Marketing Local Travel

Marketing Local Ethan Gelber + Ron Mader @thetravelword @ronmaderslideshare.net/planeta/marketinglocal • 10 . 2 012

From June - September 2012the WHL Group, the Local Travel Movement and Planeta.com joined forces to determine how good you think tourism marketing really is where you live.

Are locals satisfied with the materials presented at the tourism kiosk? Are locals able to engage with the tourismauthority (or authorities) and social web channels?

If locals had a way of seeing, would they be pleased with how the city is presented at trade shows?Does the promotion reflect a variety of narratives?

These are not rhetorical questions.We asked for your take on your city

What interests us is the marketing in the locale and of the locale:are locals engaged?

How Good isTourism MarketingWhere You Live?

Are you involved in tourism in your locale?Yes 115 79.86%No 11 7.64%Sometimes 18 12.50%

If yes or sometimes, in what capacities areyou involved? (Check all that apply.)Academic 21 8.61%Cultural attraction employee 11 4.51%Driver (any form of transportation) 7 2.87%Guide 19 7.79%Hotel owner/manager 12 4.92%Hotel employee 4 1.64%Merchant (whose primary target is travelers) 6 2.46%Natural attraction employee 7 2.87%Restaurant owner/manager/chef 1 0.41%Restaurant employee 2 0.82%Tour operator owner/manager 27 11.07%Tour operator employee 11 4.51%Travel agent 15 6.15%Travel journalist/writer/blogger 39 15.98%Web portal owner/manager 30 12.30%Other 32 13.11%Total 244 100%

What institutions or organizationsARE RESPONSIBLE FOR tourism marketingin your locale? Check all that apply.Local (neighborhood/town/city) public group or association 60 19.48%Local (neighborhood/town/city) private group or association 49 15.91%Regional (county/state/region) public group or association 67 21.75%Regional (county/state/region) private group or association 30 9.74%National public group or association 63 20.45%National private group or association 26 8.44%Not sure / dont know 7 2.27%Other 6 1.95%

How satisfied are you with the tourismmarketing of your locale?Local (neighborhood/town/city) public group or association 112 2.876Local (neighborhood/town/city) private group or association 112 3.131Regional (county/state/region) public group or association 112 3.000Regional (county/state/region) private group or association 112 3.276National public group or association 112 3.021National private group or association 112 3.239Average 3.091

Do you feel like you are able to shareinformation, pitch ideas and collaborate withthe institutions or organizations responsiblefor marketing tourism in your locale?Yes 39 36.79%No 35 33.02%Sometimes 32 30.19%

Do you have ideas that you believe couldimprove the marketing of tourism in yourlocale?Yes 80 75.47%No 26 24.53%

Raw CommentsId think twice about pitching ideas to the public sector as theres a history ofsuch ideas finding there way into procurement processes and open tenders,which is a shabby way of treating intellectual property.Structures in my city are not open to outsiders. So if you dont knowsomeone in the tourism hierarchy or have some connection to the"apparatus" its difficult to become part of the discussion.We push to share ideas with our competitors but we have never beeninvolved with Ministry of Tourism - we have tried! Reports have been writtenabout tourism but we were not consulted and the World Bank report was notavailable to tourism companies unless specifically requested which seemsmad! Survey responses are raw. Personally identifying remarks have been removed.

Raw CommentsThere is still TOO much duplication despite what everybody says about it....The key is to DO the bits that need doing, that nobody else is doing - notdoing the easy things and things we have always done.... DOING THERIGHT THING, NOT THINGS RIGHT. Too many people, public andprivate sector too are still playing safe and NOT making REAL differences.Simplify strategies and local actions and get BASICS right at GRASS ROOTLEVELS. Wholesale change, not just tinkering.Marketing could be more destination specific, most promotional activitiesabroad are done on a national level. Regional and local initiatives couldreach out more actively through various media or the internet both todomestic and international tourists. At the moment, they are rather passive.In general, there is a vast pool of information and resources, but it needs tobe communicated to the people, those involved need to speak out. Survey responses are raw. Personally identifying remarks have been removed.

Raw CommentsThe local CVB should accept that they are a marketing organization and stoptrying to be all things to all people, their primary responsibility should be tomarket the destination and the private business should then be the sales side.Less image marketing and more direct marketing of the companies andproducts.Tourism Marketing in Africa is still traditional and not internet inclined.Destination managers would therefore do travelers and the industry a greatdeal if all service providers in the sector should go online.Building new and more findable information places around the maintouristic areas. To be honest you see none… Survey responses are raw. Personally identifying remarks have been removed.

Raw CommentsActivities and Attractions should be the marketing focus andAccommodation as an add on.Public organizations must improve their websites and promote active use ofit. Website information in English has been very insufficient. Travel facilitieslike proper mountain trails should be built across the country.There is no overall plan for local tourism. When we began our DMO 6 yearsago our city had a tourism budget, though no plan. Now it has neither, butwe continue to market the community outside the community for now.There are plenty of creative and pro-active people within our communitywho arent consulted and do things off their own backs. Survey responses are raw. Personally identifying remarks have been removed.

SummaryLocals want a greater voice in articulating the merits of localitiesVisitors want to connect with localsThere are opportunities for conversations and collaboration

What’s Next?

slideshare.net/planeta/marketinglocal

@ronmader planeta.com

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Marketing Local Travel

by ron mader on Jul 28, 2012

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