Visitor Experience and Tourism Consultants

Planning Solutions Consulting Limited are experts in visitor experiences. We work across the tourism, heritage, leisure, recreation and environmental sectors, delivering services including:

• Economic feasibility studies and business plans
• Concept feasibility studies, visitor experience plans and masterplans
• Operational reviews, business resilience plans and income generation
• Visitor management plans
• Sustainable destination management plans
• Visitor research

Whether a project is large or small, a spark of an idea or a review of an existing operation, we are committed to delivering results grounded in detailed research and creative thinking.

We work across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Europe, and have been providing robust, independent advisory services to clients since 1995. Our clients include local authorities, National Parks, Tenby Musuem and Art Gallery, Wildlife Trusts, Cambridge Museum of Technology, the National Trust for Scotland, English Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, the National Trust, Cumbria Tourism, the RSPB, Forestry England and Natural Resources Wales.

Our heritage can be traced back to the holiday research division at the Rank Group (Rank Holidays and Hotels Limited), which developed Oasis Forest Holiday Village in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria, a 750-lodge forest resort with comprehensive central facilities, later acquired by Center Parcs.

Why Our Consultancy is Different: Managing Complex Visitor Sites and Tourism Businesses

Most consultancies advise. We also operate.

Our sister company, Planning Solutions Limited operates a heritage centre, visitor attractions, watersports, a hotel and a brewery. These include CONKERS Discovery Centre in the National Forest, Cotswold Country Park and Beach, Kent Life Heritage Farm, the Burton Bridge Brewery and the Royal Esplanade Hotel. From 2010 to 2022, the company also managed the National Brewery Centre (formerly the Bass Museum).

This direct operational experience gives us a genuine understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in developing and managing visitor, heritage, tourism and leisure businesses — and brings a strong commercial realism to everything we do. Find out more about our direct operational experience here.

Our Approach

We offer realistic and robust advice, founded on experience, detailed market research, a thorough understanding of the economic context, and meaningful stakeholder and community engagement. Working with both large and small datasets is central to our approach. We collaborate closely with clients to understand their objectives, challenges and priorities, helping them reach their potential and supporting sustainable growth.

Our offer is distinctive: a unique combination of consultancy expertise and direct operational experience. As our work progresses, we focus on building consensus and facilitating client learning at every step. Find out more about our consultancy services.

Trends Shaping the Sector

We operate in unpredictable times. Key trends shaping the tourism and wider visitor experience sectors include the climate and biodiversity emergencies, emerging technologies transforming the visitor experience and customer journey, shifting demographics, and ongoing economic uncertainty affecting visitor spend.

We can help ensure your organisation is ready to respond, turning these challenges into a platform for sustainable and appropriate growth.

Our Team

Our directors and co-founders, Richard Linington and Kevin Brown, offer a personal and bespoke service, assembling the right team for each project. Our specialists span research, financial modelling, market analysis, engagement and primary research, and all aspects of operating visitor attractions and wider tourism businesses. Find out more about our team.

Get in Touch

If you’d like to discuss a project, large or small, contact us, we’d be happy to talk through how we can help.  Call or email Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or richard@pslplan.co.uk to talk through your project