Consultants from Acorn Tourism Consulting have been appointed to help develop a new long term vision and tourism strategy for Eastbourne. Commissioned by the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board, the work aims to shape a distinctive and locally rooted direction for the town, as it bids to attract more tourist spending.
Eastbourne is a town and seaside resort in the East Sussex county of South East England, 87 kilometres south of London. As a seaside resort, Eastbourne derives a large and increasing income from tourism – with revenue from traditional seaside attractions augmented by conferences, public events and cultural sightseeing.
In partnership with the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board, a new Tourism Strategy for Eastbourne is now being developed to guide the town’s visitor economy over the next decade. The project will set out a clear, evidence-based direction for the town’s visitor economy over the next decade – not just including how to attract visitors, but with a focus on destination management planning, how to accommodate visitors better.
Centring on destination management planning over marketing strategy, the plan will focus on practical actions, investment priorities and measurable outcomes. Building on Eastbourne’s strengths as a coastal destination, it will set out how tourism can support economic growth, quality of life and year round appeal.
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board has selected consultants from Acorn Tourism Consulting to oversee the process. Founded in 2002, Acorn is a green-accredited tourism consultancy, located in the Sussex countryside. It regularly caters to tourism destinations and businesses looking to build sustainable tourist plans, and who are looking for a long-term partner to maximise their economic, social and environmental value.
Work ahead
The strategy will develop a set of “Experience Eastbourne” pillars to define the town’s core offer and guide future development. In heritage and wellness, the plan will look to pair Eastbourne’s Victorian heritage (the seafront is still dominated by Victorian era hotels) with modern leisure, wellness activities, and upgraded public spaces. Meanwhile, in considering the year-round economy, the plan will attempt to minimise the impact of ‘off-season’, expanding Eastbourne’s festivals calendar and developing an evening economy to ensure hospitality businesses thrive beyond the summer months.
For inclusive growth, Acorn will weigh up how to align tourism development with Community Wealth Building. This will aim to ensure economic benefits and better jobs remain within the local community. And finally, for infrastructure and accessibility, the plan will examine how to leverage a wider £20 million ten-year Regeneration Plan, to improve transport connectivity, public realm features, and wayfinding.
Acorn will deliver a phased action plan, covering short, medium and long term priorities, alongside a clear framework to support delivery, governance and performance monitoring. According to the consultancy, the strategy will then be implemented to support Eastbourne’s ambition “to strengthen its position as a leading coastal destination for leisure, culture and entertainment, while ensuring tourism continues to deliver long term benefits for residents, businesses and visitors.”
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