New Marketing Campaigns- Listen, Engage & Inspire!

Mexico Tourism Board has just launched a new marketing initiative as part of a reputation management framework, incorporating user generated content to build trust and change perceptions in its main market. Tourism Toronto has also released a new marketing campaign this month, which manages to promote the city’s holiday season variety of events and attractions through integrated marketing activities beautifully combined with the holiday charity spirit and delivered through effective industry partnerships. And finally, Tourism Vancouver attempts through its latest marketing initiative, to position the destination as a good place to visit utilizing the opportunity of a sports event, to capture a very interested audience through an other innovative use of social media.

Mexico Tourism Board’s ‘The Taxicab Project’

The Mexico Tourism Board has launched a new advertising campaign designed to change perceptions of and drive tourism to Mexico. Simply entitled, “The Taxicab Project”, the campaign features unsuspecting tourists returning from vacation in Mexico giving unscripted and unadulterated testimonials as they are driven home from the airport.

The unscripted and unedited testimonials that form ‘The Taxicab Project’ have been designed to change the way Americans look at Mexico in the hope of driving further tourism growth from the United States.

According to Mexico Tourism Board chief marketing officer, Gerardo Llanes, the North American campaign “features the very people American consumers trust most … American consumers”.

“The people we interviewed were selected at random and provide refreshingly candid accounts of their recent trips to Mexico,” Mr Llanes said. “From the sea to their safety, these videos answer all of the questions Americans want to know.”

The campaign will commence with the distribution of promotional ‘Mexico Taxicab Project’ postcards, that when held up to a smartphone, reveal the initial ads.

Source: www.etravelblackboard.us

Tourism Toronto’s New Holiday Season Campaign

To showcase the city’s holiday season events and happenings, Tourism Toronto has launched a marketing campaign that includes Facebook, partnerships with hotels and retailers, a charitable component and the installation of seven-foot snowmen in the city’s downtown.

Launched under the banner “Torontoland”, the campaign began earlier this month when 20 fibreglass snowmen were introduced to downtown streets. The snowmen serve as a connection to Torontoland’s online elements, including a microsite – SeeTorontoLand.com – and a Facebook page.

Consumers planning to visit Toronto can book a hotel package on the microsite and “like” Torontoland on Facebook in order to receive a Torontoland wristband by mail. When they go to the city, these visitors can use the wristband to receive 15% discounts at more than 50 attractions, retail outlets and restaurants.

Visitors are also encouraged to share their Toronto experiences with their Facebook friends and upload photos or videos of themselves with the Torontoland snowmen to the campaign’s Facebook page. Tourism Toronto will donate $2 to Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada for each photo and video upload.

In addition to the wristband, the mail package for consumers who engage with Torontoland online also features a map and information about events such as the Scotiabank-presented Cavalcade of Lights and the Santa Claus Parade. Andrew Weir, vice-president of communications for Tourism Toronto, said the objective of the campaign is to promote the city’s holiday season roster of events and attractions.

“December is actually the least busy month for hotels, and yet, when you look at what’s happening in the city, it’s one of the best times to be here,” said Weir. “We had to find a way to communicate this idea of the magic of the holidays in the city. “This also helps turn Toronto residents and visitors into ambassadors that are sharing their stories [online].”

Source: http://www.marketingmag.ca

Vancouver Gets Social Media Fans on the Streets

Tourism Vancouver and Vancouver Coast & Mountains Tourism Region have been inspired by one of America’s biggest marketing events in giving away a prize package that includes tickets to Sunday’s Grey Cup game for fans willing to do some legwork.

The contest is running in both Vancouver and Winnipeg. It’s part of a social media campaign called the Grey Cup Chase devised by Vancouver-based Think! Social Media. The concept is a reworking of an idea first used for the Super Bowl in Dallas earlier this year.

Fans must track down one of two “mystery men” wandering the streets of Winnipeg and Vancouver and give them a secret phrase that can only be found by clicking “like” on Tourism Vancouver’s Facebook page. Clues to their whereabouts are fed through a Twitter account at #GreyCupChase and via selected bloggers until somebody wins.

“An event like the Grey Cup is like a small version of the Olympics,” said Rodney Payne, co-founder and executive director at Think! “You’ve got a lot of passionate fans who are willing to do quite a lot for some tickets. We want to position the destination as a great place to come and travel to afterwards.”

