role of co-operatives in tourism, at which Dunira’s Christopher Imbsen was the keynote speaker. Delivering an economic development programme to establish ‘co-operative destination management organisations’ in a number of Indian states as an international model for sustainable rural tourism development, drawing on the tourism market potential and heritage value of natural assets.

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