Travel and tourism marketing: New research confirms importance of online reviews

January 27, 2012

6 in 10 travelers now rely on online reviews to help make their travel decisions.

More and more Americans are factoring in other travelers’ online reviews, and the more money they make the more they pay attention.

According to the third annual Access America Vacation Confidence Index recently released by Mondial Assistance USA,  6 in 10 travelers now factor in other traveler’s online reviews when deciding where to book a vacation.

With vacation spending expected to be up in the coming year, the Index predicts traffic at popular travel review and social media websites will be up as well.

So it’s important you stay on top of what people are saying about your travel and tourism brand online. And to work to influence what people write about you online. Here are the survey results:

8 in 10 people with HH incomes of $75K+ are influenced by online reviews

  • Travelers under 35 are most likely to say that online travel reviews influence their travel plans (74 percent) while those 55 and over are least likely to be influenced by reviews (44 percent).
  • Nearly 79 percent of respondents with a household income of $75,000 or more factor other travelers’ reviews into their own plans, while less than half of those with an income of under $25,000 do so (46 percent).

2 in 3 people trust other travelers’ reviews

  • Nearly two thirds of respondents (63 percent) find other travelers’ reviews to be trustworthy, while 29 percent are less trusting.
    • Travelers under 35 are more likely than those who are older to trust the travel reviews they read (70 percent vs. 54 percent).
    • Over three quarters of respondents with a household income of $75,000 or more (77 percent) find travel reviews to be trustworthy compared to just half of those with an income of under $25,000 (50 percent).

1 in 5 share their travel experiences on social networks

  • Among travelers who share reviews of their travel experiences online (24 percent of respondents), social networking sites such as Facebook are most popular.
  • Nearly one in five (18 percent) say that they share their travel experiences on social networks, more than double the proportion of those who post on travel review sites (eight percent).

The younger and wealthier you are, the more you share on social sites

  • Adults under 35 are more likely than those who are 35+ to share their travel experiences online (35 percent vs. 20 percent), particularly on social media sites (29 percent vs. six percent).
  • More affluent adults are also more likely to share about their travels.  More than a third of those with a household income of $75,000 or more (36 percent) share their travel reviews online
  • Compare that to 15 percent of those with a household income of less than $25,000, and they are twice as likely to use social networks to do so (24 percent vs. 12 percent).

Next week, I’ll post my top 10 favorite articles on how to improve the volume and quality of your online reviews.

In the meantime, tell us how these findings match up with your experience.

Leave a Comment » | Digital Marketing, Online Marketing, Online Review Sites | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: Industry leaders identify the latest luxury travel trends

January 25, 2012

Luxury travelers have money again and are spending it.

Ancestral travel, destination weddings and booking further in advance top the list of trends industry experts see for the coming year

This year’s Luxury Travel Expo featured a panel discussion of four upscale tour companies who made the following predictions:

Swain Tours, Abercrombie & Kent, Classic Vacations, and Tauck identified these three trends:

  • Watch for an uptick in destination weddings. One of the panel discussion participants noted that on a recent visit to an upscale Mexican resort there were four weddings a day.
  • Savvy luxury travelers follow a crisis. After the protests in Egypt, Abercrombie & Kent lowered their prices by 50% and suddenly luxury travelers weren’t afraid to visit.
  • Look for more all-inclusive pricing because luxury travelers are getting tired of having additional travel fees piled on to their bills.

The Travel Experts, a cooperative of 200 travel agencies specializing in luxury travel recently surveyed their member agencies, who identified these trends:

  • First off, the luxury travel market is back. Luxury travelers have money again, and are spending it.
  • There is more high-end travel being booked through agents, but less mid and low-end travel.
  • Luxury travelers are once again planning their travel well in advance of their trips.
  • Due in part to a decrease in discretionary spending by Gen X and Y, multi-generational travel is back with grandparents taking their kids and grandkids on trips.
  • Italy is the hottest destination for luxury travelers, with the rest of Europe, South America, Alaska, Hawaii, South Africa, Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam rounding out the top destinations.

