Robin Barker, as many of you will know, is a leading figure in the tourism industry in the South West of England. He’s renowned for his roles as a spokesperson, conference speaker, and organiser of the UK’s leading Tourism Awards schemes. He’s been the President and Head of Events for the Tourism Management Institute, Director of the Tourism Alliance and Services for Tourism and is currently the spokesperson for the South West Tourism Alliance, and Chair of Visit Exmoor. Robin leads England’s premier Tourism Awards for South West England including Dorset, Bristol, Bath and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, which hold the ‘Outstanding’ Awards Trust Mark, involving over 900 businesses in southern England and he organises the annual West Country Tourism Conference. His contributions can be explored further at www.southwesttourismawards.org.uk.
I was excited to catch up with him to ask him a few questions that have nothing to do with his professional life but will hopefully give you a bit more insight into the man.
What does your Monday morning routine look like?
Different every single Monday. I hate routine. I don’t have a routine. I might be on a train to somewhere, or I might be having a meeting, or I might be at home with a day off – whatever… No routine.
What’s your all-time favourite movie, and why?
Pappillon with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. McQueen is a prisoner on an island, trying to escape. He just never gives up. He carries on trying – he gets hammered every single time, he gets tortured but again, he doesn’t give up… It’s such a great story. I can see it time and time again.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee
What’s a skill you’ve always wanted to learn but haven’t had the chance to yet?
I’ve had the opportunity of going on lots of cookery courses and I’ve always enjoyed them and learned a few things – I’d probably want to do a few more of those. Also, we had an entrant into this year’s tourism awards who has a welding business. They were teaching people to weld, and I’m tempted to go and learn.
What is your most memorable childhood foody memory?
I was an amazingly fussy child so any time I had to go and stay somewhere else, they would just give me fish fingers, baked beans, and mashed potatoes – I still remember that! Actually, I haven’t had that in years and sitting here now, I’m thinking I could quite fancy fish fingers and baked beans!
Name one thing on your bucket list, that you still need to do.
I want to travel to South America and explore Patagonia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Columbia – I worked with a Columbian lady before and the way she described it – it just made me want to go and visit.
Share a quote or motto that inspires you, or by which you live your life.
One I’ve shared with many on many occasions is: ‘You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.’ Sadly, an awful lot of people don’t.
What’s a hidden talent or skill that most people don’t know you possess?
People possibly don’t know that I challenge my children to a game of croquet when they visit, which is quite unusual – trouble is, they now beat me, but there we are.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
It’s probably the same as the one I’ve already referred to – ‘Use the two ears and one mouth in proportion’… It’s certainly something I’ve reminded myself about on numerous occasions.
And there’s another one which is quite fun: ‘It’s hard to sack someone when they’re smiling’ – so always go into a meeting with a smile!
If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That would be horrible!! I love variety. I like different things the whole time. Mmm, sadly it would probably be baked beans on the basis that I still enjoy them and they’re nutritious and healthy, although not that beneficial to those around you!
What are you currently listening to?
I’m not really listening to anything in particular. I don’t have a loyalty to anything. I tend to turn the radio on and listen to all kinds of things. This year at Glastonbury, Cat Stevens was brilliant and to be honest I listened to loads of Cat Stevens immediately after, because I haven’t done for years. But you have to stop, or you get bored with it.
What would you do if you weren’t in the food, drink & hospitality industry
I’ve worked in various other industries at various time – never for very long. My main skill has always been marketing and digital marketing and you can apply it in different ways, but I always come back to tourism and hospitality. I’ve been to award ceremonies for different sectors, and they were all hard work – no fun. Whereas if you get in a room with tourism, hospitality and food and drink businesses there is a joie de vivre. They want to be there. They want to celebrate! I don’t want to leave that, so whatever I do next, I want to remain involved with those guys because they’re the people who get me out of bed in the mornings.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten.
Oh, that’s easy. If you go to Southern Sardinia, there’s a dish which is actually now banned under European law. At the side of the road there are people who sell large tubs of what looks like cottage cheese. You dip your knife in and spread it over biscuits – it’s like cottage cheese but with maggots writhing in it. I was given this on a fishing boat by a group of fishermen who only told me what it was after a mouthful or two. I stopped eating it then! By far the weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten.
Hopefully you all feel like you know Robin a little bit better. He’s always keen to chat about his passion – the tourism industry in the South West of England – and can be contacted via LinkedIn.