It’s a bit of an experiment, said Candace Gibson, manager of consumer marketing for Tourism Vancouver. “We know that people are following events like the Grey Cup online and through social media more and more all the time, so this is just another way to reach a very interested audience.”

Gibson said the target group is 25-45 with a 60/40 male split. The objective is to create buzz through new Facebook fans, “likes,” adding Twitter followers and garnering a bit of traditional media attention.

Source:  www.marketingmag.ca

Gamification Trend- Social Gaming Audience Shift

Gamification is already spreading to travel companies and tourism organisations who increasingly use gaming techniques through social media channels to generate brand awareness and build loyalty as also revealed in the WTM Global Trends Report 2011.

Spending on gamification in the US alone is expected to reach US$2.5 billion by 2016 while Gartner predicts that by 2015 more than 70% of Forbes Global 2000 organisations will have at least one gamified application.

A recent report by eMarketer shows that this year, 26.7% of US internet users, or 61.9 million Americans, play social games at least monthly. That number will rise to 73.6 million by 2013, and research suggests the audience for those games is changing in some ways.

In early 2010, the average age of social gamers was 45, and 18- to 29-year-olds accounted for just 15% of the total audience. By September of this year, the average age had dropped by nearly 4 years, and 30% of social gamers were ages 18 to 29.

Older users make up correspondingly less of the total, though those ages 60 and older have held their share steady at 20%. The gender split of gamers has not changed at all according to PopCap, with women holding steady at 54% of the audience.

This drop in audience age could be a boon for the virtual currency and virtual goods markets associated with social gaming—younger gamers are more likely to spend real cash on such items, PopCap found.

As the audience shifts, it also appears to be becoming more committed. The overall percentage of internet users playing social games for more than 6 hours each week doubled between January 2010 and September 2011. And among social gamers, there was a shift away from those playing for 1 hour per week or less and toward greater amounts of weekly game time.

Source: www.emarketer.com

Visit our Trendspotting Page for more Travel & Tourism Trends.

Destinations Tell the World They Are Open for Business!

This time of year, especially with the opportunity of large exhibitions such as the WTM in London last week, we see the launch of new marketing campaigns by destinations announcing to the world that they are “Open for Business”. Let’s see what’s new for several destinations around the world.

New Marketing Campaign for Egypt

At the World Travel Market 2011 (WTM) Egypt soft-launched its new touristic campaign “We’re Egypt” addressing to potential tourists the following message: “we are friendly, we are open-minded, we are proud of our country, we are Egypt, see you soon in Egypt”, a warm invitation to come and share the outstanding experiences Egypt has to offer.

In his opening allocution, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour emphasized on the stability and security in Egypt and announced the upcoming efforts of his Ministry aiming to develop and diversify the touristic offer in Egypt for it to include more efficiently eco-tourism, desert safari along with cultural and seaside tourism. The aim of the campaign is to show Egyptians enjoying their own country, give a clear positioning of the experiences in different parts of the destination, and clearly target families, older people, couples, youths and honeymooners.

M. Abdel Nour also pointed out that tourism indicators show the beginning of a recovery in the tourism sector. He moreover welcomed the fact that the decrease in the number of tourists to Egypt during the year 2011 compared to 2010 is only 25% in spite of political turmoil.

Speaking at the opening of travel trade exhibition World Travel Market (WTM), WTM chairman Fiona Jeffery said the speed at which the marketing campaigns have been launched “demonstrates the importance the new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia have put on inbound tourism for their long-term economic future”.

“Tourism can help build up these countries’ new democracies and has the potential to do so across all the Arab Spring countries.”

Sources: www.travelweekly.co.uk, http://en.egypt.travel

Thailand’s Offline Marketing Initiative

Thailand is stressing it is still open for tourism with a bus advertising campaign launched in London last week which will run for the next three months.

Two London buses will carry a fully-wrapped design with an iconic beach scene on one side and image of an elephant appearing to spray water over top deck passengers on the other. They will supported by buses with smaller panel ads. A similar campaign will start in Dublin in January.

Speaking at World Travel Market, Tourism Authority of Thailand UK consumer marketing and PR manager Jo Cooke says there had been no question of pushing the campaign back despite flooding in the country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently advising against non-essential travel to Bangkok and other areas affected by flooding but passengers can still connect to other parts of Thailand through its international airport Suvarnabhumi.