Luxury Travel magazine recently asked Thomas Cook, head of Cox & Kings The Americas, to name his top trends for the segment. His picks:

  • Travel that helps benefit the conservation of wildlife and preservation of historic sites around the world.
  • Traveling to one’s ancestral roots.
  • Off-season travel, which allows travelers to experience a destination with fewer crowds and better deals.
  • Traveling with an expert: small group travel with best-in-industry experts.
  • Stanley picked these as “hot” cities for 2012: Sao Paulo, Brazil; Salta, Argentina, Beirut, Luang Prabang, Stockholm, Tallinn and Mostar.

What kinds of trends are you seeing from the luxury travel segment?  Tell us about your experience.

Special thanks to Tim Scott for reporting on the Luxury Travel Expo at the Luxury Latin America website.

6 Comments | Travel and Tourism Marketing, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: Are you taking advantage of the rise in same-day mobile bookings?

January 20, 2012

The Hotel Tonight app has been downloaded by more than 800,000 iPhone users.

A variety of new mobile tools and apps cater to procrastinators and locals

If your hotel or resort property’s website isn’t optimized for mobile, you could be losing out on the growing market for same-day bookings.

According to a recent story in USA Today, online travel agencies are introducing a rising number of booking tools and features geared towards people who book a room on the day of their stay.

The statistics indicate this phenomenon is not just a passing trend

  • 60% of mobile bookings on Priceline are for the same day
  • 65% of Orbitz’ mobile bookings are same-day reservations versus 14% for desktop computers
  • Marriott recently reported that 50% of its same-day bookings came through the mobile channel
  • More than 800,000 iPhone users have downloaded Hotel Tonight an app featuring daily hotel deals

Who are these people and why do they wait until the last day to book?

They include:

  • travelers who don’t like to plan
  • long-distance commuters working late
  • homeowners without electricity
  • travelers whose flight are cancelled
  • suburban deal seekers
  • couples celebrating anniversaries

Should your travel brand take advantage of this new trend?

  • Hotel Tonight reports that participating hotels like their service because they don’t have to commit a minimum number of rooms
  • Given that an average of 40% of rooms go unbooked each night, why wouldn’t you explore this new opportunity?

How much of your bookings are coming through same-day mobile reservations?

Tell us how this new trend is affecting your business and what you’ve learned so far.

9 Comments | iPhone Apps, Mobile marketing, Travel and Tourism Marketing, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

10 travel destinations share their Facebook marketing secrets

January 16, 2012

The Grand Junction CVB offered a Facebook coupon for a local vineyard.

10 easy-to-implement suggestions to increase engagement from CVBs and resorts around the country

How do successful travel and destination brands keep their Facebook fans engaged every day?

To find out, we studied the Facebook pages of CVBs and destinations around the country. Here are 10 tips from some of our favorites:

1. Ask fans to name their favorite attraction.

Branson, Missouri got 30 likes and a couple dozen comments after posting this question.

2. Offer your current fans an incentive to help you attract new fans.

Glenwood Springs, CO  gave away free passes to a local attraction and a night in a local hotel if their fans would spread the word and help them pass the 6,000 fan mark.

3. Give them a coupon from a local merchant.

Our client Grand Junction, CO, which positions itself as the epicenter of Colorado Wine Country, offered their Facebook fans this coupon for a local vineyard.

 4. Offer them a gift card to shop at your stores.

During the holiday season, Downtown Boulder, CO offered a $500 gift card good at participating local merchants.

5. Use a TV news-style video to report on upcoming events.

Once a week, Estes Park, Colorado puts out a news-style video with an anchorperson reporting on events for the upcoming weekend.

6. Post a QR code linking to deals at local merchants.

Estes Park recently posted this QR code that links to a local jewelry store’s deals.

