Helping tourism businesses & destinations thrive.
Coral & Crown is a boutique tourism consultancy led by Gemma Rio, working with a trusted network of specialist associates to support destinations, visitor economies and place-based organisations.
We bring together the right expertise for each project - combining strategy, insight and delivery to create meaningful, practical outcomes.
A flexible consultancy model.
A tailored team for every project.
Every project is led by our founder and shaped around your specific needs.
We draw on a trusted network of associate consultants to build a tailored team - bringing together the right mix of strategic, creative and delivery expertise.
This approach gives you the benefit of senior-led consultancy, with the flexibility and depth of a wider team - without the overhead of a large agency.
Services & Areas of Expertise
If you're looking to attract visitors, generate visitor expenditure and create a positive impact on your business or destination, there are a number of ways Coral & Crown can help.
Destination Management Organisation (DMO) Establishment
Having established two new DMOs since 2020, Coral & Crown has a solid working understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved. Structure to develop? Brand to create? Commercial model to design? Coral & Crown can help.
Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Development
Following Visit England's establishment of the LVEP network, developing an effective partnership among key visitor economy stakeholders has never been more important. Applying to become an LVEP? Developing your Growth Plan? Coral & Crown can help.
Tourism Strategy
A clear strategy provides necessary direction for any business or destination to achieve its ambitions. Whether it's a destination management plan, marketing strategy or events strategy, Coral and Crown can help.
Destination and Tourism Marketing
In an increasingly competitive market, it's vital that tourism businesses and destinations have a clear marketing strategy, understand their audience and know how best to reach them. Not sure how to attract your ideal visitors? Coral & Crown can help.
Event Attraction & Development
The right event can turn a destination into a visitor magnet. Do you need an event strategy to guide your investment? Are you bidding for a new event? Or looking to develop an event into a real visitor driver? Coral & Crown can help.
Partnership Formation & Stakeholder Engagement
With years of experience in bringing together key stakeholders to deliver shared goals, Coral & Crown know what it takes to form an effective partnership. Looking to engage with the tourism industry? Establish a new partnership? Manage meaningful consultation? Coral & Crown can help.
Clients
Testimonials
Wallace Sampson, CEO, Harrogate Borough Council
"I am enormously grateful for the leadership that Gemma provided at a pivotal point in the history of destination marketing and destination management in the Harrogate District.
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"In my view, Gemma is in the premier league of professionals in her sector."
Charlie Kemp, Head of Creative Place, Tees Valley Combined Authority
"Gemma is a dynamic and strategic problem solver and opportunity seeker. She is quickly able to read the potential of a place and understand the barriers it must overcome to reach this. Her ability to build strong relationships and inspire confidence from a wide range of stakeholders ensures that her work delivers lasting impact."
Sharon Canavar, CEO, Harrogate International Festivals
“Gemma was able to thread together the varied offer across the area to ensure we were able to work together to achieve success. She delivered impactful marketing campaigns, ultimately making a real and significant impact on the tourism economy.”
Simon Midgely, Chair, Harrogate BID
"Gemma provided exceptional leadership during her time as Interim CEO of Harrogate BID. Stepping into a pivotal role on a part time basis, she brought clarity, energy, and a strong sense of direction at a time when maintaining continuity and momentum were essential.
Gemma’s ability to quickly assess priorities and implement effective strategies was particularly impressive."
Kathryn Daly, AD Place Shaping & Growth, North Yorkshire Council
"Gemma's specialist knowledge of tourism, destination management and place marketing is enhanced by her complimentary understanding of economic development, ensuring a meaningful collaboration with colleagues and partners across the wider economic growth agenda."
Harriet Barklett-Judge, Account Executive, Optix Solutions
“Gemma has excellent communication skills and a strong understanding of her industry, which made our collaboration both seamless and strategic. Her insight and expertise played an important role in shaping key decisions that improved overall campaign perfromance.”