The capital’s domestic airport is flooded but Cooke says this has had minimal impact with the two low-cost carriers that use it having moved to Suvarnabhumi. Beyond Bangkok the flooding has mainly affected rural areas. All the popular resorts are fully open.

Cooke says tour operators and agents are still reporting healthy bookings: “Premier Holidays tells us Thailand is still selling well and we are still in Trailfinders’ top three destinations.” She adds: “The floods have already cost Thailand about two billion Euros or more. Tourism accounts for 10% of GDP. We need tourists.”

Source: traveldailynews.com, absoluteresorts.wordpress.com

Cape Town Tourism Launches New Global Marketing Campaign

Cape Town Tourism has unveiled its new global marketing campaign, with the tag line “You don’t need a holiday, you need Cape Town”. The new campaign aims to encapsulate everything Cape Town has to offer, including tourism, design, business, studies, nature, and the rich diversity of its people, to capture a bigger share of the international and local travel market. The inclusive marketing campaign was launched internationally at the World Travel Market in London.

According to Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du Toit-Hembold, Cape Town needs to retain its existing successful initiatives and overlay them with a “compelling global marketing and communications campaign…that takes Cape Town to the world in a bold and comprehensive manner”. “The marketing campaign is about more than just attracting tourists. It’s about incorporating business and investment, the creative and innovation sectors and academia into one vision and direction: economic growth, job creation and inclusion to the benefit of all citizens,” Du Toit-Hembold said.

“Whilst we acknowledge that Cape Town is still plagued with serious social issues, we must illustrate the determination to resolve these issues via tourism, education, service delivery, city planning and design,” she said. Tourism contributes an estimated R14 billion to the city’s economy every year, employing just under 300 000 people. She pointed out that the tourism market has become more difficult, especially due to the global financial crisis, and Cape Town must be differentiated from other cities, with the message incorporating not just natural beauty but personal stories that inspire and resonate with both locals and visitors.

“The marketing campaign offers inspirational Cape Town as the antidote to an uncertain and changing world – an urban elixir, if you will … take a good dose of the tonic and although we can’t promise what you will find, we can promise that you will find your better self. The tagline is ‘You don’t need a holiday, you need Cape Town!'” Cape Town Tourism aims to generate demand locally and domestically (and try shed the image of an expensive destination); ensure optimal visitor dispersal and spend; and improve the tourism industry’s capability to convert prospective business into revenue. It will work with airlines and tourism operators to offer better travel packages, and will also launch a series of Discovery Channel and National Geographic television programmes in 2012.

Source: www.breakingtravelnews.com, www.capetown.travel

Bulgaria Launches Enhanced Advertising Campaign 

As it prepares to position itself as one of the key international tourism destinations for UK tourists, Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Mr Ivo Marinov and Mrs Anelia Genova, Director of Marketing for Tourism were in London to announce Bulgaria’s tourism strategy for the next decade, including the launch of an enhanced advertising campaign titled ‘Bulgaria: Magic Lives Here’.

Known primarily as a beach and skiing destination, Bulgaria is keen to showcase its other attractions including a rich history and culture, a diverse nature and delicious food and wine. Bulgaria also wants to turn the spotlight on some of its fast-expanding tourism products including city breaks, spas and eco-tourism.

Having just  November 2011, the campaign will reveal little-known aspects of Bulgaria such as a heritage steeped in rich history and culture, a diverse and beautiful landscape and its natural mineral springs. The campaign’s underlying message is that Bulgaria is both ‘unexpected’ and value for money.

The media campaign consists of advertising in print and electronic media in the UK, the internet and outdoor advertising. Advertisements, advertorials and articles about Bulgaria will be published in specialised travel media as well as in more general media. The television campaign includes four new promotional videos of Bulgaria – “Image”, “Nature”, “Culture” and “Spa & Wellness”. The other components of the campaign are outdoor advertising with more than 200 locations in England and Scotland, as well as internet campaign encompassing 7 web-sites.

Sources: bulgariatravel.org, www.visitbulgaria.net

e-Tourism Seminar: Maximize Your Online Tourism Strategy-Tools & Tactics

Only one week left until the e-Tourism Seminar in Heraklion Crete, on 22 & 23 November!

Maximize Your Online Tourism Strategy: Tools & Tactics

Following the success of the first e-Tourism seminar in Athens, AbouTourism and E-tourism Frontiers, leading experts in Online Tourism, present the next seminar of the E-Tourism Seminars Roadshow to take place in Greece, this time in

Heraklion, Crete on 22 & 23^rd November 2011, at the Heraklion Chamber of Commerce & Industry, room “Kastelaki”.

