Blogging in the Tourism Industry.

Blogging in the Tourism Industry.

In a society where digitalization and social media are becoming omnipresent in our daily lives, blogging has become essential for tourism companies. “According to Social Media Examiner’s 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 68% of marketers identified blogging as the most important area to increase usage this year, topping YouTube (67%), Twitter (67%), LinkedIn (64%) and Facebook (64%).”

Indeed, blogs create shareable contents that increase the loyalty of a company’s clients. Moreover, they are very low cost compared to the revenue that they can generate. As it is evergreen contents - meaning that what is written in a blog will always be available - they can be shared as many times as needed. Therefore, the content should be first created on the blog, then being shared on social media, not the other way around. It will also encourage internauts to visit the website.
  Last but not least, a blog is very useful for Search Engine Optimization strategies, as it can help your website to rank higher when potential customers are looking for information on the Internet. For example, Google is attracted by fresh contents and keywords. Moreover, with the rise of the WEB 2.0, enabling a participative Internet, readers have now the possibility to engage by either giving their opinion, adding comments to the blog or by sharing the article with relatives or on their personal page.

In the tourism industry, blogs have become a “ MUST HAVE”. Most Destination Management Organizations have a blog. Indeed, storytelling is especially important when promoting a destination. ie : Inside Vancouver. They advise tourists about the best places to visit, where to eat or what to do in the city, by posting frequent updates on their blogs.



However, the most famous trend in the blog phenomenon is the Blog Travelers. Indeed, rankings about the best travel bloggers are published every year, and some of them are starting to gain some notoriety. Indeed, some well known blog travelers are paid by tourism companies to publish articles about them on their websites. Moreover, it is very frequent that tourism protagonist offers free activities to bloggers in exchange of an article (ie: Writing about a cruise with Royal Caribbean).

Blogs are getting more and more personalized and original. Their contents can be very diverse, gathering video, professional photos, or story telling by locals... They can give advice about hidden or unavoidable places, but their uniqueness is due to their loyalty towards the writer personality and writing.

Here are some of the travel blogs that have caught our intention.
- Jungle in Paris

- Nomadic Matt
- Two monkeys Travel group
- Lost with Purpose
- Miss Tourist

⇒ Is this phenomenon playing a big role in the French Tourism Industry?

The 4th edition of the “Salon des Blogueurs du Voyage Francophone” will take place from the 12th to the 14th of April in San Malo - last editions were held in Cannes, Ajaccio and Bruxelles. This trade fair is organized by the tourism blogger Xavier Berthier. This event is gaining in visibility and will gather this year all the protagonists of the blogger phenomenon. All the francophone professionals of E-tourism will answer present, as there will be 250 bloggers and 85 exhibitors. They will meet during 3 days, through conferences, workshops and afterworks. It is an essential event to build a wide network in the E-tourism Industry.

In parallel, a few months ago, Xavier Berthier launched a blog platform called “Blogueur Voyage” that gathers publications about travels all around the world. This website is totally free and bloggers can add articles about a place they have visited, share any advice on a particular trip etc. The articles are then placed in a world map, that makes it very attractive and easy to read for the internauts. The quality of the Blog is certified, as all the publications are verified before being published. Moreover, this platform will be officially presented at the “Salon Mondial du Tourisme” in 2018, in Paris.

Hugo Dumurgier, Lucile Garin.

Sources :

https://www.salonblogueursvoyage.fr/

http://tourismeschool.com/blogging-for-tourism-destinations/

https://www.blogueur.voyage/categoriearticles/astuces-conseils/

http://blog.lesroches.edu/alumni/the-importance-of-blogs-in-the-tourism-industry/

http://fredericgonzalo.com/en/2014/07/06/best-practices-in-travel-marketing-blogging/

https://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/ultimate-list-of-best-hostels-hotels-in-the-world/

#Travel, Tourism Companies promoting their brands on Instagram

We have all heard about Instagram, followers, hashtags and so on.

Today, the social network is approaching tourism companies, as the latter can use it to communicate, promote their brands and target new customers.

Indeed, the largest sharing photo platform, launched in 2010, has reached a total number of 600 million monthly active users, and half of them are even considered as daily active!

More than 40 billion photos have been shared on the platform since its creation; and 75% of the most famous brands already use it, on a basis of almost 5 posts a week. Tourism brands use this network even more than other brands, and are for this reason, considered as the best Instagram presence at the moment.

But everyone can wonder, why tourism brands should communicate via this specific network?

