Safer Tourism Foundation appoints new Head of Communications and Campaigns
Ex-Tripadvisor, Skyscanner and VisitEngland communications leader Stephanie Boyle joins independent charity Safer Tourism Foundation to lead consumer and industry campaigns
We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Boyle as the Safer Tourism Foundation’s new Head of Communications and Campaigns. Stephanie will lead our efforts to help travellers understand how to stay safe and well while travelling, as well as driving industry awareness of the Safer Tourism Pledge*.
CEO Kathy Atkinson said; “We’re delighted to bring Stephanie on board. She is joining us at a pivotal time for the charity as we work to collect data to better understand the root cause of preventable deaths and injury, as well as influence traveller perception of risk. Stephanie will lead Safer Tourism’s campaigns work to drive traveller awareness and behavioural change, as well as champion Safer Tourism Pledge partners, committed to adhering to the highest standards of safety excellence for travellers.”
Stephanie said; “As a keen traveller myself, as well as a mother and stepmother, I am deeply aligned with Safer Tourism’s mission to prevent harm, injury and death to UK travellers, both at home and abroad. I am looking forward to working with Kathy and the trustees to facilitate cross industry collaboration and influence traveller behaviour when it comes to risk. I’ve always been drawn to opportunities that allow me to work with both travel professionals and consumer audiences, believing strongly that the ecosystem thrives and improves through two-way communication. In the wake of the pandemic, and following a summer of unprecedented climate-related events impacting travellers abroad, Safer Tourism’s mission has never been more important.”
Stephanie brings nearly two decades of travel PR and communications experience to the Safer Tourism Foundation. Her career spans travel technology, hospitality, tourism and culture, with roles in both the private and public sector, most recently launching her own communications consultancy.
During her career, Stephanie has led global PR teams and built communications functions from the ground up. She got her start in travel in destination marketing, first as UK market lead at the Normandy Tourism board and then as Head of Consumer and Destination PR at VisitEngland,. During her seven years at Tripadvisor, Stephanie spearheaded global industry communications and engagement, launching the business in new markets and establishing the company as a thought leader through research initiatives and programmes. She led corporate and industry communications globally at Skyscanner, acting as the company’s media spokesperson throughout the pandemic. Most recently, she founded Arwen Communications, a specialised communications consultancy advising companies across multiple sectors and helping them tell their stories.
*The Safer Tourism Pledge is a set of commitments which aim to instill confidence in consumers that participating travel brands adhere to the highest standards of safety excellence. It has been developed to reassure travellers, and challenge them to consider their own wellbeing on holiday. Since its inception, many leading and well respected UK travel brands have signed up to the Safer Tourism pledge, declaring their commitment to the most stringent approach to customer risk, health and safety and their intent to collaborate with others in the travel industry to reduce risk for travellers, both in the UK and abroad.