This two-day seminar is brought to you by the Municipality of Hersonissos, with the support of the Heraklion Hotels Association. IT support by EyeWide e-solutions.

With over 50% of all global tourism now being handled and booked online- and 96% of travellers calling the internet their first port of call for information about where they will travel, it is extremely important that tourism businesses in Greece and the wider region maximize the potential of the internet as a booking channel, and make much greater use of it in the management and marketing of their business online.

This practical and informative seminar will be presented by international experts and trainers and has been custom built for the Greek travel trade. The seminar is designed for anyone in the tourism industry looking to increase their use of the internet. The sessions will cover the essentials for a business to improve their online presence, use of the internet and social media and to better market their business and increase their online bookings and payments. Easy to understand, jargon free and practical, this affordable seminar is a must for anyone in the Greek Tourism and Travel trade to attend. More information & Registrations here.

The sessions will also feature walk throughs of appropriate, locally available solutions. At the seminar’s closing each attendee will receive a copy of the brand new book E-Tourism Frontiers Guide to eTourism.

Topics covered will include:

• How the Travel business has shifted online and why it is vital that destinations and businesses change the way they work
• How to develop an e-marketing and management strategy
• What are the key resources to have in place and how to set them up
• How to upgrade your website and manage it more effectively
• Online Advertising and Search Engine Optimization
• How to start taking online bookings and payments and to combine this with offline business in a safe and secure way
• The Social Media Toolbox- how to use Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and YouTube in your business
• How to encourage and help your customers to market you via social media and capitalize on User Generated Content
• How to produce, store, manage and publish photos, video and other media for your business
• The importance of mobile phones and devices for tourism businesses and how you can use them to make yourself more accessible online

Who Should Attend?

• Tourism Professionals
• Marketing Staff and Strategists
• Hoteliers
• Guest Houses and Bed and Breakfasts
• Tour Operators
• Travel Agents
• Airlines
• Destination Managers
• Public Sector Tourism officials
• Tourism Associations and Authorities
• ICT Professionals
• Bloggers and Content generators

Brought to you by the Municipality of Hersonissos

 

With the support of the Heraklion Hotel Association

 

IT Sponsor:  EyeWide  e-Services

 

Media Sponsors:

LTC News

FlashNews.gr

Mega Destinations! Place Branding for U.S., Europe & S.Africa

It seems essential-maybe now more than ever- for places, no matter their size to differentiate themselves from others and send the message that they are valued options not only as far as tourism concerned, but for people, investments, business and their economy in general. It is also important to remember that brand development is not just the creation of a logo, but a general destination-wide commitment to a long term focused strategy based on what distinguishes the destination and the brand identity, and a constant community-wide effort to effectively develop and communicate these unique products and experiences for consumers.

U.S.A Unveils First-Ever Unified Consumer Brand and Identity

The organization responsible for marketing the United States to world visitors just unveiled “Brand USA” America’s first-ever global consumer brand. Formerly known as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, but now doing business as Brand USA Inc., the group introduced its global brand positioning and strategy before an international audience of travel professionals and destinations in London.  The creation of America’s new global brand is the first critical step in the development of the nation’s first unified marketing effort. Brand USA Inc. will launch their first official advertising and marketing campaign in the spring of 2012 to invite world guests to visit America for leisure, business and scholarly purposes.

Although initially incorporated as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, the organization will now be doing business as Brand USA Inc. in an effort to more clearly align brand strategy and corporate messaging. “The United States offers a range of destinations and experiences that are unparalleled in the world market,” said Chief Executive Officer, Jim Evans.  “Now, through the creation of Brand USA, we are inviting the world’s travelers to come to visit us, and experience the limitless possibilities for themselves.”

According to Brand USA, the logo was created to be “fresh, welcoming and inclusive.” It aspires to remind the world that “the United States of Awesome Possibilities welcomes everyone.” It features a collection of dots joining together to compose the letters USA. The dots will serve as a vessel through which Brand USA can showcase diverse colors and images of people and destinations across America, emphasizing the boundless possibilities of the United States. It will not adhere to a single color scheme. The logo also displays the Brand USA’s official consumer web site.

