GUY CHAMBERS

MANAGING DIRECTOR

July 2013 has been a role reversal in weather conditions for the UK and Ireland. For the past 14 months we have experienced some of the wettest, coldest and least sunny months on record, however, in July temperatures soared and have consistently been at 30 degrees or more. This change in weather has not only brightened the mood of the nation but also provided a surge in consumer spending. The UK has also been gripped with sporting heroics from Murray winning Wimbledon, Froome winning the Tour De France, Rose winning the U.S. open and both our rugby and cricket teams beating Australia coupled with our athletes also performing with great success a year on from London 2012. The positive outlook with our economy, the sunny weather and our sports stars, combined, have boosted the confidence of the nation with output continuing to grow in all sectors and GDP climbing to its highest levels in four years at 0.6% for the past 3 months. Because of all the bad weather up until July bookings to sunnier climates were between 10-20% up on 2012. In early July Visit California undertook a four day training mission to Ireland, Scotland, Newcastle and London which proved a huge success. Also the fifth Visit California and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Golf Day was staged at the prestigious Brocket Hall golf course and demonstrated that this event is firmly established as the premier summer social gathering for the travel industry. The Visit California UK team continue to establish a very strong presence in the market and with the new financial year starting in July we are very positive about the prospects for the next 12 months with the continued improving state of the UK economy and the offering that California has for the UK market.

CONSUMER MARKETING ACCOUNT Director Jonah Whitaker

In July our newest addition to the team Arabella headed out to California on the International Staff FAM trip to tour both Northern and Southern California. After a couple of days in the Bay Area and a day of training at the Sacramento office, the group headed north to the less well known Shasta region. The group got to experience a night on a houseboat on Lake Shasta where they had a go at wakeboarding and tasting s’mores for the first time. After their night under the stars they flew down to the hustle and bustle of San Diego and Los Angeles to experience the many theme parks and tourist hot spots on offer.

Back in the office we are able to share the January - May Thomas Cook Signature and Visit California partnership campaign results. This was last updated in the April report. Campaign Activity Activity Reach Travel Supplements - Front Cover Hotel offer 127,000 Travel Supplements - Page Sponsorship TB 127,000 Magazine - DPS 50,000 Direct Mail - Postcard 10,000 Direct Mail - 6 Page Roll Fold 7,500 Worldwide Travel Guide - Trade - Inclusion 6,000 Worldwide Travel Guide - Consumer - Inclusion 55,000 Signature Tool Kit Insert Destination Guide A4 front and back Inclusion - Tourist Board 6000 In store Poster Panel 800 Trade E-shot - Dedicated 6000 Consumer E-shot - Dedicated 65,000 Social Media - Facebook Website - Signature.com 150,000 2 Weeks Home Page Rotating Banner 2 Weeks Destination page or Holiday Type Page Website - Signature.com 150,000 2 Weeks Home Page offer box 2 Weeks Destination page or Holiday Type Page

Thomascook.com Activity Reach Website - Thomascook.com - Skyscraper 1,000,000 imp E-Newsletter Thomascook.com 1,800,000 Campaign Highlights From January – May there has been a YOY 17% increase in the number of flight passenger numbers and a YOY 14% increase in room nights that were generated through Signature from Thomas Cook. Recent Creative Activity: Direct Mail - 6 Page Roll Fold Date: July 2013 Circulation: 7,500 CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA

One state, countless options.

One state, countless options. California really does epitomise the phrase ‘compact diversity’. With so many attractions and things to do, let Signature help tailor-make your trip so it’s full of the things you want to do, when you want to do them, so you get to see all the sides of the Golden State.

British Airways

Signature is proud to partner with British Airways, who take pride in providing the very best of British in scheduled airline experiences. Offering dedicated check-in areas, exclusive lounges, a generous baggage allowance, supremely comfortable seating and carefully prepared meals. Fly to California in style with British Airways from London Heathrow, departing 35 times weekly.

Mr Sample 123 ABCDEFG STREET PRESTON LANCASHIRE PR2 2QG TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS

California.

One state, countless options. On the map

boasts theme parks, world-class aquariums, zoos and museums.

Towering forests, magnificent mountains, crystal blue lakes, dramatic deserts and beautiful coastal islands are all waiting to be discovered in California’s national parks. Amazing in every season, every day will offer a different view as you explore the awe inspiring landscapes.

California has world-class vineyards across the state, so you’ll never be far away from sampling outstanding wines. Just north of San Francisco are the famous destinations of Sonoma County and Napa Valley. A visit to these areas world would not be complete without sampling the sparkling wine in Napa Valley or the famous Cabernet Sauvignon in Sonoma County.

Entry details (for British

passport holders) The US Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) allows visits to the US for up to 90 days. Currency American Dollar. Currency American Dollar. Language English.

Los Angeles San Diego

2 Family fun – California

national parks provide breathtaking scenery you simply won’t want to miss.

California’s famous coastline is dotted with stunning beaches set against a backdrop of magnificent mountains and rolling valleys. Boasting fantastic locations, great food and friendly smiles, the cities along the coastline are relaxed, warm and welcoming. Hiring a car is an easy way for you to hit the open road and soak in the wonderful views along the coastal roads.

