Our Services
Strategy Advisory
We develop tourism strategies, feasibility studies and masterplans to guide hospitality and tourism development decisions.
Most destinations consider tourism development when they are looking to generate economic and social value. A strategy on how to best do this, in a way that fits with the specific location is essential to ensure objectives are achieved.
A feasibility study ascertains how viable a proposed project is, and identifies the ideal project concept after considering the current and future supply and demand drivers. At Red Clay, our feasibility studies include the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental feasibility of the project, and we have worked on hotels, restaurants, lounges, resorts, golf estates, and
mixed-use developments (with hospitality provisions).
Masterplans are required for extensive tourism development planning to develop the tourism strategy, framework and thematic areas of focus for developing a destination.
ESG and Sustainability Advisory
We can work with you to develop your sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement and management plan, reporting and impact assessment of your hospitality, travel and tourism-related activities.
Developments, whether large-scale or small-scale carry socio-environmental risks, and identifying ways to mitigate these is important. At Red Clay, we prioritize Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies in our concepts and plans for your hotels, resorts and destinations.
We develop sustainability strategies for establishments concerned about their social and environmental impact. We carry out high-level comprehensive impact assessments of existing and proposed tourist development projects and facilities to ensure they are fit for purpose and to mitigate social, environmental and cultural risks.
We also review existing tourism plans and projects and create monitoring processes to prevent negative impacts to guide the sustainable management of your destinations, drive continuity and provide investor confidence
To download our ESG capability statement and offerings for the tourism and hospitality industries, click here
Capacity Building
People are an important factor in the realisation of tourism objectives. Skilled and passionate professionals enhance the visitor experience.
We develop customised training programmes for entry, mid and senior-level professionals in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries delivered as masterclasses, workshops and seminars. We also deliver personalized briefing sessions for those looking to better understand how to harness opportunities in tourism.
Mapping Services
Maps provide guidance that enables visitors to understand available offerings and how to self-navigate.
Our internal GIS and graphic design experts curate beautifully illustrated and navigational maps for your destinations, university campuses, new residential estates, commercial parks, events, conferences and festivals.
We can design walking, hiking and cycling trails. If you are a hotel or restaurant chain, we can map your existing locations to enable your customers to find them more easily.
If you like what we do and want to know more about our services and how we can work together, please email tourism@redclayadvisory.com. You can also download our company profile below.
Case Studies
An insight into some of the projects we have been able to accomplish for our clients and partners.
Tourism Feasibility Study and Strategy Conceptualization
Client: A State in Southwest Nigeria
The Client’s Challenge: The state has an abundance of culture, traditional heritage and tourism assets, but they have been unable to optimise these assets into sustainable revenue-generating tourism products, services and offerings, leading to the decay of existing tourist attractions and low visitor arrival numbers.
The State Government engaged us in carrying out a high-level appraisal and feasibility study of the tourism assets and products available within the state and were considering tourism as one of their avenues for economic revenue generation and socio-cultural change.
How did we solve their challenge?
We identified 3 key tourist sites and recommended a focus on agrotourism, health and wellness, and MICE. We also explored tourism clustering by conceptualizing hiking trails and canopy walkways to connect two of the sites while providing ancillary attractions and entertainment facilities in both locations to support its tourism identity, giving tourists a complete visitor experience.
Other strategies we conceptualized for the State include: specialized training programmes to improve hospitality and catering service quality, curation and documentation of festivals throughout the year, tourist data collection, health and safety infrastructure and considerations for tourists and visitors, concerted approach to tourism marketing and destination branding.
We presented our report and development plan to the State’s Commissioners from various MDAs: tourism, health, education, urban development, finance, investment, and Special Advisers to the Governor.
Project Status: Ongoing
What we did: Tourism Feasibility Studies | Hospitality Market Appraisal | Tourism Development Strategy | Destination Review & Design
Wildlife Sanctuary and Eco-Lodge Design
Client: A Private Conservation Trust in West Africa
The Client’s Challenge: For us, this was a first of its kind at Red Clay; our previous projects involved designing greenfield or brownfield tourism or hospitality destinations. This project offered us the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable conservation of two critically endangered species inhabiting the forest and adjoining lagoon.
Human activities such as poaching, excessive logging, deforestation, and wildlife-human conflict threatened the survival of these species in this location, as well as our client’s conservation efforts. How could we design a solution to make the animals comfortable and also harness the tourism potential within the local communities?
How did we solve their challenge?
We held extensive stakeholder engagement meetings with representatives of the host communities and the client’s team to understand their perspectives and developed an inclusive conservation and tourism strategy. Through in-depth research, we looked at case studies of similar projects and conceptualised an approach to tourism development that could meet wildlife conservation requirements and provide alternative livelihoods for the host communities through sustainable tourism.
We created four zones as utilised in wildlife conservation for critically endangered animal sanctuaries in Ethiopia, Malawi and Kenya; the core, buffer, permissible mixed-use and recreational zones.
We included sustainable eco-friendly lodge designs inland and on the waterfront for visitors using West African-styled architecture and incorporating local material culture. We also proposed community development initiatives for the host communities to create a sense of place and belonging for them in the project.
Project Status: Ongoing
What we did: Feasibility Studies | Zoning | Tourism Development Strategy | Hospitality Destination Design | Community Development Initiatives
Exploring Tourism Destination for Moth-Balled Factories
Client: A Major Brewery in Nigeria
The Client’s Challenge: The client had two mothballed production breweries and was considering alternative uses. They needed to streamline their operations, and their plants in Onitsha and Makurdi were converted into sales and distribution centres.
However, with the brewhouse, fermentation tanks, filters, cooling systems, generators and storage tanks still present in both sites, it represented a valuable visual asset for a tourism destination, which birthed the concept of redesigning both plants as brewery tourism destinations. Red Clay was invited as the lead consultant for this project.
