Alison Cryer
MD, Representation Plus / Chairman, Tourism Society
In 2007 Alison was elected as Chairman. She has since taken the Tourism Society from a one person secretariat to a full time staff of three. Her first two years of Chairmanship saw record breaking profits and growth in the annual conference and event attendance. She introduced Corporate Sponsorship and sponsorship for all events providing funding for the new website. Alison concluded the negotiations with TMI for integration. She has actively represented the Tourism Society at Tourism Alliance meetings and other events with members of the government raising the Society’s profile. She has proactively met with the Chairmen of many associations to explore ways of improving communications within the industry, our offering to members and of developing potential partnerships.
Alison is passionate about Travel and Tourism and the positive impact the industry can have on every country’s economy and sustainable growth. She wants to ensure that every member benefits from the Tourism Society, its network of contacts and career development opportunities. Above all she wants the industry to have the recognition and voice it deserves.
Alison has been on the Tourism Society board for over 3 years. She was originally invited to join the board by the immediate past Chairman in order to review the Journal. The development of the Journal has since been part of her contribution to the Society. Alison is very keen to remain on the board and to serve her fourth year as Chairman to continue to achieve the agreed targets.
After a successful career in Hotel Management and later Marketing with Copthorne Hotels Alison setup Representation Plus in 1988. She has taken the company from a small Hotel and Destination Representation Company to a full service marketing agency, specialising in Destination Marketing and Travel and Tourism PR, handling over £1 million pounds of billings per annum. In the 1990’s Representation Plus opened offices in Paris and in Frankfurt. In the 2000’s they joined a global network of 80 owner managed representation companies.
Over the past 21 years Alison and her team have worked for convention bureaus and Ministries of Tourism across the globe putting emerging destinations on the map. Alison is currently Director of Tourism UK & Ireland for the Ministry of Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman and the Samoa Tourism Authority. Alison had advised on several EU funded projects in the South Pacific, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Poland.
Alison is a keen supporter and fund raiser for several charities including the “Family Holiday Association” and “Just a Drop”.
Recently she participated in a tourism scoping mission to Palestine by British Expertise/UKTI and spoke at Serbia’s annual Young Leaders Conference on behalf of the Tourism Society. In 2010 Alison won the Shine Award for Leadership.
Alison has two teenage sons, two dogs and a very supportive husband!
