The Partnership Jigsaw Why do UK Destinations matter to ABTA Travel Agents and Tour Operators?

1. The Partnership JigsawWhy do UK Destinations matter to ABTA Travel Agents and Tour Operators?

2. Caroline BrownCommercial Director - Shearings Holidays • 25 years travel industry experience • 18 years with Shearings Holidays • Chair of ABTA UK Tourism & Leisure Group • Shearings Group in numbers: • 1 million customers per annum • 50 hotels across England, Scotland & Wales • 6 brands • 2,800 employees nationwide • 8 retail travel agents – Wallace Arnold Travel • 2 million in-house hotel bednights per year

3. ABTA – The Travel Association • UK’s leading travel association. Established for over 60 years. • Help its Members grow their businesses successfully and sustainably . • Help their customers – the travelling public – have confidence in their travel experience. • The ABTA brand stands for expertise, reliability and fairness, and the level of brand recognition and trust among consumers is the highest of any travel trade association.

4. The importance of the UK tourism to ABTA members • Domestic tourism is vital to ABTA members • Tourism benefits every part of the UK including travel agents and operators • Tourism has touch points across a wide range of industry sectors • Tourism protects and preserves our heritage for future generations • ABTA members are an important part of the Tourism jigsaw

5. ABTA members: Destination UK • Opportunity for agents to become a UK travel expert • Low cost opportunity to direct market to their existing base • Average booking values can often be higher than some European holidays • Higher average booking values will lead to increased agent commission OPPORTUNITY Y

6. Destination UK • Globally, the UK is the sixth largest international tourism destination by visitor numbers and seventh by visitor expenditure • In 2013, the UK retained 3rd place as a ‘nation brand’ behind the USA and Germany in the 2013 Anholt GFK Nations Brand Index • Within a 2-hour drive time, the UK offers a wide choice of holiday experiences

7. Destination UK versus European competitors • UK is a complimentary destination - ideal for shorter breaks • UK offers accessible, good quality and affordable accommodation • UK destinations offer unique, authentic and safe experiences • Always assured of a warm, friendly welcome in a trusted environment • Appeals to our inner social conscience

8. The future of UK destinations with English consumers • Sell the destination experience not the commodity • Product must be authentic and unique • Encourage localism – blogs on events, festivals • Capitalise on what’s topical in terms of TV shows, current trends and themes • Exploit the need for escapism from our daily lives – ‘Nano breaks’ • Engage with all age groups to find breaks that work for them – contemporary nostalgia • Find ways to keep domestic tourism in the public conscience

9. How ABTA supports UK destinations • ABTA works with Tourism Alliance to support UK destinations • ABTA makes recommendations to government to cut through red tape to support small tourist service businesses • ABTA works across the industry to support DMOS whilst also supporting travel agents and tour operators

10. How can destinations work more closely with ABTA members? • All tourism stakeholders have a role to play – partnership • Destinations can work to engage travel agents and tour operators in local initiatives – don’t assume they already know • Work collaboratively to drive awareness and joint promotional activity • Organise ‘think tanks’ to talk to ABTA members – share ideas

11. Partnerships for success Events USPS Tour Operators Travel Agents Sustainability Destinations

12. Working together to grow tourism responsibly