UK's Global Marketing Campaign

UK tourist authority, VisitBritain has predicted that over 300,000 tourists will visit the country in 2011, not only because of the pending wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, but because of economic recovery as well. They are planning to launch a global marketing campaign to promote the UK through the royal wedding, and will specifically target the US, one of Britain's most important markets. VisitBritain is not only planning on publicizing London, but also places like St. Andrews and Anglesey. These are places where the couple has met, spent time, and may be staying in the early stage of their marriage. If this isn't enough to attract photo-crazed tourists, the tourist authority believes that it will still attract tourists to the country later in the year due to the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games. They did not, however, provide any figures for how much the marketing campaign would cost. 

The UK has lost ground on American visitors in recent years, and tourism in general is still below its pre-recession levels. About 3 million more tourists came to the UK in 2006 than they did in 2010, and as the country's fifth-largest industry, tourism is a crucial part for the UK's economic survival. I feel that this marketing campaign is a very good plan for the UK to have, and the royal wedding paired with the 2012 Olympics seems to be exactly what Britain needs to put its tourism market over the top.

For more information, visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703548604576037631066642992.html?mod=WSJ_Hospitality_leftHeadlines

Informational Interview on a Local Family Diner

For my informational interview, I met with Dora Wisniewski, the owner and manager of Tom’s Family Restaurant, a family-owned diner in Buffalo, NY. As the owner and manager at Tom’s, Dora is responsible for “…a little bit of everything.” She is usually working “on the floor”, where she will greet and seat people. She is constantly communicating with and coordinating employees, whether she is hiring and training a new girl or trying to fill a shift when someone has called in saying they couldn’t work their scheduled time. She also has to check inventory, and once a week she orders from different companies for food, paper products, and cleaning supplies. In Dora’s opinion, this is the main goal of the restaurant industry; customer satisfaction and retention.

            I found that it is not easy managing a restaurant. Even if Dora is not working, she is always “on-call”, because anything could happen at the restaurant even if she isn’t there. I asked her what her favorite part about her job is, and she told me that she likes being able to interact and work with different people all the time, and as a manager, she likes having responsibility and being able to influence her co-workers and customers in a positive way. 

classy hotels

Almost every industry has been affected by the economic downturn over the last couple years. In the hospitality industry, this has been obvious because much of the business comes from customers’ disposable income. One of the trends that has been influencing hotels, restaurants, and leisure is the demographic that they are now catering to. Wealthier families now compose a larger part of the consumer base than middle-class or poor families. In 2007 according to the 2010 Performance Monitor by D.K. Shifflet & Associates, 46 percent of all occupied hotel room nights were from guests in the under $75,000 income level. By 2010, this number decreased to 42 percent, while 11 percent of all hotel room nights in 2007 were from guests in the above $150,000 income level. This number increased to 14 percent in 2010. With this data in mind, companies need to figure out how to maximize revenues and attract different segments of the population. Advertising deals or discounts could attract more middle-class clients but another option is keeping prices high and trying to keep that upper-class clientele. This decision can by companies depending on revenue, location, and the companie’s purpose.