The world’s attention was on us in 2012. In 2013 the challenge will be to maintain the level of media coverage and make the most of the very positive international feelings towards the UK generated by the Games and Diamond Jubilee. TSE will be working hard with member businesses and destination partners to make this happen and has created a new PR post with this in mind.
Our experienced team will also be delivering business support and opportunities for members to connect with each other, leading training and research programmes, highly successful marketing campaigns and a well established group travel programme that will again culminate in the ‘Excursions’ event in January. Helping businesses to get to grips with the challenges of the digital world will be a particular priority in 2013. Underpinning this will be TSE’s own consumer website launched in July 2012 but we will also be developing a range of web and social media support packages and campaigns. These will be designed to help businesses of all sizes reach new markets though the opportunities represented by the web.
TSE’s important role in representing the interests of its members will continue. Despite the government’s commitments, unnecessary red tape remains a significant burden on the industry. By working closely with partners such as the Tourism Alliance, TSE can be effective in communicating issues and lending its weight to national lobbying campaigns. The current campaign to reduce the level of VAT on tourism services will be a particularly priority in 2013.
TSE will also continue to play an important and complementary role as a provider of support, coordination, economies of scale and expertise to the emerging structure of Destination Marketing Partnerships (DMP’s) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP’s). TSE will be working together with these organisations to promote the South East by offering a range of local, regional and national opportunities for tourism and leisure-related businesses.
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