Former WTM PR boss launches comms agency

Former World Travel Portfolio head of PR Paul Nelson has joined forces with two other industry communications specialists to set up a new comms agency.

Paul, who will be PR and Operations Director in the new venture, joins New Business Director Howard Salinger, founder of Travel Connection Group, and former Head of Travel & Tourism at 4media & Vice President – PRCA Travel & Tourism Group, who will be Director of Content and Strategic Insight.

The agency, called PHD Travel Consulting, has been launched to help navigate travel businesses through the coronavirus pandemic and the negative impact it has had on the industry’s marketing and promotional budgets.

Nelson has worked in the travel industry for almost two decades starting as a journalist with Travel Weekly before moving into PR with the lastminute.com Group. He spent 10 years heading up the press and PR operation for the WTM Portfolio – including WTM London – before becoming Head of Travel & Tourism at broadcast PR agency markettiers.

Salinger has worked in the travel industry for 17 years.  He acts as a conduit between travel companies and travel media, having spent 14 years connecting them through the UK operation of TravMedia.com. 

He launched Travel Connection Group in 2017 and is now seen as a leader in the virtual events space, assisting travel brands in promoting themselves through this fairly new medium.

Clients have recently included the German National Tourist Office, Caribbean Tourism Organization, Silver Travel Advisor and Destination Canada, amongst others.

Ryan has vast experience working with clients in the travel industry spanning 18 years. Including 10 years managing the exclusive broadcast supplier relationship at WTM London, other travel organisations he has worked for include Universal Parks & Resorts, Malaysia Airlines, Business Travel Association, Destination Canada and the Royal Commission for AI-UIa.

More recently, he has been focusing on helping clients shape their marketing and PR strategies through these uncertain times with bespoke global market research and insight strategies.

PHD Travel Consulting includes corporate and crisis communications, market research, PR surveys, consumer PR (including broadcast PR and podcasts) and trade PR services and social media working on both a retained and project basis.

The team can be contacted at: [email protected]

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