Business planning sits at the heart of what we do. It’s the foundation for much of our work and underpins every project we take on. We see an important distinction between business planning as a process and the Business Plan as the final product.
Business planning is about thinking strategically and acting practically. It involves research, analysis and forecasting — understanding markets, defining strategies and shaping the financial and operational path ahead. The goal is always to achieve long-term financial sustainability while maintaining the integrity and purpose of the place or concept itself.
The Business Plan then brings this together. It’s a concise and evidence-based document that blends facts, insights and projections to guide future activity. We tailor our plans for different audiences, whether that means preparing robust internal working documents, or polished presentations for funders, investors or partners.
Alongside full business plans, we also produce indicative studies and partial plans that evolve as commercial certainty increases, allowing clients to make informed decisions at each stage of development.
Our feasibility studies combine commercial expertise with a practical understanding of what makes visitor attractions succeed. Drawing on our experience of launching new offers and revitalising existing destinations, we apply the same level of rigour to early-stage ideas as we do to fully fledged business plans.
We deliver everything from high-level outline appraisals that test commercial viability and help prioritise investment, to comprehensive feasibility studies incorporating market research, concept development and financial modelling. This approach gives clients a clear sense of potential before major commitments are made.
Our team brings together extensive industry knowledge from working hands-on within some of the UK’s best-known attractions and advising organisations across the heritage, leisure and tourism sectors. This breadth allows us to balance operational realism with strategic insight.
Our strategic planning work helps clients define long-term direction, align investment priorities, and identify growth opportunities, all while maintaining a focus on visitor benefit and organisational resilience.
Recent examples include English Heritage’s Property Prioritisation Project and long-term visitor forecasting, as well as “Sizing the Prize” for The Crown Estate at Windsor Great Park.
We have developed and contributed to masterplans for a wide range of visitor destinations, from natural landscapes to historic estates and urban attractions. Sometimes our role is strategic, sometimes it is more focused on aligning business and operational thinking with an established design scheme. The masterplans that deliver greatest long-term success, in our view, are those developed collaboratively — where business strategy, visitor vision and spatial planning evolve together.
Our approach is pragmatic and creative. We develop masterplans that are both inspiring and achievable, defining clear priorities, investment needs and operational structures to support sustainable growth.
Notable masterplan projects include Chester Zoo, Wakehurst (Kew), Stonehenge, and several English Heritage sites including Audley End House & Gardens, Osborne and Kenwood.
We often begin by analysing what already exists. Our trading reviews provide a 360-degree view of current performance, drawing on admissions data, revenue and expenditure trends, visitor research and operational insights. This forensic approach helps highlight strengths, weaknesses and hidden opportunities.
Clients value our independence and experience — our involvement often brings new clarity and ideas to the surface. Examples include reviews for Audley End House & Gardens and a 12-month commercial assessment for Windsor Great Park Adventure Play.
We work with organisations to articulate a compelling and authentic vision and mission — whether at a corporate, site or project level. These guiding statements shape decision-making and help ensure that commercial ambitions align with values, visitor expectations and purpose. Our approach balances creative thinking with practical grounding to produce language that resonates internally and externally alike.
We act for local authorities, charities and private companies, providing independent expert assessments of the commercial viability of existing or proposed attractions. Our input can range from supporting investors new to the sector through detailed reviews of acquisition opportunities, to helping public sector clients interrogate planning and business case assumptions behind major development proposals.
In every case, our aim is to get under the skin of the opportunity — identifying risks, testing assumptions, and providing an informed, evidence-based view to guide investment decisions.
We bring decades of operational and consultancy experience to every commercial review, offering fresh perspective and detailed analysis. Our work usually begins with a full market and catchment assessment, followed by a review of potential visitor volumes, income generation opportunities and associated expenditure.
Each review is bespoke and designed to complement the skills of internal teams. The outcome is practical, actionable insight that supports stronger commercial performance and better-informed decision-making.
We help clients refine and strengthen new or existing concepts — from early creative ideas through to commercially viable visitor offers. For existing attractions, this may involve enhancing the proposition to improve appeal, dwell time or spend. For completely new ideas, we assess options objectively, comparing potential visitor draw, alignment with brand positioning, and operational feasibility.
Our process helps clients focus investment where it will deliver the greatest return, ensuring every concept stands up to market and financial scrutiny.
We advise on unlocking new commercial opportunities within heritage, leisure and mixed-use environments. This can include identifying potential new income streams, maximising underused assets or developing new complementary offers.
Our experience enables us to assess the market, evaluate options, and prioritise opportunities according to their viability and contribution to broader project aims.
We use a rigorous, tailored approach that combines robust market analysis with practical operational insights. This process includes evaluating the size of both domestic and international markets, analysing visitor profiles, travel patterns, and competitive context, and drawing on extensive industry benchmarks. We employ proprietary forecasting models that factor in historical admissions, local and wider tourist trends, catchment characteristics, repeat and new visitor patterns, and the impact of comparable attractions. Stakeholder and community consultation is also central, ensuring the analysis reflects both on-the-ground realities and stakeholder ambitions. This comprehensive methodology allows Britton McGrath Associates to provide realistic, evidence-based scenarios for visitor numbers, income potential, and investment strategy—helping clients confidently plan for sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
Capacity modelling is increasingly at the heart of our work supporting visitor attractions to optimise their operations and visitor experience. Using sophisticated analytical techniques, we model demand against site and facility capacities to identify operational pinch points, forecast future visitor volumes, and shape resilient investment strategies. Our expertise includes car parking demand assessment, daily and hourly visitor flow analysis, and testing different scenarios—such as new car parks or shuttle systems—to find that sweet spot between visitor appeal, operational feasibility, and heritage protection. These models are not only crucial in day-to-day planning but also underpin long-term masterplans for growth, ensuring that every aspect from admissions and facilities to car parking and dwell times is considered. The result is a robust evidence base that guides investment, enhances value for visitors, and enables attractions to increase their appeal while protecting the integrity of their sites.