VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound

 
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VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members
Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
Introduction

Tricia Warwick
Director – APMEA, China and NE Asia
Based in Dubai

Global Strategic Sales lead for VisitBritain
• Refocus on Sales (formally B2B) and newly renamed
  “Sales and Marketing Division”
• Priority for 21/22 International Trade team – Support
  and advise the UK Industry internationally

UKInbound Board Member
• To represent VisitBritain as an observer on the UK
  Inbound board
• Act as a senior representative of VisitBritain to the
  UK trade and industry
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
Where are we now?
   Internationally, consumer sentiment remains positive:

          In Wave 2 of our research:                                                                   Would you consider an international leisure trip in the next
                                                                                                                             12 months?
          • A slight boost in sentiment: 73% of global travellers would
              consider an international leisure trip in the next 12
              months
                                                                                                              42%                              31%               15%        12%
          • Europe is still the most popular region for global
              travellers’ next international leisure trip
          • Britain has gained popularity vs. competitors within                                           Definitely      Probably     Maybe         Probably/definitely not
              Europe, linked to a boost in safety perceptions
          • Only 7% have booked their trip: the majority have not yet
              decided on their destination                                                                    Where do you plan to travel on your next trip?
          • Intention to travel is highest among those aged under 35                                                        Europe                                              58%
          • Those who have been at least partially vaccinated are
                                                                                                                              Asia                        25%
              most likely to want to travel, and vaccination is the top
                                                                                                                   North America                    17%
              trigger for international travel
          • Over a third of global travellers would visit friends and                                                      Oceania              12%
              family on their next trip; a key opportunity for the UK                         South/Central America/Caribbean                  9%
          • Just under half of respondents have more annual leave                                                       Middle East            9%
              to use for holidays due the pandemic                                                                           Africa        7%

Source: TCI/VisitBritain/VisitScotland/Visit Wales/London&Partners, W2 fieldwork March-April 2021. Read the full reports for both waves here
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
A view from the markets
We asked our colleagues overseas for the Top 5 asks from the international trade – here’s what they said

            FLEXIBILITY                             Welcoming and
   •   cancellation policies                           reassuring
       (until just before the trip);                                                               Please don’t
                                                     tone/services:
   •   time slots (especially for                                                                increase prices
       groups);                               product managers need to
                                               feel everything is done to                       due to increase of
   •   allotment;
   •   allocation                             protect and welcome their                              demand
                                                         clients.

                   Availability                                                    Product
        Please don't be conservative with                          Please continue to develop & introduce
                                                                     easily bookable & readily available
          the scheduling & frequency of
                                                                  products & experiences, especially in the
        tours, and don't base all decisions                         cities outside of London, Edinburgh,
             on the current situation;                                          Glasgow, etc.
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
UK Industry Engagement
We asked you if you had enough visibility of what VisitBritain is doing internationally & if you would like to schedule
regular drop in clinics with VB staff overseas.

Over the next 4 months we are planning to a trial a more structured approach to our UK Industry engagement. As overseas
markets begin to open up, we are looking to build a programme that enables UK industry to engage with VisitBritain teams
through –
•   Market activity roundup & insights through VB e-communications & social channels
•   Update meetings and round tables with overseas based operators
•   Regular appointment clinics with overseas based teams

More details on this are coming in the next few weeks, but in the meantime……
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
Poll Question

Based on what you have heard so far is this -

A) Sounds great – where do we sign up?
B) Interesting, but I’ll just participate in the markets of most relevance to
   me.
C) I’ll join if I can, but not really a priority for me at the moment
D) These aren’t really of interest and I wouldn’t join
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
Tactical
                                                        activity in
                                                        market

Morgan Arcade, Cardiff   ©VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
INDIA: Fantasy Cricket League

•   Partnership with India’s largest trade media partner TravTalk – for
    a virtual cricket campaign

•   Hosted a Fantasy Virtual Cricket League on the Dream 11
    mobile app – using the England vs. India cricket series as a hook
    – included weekly prize giveaways courtesy of UK trade partners,
    daily quizzes and a WhatsApp group to engage with the trade

•   A digital campaign ran simultaneously on TravTalk’s platforms –
    TravTalk TV and website

•   Used key stakeholders like British High Commissioner as
    advocates to promote sports tourism

•   Results: Over 1,500 new trade contacts took part in the contests
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
US: Travel Leaders Campaign 20/21

•   Six month partnership with the Travel Leaders Network (TLN) to
    keep Britain top-of-mind with consumers, travel agency partners and
    stakeholders during Covid-19

•   TLN – one of the largest sellers of luxury travel, cruises and tours in
    the industry, representing TAs across the US and Canada – database
    of 1m customers

•   Activity included interactive and informative content (quizzes, maps
    etc.) across digital, social, and virtual events – to inspire, educate and
    convert TLN travel advisors and their consumer clientele

•   Featured bookable product across England, Wales and Scotland

•   TLN had the ability to innovate and pivot in a constantly changing
    climate
VisitBritain update to UK Inbound members - Tricia Warwick, Director APMEA, China and NE Asia - UKinbound
GERMANY, SWITZERLAND & AUSTRIA: Travel update
      webinar
•   To update German, Swiss & Austrian tour operators on the current
    situation in the UK, how the traffic light system is working and to give
    them a product update as inspiration for the future

•   Held in partnership with VisitScotland and Visit Wales

•   107 participants attended the webinar live, 42 watched the recording
•   Long and lively Q&A session demonstrating the high level of interest in
    information on the current situation

•   All tour operators have existing bookings for Britain for this year (either
    transferred from last year or new bookings) – they hoped that the UK
    would open up in time for the main summer season
Recovery
                                                           plans

Mayfield Lavender, Banstead   ©VisitBritain/Nicole Hines
Our focus for 2021/22
     Our role is to drive immediate tourism recovery through building back visitor spend
                       as quickly as possible and supporting the Industry

   VisitBritain – DEMAND SIDE FOCUS                 VisitEngland – SUPPLY & DEMAND SIDE

   Re-stimulate international demand by                   Support England’s tourism industry
converting visitors who are most likely to visit    to recover and restimulate domestic demand.
                  in 2021/22.

