About Episode 41
Travel Trade: the opportunity for growing high spending international travellers to the West
Today’s podcast episode is all about how the travel trade can really help take our region to the world more effectively.
Jon Chamberlain, Head of Marketing for VisitWest, and Mike Newman from B2Me Tourism Marketing joined me to share their wealth of knowledge.
Commission is always only ever a cost of business, it is never a cost of sale. And it is that confusion that causes more heartache and headache between supplier and destination than anything else. It has to be viewed as profit over rate, you will make no money from an unsold ticket.
Mike Newman
Over the past 11 years, Jon has made it his mission to present Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding areas as a European short-break leisure destination. Mike helps destinations and businesses directly prepare their offer for the travel trade, often representing them at shows across the world.
As UK travellers we often use travel agents such as TUI or Jet2 for a holiday, well the rest of the world travel in this way too.
Join me as I chat with them about some of the questions you may have as operators focused mainly on the domestic market.
We chat about:
> The £370 million value of overseas tourism to the VisitWest region of Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas.
> Tourism industry insights and marketing strategies
> The importance of relationship building.
> How to prepare for attending a travel trade event and what information is valuable for buyers.
> Increasing visitor spend and dwell time in destinations by promoting lesser-known products and experiences.
> The success of the recent Discover England programme (working with VisitEngland), which facilitated 400 face-to-face meetings between local suppliers and travel trade buyers.
> Using OTA’s like Get your Guide to increase tourism in Bath and Bristol.
> How the travel trade can bring business during shoulder times and dates.
> The importance of attending large European Trade Shows such as ITB Berlin and what type of business is done there.
> The success of the campaign, ‘The England you know but better’.
