Post Brexit brings new challenges for us all and although Europe, will alongside the UK domestic markets remain our most important, Wales is now undoubtably going to be seeking new visitors outside the bloc. Visit Britain (VB) already has offcies around the globe and arguably, we in Wales, need to start building a closer relationship with VB in order to utilise their resources to greatest effect and build our overseas markets. Briefly and of course there is far more on their online presence, what does VB have to offer us? First and foremost their staff have an excellent understanding of international customers, they have been selling Britain overseas for years. VB operates from regional hubs in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Mid East & Africa (APMEA); China & North East Asia plus of course in Europe. They focus on those markets offering immediate return or long-term promise, as well as having a ‘rest of the world’ strategy. They also regularly review the barriers to inbound tourism growth and the possible solutions for addressing them, implementing differentiated strategies for each region. VB gathers market intelligence to develop and maintain relationships with international media and influencers, working with the trade to ensure that Britain is being sold to the customer, they secure partners on-territory and also look after public diplomacy. However, the mantra is always 'content is King' in our online world. VB are always hungry for new content to back up campaigns; that is relevant content that can be distributed to the customer through the most appropriate channels. For more information, just type VisitBritain into your browser. They also have a handy interactive tool to assist in finding markets to target.
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Ken Skates AM, as former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport has been a keen supporter of WTA activity and engaged with us throughout his tenure as Deputy. Ken Skates was also present at both Wales Tourism Week in 2015 where he gave the keynote address at the Mid Wales tourism and business conference in Llandrindod Wells and again in 2016. He rates tourism at the top of his political interests and includes skills training, environmental protection, mental health, sport and social inclusion. A keen casual sportsman himself. He was previously a journalist at the Wrexham Leader newspaper and BBC Wales in Wrexham, was PA to Mark Tami MP until in 2008 until he, himself was elected a community councillor. Ken Skates was appointed to the Welsh Government as Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology in 2011 and was later appointed Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism in 2014, until recently promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure in May this year. Karen Bradley MP is the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Tracey Crouch MP remains in post as Tourism Minister. After the May 2015 election she was reappointed to the Home Office, becoming Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime and has now been promoted to Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport in the Government reshuffle on 14th July 2016.
Bradley grew up in Buxton, at the family business, the Queens Head Hotel. So from an early age appears to be familiar with the tourism and hospitality industry. She qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and Tax Adviser spending nearly 20 years in business working as an accountant for two major accounting firms. Bradley has also been a self-employed tax and economics consultant advising all types of business from multi-national electronics companies to small farms. Bradley worked in the Conservative Policy Unit before the 2005 General Election helping to develop economic and fiscal policies, particularly those aimed at removing unnecessary regulation and red tape and was selected for her home seat of Staffordshire Moorlands in July 2006 and returned as the Member of Parliament at the General Election on 6th May 2010. On 7th May 2015 Bradley was re-elected as the MP for Staffordshire Moorlands with an increased majority of 10,174 and with 51% of the vote. Her vote increased by 6% compared with a national increase in the Conservative vote of 1%. |