news guest editor
Butlins’ Billy Bear stepped into the TTGoffice to show he has what it takes to be the editor. By Daniel Pearce and Sophie Griffiths
Bear-faced bid to take over at TTG
HOW DO you give a new editor the best chance to shine in their first day in the job? We gave Billy Bear from Butlins some news stories to write, some pages to proof-read and we even let him have a say in some of the designs of this week’s pages. He chaired an editorial team meeting, spent some time with the commercial team, and tried out the managing director’s chair for size too. But what we really wanted was for Billy to come face-to-face with a big cheese from the industry, and see how he got on with conduct- ing a major interview. James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, was only too keen to step forward.
Berresford heads up the body responsible for
marketing England to domestic and overseas markets. But what Billy wanted to know was how Berresford and VisitEngland could help UK travel agents to sell domestic tourism, and big brands such as Butlins, to customers who may be more accustomed to looking abroad. As a Butlins fan himself, having recently visited the park in Skegness, Berresford didn’t need asking twice…
■More pictures of Billy atTTGat
ttglive.com Interview
Billy Bear puts tourism boss on the spot
VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford answers Billy Bear’s questions on domestic tourism
How far is the so-called “staycation” a myth or reality?
“I’m not a huge fan of the term – it sounds like a fad, but I think it is a phenomenon that is here to stay. People have been reintroduced to the English tourism product. It has previously been the perception that it is more expensive to travel here, but people have seen you can get good-value breaks.”
How can travel agents capitalise best on this trend?
“It is a genuine opportunity for travel agents. People don’t expect to go to an agent and buy a British holiday. When language was a barrier and people were after the sun and sea, travel agents were there to help, but why not put packages together for the UK? I would tell agents to re-evaluate selling English tourism in the UK. It’s British Tourism Week from March 12 to 20, which could be a great opportunity for agents to market and use it. We want to keep working with travel agents because we are keen to learn ways in which we could work more creatively in future. The high street position of travel agents is something I think we miss a trick on sometimes.”
How much are the Olympics a genuine opportunity for do- mestic tourism?
“We have a fantastic opportunity in 2012, but nothing will fall into our laps. The Olympics shouldn’t be a puff of smoke – it’s about making people see that there is a good product
Billy Bear soon felt at home among the TTGteam 10
18.02.2011
ttglive.com
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