Society has evolved; people and travellers want to be inspired and inspire others. They changed their way of discovering, consuming and sharing experiences. Indeed, 35% of Instagramers use the platform to discover new places and 48% to choose their travel destination. Statistics are even higher for Millennials who, for 89% of them, plan their travel activities according to fellow travellers’ content. 

Before booking any trip, travellers have the need to look at online reviews but also get “real” feedbacks. Millennials are aware of this new trend, as 97% share content of their travels.

Figures show that 75% of Instagramers act after seeing a post of a brand. They visit the website, research the brand’s products or even purchase it. They engage 10 times more than with Facebook! And the fact of having an active online presence, increase the brand perception up to 20%.

All in all, what tourism brands have to do, is:

• Create a brand identity and build positive brand awareness, by showing followers they are valued.
• Engage with users: communicate with them in real-time, encourage interactions, react to their complaints, and create significant relationships. It will humanize the brand, which will then be more appreciated and visible. 
• Use the network to build databases of consumers and keep widening it.

How to use Instagram?

• Be consistent: use high resolution images, and keep the same design (style or color). The objective is to create recognizable posts to represent the brand’s value and ideas; but also favor a long-term strategy by sharing posts frequently. (1/day or 5/week). Cross post pictures with other social media networks and marketing channels to drive people to the company’s Instagram page.
• Keep sharing relevant content: be informed about the latest news, but do not use clichés or fads.
• Think about Followers first: encourage interaction with them (comments), value followers generated content (pictures submission, photo contests), use influencers to boost the volume of users and enhance the brand (with the same values as the brand’s). Brands’ goal is to create a close relationship with its followers. All in all, tourists will become the brand’s promoters.

We can finally agree that this method is successful, as #Travel counts up to 162 million posts, so the market does exist.

Good examples of this success are: the official Tourism New Zealand account which has one of the biggest databases with more than 581K followers; but also, Fjord Norway, which succeeded in bringing the Natural Wonder Trolltunga to the world stage with Instagram.

Hurry up! Create your account and start positioning your brand! :)

References:

https://www.instagram.com

https://venngage.com/blog/instagram-for-business/

http://www.adweek.com/digital/four-ways-to-maximize-your-brand-presence-on-instagram-report/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286408

http://www.bandt.com.au/marketing/social-influencers-grow-hospitality-tourism-audiences-tenfold-hootsuite-research

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Leveraging-Influencers-Can-Enhance-Travel-Agency-Brands

https://www.trekksoft.com/en/blog/best-tourism-boards-on-instagram

https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/

Amazing hologram during your event !

Everybody has already heard about holograms, especially thanks to the viral video of Mister Mélenchon's hologram during one of his meeting (http://www.lepoint.fr, 2017).

But what is exactly a hologram?

A hologram is a three-dimensional and free-standing image created with photographic projection. People do not require screen nor glasses to be able these see the 3D pictures (Rouse, 2005).

It has been several years now, that some industries have understood the potential of this kind of an appealing attraction: the television industry, the movie industry, the marketing and digital retail industries, as well as the advertisement and event industries have adopt this new trend (Gazeau, 2013).

It has now become common to attend events using holograms to entertain customers. It is especially the case during music concerts, fashion shows and product launches.

People are fed up with conventional presentations and feel the need to interact with the product, to observe it and to try it. Holograms offer them the possibility to discover a more tactile interaction with the product or show. This new kind of dynamic event can really impress people and give them the will to buy the product (http://www.sxsevents.co.uk, 2017).

Thanks to this technology, companies can showcase their products in the venue of their choice, while all attendees can go around the picture and discover it in every shape and form ! (http://www.sxsevents.co.uk, 2017).

Holograms programers can also make image of real people appear: imagine your boss is not able to physically attend your massive event because he is busy at the other side of the planet: instead of offering your customer a 2D videoconference, why don't you make your boss appear on stage, talking and moving, like the real thing? This could also be done with celebrities! 

However be careful ! Holograms cannot totally replace real people ! 

Even better: in order to interact with your attendees, why not organising a game to engage your attendees around holograms ?

Languages would also not be a problem anymore as programers can decide which language can be spoken (http://prsonas.com, 2016).

We can say that holograms are THE event in the event: people are attracted to this added-value technology and companies can be sure to leave a big impression on their visitors (http://www.3demotion.net, 2015). Indeed, as this impressive technology is not well-know by people yet (except in science-fiction movies), they do not know how it is implemented and this mystery is extremely exciting.

