PPB March 2018

Getting InOnThe Ground Floor Most travelers begin their journey online, and the better the experience, the more likely a tourism organization is to build a loyal customer base. A study last year from Google found that 69 percent of travelers are more loyal to a travel company that personalizes their experiences online and offline. Booking for tours and activities is supported primarily by small suppliers rather than large travel agencies, according to a study by Phocusright. In the study, these same suppliers named growing online sales as their No.1 priority. Helping travel organizations market their online engagement capabilities as well as their offline customer interactions can lead to growth. Help your clients market their programs by pairing promotional products with these strategies: • Incentives for online influencers • Rewards for social media engagement • Publicity and promotions for user- generated content • Recognition of individual consumers and followers • Cooperative marketing efforts with other organizations in the industry pipeline Generating Buzz ForThe Beehive State After an expanded media outreach campaign brought increasing numbers of visitors to its state and national parks, the Utah Office of Tourism needed to provide quality branded merchandise to meet demand. However, the office’s nonprofit status meant it could not produce or sell items, so the office released an RFP to secure a vendor. Distributor American Solutions For Business was chosen for the project, and has since created a custom apparel line and a selection of more than 50 hard goods to sell through an online portal and by vendors throughout the state. With the expanded reach that the internet provides, the online store is filling orders for buyers as far away as Europe and China. The brandedmerchandise enhances the tourist experience and provides a keepsake that will remind them of the great memories made in Utah, long after they are home. Source: American Solutions For Business A Case Study From The Industry Real-World Solutions Jen Alexander is associate editor of PPB . | MARCH 2018 | 43 GROW Travel Trends For 2018 Sustainable Travel Eco-friendly tours are continuing to grow in popularity, while hotels, tour operators, airlines and cruises are beginning to market themselves to eco tourists. The United Nations World Tourism Organization’s guidelines for sustainable travel include: • making optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development • respecting the socio- cultural authenticity of host communities • ensuring viable, long-term economic operations that provide socioeconomic benefits to all stakeholders. Mixing Business And Pleasure More travelers are making room in their schedules to enjoy tourist activities while traveling for business. A new term, “bleisure,” is being used to describe trips that begin as work-related travel and end with local sightseeing excursions. In the U.S., 43 percent of trips are being described as bleisure trips, according to Expedia Media Solutions. Business trips lasting more than three days are 30 percent more likely to include some form of tourism activity, and trips that are taken to attend conferences or conventions are more likely to turn into bleisure trips than those made for client meetings or offsite team meetings. Experience As A Souvenir Travelers seek memorable experiences above all else, and direct marketing organizations (DMOs) find success when they focus on delivering experiences. Booking software company TrekkSoft reports that 56 percent of DMOs consider experiences to be a vital part of their marketing efforts, and successful DMOs rely on a digital, content-first strategy to build a travel brand with experiences as its core characteristic.