“What is so compelling about the United States is that no one thing can explain who we are as a nation.  Each visitor and each experience helps create the fabric of American culture, and Brand USA embodies this spirit,” said Perkins.  “When we launch our global marketing and advertising campaign next year, we will be able to reach audiences around the world by showcasing the best of America and spreading the message that we welcome visitors with open arms.”

The United States first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing program was created by the Travel Promotion Act, federal legislation passed in March 2010.  A public-private partnership between the travel industry and the U.S. government, the Corporation for Travel Promotion – now Brand USA Inc. – was charged with increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts to drive job creation and economic growth.  The organization is led by private industry with oversight from the Department of Commerce and U.S. Congress. The program is funded through a combination of private sector investment and funds collected by the Department of Homeland Security from international visitors who visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.  No U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to fund the program.

“Brand USA has arrived, and it is not just a tourism brand,” said Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman of Brand USA and Chairman and CEO of Diamond Resorts International. “It is a 21st-century global brand that will help reposition our great nation in the market for travel—and drive economic activity, including billions in new spending, tens of thousands of new outsource-proof jobs and much-needed tax revenue, to spur powerful growth throughout all corners of the United States.”

Source: www.thebrandusa.com/

Three Cities Alliance by Cape Town, Johannesburg & Durban

Cape Town Tourism, Johannesburg Tourism and Durban Tourism have joined forces on the Three Cities Alliance marketing initiative after combined insights from 2010 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ reinforced the message that urban tourism and city brands are high on the agenda of most modern-day travellers.

The three organisations agree that cities are the leading brands for countries. Cities are globally recognised as the prism through which countries are viewed and are described as a country’s most durable assets. Cities have history, heritage that has stood the test of time and promising developmental futures.

Historically, messaging and marketing for South Africa has focussed on the country’s natural assets and scenic beauty, with less emphasis on South African city offerings as urban destinations. In today’s competitive world, and based on global travel trend insights, it is evident that scenic beauty and natural assets alone will not captivate and keep travellers returning to South Africa. The Three Cities Alliance hopes to see South Africa portrayed in a more holistic light, offering urban diversity of experience in combination with extraordinary beauty and natural assets.

The backbone of the joint marketing agreement consists of product and destination packaging, collaboration on events and trade shows as well as shared collateral and online campaigns. It will see collaboration on marketing and branding initiatives and knowledge exchange at an executive level.

In association with South African Tourism, an international marketing campaign is underway to attract a larger percentage of the urban tourism market. Negotiations with Discovery Channel and National Geographic have been concluded and a series of programmes have been agreed upon that will showcase the livability of the cities. In terms of domestic marketing, the three cities will collaborate to leverage local events and align our events calendars where possible, promoting each other’s events and short city break packages.

Lindiwe Kwele, CEO of Johannesburg Tourism said: “All three cities have the confidence to define themselves in the minds of our markets. Johannesburg is a frontier city and personifies urban chic, achievement and a sophisticated energy. Durban is diverse; a leading port city that exemplifies warmth and tradition. Cape Town is a city of inspiration, hope and freedom with a rich cosmopolitan culture set against the backdrop of unprecedented natural beauty.”

Phillip Sithole of eThekwini Municipality’s Business Support, Markets and Durban Tourism added: “One of the secrets of a winning destination is for cities to realize that we are brands; that we should harness our assets. Positive perception, unique identities, authentic experiences and a powerful story is the armoury of a successful city brand.  The joint marketing agreement is a formal recognition of our synergies and will go a long way to present a conducive and integrated city tourism experience for both domestic and international travellers.”

CEO of Cape Town Tourism, Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, concludes; “Cape Town Tourism and its partners are committed to working with Johannesburg, Durban and SA Tourism to showcase our energetic, dynamic cities – not perfect in any way – but cities in evolution that can be counted amongst the world’s cities of the future. In so doing, we believe South Africa and its urban centres can attract a much more substantial segment of the world’s urban travellers. Our three cities tell three very different and unique but compelling stories. I strongly believe that we add value to each other’s leisure and business tourism offering and I think that this will also go a long way towards providing the prospective international traveller with a seamless impression of destination South Africa. The time has come for us to use creative and innovative ways to maximise the domestic and international leisure as well as business tourism potential, for all three cities.”

Source: www.breakingtravelnews.com

Follow Your Roots: Visit Europe

Visiteurope.com just announced the launch of their latest social media campaign and contest entitled, “Follow Your Roots: Visit Europe.” Hosted on visiteurope.com’s official Facebook page, the contest invites fans to explore their European roots by sharing a family photo and description of the photo.