How did we solve their challenge?
We carried out a feasibility study of the project as it relates to the host community and discovered that consumers are becoming more interested in the development and processes behind their favourite beer brands. This informed the need for the client to develop a brewery destination that connects to the regional heritage and culture of the local community.
We also looked at the local hospitality markets in Onitsha and Makurdi, and other attractions within the community that tourists could engage in while in both cities. We conceptualised two heritage houses in both cities, and each house will have its stories and experiences crafted and told in line with the history of the people. We also proposed a brewery museum and curated simulated beer production experiences.
The breweries’ destination experience on completion promises to be a multi-sensory one that provides an avenue for inclusive, family-friendly recreational activities, exposure to what goes on behind the scenes of a brewery, making the client’s brands more tangible and relatable, and celebrating the history and legacy of the brand as told through the stories of each of the two breweries.
Project Status: Ongoing
What we did: Tourism Feasibility Studies | Hospitality Market Appraisal | Tourism Development Strategy | Destination Review, Design & Experience Packaging
Tourism Masterplan Review and Policy Recommendations
Client: The Lagos State Government
The Client’s Challenge: The Lagos State Government already had an existing master plan designed and formulated for the creative, tourism and cultural industries. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to streamline focus and objectives toward domestic tourism and hospitality, the master plan had to be reviewed and restructured, hence The State’s engagement with Red Clay.
How did we solve their challenge?
We realized that certain parts of the master plan had to be reviewed for 3 major reasons; First, the initial document was lengthy (390+ pages) and needed to be trimmed and made concise for easier understanding. Also, the financial figures and projections had to be revised to reflect current inflation and changes in exchange rates, since the initial document’s estimated funding for the industry was based on 2018 calculations. Finally, since the pandemic enforced the need to make domestic and regional tourism the focal point of the master plan, the short and medium-term strategies and timelines were adjusted.
We reviewed the master plan and built it around six growth pillars to drive sustainable domestic and regional tourism development:
Culture and Heritage; Film, Arts and Entertainment; Beach and Leisure; Nature and Adventure; Business and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions); Medical and Wellness.
The master plan review took over 6 weeks, but by the time we had completed our findings and strategic recommendations, The State’s tourism master plan had been revised and trimmed down to an easy-to-read, focused and 36-page document with clearly defined and achievable objectives for the short, medium and long term.
Project Status: The Master Plan was launched in July 2021 and is currently in use to guide sustainable tourism development in Lagos.
What we did: Master Plan Review and Framework Design | Tourism Development Strategy | Policy Advisory and Recommendations
The Tour Guide Training Programme
Client: Lagos State Government/Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF)
The Client’s Challenge: After the Lagos State Tourism Masterplan was launched in July 2021, we were commissioned to implement some of the strategies we outlined as recommendations, one of which was centred around capacity building and skills development in the tourist service subsector.
There was a gap in service quality in the tourism industry, and Lagos State needed the services of skilled tour guides to work with as destination ambassadors in the State.
How did we solve their challenge?
The tour guide training programme was organized as an intensive 6-week programme, delivered in 3 batches of 50 participants trained in September and November 2021, and February 2022 respectively (150 tour guides in total), and divided into class sizes of 25 to allow for better engagement. We created courses with outlines customized to fit into the Nigerian environment, whilst incorporating global best practices in the tourism industry.
The sessions were designed to be interactive, given the practical nature of tour guiding, and industry leaders were invited in as facilitators, class instructors and business coaches during the programme. We arranged for the classes to be hybrid, with physical classes held at INDIGO, virtual classes on Zoom, and out-of-class trips to visit and study iconic destinations in Lagos State.
At the end of the training programme, the tour guides were certified and accredited by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as licensed tour guides in the State, and we have continued to provide post-training support in terms of work opportunities and weekly internal communications.
Project Status: Completed. After the programme, we created Lagos Tour Guides, the first online platform in West Africa designed to connect our trained and accredited tour guides to residents and visitors in Lagos.
What we did: Tourism Education | Skills Development| Programme Facilitation | Tour Guide Website Development & Post-Training Support
Wellness Facility Expansion Strategy Review and Recommendations
Client: A Luxury Hotel Chain in Lagos
The Client’s Challenge: The spa and wellness facility of a well-known luxury hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos has been very successful since its establishment in 2011. However, due to a strong customer base and a high demand for spa services, the facility has been faced with over-demand and scheduling challenges.
The current spa also lacks the available capacity and facilities to cope with the demand, hence the spa expansion. We were engaged in May 2021 to develop the concept and review the proposed expansion strategy for the wellness and spa facility.
How did we solve their challenge?
To ensure that the new spa in the hotel aligned with clients’ preferences, customers’ needs and current spa industry trends in Lagos, we conducted market research and comparative analysis of spa facilities in Ikoyi, Lekki and Victoria Island to review available services, pricing, customers’ feedback, and quality of service.
Based on our findings, we recommended a conversion and redesign of two standard hotel rooms on the first floor into a second spa with new treatment rooms, with an extra room for potential hammam treatment. We recommended an upwards review of the current prices of spa services, and a smart spa timetabling and booking and payment system so that the prices for the treatments can vary according to the peak/off-peak demand and for the time/duration/type of service.
We also proposed an introduction of own-brand locally-made health and wellness products for use and as souvenirs for clients as a long-term objective, especially given the cost-intensive nature of importing spa products, and an extension of offerings to include specialized home services over time. Other recommendations include food and beverage, music, staffing and additional services.
Project Status: Completed.
What we did: Wellness Industry Market Research | Feasibility Study | Design Strategy | Service Recommendations