                              VisitBritain and VisitEngland TOGETHER

                                        Bid for and win events
     Be the Authority on Tourism through provision of expert advice to industry and government
                             Deliver a digital transformation programme
The Tourism Recovery Plan
The Tourism Recovery Plan sets out the role that the UK Government will play in assisting and accelerating the
tourism sector’s recovery from COVID-19. It also sets out a framework for how the Government will work with the
sector to build back better.

The ambition is to:
• Recover domestic overnight trip volume and spend to 2019 levels by the end of
  2022, and inbound visitor numbers and spend by the end of 2023 – both at
  least a year faster than independent forecasts predict.

•   Ensure that the sector’s recovery benefits every nation and region, with visitors
    staying longer, growing accommodation occupancy rates in the off-season and
    high levels of investment in tourism products and transport infrastructure.

•   Build back better with a more innovative and resilient industry, maximising the
    potential for technology and data to enhance the visitor experience and
    employing more UK nationals in year-round quality jobs.

•   Ensure the tourism sector contributes to the enhancement and conservation of
    the country’s cultural, natural and historic heritage, minimises damage to the
    environment and is inclusive and accessible to all.

•   Return the UK swiftly to its pre-pandemic position as a leading European
    destination for hosting business events.
Re-stimulating domestic
       demand
Domestically, we want to embed domestic travel
as a sustained customer behaviour by:

   • Developing England’s brand collaborating with
     industry on its positioning and guardianship role.

   •   Our £5m Escape the Everyday campaign to build
       demand and generate bookings for the summer

   •   Our paid campaign will focus on driving travel to
       cities.

   •   The campaign is design to support all parts of the
       UK, with a flexible toolkit allowing destinations and
       businesses to use the campaign assets and tailor it
       to their needs.
Re-stimulating
    international demand

•   In 2022, we will launch a new tourism brand
    campaign with the new GREAT direction
    alongside Government

•   Continue to drive demand through PR activity
    working with influencers, digital content and
    social activity.

•   Help international trade to be ready to sell
    Britain and “switch back on” when the time is
    right

•   Work with Foreign, Commonwealth and
    Development Office to align our activity

                                                    Edinburgh, Scotland   ©VisitBritain/Andrew Pickett
VisitBritain events update

                                                                  • 2021/22 events plan is being submitted
                                                                    for internal approvals this week

                                                                  • Exploring the right balance between
                                                                    virtual & face to face

                                                                  • Tailoring the events to market recovery
                                                                    with a short term priority on US & Europe

                                                                  • Balancing of opportunity vs risk in when to
                                                                    bring international buyers to the UK

                                                                  • Plans will be shared in the coming weeks
                                                                    through our e-communications, social &
                                                                    though UK Inbound

•   The Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff   ©VisitBritain/Andrew
    Pickett
Key UK Government Hooks for 2022

                                                                       Queen Baton Relay
                                                                       • Expected to kick off this October with Her Majesty from
                                                                         Buckingham Palace.
                                                                       • January to March showcase events: India, Singapore, Malaysia,
                                                                         Dubai, Australia and Canada

                                                                       Commonwealth Games (CWG)
                                                                       • 28 July – 8 August, featuring 6,600 athletes from 72 nations.
                                                                       • Working in partnership with DCMS, DIT & West Midlands Growth
                                                                         Company
                                                                       • VisitBritain is the lead agency for the (CWG) international
                                                                         destination marketing strategy
                                                                       • VisitBritain is planning a multi-market campaign integrating
                                                                         GREAT tourism branding, leveraging the Games to shine an
                                                                         international spotlight on Birmingham, the West Midlands and the
                                                                         UK

                                                                       Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
                                                                       • a celebration of her 70th year on the throne.
                                                                       • Plans are in place to stage a series of events from 2-5 June, 2022
                                                                       • London and other major cities will be complemented by events in
                                                                         communities across the UK and the Commonwealth

                                                                       Festival UK 2022
                                                                       • will run throughout 2022 to showcase the UK's creativity and
                                                                          innovation to the world.
                                                                       • Dates to be announced this Autumn
•   Great Western Arcade, Birmingham   ©VisitBritain/Helena Bradbury
Poll Question

How important do you think the following events taking place in 2022 are
going to be to stimulate international tourism to Britain.
• Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
• Commonwealth Games
• Festival UK 2022

A) Very important and we will use these as hooks to help drive demand
B) We might use these events as part of our mix, but not a key focus
C) These events that VB should focus attention and we can benefit from
   the demand
D) I don’t see these as relevant to my business or product
Opportunities to get involved
 in our campaigns and activity
  are on our industry website

https://www.visitbritain.org/opportunities-
         campaigns-resources
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