“Large populations of European descendants are found on nearly every continent,” says Jan Rudomina, Chairman of the European Travel Commission US Operations Group. “Our goal with this contest is to encourage our fans to explore their European heritage through photos and letters in an effort to inspire travel to Europe.”

Beginning today, fans of the visiteurope.com Facebook page can upload their family photo and brief description (200 words or less) describing the person(s) in the photo and the significance of following his or her roots back to Europe for a chance to win a dream European vacation for two.

“Follow Your Roots: Visit Europe” is the third social media contests taking place on the European Travel Commission’s social networks over the course of the past year as part of a new digital and creative campaign to promote Europe as a tourism destination to the U.S. traveler.

Established in 1948 to promote Europe as a tourism destination, the European Travel Commission provides travelers with inspirational commentary on travel services and attractions to help vacationers plan their European journey. Today, www.visiteurope.com , the ETC’s web portal along with its dynamic social networks offers travelers activities, tools and tips to help consumers organize their journey to Europe and encourages travelers to share their own experiences and read others while accessing photos, videos and social networks.

Source: www.visiteurope.com

Market Snapshot: Russia MICE Industry

Meetings & Incentive business from Russia continues to grow

According to Dmitry Smirnov of Events Magazine Russia, the meetings industry in Russia has experienced substantial growth in the last year with the leading 12 specialists recording International MICE business in excess of €.70 million and this figure represents only 40% of the total as domestic events, business travel and official delegations to conferences are not included!

Turkey remains the leader in Russia whilst Egypt has lost market share with clients now looking for alternative destinations. Recent conferences have been held in many high end destinations including USA with 2 groups in excess of 200 participants, Italy with 3 groups that exceeded 300, Spain with almost monthly events with 50-100, Brazil 2 groups of 200+, Cuba, Emirates, China and Thailand also reporting large movements. One of the greatest challenges for Russian specialists is to find suppliers and destinations able to cater for corporate meetings fro 400-800 delegates. Their main requirements being simple visas, easily accessible, warm climate and good business/resort infrastructure.

Smirnov also commented that “The average event planning period in Russia is 4-6 months from the first RFP and bidding to materialisation with most groups taking place in Q3-4, the most effective time for promotion is in March. Therefore we highly recommend the Moscow International MICE Forum on March 19^th as the ideal time and place to meet with all the leading Russian MICE specialists”.

Unlike other countries around the world, the prognosis for the Russian economy is strong, with Morgan Stanley predicting GDP growth of 4.6%. Inflation is down, employment is up, industrial production is increasing as are retail sales. With these encouraging forecasts, an increasing number of Russian companies are looking to reward their employees and clients with Incentive travel. In addition as Russian products and services become more competitive, there is a growing demand for participation at conferences and exhibitions around the world. This combination presents an excellent opportunity for International MICE suppliers to satisfy this increased demand.

Russia’s premier Meetings and Incentive event, The Moscow International MICE Forum takes place on Monday 19^th March offering International suppliers a professional platform to meet with leading Russian MICE specialists and Corporate Buyers. Concurrent with other tourism events held in Moscow at this time, the Moscow International MICE Forum enables participants to maximise their sales visit.

Full details can be viewed at www.MiceForum.ru

Press Contact: Kim Waddoup, CEO aigroup/ Email: kim@aigroup.ru

Videos Will Rule the Web- Destinations Come Alive and Inspire

Recent predictions show that video will account for 50% of all consumer internet traffic by the end of 2012, while almost 60 % of viewers watch video before reading text on the same webpage and are more likely to make a purchase.

Increasingly, consumers expect networks to deliver new capabilities – HD, personalized video, new delivery vehicles, Internet, short-form content, 3D -without delay. Cisco’s Visual Networking Index predicts that by 2013, 90 % of web traffic will be video-oriented streams. With the web rapidly moving from text to video, tourism businesses and organizations need to adapt to the shift in technology in order to better engage their consumers who expect to see video everywhere online.

For quite a while we have seen several DMOs as frontrunners utilizing the power of videos, such as-just to name a few-:

Visit Britain-TV Channel

New Zealand-100% Pure You

or

InspiredbyIceland -User Generated Invitations

Now let’s have a look at how more recently a few destinations around the world have attempted to tap into these potentials integrating them in their overall marketing efforts.

