Colin Potts | University of Chester

I lead the International Tourism Management programmes and teach tourism marketing, tourism operations, tourism management and tourism planning! My background is in destination management and I used to be Head of Tourism for Chester.

Before joining the Business School I spent 25 years in destination marketing and development shaping the international tourism brands for Chester, the Cotswolds and Britain's Heritage Cities. I spent a term as President of the Tourism Management Institute (TMI), the national body of destination managers and chaired several other UK tourism organisations. I am currently the Director responsible for Marketing on the board of Chester Mystery Plays, one of the UK's biggest and most internationally recognised community theatre productions. I was made a Fellow of the TMI in 2012 in recognition of my contribution to destination management and now sit on its Continuing Professional Development committee helping to shape the careers of current and future place marketing professionals.

I have taught on numerous programmes across Marketing, Tourism and Business Management since joining the Business School in 2010. These have included leading the Business Dissertation, Tourism Planning and Management, Managing Service Experiences and Contemporary Issues in Tourism modules. I also led the Hospitality Management programme.

I have a particular interest in destination planning and development, in widening understanding of the visitor economy, in measuring places’ performance and in place marketing. I am currently exploring how historic city centres may need to be re-imagined post-COVID-19.

Measuring Return on Investment of Destination Marketing Campaigns; Destination Performance UK (2008).

Assessing Tourist Information Centre Performance (with Sarah Osborne); Destination Performance UK (2006).

MA, Destination Management, University of Chester (2016)
Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, University of Chester (2014)
Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism Management, Manchester Polytechnic, 1983
BA (Hons) American Studies, University of East Anglia, 1981
Professional qualifications include Programme & Project Management