Blue Chip Vacations hires Flybe marketer Neil Simpkin

by Miranda Fitzgerald, marketingmagazine.co.uk 18-Dec-08, 12:40

LONDON - Blue Chip Vacations, one of the UK's largest self-catering holiday providers, has appointed Neil Simpkin to the newly-created role of marketing director to oversee the expansion of the brand.

Simpkin joins from low-cost airline Flybe, where he held a variety of marketing positions including, most recently, head of digital and loyalty marketing. In the position he was responsible for online customer retention and acquisition across Europe, increasing the percentage of sales taken through the web from 50% to 90%.

The company, which represents four and five star properties in the south-west of England, is benefiting from the economic downturn and the exchange rate as more people are planning to holiday in the UK. It has experienced a 65% increase in bookings for 2009 compared with the same period a year ago.

Simpkin said that Blue Chip Vacations plans to expand across the UK and into Europe and is looking into developing a ski sub-brand, city breaks and high-end holiday resorts.