Tokyo CVB Launches Free Lending Service of Video Stock Footage

The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) recently introduced an exciting free service to lend production sections of overseas media and travel agencies its collection of video stock footage featuring 155 scenes of Tokyo, including tourist attractions, events, festivals, food and entertainment. All 155 videos are available to be downloaded at Tokyo Stock Footage.

The videos come with music and narration-free, and comprise basic, undirected material to enable users to edit and process the footage freely. TCVB greatly encourages the use of the footage to enhance and enrich travel programs, promotion videos, and works set in Tokyo, showing the diverse tourism resources Tokyo has to offer.

Sources: tokyo-footage.com, www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au

Travel Alberta Launches new Website and Focuses on Video Promotion

Travel Alberta just launched a new campaign that is sending the word out online to try and bring tourists to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the province.

The “Remember to Breathe” campaign shows off Alberta’s most stunning landscapes as well as unique and authentic experiences.

The spots are set to music composed and performed by local Alberta musicians and end with the brand slogan: Remember to breathe. Royce Chwin, Travel Alberta’s managing director of global marketing, said the images and the tagline are “powerful expressions” of what makes Alberta attractive to visitors.

Today’s travellers are looking less for specific sites and more for unique experiences, explained Chwin. The challenge was creating a brand that reached out to consumers and explained the Alberta experience, much as Newfoundland’s well-known campaign reflected the unique history and lifestyle of that province. “We needed to peel back the layers and capture the authenticity of Alberta. We wanted to give consumers some goose bump moments.”

The organization has already uploaded 15 videos to YouTube, receiving positive comments both by the industry as well as travelers. Shot on location throughout Alberta, these spot features some of the breathtaking landscapes and authentic experiences from across the province and have been filmed and paced to allow viewers to share in the emotion of the experience.

The campaign also includes print ads, posters and other print materials  from Calgary’s Karo. The new website was launched in addition to a social media component by Vancouver’sVillage & Co. Though Travel Alberta has had logos, slogans and brand promises before, this is its first overall tourism brand, said CEO Bruce Okabe.

Source: www.travelalberta.com

Hawaii CVB Incorporates Augmented Reality into Chicago blitz

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has partnered with London-based Aurasma to incorporate the company’s augmented-reality technology into a month long marketing saturation campaign in Chicago.

During the month of October, commuters traveling through Chicago’s busy Clark and Lake Station used their mobile devises to tap into a selection of videos linked to marketing images hung throughout the station. After downloading the free Aurasma program, users simply point their iPhone4, iPad2, or Android 2.2 devices at the Hawaii posters and “the images come to life.”

“This new augmented reality helps engage and tantalize potential travelers to Hawaii like never before,” Jay Talwar, the HVCB’s senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “Bringing one-dimensional images to life puts Chicago commuters as close to being in Hawaii as possible in a compelling way.”

HVCB officials said the Aurasma initiative is the first of its kind launched by a U.S. destination tourism campaign and is part of a monthlong marketing blitz in Chicago that has combined print, broadcast, online and outdoor advertising with public relations, consumer events and travel trade outreach.

Source: www.travelweekly.com, www.hvcb.org

E-Tourism Present and Future Services and Applications- ENTER Conference 2012

Helsingborg Sweden 24th to 27th of January 2012

Organized by the International Federation for Information Technology and Travel & Tourism (IFITT), ENTER 2012 offers a worldwide and unique forum for attendees from academia, industry, government, and other organizations to actively exchange, share, and challenge state-of-the-art research and industrial case studies on the application of information and communication technologies to travel and tourism.

At ENTER 2012, the theme is on present and future services and applications, thereby considering interactions among information and communication technology use and development in both, a supplier and user context within travel and tourism.

Issues to be covered at the conference include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Advanced Distribution Systems Electronic Marketing Information Search and Retrieval Technology Acceptance Consumer Inspiration through ICTS Eno-Gastronomic Tourism Information Interfaces and Presentation Travel Search and Meta-Search Crisis and e-Tourism ICT Adoption, Use, and Value Creation Intelligent Systems

Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 Distribution Strategies ICT-enabled Partnerships and Segmentation Legal and Social Aspects Website Design and Evaluation E-Learning ICT and Sustainability Mobile Services Context-Aware Systems E-strategy and e-Business models ICT for Regional Development Recommender Systems

Manolis Psarros, Managing Director of abouTourism, will be attending the Conference as a speaker along with many leading industry representatives. Further information on the conference, the program and the speakers can be found here.