Presentation on my journey to being a tourism consultant, including my career with VisitBritain and digital marketing insights. Prepared and delivered to students at Sheffield Hallam University, March 2012.

1. Sheffield Hallam University, 14 March 2012

2. My journey
My portfolio of skills, knowledge, experience
and contacts
My first year as an independent consultant

4. Online Social
marketing media
Digital
Accessible marketing Content
tourism creation
Information
Mobile management
Travel
trade

5. Graduate in Business and Tourism
Management

6. My first job in travel – so good I did it twice!

7. More travel industry experience

8. 1992 – 1997
Primarily internally facing
Limited range of transferable skills
Enjoyable
Well‐respected organisations
Travel industry benefits

9. Joined 14 July 1997 as ‘Tourism Industry
Systems Co‐ordinator’ – brand new role

10. “Maximise the effectiveness of Britain’s
tourism industry through the deployment of
technology solutions”
Customers:
All of BTA and ETB, including overseas offices
Scottish, Wales and Northern Ireland Tourist
Boards, plus regional and area tourist boards
Local authorities / Tourist Information Centres
Travel trade
Technology suppliers

11. 1997:
Information Management division
British Tourist Authority / English Tourist Board
1999:
Tourism Technology department
English Tourism Council
2003:
Customer Services division
VisitBritain
2006:
Commercial and Marketing Services division
VisitBritain
2011:
Overseas Network division
VisitBritain

12. Information Management
Online Marketing
Social Media
Mobile
Accessible Tourism

13. Websites Content management
Product databases Destination Management
Systems

14. Websites Partner marketing
E‐commerce Distribution channels

15. Customer behaviours
Trade opportunities

16. Customer behaviours
Trade opportunities

17. Multi‐partner, 3 year
international project
Objective: to improve
online information
about accessibility

18. Professional association for destination
managers
Joined as a full member in 2003
Served on Council of Management 2006‐
2011, representing VisitBritain
Served on Events Group 2007‐2010

19. European Travel Commission (ETC)
Marketing / research body formed of
Europe’s national tourism organisations
Represented VisitBritain within ETC’s
Marketing & Technology Network 2006‐2011
Vice‐chair 2008‐2010; chairman 2010

20. Technology…

21. Year Global online
population (millions)
2000 361
2002 587
2004 817
2006 1,093
2008 1,574
2010 2,050
Source: Internet World Stats

22. Travel…(increasing product knowledge)

24. Broad knowledge of digital marketing for
tourism
Broad knowledge of the tourism industry in
the UK, Europe and globally
Communication skills, event organising…
Large network of contacts in the tourism and
travel industries…
…as well as in academia, technology,
marketing…

25. October 2010: Coalition Government
announces a 34% cut in VisitBritain’s budget
December 2010: VisitBritain withdraws from
European Travel Commission
December 2010: my core work area moves to
VisitEngland
March 2011: leave VisitBritain through
redundancy

26. Demand for services
Suited my circumstances
Redundancy payment from VisitBritain gave
me a financial cushion

27. Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Italy
Guest lecturer – competing with Wills and Kate!
Huntingdonshire Association for Tourism, UK
Report and presentation
University of Gdansk, Poland
Supported 10th International Conference on Information
Management
Visit Manchester / Qa Research, UK
Marketing analysis of technology deployment at VIC
UNWTO / ETC
Prepared content for Handbook on Digital Marketing

28. Variety of work
Flexibility
Being your own boss (and IT dept)
No organisational / office politics

29. Feast or famine
Working for nothing
Administration
Long‐term planning can be difficult
It can get lonely

30. Some points to consider:
What’s your proposition? Broad‐brush or
specialist?
How will you keep your knowledge up‐to‐date?
Who will your customers be? Will these still be
your customers in a year’s time?
Have you got adequate finances?
Does it suit your circumstances? (e.g. where
will you work? Have you got a tolerant
partner?)

31. Keep in touch:
E‐mail: andrew@andrewdaines.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewdaines
Twitter: @AndyDaines