Visitor Elves

Send us a text In this festive episode just before Christmas, we have a returning guest, the lovely Kathryn Davis , Managing Director of VisitWest , shedding light on the key aspects of the recently launched Destination Management Plan (DMP).  The VisitWest regional area, including Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset, brings in a staggering £2 billion to the local economy each...

Send us a text Today's podcast episode features the delightful George Combe , talking about the growth and popularity of the Mendip Activity Centre in North Somerset. Spread across 250 acres, Mendip Activity Centre is the largest independent activity centre in the West. With a dry ski slope, toboggan run, watersports on the river, rock climbing, and much more. During the pandemic, the team made th...

Send us a text With one in five households having someone with an impairment or disability, it is crucial for businesses in the visitor economy to prioritise accessibility. Your consideration and awareness of this market can make or break a visitor's decision to choose your business.  Supporting people with access needs has always been essential, but in recent years, more information has become av...

Send us a text It's been a while but I'm excited to be back with my 30th episode featuring the team behind the Bristol restaurant absolutely smashing it on TikTok - Urban Tandoor .    Urban Tandoor are now apparently the most followed Indian restaurant account on TikTok , with many of their posts reaching views into the millions.   In today’s episode, I chatted with Sujith D’almeida Owner of Urban...

Send us a text In this final episode of Series 2, I am bringing you my story. I’m being interviewed by my Visitor Elf sidekick Shonette Laffy, Digital Marketing Manager of Visit West and fellow freelancer.  During my conversation with Shonette, I share how I got into the visitor economy and what life was like in marketing before the internet existed - remember that?? 25 years ago, virtually no one...

Send us a text In today’s podcast I had the pleasure of chatting to two independent tourism organisations based in Gloucestershire who are leading the way in not only making their businesses as sustainable as possible, they are also on a journey to changing our thinking around how we spend our leisure time – including what we choose to eat and drink.  This week I was talking to Greg Pilley, Managi...

Send us a text Today’s chat is with Rebecca West, Marketing Manager responsible for one of the most visited pay-to-enter visitor attractions in the UK outside London - the Roman Baths .  I was lucky enough to speak to Becca, just days before she started maternity leave to have her first baby. In fact by the time this podcast comes out, she might have some exciting news! Rebecca’s official title is...

Send us a text This week I've been chatting with the fascinating Naomi Miller, Acting Director at Bristol Ideas  - organisers of inspiring talks and debates which shine a light a light on diverse issues in the city . Bristol Ideas runs events throughout the year, including Festival of the Future City in October, and the Festival of Economics in November.   Join me as I talk to Naomi about how Bris...

Send us a text This week I've been chatting with the fabulous Lewis Collins , Brand and Marketing manager of the Kaleidoscope collection - three award winning luxury boutique hotels in and around Bath and Wiltshire . The multiple award winning hotels: Homewood (just outside Bath), The Bird (in the centre of Bath) and the Bishopstrow (in Wiltshire).   Join me as I talk to Lewis about Kaleidoscope a...

Send us a text Today’s podcast episode is with an aristocratic festival organiser, techno DJ and producer,  who has combined his passion for entertainment with his love of the environment in his family home on the River Severn in Gloucestershire.   Meet Anselm Guise, owner of Elmore Court the beautiful wedding venue and stately home just outside Gloucester .   Find out how  Anselm came to own Elmo...

Send us a text It's been a whole year since I first launched the Elves of the Visitor Economy podcast! Whoop whoop!  Happy birthday to me As a big fan of camping, with a dream of one day owning a camper van, this feels like an appropriate time to be talking motorhome travels with Annah Todman .     Today's conversation is all about her business Uncover Britain road trips,  an online library of tou...

Send us a text If you are interested in growing an engaged digital following,  you work for, or with a destination marketing organisation, then I’m sure you’ll find this week’s episode interesting.  I’m talking digital marketing with travel blogger turned in-house digital destination marketer for Marketing Cheltenham , Lisa Kowalkowski.   Lisa took her story telling and digital expertise to Market...

Send us a text Imagine setting up a restaurant with five of your friends that is so successful that within six years you have got nine restaurants!!  Welcome back to 2023, where my first episode of the year is with Rodrigo Rashinthe, Operations Director and one of five founders of The Coconut Tree chain of Sri Lankan restaurants.    In 2016, Rodrigo and his friends began their restaurant journey,...

