The new owners of the Les Routiers eating-out guide plan to boost membership and beef up its web and marketing presence, after securing the UK franchise.

Purchasing consortium IPA, which was the UK edition’s official purchasing partner before its collapse last year, bought the rights to the current guidebook as well as the company’s database of member’s details last Friday (12 January).

Ian Gauld, managing director of IPA Purchasing, said: “We have secured the right to publish the guide in the UK from the French brand owners. It’s early on, but we would like to grow membership from its current level of 400 to maybe 1,000.”

Gauld said he hoped Les Routiers in Britain: 2007 would have a dedicated website again within two to three weeks.

“We’ll be looking at launching a booking and reservations service online at some point, bringing in a specialist sub contractor to handle it to add real value for members.”

Gauld added the new website would be developed to complement the guidebook, which remained central to IPA’s ambitions moving forward.

A review of the business model for the guidebook is underway and could see the adoption of a monthly membership fee and simplification of the currently complicated fee structure.

For more information about Les Routiers in the UK call: 0845 050 1189

IPA website >>

Les Routiers UK guide saved for publication >>

Les Routiers forced into liquidation  >>

Is this the end for Les Routiers in Britain? >>

Traditional guides losing out to rivals on the web >>

By Chris Druce

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