‘We Bought a Zoo’ author Benjamin Mee has been confirmed as a Keynote speaker at the British Tourism & Travel Show.
Director of Dartmoor Zoo, and played by Matt Damon in the 2011 blockbuster of the same name, Mr Mee joins a speaker line-up that already includes Countryfile’s Julia Bradbury and Travelzoo’s Joel Brandon-Bravo.
He will speak at 1300hrs on 22 March, the first day of the two-day show.
The Mees decided to buy Dartmoor Zoo after finding out it was to be closed and the animals destroyed. Benjamin’s inspirational story deals with the uphill battle of turning the zoo around ready for opening, while dealing with his wife’s terminal cancer and caring for his two children.
His memoir We Bought a Zoo was published in 2008, inspiring a movie of the same name starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson three years later.
In a session titled ‘Overcoming the unforeseen’, Mr Mee will be sharing his experience of buying a zoo and overcoming the obstacles, while discussing the key principles to delivering a great visitor experience.
- The Keynote Theatre programme so far is at www.tourismshow.co.uk/education