Flight time from the UK

CALIFORNIA

3 The great outdoors –

CALIFORNIA - WINE COUNTRY Explore vineyards and towns, from north to south.

(London) Approximately 11 hours. Arrival Airport Non-stop flights from the UK to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Top 5 California trip tips has more than 800 miles of coastline to enjoy.

CALIFORNIA’S NATIONAL PARKS Discover the natural beauty of the Golden State.

Essentials

NEVADA

San Francisco

1 Hit the beach – California

PACIFIC COAST Gorgeous sunsets and miles of beaches.

Climate Average temperature in °C Daily sunshine (hours) Monthly rainfall (cm) 30

4 Taste it – wineries offer tasting tours, while great value restaurants offer tempting cuisine.

20

10

Call 0844 692 6726 to speak to our expert travel team, visit your local travel agent or book online at thomascooksignature.com

5 Tee for two? – great

weather all year round makes California a golfer’s paradise.

J

F M A M J J A S O N D

Call 0844 692 6726 to speak to our expert travel team or book online at thomascooksignature.co.uk

Terms and conditions apply. All offers subject to availability. Prices advertised are based on two adults sharing on a room only basis, departing from airports as specified against each individual offer, flying with British Airways in Economy Class, on the departure dates as individually advertised. ‘Book by’ dates apply. Booking restrictions apply, offers can be changed/withdrawn without notice. Signature is a trading name of Thomas Cook Scheduled Tour Operations Ltd. ATOL 0606. ABTA V2185.

The possibilities are endless

QUALITY COUNTS

Scheduled flights & handpicked hotels

VALUE & EXPERTISE

Great value from the travel experts

Activity: Consumer E-shot - Dedicated Date: 17 May 2013 Circulation: 65,000

Activity: Direct Mail - Postcard Date: May 2013 Circulation: 10,000

TRAVEL TRADE

Travel Trade Director Bethany Schuh July has been hot, hot, hot and as a result much of the UK public isn’t thinking about holidays abroad but how they can maximise this unusually warm weather at home. This has placed pressure on the tourism industry, as it’s now a case of ‘wait and see’ when the market will bounce back. It’s unknown whether the consumer is merely putting off their holiday purchase of whether they have indeed decided to miss out on a holiday abroad. One additionally hot topic in the trade press was the fact that Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent and guest writer of TTG, made a statement on a national TV interview that there are many deals to be had due to the distressed market, and consumers can pick up deals for example for 7 nights stay in Europe for less than £300 per person. This outraged much of the industry as they’re now facing an unrealistic expectation that these sorts of deals can be sourced, when the reality is very much the opposite. The annual Crystal Ski report was published here: http://mag.digitalpc.co.uk/fvx/crystal/sir2013/ , overall findings showed that for the first time in five years the ski market has grown (1% growth). The total UK ski market is 900k passengers a year. USA shows a slight decline of 4.5% of the overall market to now just 4% Canada is stealing market share because of good ski conditions and aggressive marketing. Industry Changes: Sara Ellis (product executive) has left Virgin Holidays. She has gone to an internet start-up travel company and will send details imminently. Kathryn Brownrigg (USA destination manager) has left BA Holidays. Elizabeth Ellis (Head of Business Development) has left Black Tomato. She is starting a new role at Brown + Hudson, a bespoke travel company specialising in high end travel. Activities: July Roadshow training week: Between the 1st and 5th July, Visit California UK & Ireland took the opportunity to travel the country with a delegation of 12 California destinations and attractions targeting travel agents ensuring they know all about the Golden State, and keep California front of mind with the people who have direct influence over consumer holiday choices. Over the week, we visited Glasgow, Newcastle, Dublin and London and saw over 300 agents over the 4 events. Here are pictures of the London Event as documented by Selling Long Haul http://www.sellinglonghaul.com/blackdiamondcalifornia-dd-2013.html Visit California/Hyatt Golf Day: Visit California partnered with Hyatt Hotels for their long standing Golf Day. Air New Zealand and Alamo were further supporting sponsors. In total, 85 people attended the day, with approximately 65 of those attending being VIP travel buyers/MDs and owners of travel companies and media. An impressive array of prizes was given out at the end of the golf day and all guests enjoyed a 3 course meal. Aer Lingus Press Conference: Beth, Maddy and Shannon attended the press conference to announce the non stop Dublin – SFO route, which will start in April on a 5 days a week service initially. It is thought that if the route is successful, they will run the route 7 days a week. VUSA Ball: Visit California hosted 6 tables at the Visit USA Ball this year, and sponsored the entertainment. Visit California had great brand presence throughout and it was a great evening had by all. Travel Trade Away Day: The trade team took a day to go offsite and brainstorm activity for 2013/14, and work out a training schedule plan, plans for the SuperFAM and finale, etc.

