NEWS IN DEPTH | SPECIAL REPORT Travel industry needs to fix image problem


Google UK’s head office in London hosted the annual Prospects event for members of the Tourism Society. Samantha Mayling reports


Rob Russell


encourage more people to work in the sector.


T Rob Russell, joint managing


director of AC Group, said: “My biggest gripe is recruitment. “We struggle to find and keep


good quality, trained and skilled staff and language speakers. “We have employed several


apprentices, and I urge you to bring in apprentices – we need young blood and energy to come into the industry.” He said there needs to be more education about the travel and tourism industry at an earlier stage in schools and universities – and better language skills. Delegates at the event suggested


that the general British public was unaware of how valuable inbound tourism is to UK plc, and the sector’s reputation is not very high among potential recruits. Patricia Yates, VisitBritain’s


strategy and communications director, said that a ‘sector deal’ from government would help tackle the problem of skills and recruitment – and she is optimistic the deal can be sealed. A key element of the proposed deal is a tourism and hospitality skills campaign aimed at fixing the


9 TravelGBI | February 2018


he industry needs to join together to improve the image of tourism – and


From left: Patricia Yates, Christopher Rodrigues and Ruairidh Roberts


on desktops and tablets this year. “Your mobile strategy has to be


Bring in apprentices – we need young blood and energy to come into the industry


image of the sector and boosting long-term careers.


Follow Netflix


The travel trade should follow the example of companies such as Netflix and Amazon, according Google UK’s head of travel. Ruairidh Roberts told


delegates that Netflix was “a great consumer-facing proposition”. He said: “When you watch


shows, they recommend other similar ones. They use data about preferences to commission their next TV series; it’s not down to the whim of a director or producer, it is based on data that informs them. That should be relevant to hotels and destinations, but I don’t see it happening in travel.” However, he did say that online


travel agencies are “nimble” and able to make the most of big data to drive efficiencies. He also predicted that searches on mobiles would overtake searches


paramount,” he told delegates. Voice searches are also growing


quickly, and account for 20% of searches on mobile. He urged companies to use tools


from Google and other internet giants to find out about trends in the market, and to target the right consumers at the right time.


Chinese visitors


Soft adventure is “the way forward for the Chinese market”, according to chief executive of China Holidays, Carey Fletcher. He has specialised in the China


market for 20 years and has seen it evolve dramatically. “The Chinese market is changing constantly and it is important to keep up-to-date,” he told delegates. “The Chinese want more


relaxation and beaches, in places such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. Also, more are coming to places like the Peak District for activities such as cycling – soft adventure is the way forward for the Chinese market, especially at the top end. “We need to talk about quality


rather than just big, big numbers of visitors.” He described VisitBritain’s


Great China Welcome programme as “brilliant”, as it encouraged


Carey Fletcher


attractions and destinations to train their staff to deal with Chinese visitors. “However, the problem with


training is that it has to be integral to your business so that all staff keep up-to-date, and new staff get trained too,” he said. “You need to be totally committed to the Chinese market, it cannot be an add-on.” He highlighted the key role that


social media plays in marketing to Chinese travellers. “They all have Samsung smartphones and mobile access – and QR codes are important,” said Fletcher. He advised firms in the UK to tap


into the pool of Chinese students if they want help with social media. “Chinese university students are


keen to be involved in part-time work – they understand WeChat and Weibo, and it would be little cost to you if they help with social media. “There are one million Chinese in


China who have been to university in the UK, so you can target them.” He pointed out that 2018 is EU-China Tourism Year, with bodies such as Etoa, the European tourism association promoting Chinese travel into Europe, so it’s a good time to focus on this market.


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