Q: Kristen, you’ve been with VisitBritain in various roles since 2012. What was it about the Country Manager role that appealed so much?
A: I’ve cut my teeth on Australia and New Zealand, and I absolutely love the markets because the growth here is just phenomenal.
The chance to come back and take a more strategic role in helping to grow the market, while also having the chance to work more closely with our dedicated travel trade partners was just too good an opportunity to turn down.
I think it’s a really exciting time for the Australian market and inbound travel to Britain.
Q: So without turning this into a job interview, what do you bring to the role?
A: The ability to uncover deep consumer insights and an understanding of motivations and decision making. Looking more closely at how we can leverage our data to support the travel trade and create more upselling opportunities for our agents is really exciting, especially in an ultra-long-haul market like Australia, where it’s a complex travel ecosystem.
Consumer behaviour is becoming increasingly more complex and audiences are often overwhelmed with information.
So, making sure our front-line travel agents have the right tools and all the information they need at their fingertips to ensure they can sell Britain and convert that demand into bookings is essential.
Q: Clearly you’re excited to be in the new position.
A: It’s just great to be back working in the Australian market and with our Australia team. We’ve got a solid team who’ve all got great connections in the market and a really strong reputation.
I’m excited to support the team as we continue to grow travel across Britain’s regions and throughout the year. We want to get that valuable Aussie traveller to explore more and go beyond London and get into all corners of Great Britain.
The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa
Q: You’ve mentioned them a couple of times now but travel agents are obviously a key part of your plans going forward.
A: Aussie travellers are adventurous – the world’s their oyster and they are highly sought after because they travel all over the world. And while agents play a crucial role in helping us convert that demand into bookings, it’s ultimately up to us to make sure Britain is top of mind with both agents and travellers.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure that our training is user friendly, our online tools are accessible and practical for agents, ensuring we’ve got someone on the road sharing the latest product updates and we’re participating in road shows and famils – this all remains super important for building strong product knowledge and supporting sales.
Q: The recent ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign seemed to be a huge success?
A: Having been involved in shaping the ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign, it was a thrill to see it in market and Australians really adapted to it.
Our research shows 86% of Aussies who are thinking of coming to Britain are keen to visit film and TV locations during a trip to the UK.
So, for us the opportunity to expand on that and showcase how to visit our regions and nations and get that kind of layered experience was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
We’re looking forward to continuing our work with travel trade partners to expand bookable product aligned with Britain’s film and TV experiences.
Picture courtesy VisitBritain/Pinzutu Films/Ula Blocksage
Q: Film and TV are obviously big drawcards for Britain.
A: We want to help travellers understand those uniquely British experiences that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s often the tipping point on why you choose Britain over other destinations.
We’ve got a huge number of film and TV titles coming out this year and there’s a whole raft of bookable product to support that.
From tours of Highclere Castle for Downton Abbey to new Bridgerton itineraries with season four coming through and The Immortal Man, the new Peaky Blinders film filmed in Birmingham and around Liverpool.
Also, with the new Harry Potter TV series set to launch in 2026 and the upcoming Outlander prequel coming out next month, it’s the perfect time to spotlight related experiences.
Visitors can explore Durham Cathedral, famously used as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films and take immersive tours across Scotland inspired by the Outlander series.
Q: Good to see that the Australian market is so valuable to the UK.
A: It’s a hugely valuable market. Our forecasts for 2025 are showing we’re on track for a record year with more than 1.2 million travellers this year.
But more importantly, increased spend up to £1.76 billion (approx. $AU3.5 billion) is on the cards. This is huge and quite a significant increase for us.
The UK remains high on the bucket list for Aussie travellers and I think these new experiences that we’re bringing out and turning into bookable product will just make people explore even further. Australians just can’t get enough of the UK.
Q: Not a bad result from a destination on the other side of the world.
A: We’re seeing tremendous growth and it’s an amazing time to be working for VisitBritain.
But we do need to work hard to make sure that we’re continuing to deliver value for Aussie travellers, through a warm welcome and authentic connections, vibrant cultural experiences and unique opportunities to explore Britain’s rich history and heritage – all those things that travellers really value about Britain over other destinations.
Q: Final question. Have you set yourself any goals as the new Country Manager?
A: That’s a great question. I’ve got some ideas on what the targets are and what I’d like to see us deliver.
While Aussies are already repeat visitors to the UK, I’m excited to showcase just how much more there is to discover across Britain.
We want to encourage travellers to stay longer, explore beyond the well-known spots and experience the magic of Britain in every season.
We’ll also be leaning into data-led insights to help evolve our strategy and stay focused on where we can truly maximise our impact in this market.
Main pic: Alnwick Castle
