Small- and medium-sized tourism businesses will soon be able to learn how to make the most of new technology with a new training course developed by VisitBritain. The Welcome E-business course is the latest in the Welcome to Excellence training courses run by Englandå‘s regional tourist boards.

The course is designed to help England’s tourism businesses make the best use of the internet and new media in their marketing and communications to customers and other businesses. Topics in the course include achieving new business and improving customer service using the internet and e-mail; developing a website; on- and off-line marketing initiatives and online booking.

Andrew Duff, head of e-tourism development, VisitBritain, said:

“By 2005, around one billion people will be using the internet - a substantial number of them to plan and book their holidays. Welcome E-business will help tourism businesses around the country make the best possible use of this vital tool to reach and attract visitors, as well as providing smaller businesses with ideas for working together to make their marketing efforts more effective.”

Like the other courses in the scheme, Welcome E-business will be available to tourism businesses in England through the nine regional tourist boards. The first course run by the Yorkshire Tourist Board takes place on 7 May and tourism businesses should contact Sarah Pattie on 01904 708999. Further details about courses in other regions can be obtained by contacting the relevant tourist board (see below for contact details).

Welcome E-business has been part-funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Small Business Service. It forms part of a wide-ranging programme to prepare tourism businesses in England for EnglandNet - the £4.8 million project to get the whole of England’s tourism industry online.

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(26/03/2003) VisitBritain Ready to Boost Tourism in Britain

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