Church tourism consultant

Churches, chapels and cathedrals are important spiritual, historical and community spaces – it is important to appreciate not only the different needs of people who worship and also those who visit churches (for example as part of a learning experience or as a ‘tourist’). Expectations of what the church can provide on a personal, spiritual, communal and cultural basis creates a multifaceted organisation that is hard to define in simple terms. It is recognised that churches play a multi-functional role in the community and:

• Provide assistance for vulnerable people
• Are places for learning for all ages from school visits to adult lectures, as demonstrated by York Minster hosting the Ebor Lectures in partnership with the University of York St John with a programme of internationally renowned speakers
• Act as a venue for hosting a diverse range of events and exhibitions
• Can act as a ‘key attractor’ to help tourist destinations differentiate themselves in the marketplace
• Are places where people meet up for a meal within ancillary facilities (where available), which can become an important revenue generator and help to attract people who may not otherwise have visited a church
• Provide a space for quiet contemplation (helping to improve health and wellbeing)
• Provide opportunities for volunteering and employment and they also support the local economy
• And, most importantly, are places of Worship and celebration of the Christian faith

This can lead to challenges and tensions in terms of managing the expectations and needs of different market segments. Investment into revenue generating opportunities in churches can lead to growth in tourists and other visitors and raise new challenges and opportunities, which require careful management. The conservation and restoration of the historic fabric of the religious buildings and unique collections is endless, the cost of seemingly small repair jobs can quickly escalate. Then the  ongoing long-term maintenance of the fabric of the buildings can also present significant financial challenges. To ensure their long-term survival, churches are becoming more commercially focussed and innovative in their approaches to increasing the opportunity to generate revenue. There are a number of opportunities linked to the tourism and day visitor markets.

As church tourism consultants how can we help you?

We can work with you to help create a more resilient organisation.  This can include:

• Carrying out market assessments to ensure that the ‘opportunities’ for revenue generation meet the needs of the market place. This includes a demographic analysis of the residential population, tourism marketplace and wider competitive landscape.   It is important to recognise that churches ares primarily places of worship.
• Carrying out option appraisals to identify and evaluate different development scenarios. We often work with conservation architects who can form an important part of our team when assessing opportunities in historic buildings.
• Preparing a visitor experience plan and visitor management plan
• Preparing the supporting business plan which can be used to assess the financial viability of projects and support funding applications to the National Lottery Heritage Fund alongside other funds.
•  Underpinning this, we normally undertake an extensive programme of consultation with key stakeholders, the congretation, potential new users and local community gatekeepers.

Find out more about the church based projects we have worked on here.

Contact us

Do you need help to identify and evaluate future opportunities? Please don’t hesitate to phone or email Richard Linington on 07866 742628