Travel Industry PR Roundtable
As 2023 drew to a close, we brought together four of the UK’s leading in-house travel PR professionals for a state of the nation discussion about their sector.
We welcomed spokespeople from leading tourism boards, a tour operating giant, and an OTA to consider where travel PRs were focusing their time and to predict trends for 2024. This professional development session was one to remember, making it essential for anyone in travel PR.
MEET THE PANEL
Laoise Collins
PR Manager (UK & Europe), Tourism New Zealand
With over 11 years’ experience in travel communications, Laoise has worked with some of travel’s most well-known brands across the full spectrum of the industry, finding her niche with tourism boards.
Laoise is currently PR Manager (UK & Europe) at Tourism New Zealand, leading a UK and German agency and London PR team to deliver high impact, brand building work in the market. Laoise’s team has navigated the challenges of promoting one of the last destinations to reopen to UK visitors and is now focused on growing the UK and German audience pool.
In 2020 Laoise was nominated for the ‘PR Professional of the Year’ award at the inaugural TravMedia Awards (she was disappointed to not be considered young enough for the ‘Rising Star’ category).
Liz Edwards
Director of Communications, TUI UK and Ireland
Liz Edwards joined the TUI UK and Ireland communications team in September 2016, initially responsible for all consumer communications. In 2020 her remit grew and she now resumes responsibility for all communications including crisis communications, corporate and consumer PR, alongside leading the engagement and internal communications for the 12,000 strong workforce. She leads a team of 15 communication professionals and is a member of the TUI UK and Ireland board of directors.
Liz is passionate about demonstrating the importance of effective communications to an organisation and is proud to have always worked in the leisure, tourism and travel industry for her whole career.
Prior to joining TUI, Liz worked for Merlin Entertainments, looking after Public Relations for leading leisure brands, LEGOLAND Parks and Resorts, The London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park.
Louise Ferrall
Senior PR Manager, VisitEngland
Louise has worked in the travel industry for over 15 years, representing an array of global destinations, tour operators; luxury hotels, spas and aviation clients, from Tourism New Zealand and Malaysia Airlines to five-star tropical resorts. Her experience covers all aspects of PR and integrated marketing, from strategic campaign planning and media relations to organising press trips and events, influencer marketing and brand partnerships.
Passionate about championing our amazing home-grown tourism experiences, Louise joined VisitEngland in 2016 and now oversees domestic consumer PR and influencer activity, driving integration across owned, earned and paid campaigns, from post pandemic recovery to more recent tentpole moments like Eurovision and the Coronation.
Proud winner of the TravMedia In-House PR Team of the Year 2022 and TravMedia Award for Digital PR Campaign of the Year 2023, other career highs include a host of extraordinary travels at home and abroad. Unforgettable experiences range from helicopter rides over New Zealand’s national parks and underwater wine tasting in the Maldives to exploring the world’s first amazement park (in Bristol!) and thrilling speedboat rides down the Thames.
Natasha Sá Osório
Head of UK Media Relations, Expedia Group
Natasha Sá Osório leads the UK media relations at Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo).
With experience in both PR and journalism, Natasha has previously worked at ABTA, the biggest UK travel association, and agency-side for blue chip hotels, tourism boards and tourism organisations. This includes the UNWTO, Meliá Hotels International and leading the PR for destinations highly reliant on tourism, such as the Seychelles, Greece and Aruba.
Having been a travel writer for multiple titles including Lonely Planet, she switched over to the ‘dark side’ when she realised she could use her business acumen and strategic mindset while working in PR. She enjoys working across high-profile stories, which have encompassed global consumer campaigns and providing public affairs support in lobbying efforts related to COVID-19 measures impacting the travel industry.
She has backpacked the world solo and outside work you will find her going on long walks with her Cocker Spaniel, Pippa.