7. Post a newspaper or magazine article, and ask for feedback.

VisitDenver recently posted this article from a local magazine, 5280 on Denver neighborhoods, then asked its followers if they agreed with 5280′s characterizations of each neighborhood.

8. Invite your fans to give you ideas for your annual travel guide.

The New York Tourism Board invites their Facebook fans to share their favorite places to stay and shop, and promises to include a few in an upcoming edition of the New York State Travel Guide.

9. Invite locals to post their videos of local scenery and activities.

Our client Wind River Country recently posted this video from a local video production house featuring heart-pumping footage of prime local snowmobile terrain.

10. Offer a giveaway from one of your sponsors.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort got their sponsors Subaru and Marmot to put up the money for this giveaway.

Those are a few examples of what other destinations are doing. Now tell us what’s working for you.

5 Comments | Facebook, Leisure Services, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: The latest research on increasing your Facebook engagement rates

January 13, 2012

Your Facebook fans will "like" you more if you follow a few simple guidelines.

To get more fans to engage with your travel and leisure brand’s Facebook page, answer these 5 questions.

Buddy Media recently did a study of the Facebook engagement rates of 200 of their best clients.  Their findings will help you answer 5 questions most travel and leisure marketers have about this subject:

  1. What are the best times to post?
  2. How long should my posts be?
  3. What days should I post?
  4. What words will drive the most “Likes” and Comments?
  5. What words and phrases drive the highest engagement rates?

1. When should I post?

  • 60% of posts analyzed by the study were published between 10 am and 4 pm.
  • Yet brands that posted before or after business hours achieved engagement rates 20% higher than the average.

2. How long should my posts be?

  • The Buddy Media report found that the shorter the post, the more fans read it.
  •  In fact, posts of 80 characters or less had a 27% higher engagement rate. Ironically, they only accounted for 19% of all posts.

3. What’s the best day to post?

  • The Buddy Media study found that the less people want to be at work the more they are on Facebook!
  • For the Travel and Hospitality industry, Buddy Media found that the highest engagement rates occur on Thursday and Friday. On average, they are 18% higher on those days.
  • The lowest engagement rates occurred on weekends and Wednesdays.

4. What are the best words to use to drive “Likes” and Comments?

  • The Media Buddy study found that direct requests work the best.
  • To drive “Likes” or Comments,  just ask directly for them to “like” your page, or comment on your post.
  •  The study found that “Liking” a post or page requires the least amount of effort, and if you tell them to do it they will.
  • Key words that scored the best were simple action words: “Like”, “Take”, “Submit”, “Watch”, “Click”, “Post”, “Become a Fan”, “Share”, “Watch”, “Visit”.

5. What are the best words and phrases to use to drive the highest engagement rates?

  • When running a contest or other promotion, soft sell keywords work better.
  • Use words like “event” and “winning.” Avoid more direct words like “contest” or “promotion.”
  • Ask questions. Posts that end with a question have a 15% higher engagement rate.
  • Questions that start with “Where” ,”When”, “Would” and “Should” have the highest engagement rates. Questions that start with “Why” have the lowest engagement rates.

You can download the complete Buddy Media report here. Then tell us what’s working to drive engagement rates of your travel and leisure brand.

Leave a Comment » | Facebook, Leisure Services, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and Leisure: 12 new ways your travel brand could use QR codes

January 11, 2012

San Antonio's River Walk uses QR codes on a self-guided tour

As specialists in 5 to 9 brands, travel and leisure clients are always asking us for advice on the latest technologies. Today I’m going to address three questions many travel and destination brands are asking about QR codes:

1.  Why should I use QR codes?

QR codes are a great way to connect prospective guests who are offline to information about your brand that is online. Just make sure your site is mobile-friendly, as people scan QR codes with their smart phones.

2. What are some of the ways hotels and destinations are using QR codes?

The key to successfully integrating QR codes into your marketing program is to ensure they offer some kind of value add.  In other words, you have to give guests something they do not yet have.

