A two year “emotional rollercoaster” for the UK’s hospitality industry has seen an independent Staffordshire business launch a free online lifeline to help sales soar.
The new UKTO Learning Hub, which launched on July 12th, is the brainchild of Stoke-on-Trent based UK Tourism Online, one of the largest, if not the largest UK-based, non-commission, direct booking website dedicated to the hospitality industry.
The learning hub was created following a wave of establishments seeking the expert help of UK Tourism Online’s dedicated team of account managers, overseen by the firm’s managing director, who boasts over 20 years’ experience of promoting the industry under her belt.
Hub will help busy owners and managers to upskill to drive sales.
Inspired to help the industry further, the hub has been designed as a one-stop shop for owners and managers to upskill and drive more direct bookings to their businesses.
Not only is access to the site and all its resources free, but it will also further help venues reduce the commission they pay to other online travel agencies to promote their properties.
The hub will feature information, guides and webinars, as well as contributions from high-profile industry figures like award-winning B&B coach Yvonne Halling and David Weston, the chairman of the Bed and Breakfast Association.
“Determined to help businesses get bookings they deserve” – UK Tourism Online.
Tourism Online’s Managing Director Louise Johnson-Collins said:
“The last two years have been an emotional rollercoaster for businesses across our industry, which I’ve been a part of for over 20 years and I’m very passionate about. “I’ve witnessed the massive changes and shifts with regard to how establishments interact with their guests and draw guests to them.
“We’re always asked by our customers the best ways to attract new direct booking guests and we are determined to ensure they can have access to all of the information they may need, free of charge and it’s readily available to help them reclaim their businesses to get the direct bookings they deserve.
“This is why we’ve created a free information and learning hub for our customers - and indeed anyone who runs an accommodation-based business - so that they can learn new skills that will help them to attract more direct booking guests.”
Industry experts are welcoming and getting involved in new one-stop learning hub
The hub has also been designed to be quick and accessible for busy senior hospitality staff and not too time-consuming.
“We know how busy and demanding it is to run a hospitality business today, so this platform is designed with that in mind,”
added Louise.
“If owners/managers could spend even just 15 minutes a week on the hub it could help them to save not only time but also generate much bigger direct booking revenues.
“We have some industry experts contributing free help and advice too, which is great, and we have a clear vision that this is a completely free and helpful service for anyone who can benefit from it to build their UK based tourism business.”
Other hub contributors will include Damian Sheridan, founder of Book Direct Network and the annual London Book Direct Show; Louise Brace, Founder of Rental Tonic; and David Weston, chairman of the B&B Association.
Welcoming the new free learning hub, David Weston, chair of the Bed & Breakfast Association, the UK trade association for B&B, guesthouse and small independent hotel owners, said: “Independent accommodation businesses increasingly need to hone their online marketing skills - and will especially benefit from maximising the proportion of direct bookings they can generate.
“So, we very much welcome initiatives like the UK Tourism Online ‘Hub’, which will be a useful (and free!) resource for business owners”.
The new free learning hub, which will have a phased launch of all its features, can be found at https://hub.uktourismonline.co.uk