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A body of research undertaken by McCabe in partnership with a Charity, the Family Holiday Association, has informed the development of policy and practice and raised awareness of issues concerning the inclusion of disadvantaged people in leisure travel. The research informed policy debate in an all-party parliamentary report and subsequently, Visit England's domestic tourism strategy. The work led to changes in the charity's practices, leading to new systems, services and underpinned a fundraising campaign. The research ultimately enhanced the Charity's capacity to influence and develop productive partnerships with UK and European policy makers.
Dr Mark Hampton's research informs tourism policy for the world's 40 small island developing states (SIDS) and poor coastal communities. He generates data that challenge conventional wisdom about the value of large scale tourism for these fragile economies. His findings identify niche tourism as a more sustainable basis for economic growth. The Commonwealth, World Bank and individual governments, as well as numerous other NGOs and industry associations, are amongst those who draw upon Hampton's research findings in order to help vulnerable states formulate effective policies and develop appropriate tourism initiatives.
The University of Surrey has a longstanding reputation in the world of tourism demand modelling and forecasting research. The continuous advancements and innovations in forecasting methodologies have been widely applied by international organisations, government agencies and tourism-related enterprises and so contributed to "evidence based policy/strategy movement".
This research has provided the scientific foundation for more effective policy making, strategic planning and operation management particularly in terms of planning investments in visitor infrastructure, human resource management, marketing resource allocation and new product development. In addition, the risks of project failures are minimised through improved understanding of tourism demand.
Researchers at the University of Brighton have changed national tourism policy and workforce training practices in African countries. Working with international organisations, including the World Bank and UN agencies, the underpinning research has identified approaches for developing capacity and skills in the tourism workforce. As a consequence, the Nigerian Board of Technical Education redesigned the national curriculum for leisure, tourism and hospitality; the Namibia Tourism Board introduced customer service skills training; government guidelines for ecotourism development were produced in West Africa. In the Gambia the research led to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture developing service standards and establishing the €2.7m Gambia Tourism and Hospitability Institute.
Bournemouth University (BU) researchers have developed economic modelling techniques that more accurately predict the outcome of events, policies or other major economic decisions. This type of modelling allows governments and organisations to effectively plan for the positive and negative impacts arising from decisions. The technique was used to inform estimates of the value of the 2012 Olympic Games and subsequent tourism legacy; to provide the evidence base for VisitScotland naming 2013 the `Year of Natural Scotland'; to inform a Parliamentary debate on music tourism and establish greater representation of music in VisitBritain marketing material; and to inform the Government of Gibraltar of the impact of changes, such as the benefits of cross-border activity.
2012 saw 31.1 million overseas visitors come to the UK and 57.7 million domestic holidays taken by GB residents1. However, precise understanding of tourism's economic and environmental impact, particularly at local and regional levels, has historically been weak. Cardiff Business School's (CBS) Welsh Economy Research Unit (WERU) has significantly contributed to developing methodologies to quantify tourism's socio-economic impact at different scales. Their development of the first Tourism Satellite Account for the UK has informed the way national and international agencies conceptualise and measure tourism impacts. Researchers then developed a Tourism Impact Model to assess the impact of new facilities and infrastructure, and of large sporting and cultural events. This has helped event organisers and sponsors, including the Welsh Government, understand how to optimise value for money whilst minimising undesirable environmental impacts.
This case study develops Kevin Hannam's work on mobility and social exclusion for the understanding of the impacts of demographic change on the local economy. The case study is based on a European funded project led by the University of Sunderland. The project has had a practical impact in the region with the development of innovative ways of influencing and addressing the employment and skills dimension of the over 50s and European migrants including Erasmus students. The case study focuses on two pilot projects addressing the employability and the quality of life of European migrants in the region.
The research has explored the impact of welfare transformations on the activities of social workers on the frontline. A key concern has been to explore the gap between, on the one hand, social work ethical statements and the commitments of practitioners on entering the field and, on the other, the workplace reality of marketization, austerity driven cuts and a range of restrictions placed on workers by new regulatory regimes. The research explores the potential, internationally, for a new `engaged' social work practice that draws service users, carers, academics, and practitioners together in defence of good quality, value driven social work.
There is a growing demand for evidence of the impact that non governmental and private businesses are having. Research findings have led to a range of practical and policy developments related to encouraging organisations to measure their impact and use it both for their own development and to access more resources. This research has resulted in social impact measurement being introduced to many organisations and an improvement in the tools used. Research insights into how social impact can best be measured have led to changes in the practices of charities such as Citizens Advice and the use of a measurement tool by over 200 smaller organisations.
The University of Aberdeen has played a key role in designing and analysing surveys for European institutions to monitor and evaluate quality of life — a concept adopted as a key measure of economic growth in Europe in 2000. The research findings (including insights into particular aspects of quality of life, such as working life) have been used by the commissioning institutions to stimulate debate and shape policy. They have also been used by individual countries both within the European Union and further afield, notably in China and Rwanda. Interactive web resources have opened up the findings to policy makers and the general public.