We understood that holograms can be a good tool to revive today's events and provide to attendees a brand new experience they will talk about for years !

Go for it !

References:

L'hologramme bluffant de Jean-Luc Mélenchon (2017). Retrieved from:

http://www.lepoint.fr/presidentielle/l-hologramme-bluffant-de-jean-luc-melenchon-05-02-2017-2102605_3121.php

Hologram definition (2005). Retrieved from:

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/hologram

Gazeau, C. (2013). De la Transparence à l’Immatériel : l’Emergence des Hologrammes. Retrieved from:

https://christophegazeau.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/de-la-transparence-a-limmateriel-lemergence-des-hologrammes/

3D émotion (2015). Retrieved from:

http://www.3demotion.net/project/hologramme-scenographie/

SXS Events (2017). Holox Holography. Retrieved from:

http://www.sxsevents.co.uk/services/holox

PRSONAS (2016). 7 Great Ways to Use Holograms for Event Marketing. Retrieved from:

http://prsonas.com/holograms-for-event-marketing/

How Big Data And Analytics Are Changing Hotels And The Hospitality Industry

© shutterstock_217868887

    Travels needs and expectations are ever changing and evolving. With an industry that caters to millions a day, the hospitality and hotel industry continue to require ways to keep up with shifting customer demands in order to keep up with expectations and satisfy their clients. Bernard Marr, a Forbes contributor, talks about how Big Data and Analytics can and do play a large role in helping the hospitality industry to predict customer demand and shifting trends.

      Big data is a new step for the hospitality industry, though one they can adapt to with ease, as with today’s technology there is now an infinite ‘volume and variety’ of data available. As Marr points out, from reservation to check out customers will leave a data trail through their stay and analysts are starting to understand the importance of turning ‘data into actionable insights’.

   

     One of the first ways that analytics and Big Data have aided the hospitality industry is helping them to observe their customers and identify clients that will give them ‘a higher life time value’. Marr identifies two types of hotel clientele – those whose stay will be simple and hassle free and second, those who will spend a lot of money on fine dining, entertainment, sports activities and spa treatments. Observing clients allows hotels to help meet the needs of the each of their segments separately. Those that tend to stay for a short amount of time (business travels) tend to return if the hotel meets all their requirements, creating a higher lifetime value.

    Big Data and analytics is leading the hospitality industry to help improve their marketing reach and yield/revenue management. With the new technological age, hotels (and others in the hospitality industry) must be aware of changing technology that can help them ‘roll with the times’, in order to identify modern customer demand. Hotels must change with the times in order to properly satisfy and attract the modern business and leisure traveler.

    An American hotel chain, Red Roof Inn is an example of the positive use of an analytics system. In the winter of 2013/2014 they had experienced a 10% increase in business after running a new marketing campaign. The company realized the value of having a hotel near an airport. The hotel’s marketing and analytics team worked together, using public database and weather reports, and found out that a large percentage of airline passengers use mobile devices to search for nearby hotel when their flights were cancelled. After discovering this the company held a marketing campaign which was targeted at mobile using passengers.

    Denihan Hospitality, another American hotel brand uses Big Data not just for marketing but in the physical operation of their properties by putting analytics in the hands of their front of house staff. “Armed with dashboards on their smartphones” front of house staff was able to predict guests needs and desires in advance, such as restaurant meals, concierge services or outside activities. Housekeeping staff were able to receive ‘real-time updates’ on whether certain rooms would require an extra pillow or who was more likely to room service for a midnight snack.

    With large data collections which can identify customer segments, the hospitality industry can better coordinate itself to optimize its room occupancy and revenue. Marriott uses analytics and Big data to observe (Unstructured and semi-structured datasets) weather reports and local events schedules that are use to determine the demand and value for “each individual room throughout the year”. It enables Marriot to precisely optimize their room prices. As Marr states this is “vital in an age where customers are used to saving pennies by scanning price comparison services for the best deals.”

    Marr states that once the hospitality gets use to analytics that there will be a large increase in innovation that ‘should result in more satisfying stays for us as customers’. We firmly believe that this new and ever increasing analytics technology is the future, for helping not just the hospitality industry but every industry in staying a step ahead of changing trends and client expectation in order to boost sales and revenue.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Alexa Bailey and Sakshi Bheda

Article reviewed: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2016/01/26/how-big-data-and-analytics-changing-hotels-and-the-hospitality-industry/#2fcfb8b64b39