Carol Jolly

Carol has worked in the tourism & leisure industry for the last 14 years. Starting out with Colchester Borough Council as Event Co-ordinator at Colchester’s largest events venue Charter Hall at Colchester Leisure World.

She joined Essex Tourism Association in 2002 as their Operations Manager and only employee. ETA was a private membership company, and the job entailed recruiting members from the tourism & leisure industry, where she almost doubled the membership after 2 years. The job also involved marketing Essex as a destination to leisure visitors and the travel trade, and organising familiarisation visits and the annual group travel Tourism & Leisure Show.

In 2010 ETA was dissolved as a trading company, and merged with Essex County Council tourism team to form the new Visit Essex partnership. Carol has continued to be Membership Manager for Visit Essex, as well as still promoting Essex to the travel trade and her new remit, Business Tourism – promoting Essex as a destination for conferences, meetings and events.

The Familiarisation visits that she organises for group organisers have proved very popular over the years, and many of the Essex businesses have directly benefited from her dedication.

Next year will be her 10th year of organising the renowned Tourism and Leisure show, and this year saw the best ever show in terms of visitor numbers attending, in its 17 year history.

Carol said “I am extremely proud to have received this award, and to be recognised for my contribution to the travel trade. I love working in the tourism industry, and have met some great people over the years – this really is the “icing on the cake”!

2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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