One North-East - Why One is passionate

Dec 11 2006 By The Journal

A team that's making it happen

Tourism Network NorthEast comprises One NorthEast Tourism and the four Area Tourism Partnerships (ATPS). Over time it is anticipated that the ATPs will become the main port of call for advice, guidance and support from the network for all tourism businesses in the region.

Although independent, the five organisations will work extremely closely through the Network Management Group involving the Head of Tourism and Head of Marketing from One NorthEast and the four Chief Executives of the Area Tourism Partnerships.

Northumberland Tourism:

Giles Ingram, 38, is the Executive Director of Northumberland Tourism.

He is responsible for the largest ATP area from Berwick and the borders in the North, through Hadrian's Wall Country south to the County Durham border.

Giles is a tourism and marketing professional with an exceptional track record and a degree in economic history. He has worked in the industry for 17 years, recently as marketing and operations manager at Bath Tourism Plus Ltd, charged with improving the profitability of commercial activities which he achieved by generating 30% more accommodation bookings in 2004; increasing ticket sales by 81% in 2005; and introducing online booking. Giles also introduced a film and media unit for Bath Tourism Plus.

Plans for marketing Northumberland to the consumer in 2007 have taken a giant step forward. Tourism businesses across the county have been sent details of the County Guide being produced by Northumberland Tourism. Following consultation with all district councils, Alnwick, Blyth, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale and Wansbeck District Councils have taken the decision not to print their own holiday guides in 2007, choosing instead to support one holiday guide for the county.

• For more information on Northumberland Tourism contact: 01670 794 520

County Durham Tourism:

Melanie Sensicle is the new chief executive of the County Durham Tourism and has big plans for the development of tourism in the area.

Previously head of marketing at VisitBrighton, Melanie will have responsibility for helping raise the profile of County Durham as a visitor destination, increasing visitor spend improving the quality of the product and boosting jobs.

At VisitBrighton Melanie was responsible for repositioning the city nationally and internationally, as well as attracting high profile conferences. Under Melanie, Brighton was the first destination to undertake lifestyle segmentation and she managed the subsequent change from traditional destination marketing to a strategy that focused on e-marketing and PR.

On leaving Brighton visitbrighton.com was achieving 120,000 unique visitors a month. After seven years working for a city-based tourism organisation, she is now enjoying the challenge of running a countywide agency.

As well as holding a series of stakeholder engagement road-shows over the summer, the CDTP team has also initiated a number of new projects including the establishment of the Durham Attractions Group and a major study to help understand the county's visitors in greater depth, and it has many more projects in the pipeline.

Melanie and her team will be developing an action plan for tourism development in the run-up to Christmas, and will also be leading a group of the county's major organisations in identifying a `branding' study for County Durham and working with One North East on a County Durham low-season campaign.

• For more information on County Durham Tourism contact: Michelle Gorman on 0191 383 7426 or email: Michelle.Gorman@cdtp.co.uk.

Visit Tees Valley:

Julia Frater is the Head of Visit Tees Valley' and has been part of the region's tourism scene since 1992.

Her previous roles include Cleveland County Council tourism manager (later Tees Valley Tourism Bureau) and has extensive experience of the regional, national and international tourism industry and carries a tourism Masters degree.

From 2003 in her role as tourism manager for the Tees Valley Tourism Bureau, Julia has secured £4m of EU funding for Tees Valley tourism projects.

Her 20 years' senior management experience has given her a leading role in implementing the Tees Valley tourism strategy including Tees Valley's Culture10 and First for Festivals programmes, and Tourism & Hospitality Workforce Development Plan.

Following extensive consultation with the private sector, the new organisation and brand Visit Tees Valley was launched in October 2006. Extensive research is being undertaken on the consumer market, group market and contractor market to be presented to the private sector on December 8.

• For more information on Visit Tees Valley Tourism contact: 01642 264957

Tourism Tyne and Wear:

Tourism Tyne and Wear is currently seeking a chairperson and eight board members to provide leadership across the partnership and to help drive the ATP forward.

A powerful partnership between local authorities and the private sector across NewcastleGateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside, Tourism Tyne & Wear is looking for individuals who are either from a tourism background or are operating at a strategic level within a public body with a good understanding of the visitor economy.

Andrew Dixon, Acting Executive Director for Tourism Tyne and Wear and Chief Executive for NewcastleGateshead Initiative said, "We are looking for positive thinkers who will bring experience and new ideas. The ATP will bring together the public and private sector to help co-ordinate the tourism products and experiences in NewcastleGateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside."

Tourism Tyne & Wear has also begun its search to recruit individuals for a small number of key positions who will be responsible for working with partners to drive forward the objectives for the ATP. Already on board is Emma Hallington, who joins the ATP as Data Collection Steward/Administrator. Emma previously worked at the University of Northumbria in its Plagiarism Advisory Service.

Other key appointments will include an ATP Tourism Coordinator and Tourism Business Relationship Manager.

Both posts are expected to be filled by the end of the year.

In October the ATP ran a number of consultation events across Tyne and Wear which were attended by over 100 people, many of whom have provided very useful feedback regarding the draft Area Tourism Management Plan and the ATP business plan.

• For more information on Tourism Tyne and Wear contact: Emma Hallington at emma.hallington@tourismtyneandwear.com