Destination Bristol

Placement organization

Name of organization: Destination Bristol
Town/city: Bristol
Country: Groot-Brittannië
Website: https://visitbristol.co.uk/

Student

Name of student: Joris de Kinderen

Specialist area: Tourism Management (EN)
Placement period: 2019-2020

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO)
Organization’s activities: The goal of the organization is to market Bristol as a world class leisure and business destination. They do this by using a membership format: business in Bristol pay the organization a certain amount of money on a yearly basis (amount depends on the level of membership: bronze, silver, gold or partner). In return, these businesses get benefits and extra exposure.
Target group of the organization: Very broad
Company culture: There is a clear structure within the organization. To be able to understand this hierarchy, you have to understand that Destination Bristol is an umbrella name for multiple departments:
– Visit Bristol is the business to consumer (leisure) department
– Meet Bristol is the business to business (conferences) department
– There are several Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) departments

At the head of all of these is a CEO, followed by a Head of Tourism and multiple (digital) marketing managers. The structure is clear and not too informal. Business casual clothing and professional behaviour is expected from you as an intern. However, there is always room for discussion and your ideas are valued!
Number of employees: 24
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?

I was working in the marketing department for Visit Bristol. I have to say that my placement was cut short due to the COVID-19 virus, which lead to me living in Bristol for 2 months instead of 5 months. I was able to finish my internship, though, through working from home for the rest of my internship period.

Brief description of your daily activities: The main tasks of an intern are to be in contact with members and partners through e-mail and face-to-face visits. In office, tasks include updating the Visit Bristol website, checking and uploading events, scheduling and creating social media posts, creating graphics and visuals for Instagram, Pinterests and Blogs, doing research and improve SEO.
Brief description of your company assignment: The goal of my company assignment was to find out how Visit Bristol could convince visitors of professional football matches to extend their stay in the city – and not just stay for one day. The organization tries to find an assignment that suits you. For example, I am a football enthusiasts and they gave me free tickets to visit a Bristol City Football Club game.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: My supervisor always had time for me when I had questions or remarks.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Social, open minded and trustworthy
Additional company requirements for this placement? Company can learn you a lot, but prior knowledge of SEO and marketing will make things easier.
English: Advanced

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: I went by car (to be able to carry all of my stuff with me), but Bristol Airport is cheap to reach through Amsterdam Schiphol!

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? I arranged accommodation through a previous intern. I have the contact details, please do contact me if you are looking for accommodation as it can be difficult to find accommodation in Bristol!
How did you go to work every day? Walked to work (downhill) and used public transport after work to get back home.

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Not yet (Brexit?)
Do you need a work permit? Not yet (Brexit?)
How did you arrange the necessary documents:
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents?
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance?

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? I would recommend to have obtained English level C1. It will help you out during company visits and in office.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 200
Accommodation (monthly): € 725
Local transport (monthly): € 30
General costs of living (monthly): € 250
Costs of visa: € 0
Costs of work permit: € 0
What did the company pay for/to you? Nothing. But you are getting an excellent internship in return!

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I read British news beforehand. English culture is quite different to the Dutch culture, a lot less to the point.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? No

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: jorisdk_@outlook.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: if you are planning on using public transport a lot, buy a First Bus Monthly Student Ticket, it will save you a ton of money. Check with your bank what is cheapest regarding getting Pounds or using your Credit / Debit card.
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: You might just fall in love with Bristol… it is an amazing city with lots to do! Going out, sports, museums, restaurants, (a lot of) events, street art (city of Banksy), nature and many attractions. You might want to check out the Visit Bristol website before going, lots of good information on there as well! I will definitely be returning to Bristol as a tourist every year for a city trip.

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link