Meetings & Trainings: Round the World Experts (part of Flight Centre): After product development discussions with the team there, Round the World Experts have decided to feature two California itineraries as part of their programme. California features prominently on their USA featured tours. http://www.roundtheworldexperts.co.uk/classic-journey/classic-usa

United Airlines – Ireland: Beth met with Pat Reed and Yvonne Muldoon to discuss California/United activity in Ireland. They are keen to undergo joint marketing with Visit California and would also like to run an incentive to take 10 agents out to California on a FAM trip in early 2014. SIMON Shopping Centres: Beth met with Edna Hischer – SIMON is now the umbrella for 3 different shopping brands, which includes Premium Outlets. They are getting involved in our SuperFAM, offering gift card prizes for the agents, goody bags for all, and much more added value. Funway Holidays: The trade team met with Funway’s team to discuss the upcoming California marketing campaign. Air New Zealand: Beth met with Jo Copestake to discuss 13/14 trade activity. Additionally, Maddy, Beth and Jonah met with their entire sales and marketing team to discuss strategy. Beth additionally went to dinner with the senior team from Air New Zealand, along with LA Tourism. Trailfinders city store training: Andrea trained 10 of their staff on California. Scott Dunn training: Andrea trained 5 of their US staff on California.

PUBLIC RELATIONS PR Director Maddy Morgan

In July we welcomed Shannon to London as part of a week long media mission to the UK and Ireland. With the visit timed to coincide with Visit USA 4th July activity we were able to incorporate the Visit USA Media Marketplace and Awards and the Visit USA Ball into the schedule enabling face time with many more journalists and industry contacts than the time would otherwise allow. At the Awards features on California initiated or facilitated by the BD team included Best National Newspaper Feature (Telegraph UltraTravel) and Best Regional Newspaper Feature (Shortlist). Whilst in Dublin we were able to attend a press conference to announce the re-introduction of the Aer Lingus flight between Dublin and San Francisco. This exciting development not only opens up the Irish market for direct flights to California, but also provides huge opportunity to target the Scottish market and those in the North of England who currently connect through London. We are currently implementing strategy to communicate to these audiences between now and the route launch in Spring 2014. A further part of Shannon’s visit included a series of Down the Line radio interviews with regional and national radio stations alongside a representative from long haul tour operator Travelbag. Over a 4 hour period, radio interviews broadcast on 20 stations across the UK were conducted using 4th July as a news hook. Participating stations included BBC Radio Norfolk and Free Radio reaching a total of over 2.7 million people and generating an ROI of $60. Shannon’s visit was also well timed for a series of meetings to kick start wider PR initiatives as part of the FY13/14 programme revolving around Food and Wine, a key experience pillar for UK Comms this year. We are now in a great position to start firming up proposals with a number of partners, with initial activity scheduled to go live from the end of September. This month the very hot weather in the UK didn’t seem to limit the placement of long haul features in the media, with extended destination pieces appearing in the Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, Daily Telegraph and the Independent from press trips which took place in the Spring. There was also a 12 page feature on a food touring around Northern California in Lonely Planet Traveller which showcased a variety of artisan producers and local restaurants following their visit in June. We are now focussing on the key month of September to ensure that consumers are inspired and educated about California as they start to think about next year’s holiday. To continue this momentum we are also working on a ‘deconstructed’ luxury food and wine group press trip for the beginning of October partnering with Air New Zealand to showcase their premium cabins and to get people off the beaten track on Highway 1. We will be targeted journalists with wide social followings for this trip to maximise real time coverage as they experience the wonderful and the weird as an elaboration on this iconic road trip. Within the media landscape below are two noteworthy changes over recent weeks: • The MailOnline, the biggest newspaper website in the world, has announced plans for significant expansion increasing staff in UK and US offices. In May 2013 the website received 128,599,300 unique users. • News International, parent company of the Times, Sunday Times and The Sun, has rebranded as News UK as part of a ‘bright new chapter’ following the closure of News of the World in July 2011.

Coverage Overview - 2013/14 Month Coverage Circulation AVE £ AVE $ PR Value $ July 114 64,473,681 999,218.00 1,548,787.00 4,646,363.00 YTD Total 114 64,473,681 999,218.00 1,548,787.00 4,646,363.00 % Change 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Coverage highlights: Independent – Death Valley Road Trip http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/death-valley-vacation-some-like-it-hot-8698494.html Company Magazine – LA Special http://www.company.co.uk/magazine-hq/la/ Sunday Telegraph / Telegraph.co.uk – Redwood National Park Road Trip http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/northamerica/usa/californiaandsouthwest/10191121/RedwoodNational-Park-California-tall-tales-from-the-trees.html Huffington Post – Los Angeles Neighbourhoods http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/akeela-bhattay/ Daily Telegraph / Telegraph.co.uk – Silicon Valley Tours http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/northamerica/usa/californiaandsouthwest/10159137/TheInternship-inside-Silicon-Valley-land-of-the-geeks.html Guardian / Guardian.co.uk – Sausalito Houseboats http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/jun/28/sausalito-houseboats-san-francisco-bay Daily Telegraph / Telegraph.co.uk – High Sierras & Gold Country Road Trip http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/driving-holidays/10120069/California-road-tripdriving-into-the-American-dream.html