Mike Supple, Sr. Social Media Manager at Milestone Internet Marketing offers several ways hotels are successfully using QR codes to add value to the guest experience:

  • Guest Reviews: Create a mobile review page and link it to a QR code on the hotel bill to encourage guests to write a review while their memories are still fresh.
  • Restaurant Reservations: Leave a QR code on a sample menu to your restaurant, and link it to your OpenTable or Yelp page so guests can make a reservation.
  • Property Map: If you’re a large resort, display QR codes around the property and link them to a map that shows guests where they are and how to get where they are going.
  • Fun and Games: Create weekly treasure hunts linked by signs with QR codes that lead your guests through the best parts of your property.
  • Promotional Offers: Put QR codes in ads or brochures linking to special discounts only available through that QR code.

Patrick Landman from TNooze  believes guests are getting tired of having deals and offers thrown at them from every direction. Instead, he recommends that you use QR codes to provide a better guest experience. Some of Patrick’s recommendations include:

  • Use QR codes in cards in their rooms, notices on elevators, at the concierge desk and at message boards in the lobby with tips on where to dine or what to do on their stay.
  • Drive guests to a promotional landing page, not just your hotel website.
  • Include a call to action that tells guests exactly what to do. Example: “Scan this code for our latest restaurant, shopping and tourist tips.”

3. What are some interesting ways travel brands are using QR codes?

In a recent blog post, Troy Thompson, from Travel 2.0, cited three interesting ways travel brands are using QR codes:

  • The San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau uses QR technology on its self-guided River Walk tour to deliver additional content like photos, videos and historical information.
  • The Glendale AZ CVB puts a QR code on their door that directs after-hours visitors to their mobile site.
  • To celebrate National Arbor Day, New York’s Central Park  created the World Park campaign using QR codes. The campaign is explained in the video below:

How is your hotel or destination using QR codes to market to your guests? Share your examples with us and we’ll use them in an upcoming post.

Leave a Comment » | Digital Marketing, Leisure Services, Mobile marketing, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and tourism marketing: Alabama tourism focuses on food as a destination

January 9, 2012

This famous Decatur BBQ joint is one of the featured eateries in the campaign.

In 2005, the Alabama Tourism Department created  ”The Year of Alabama Food” campaign to draw attention to Birmingham’s culinary delights.

The campaign proved so successful, that 7 years later, the state’s tourism agency has decided to bring it back.

The $1 million marketing effort will feature the popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die”, an Alabama BBQ Hall of Fame, and an Alabama Restaurant Week.

The campaign will focus on state dining treasures like Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, the original Wintzell’s Oyster House in Mobile, and dozens of other favorite eateries.

The state decided on this direction because they realized they don’t have beaches or major theme parks to attract tourists.

But local chefs and food trends have attracted visitors from around the region to the state for its great food and chefs.

Fine dining in Birmingham is the jumping off point, but to take the concept statewide, state tourism officials came up with a theme that also highlights country cooking, barbecue and seafood.

Since its inception in 2005, the popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die,” has become so popular it’s updated annually.

In fact the state distributes 200,000 brochures on the subject through state welcome centers and local chambers of commerce each year.

Many restaurant owners in the state who have made the list proudly display the designation on the windows of their businesses and mention it in their advertising.

The 2012 “Year of Alabama Food” campaign will feature a 30-second TV spot and a website–yearofalabamafood.com –that includes directions to restaurants across these the state.

There’s also a big social media push, with a Facebook page, Twitter feed, and blog posts from many of Alabama’s top chefs that include recipes of some of their favorite dishes.

The blog will also have a section where visitors can take pictures of and post comments about the places they visited and the dishes they tried.

Throughout the year, “The Year of Alabama Food” will also highlight food festivals and events around the state.

In August, restaurants throughout the state will offer fixed-price lunch and dinner specials during the inaugural Alabama Restaurant Week.

