About Mary Tebje

It takes a community to nurture and grow a resilient visitor economy

I have the radio on most days in my office, and today’s topic: “should we, or shouldn’t we go on holiday this summer?” makes me smile.  The future me (or you), may read this and shudder, remembering what we endured in 2020 and 2021. We are still all feeling the impact of the pandemic, in big ways and small, and travel and tourism business continue to navigate and look for a sustainable pathway. But, this new world opens up opportunities and possibilities of doing things differently: not following the herd and repeating what you’ve been doing for years because you may not have alternatives or have found inspiration and the energy to do it.

This is not about the Covid-19 pandemic however, it is about what my business has become and what you can expect from me, should we work together.

It takes a community 

After 24 years, my tourism marketing comms business continues to evolve, sometimes taking an unexpected turn, buffeted by the market, otherwise it is mostly planned. You may think it sounds exhausting, keeping me on my toes, anticipating, expecting, reacting. Not a bit of it!

A real strength of my business is my community of talented, creative and fun tourism colleagues and clients, at home and abroad, some of whom are now good friends. We have walked many miles together, shared wonderful meals (and some mishaps), work creatively and tirelessly to bring a sense of place and commercial purpose to benefit and grow tourism communities.

We come together for larger or more complex projects to provide business support services, creativity through content writing & photography, product development, tourism marketing comms and now, tourism retail.

Nurturing and collaborating to grow a resilient visitor economy

Collaborating and working towards a common goal is the only way to be a success, whilst making a positive statement in a busy, crowded, very noisy marketplace. You won’t find a ‘something for everyone’ approach from me. What you will find is attention to detail, a celebration of the detail in fact as consumers look for deeper, more meaningful experiences, that are more than just skin deep. These are techniques that will make your business stand out and be somewhere desirable and accessible.

If this is your philosophy, we will get on well!

What is local and special about your business?

If you can answer that question, perhaps you can teach me! But if you can’t, let me guide you and furnish you with the skills and techniques needed to speak to your customers about your own sense of place and discovery of a wider regional story, of which your customers can be a part; crucial communication techniques that speaks about more than a bed for the night, a coffee on the high street or a glass of beer in a pub. 

The pandemic will leave its mark, but a silver lining for me is that it has reinforced what I have been doing for years: travelling slowly around my local area, leaving as light a footprint as I can, and sharing what I discover, in a sensitive, thoughtful way. 

Thank you to my amazing colleagues and clients, a vital community forged over 30 years in the industry I love. The pandemic will leave its mark, but it has simply reinforced what I have known and quietly been doing for years: travelling slowly around my local area, stopping to look and listen, sharing what I discover, in a sensitive, thoughtful way through business support, writing, photography, marketing comms and now, tourism retail. 

You will find my career profile with dates and detail on LinkedIn, so won’t repeat it here.

You are very welcome to contact me for a chat about your business needs and customer expectations, or if I have worked with you in the past, to say hello.

Please get in touch

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