Send us a text In today’s podcast I chat with Sophie Nash, Programme Manager of ‘Westonbirt’.   Located in the Cotswolds in the County of Gloucestershire, the Arboretum is one of the most visited pay-to-enter attractions in South West England, and is ranked amongst some of the great gardens of the world.   Over the past 10 years, Westonbirt has seen considerable development taking its visitors fro...

Send us a text For anyone involved in running an accommodation business in a city location over the past few years, times have been tough.  Todays guest Carla Brooks Owner of the Brooks Guest Houses (in Bath and Bristol) shares some useful advice,  having survived the recession of 2008.  If you have ever wandered into St Nicholas Market in the centre of Bristol, and glanced up through the iron gat...

Send us a text Today’s podcast features my conversation with Bristol bar and restaurant owner Mike Harris, The Strawberry Thief. After many years following a career as a sustainability specialist, including time with the Eden Project, he decided to go back to his hospitality roots.  In 2016 he bought The Strawberry Thief, situated on Broad street near St Nicholas market, in the centre of Bristol. ...

Send us a text In today’s episode I am joined by the superb national travel PR specialist Fiona Reece, owner of Travel Tonic PR.    If you’re wondering how, you might generate more national PR for your organisation but there is nothing new happening, you’ll love this episode.    Join us as we reflect on the changing face of PR over the years,  and hear some of Fiona's top tips including:  ·      C...

Send us a text In today's episode, I chat with the man in charge of culture for the city of Gloucester, Philip Walker, Head of Cultural Services, Gloucester City Council.  Where would we be without culture?  Culture is vitally important, it provides the vitality, sense of belonging and opportunity for us to come together and connect with things that light up our hearts.  For tourists, culture is t...

Send us a text If you work in promoting or bringing life to town and city centres, visitor attractions or have a dream of working for a creative organisation, you’re going to love today’s podcast.   In this episode I’m joined by the wonderful Kate Statham and Hannah McGavin, Directors of Bristol-based and award-winning theatrical events company Bakehouse Factory.  Their work takes them all over th...

Send us a text What happens when you are passionate about people’s health and wellbeing, you love surfing, and want to create something epic that combines the two?  You create a humongous 200 meter in-land surf lake! In today’s episode I talk to Nick Hounsfield ,  founder and chief visionary officer of The Wave https://www.thewave.com , the first inland surfing destination near Cribbs Causeway, Br...

Send us a text The face of retail and the high street is changing and those seeing success are passionate creative businesses that have a truly distinctive personality, like Prior Shop in Bristol.     Our final episode of season one features the inspirational Beck Prior, founder of Prior Shop – 'High Street Shop of the Year' winner in the 2021 Holly & Co Independent Awards.    In 2019, Beck turned...

Send us a text In this episode, Kelly chats to responsible tourism advocate and director of Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership, Hannah McDonnell. Hannah is also Visit Gloucestershire’s lead on sustainability and social value. Responsible tourism, in which Hannah holds a master's degree, is an approach focusing on sustainability and making places better for both local residents and visitors...

Send us a text In today’s podcast Kelly is joined by Florence Wallace, Head of Travel Trade at VisitWiltshire and Great West Way (R).   If you work in the visitor economy, you'll know that the travel trade is another route to market – a business to business channel, so to speak, covering group travel organisers, coach companies, destination management companies, tour operators, agents and online t...

Send us a text Have you ever thought about launching your own podcast?  Podcasting can be a great way to connect with your customers or visitors and it's getting easier to access all the time.  Perhaps you work in marketing within a visitor attraction that has a wealth of valuable information via your experts. Or maybe you run a chain of restaurants and you've got lots of brilliant people working...

Send us a text In today’s episode, Kelly meets with Lindsey Williams, Head of Sales, at the brand new Mollie’s Motel & Diner.     Located near Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, Mollie's opened last year, hot on the heels of Mollie’s Oxfordshire (which opened in 2019). The motel-diners are the brainchild of Nick Jones, creator of the luxury Soho House brand and this influence is evident across the whole...