What do you think of Alabama’s efforts to use food as a differentiator? What are you doing to differentiate your travel brand from your competitors?

If you’re interested in reading more, here’s a link to the “100 Alabama dishes” brochure. 

Leave a Comment » | Marketing Leadership, Restaurant Marketing, Social Media, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

Travel and leisure marketing: Travelzoo study shows more travelers booking cruises online

January 5, 2012

New research shows that in the past year, 20% more travelers booked their cruises online.

A new study by travel deals site Travelzoo found that almost 4 in 10 people now book their cruises on the internet.

  • This is a channel traditionally led by travel agent sales, an increase of 20% over the previous year.
  • The research also found that 78% go online to plan their cruise but also access some offline information when choosing their cruise.
  • Another 6% of people do their research exclusively online.

3 of the top factors in deciding whether to book a cruise?

  1. The itinerary (27%).
  2. Price (26%). In fact 25% of the people polled took their first cruise because they found a good deal.
  3. The reputation of the cruise line. A total of 17% of the 1,400 respondents cited it as the most important factor in deciding what to book.

The industry still needs to address the perception that cruising is expensive.

  • Price was cited as the greatest barrier to cruising, with 30% of respondents listing prohibitive cost as a reason for not considering a cruise holiday.
  • The research found that 19% of ‘cruise virgins’ are likely or very likely to cruise over the next year.
  • Only 11% of the total said they felt cruising was not for their age group.

A Travel Weekly article asked Travelzoo UK managing director Joel Brandon-Bravo to comment on the research.

Brandon-Bravo’s observation:“The increasing influence of the internet and brand reputation in the cruiser’s decision-making process demonstrates that putting in place a strong online marketing and PR strategy should be a priority for cruise operators and agents.

Cruises were one of the last segments of the travel industry in which travel agents still controlled the lion’s share of the bookings.

What does that tell us about where the industry is going, and what the future looks like for travel agents? Let us know your thoughts.

1 Comment | Travel and Tourism Marketing, Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

A closer look at why Expedia introduced verified reviews after spinning off TripAdvisor

January 3, 2012

Reports of widespread use of fake reviews has hurt TripAdvisor's image.

Is Expedia’s latest move an attempt to combat the negative image of its former brand?

As complaints about fake reviews rise, Expedia tries to distance itself from the problem.

As travelers are doing more and more of their research online, hotels and resorts are relying on online reviews to entice new guests to stay at their properties.

In the process, critics have complained that an entire cottage industry of paid reviewers has sprung up, calling into question the validity of reviews found on booking sites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Hotels.com.

Review site TripAdvisor has received its share of those complaints.

The New York Times reported recently that the average review on TripAdvisor receives 3.7 stars, thanks no doubt in part to the rise in fake reviews on the site.

According to the New York Times, a team of researchers from Cornell University has developed an algorithm for identifying fake reviews.

As Expedia spins off TripAdvisor, it has also announced a new service to combat this growing problem.

They call it Expedia Verified Reviews.  And only guests who stay at the property will be able to submit a review, using a form emailed to the guest after he or she has completed their trip.

Expedia says consumers in Australia and New Zealand are already using the new feedback loop and it’s expected they will launch the program in more markets soon.

Although Expedia has spun off TripAdvisor, its users will still be able to click on the TripAdvisor logo and be directed to the corresponding hotel page on TripAdvisor.

Certainly, the concept of verified reviews is not new. But the announcement does seem timely.

The travel blog Tnooz found it interesting that Expedia would announce this new service shortly after it had spun off TripAdvisor, which is receiving a lot of complaints about the number of false reviews on its sites.

What do you think? Is Expedia trying to distance itself from TripAdvisor? What do you recommend the industry do to combat the problem of fake reviews? Share your thoughts with us.

1 Comment | Online Marketing, Online Review Sites, Travel and Tourism Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by 5to9branding

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