Tom Hall

Tom Hall

Cross Country have come up with a plan to reduce the amount of money that parents are forking out to fund their children’s travels. We interview travel writer and editor Tom Hall on the new campaign.

Why is it that parents are paying to fund student’s holidays?

Our research shows that parents want their children to have the best experiences possible. That includes funding their travel, holidays and paying for experiences which will help their personal development.

 

Why do parents feel it is their duty to give their children the best experiences?

We found that nearly two-thirds of parents would pay over £1,000 for an experience that would boost their child’s personal development. This shows that many parents do feel a duty to give their children the best experiences possible.

 

What is CrossCountry doing to help?

To help students and their parents, CrossCountry has an exclusive deal which allows NUS extra card holders get an extra 10% of CrossCountry Advance rail tickets on top of the discount they already get from having a 16-25 Railcard. We wanted to go one step further and not only offer students a chance to explore other cities and towns along our routes but provide them with a tangible opportunity to test their writing abilities and gain invaluable industry advice. This is why we have launched the Student Bloggers Competition on the Student Rail Deals Facebook page.

 

Tom, why were you eager to work with student writers?

It’s tough for young people to break into journalism and travel writing in particular, so I saw that this was a good way to help students dip their toes into both worlds. The best way to learn key writing skills is to write more and then polish your work. Travel writing requires getting out and about, and the train is one of the best ways to do that.

 

Tom, can you tell us a bit about your background?

I’ve been involved in travel writing for most of my career, and have edited the Lonely Planet website for the past two years. I write regularly for the Guardian and other newspapers and travel publications. I’ve travelled widely both personally and professionally with my favourite trip being a two week cycling expedition across southern Africa.

 

Clare Shufflebotham, Partnerships Manager at CrossCountry- why is it important to offer students a stepping stone in the current climate?

CrossCountry understands how tough it has been for graduates in the last few years. Students are regular travellers with us so we want to fulfil their ambitions and provide them with opportunities that could potentially open doors to the industry.

UK students are invited to enter the ‘Student Blogger Competition’ where up to five winners will be selected to become travel bloggers for leading train company CrossCountry, receiving a mentoring session with a leading journalist.

Fans of the Student Rail Deals Facebook Page can enter the competition by joining the ‘Student Blogger Competition’ event and then providing an example of their writing in the comment box on the event page. This can be something the entrant has written especially for the competition or an existing piece of writing. The competition closes at 5pm on Thursday 31 October 2013.

The Student Competition

Entries to the competition must be made via the Student Blogger Competition tab through the Student Rail Deals Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/studenttraildeals. Students are required to submit an example of their writing - this can be something the entrant has written especially for the competition or an existing piece of writing. There is a 200 word limit for entries. Anyone posting their writing on the Student Rail Deals Facebook timeline and not on the dedicated competition event page will not be considered. Entries can be submitted from Friday 4 October 2013 until 5pm on Thursday 31 October 2013.  

 

 


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