21 Tourism Marketing tips

For the time-poor, we thought we’d start this newsletter with a collection of 21 short and sweet tourism marketing tips we’ve assembled by scraping the web:

Five social media tips for hoteliers from Sofitel Luxury Hotels:

1. Be local
Appoint a social media coordinator for each property. This person will be the eyes and ears to what is happening on the property level, including sharing specials at the spa or menu changes at the restaurant. They will coordinate with sales, marketing, weddings, meetings & events and the concierge to share the updates so their social media team can get the message out.

2. Be authentic
Customers don’t want to read updates that sound like a robot has written them. Sofitel is a unique upscale brand known for its stellar service and French style, so the social media updates stay true to the product.

3. Target your demographics
For Sofitel, targeting discerning travellers and gourmet diners remains a top priority.

4. Sprinkle in local events
Show off your concierge skills by becoming the local inside source for events, parties and festivals. Sofitel Los Angeles, for example, tweeted live from their recent Golden Globe Gifting Suite.

5. Engage with your audience, don’t just sell
The quickest way to lose a consumer is to ‘bang them over the head’ with product information. Sofitel Washington DC, for example, asked their Facebook fans what DC tips they would like to receive – consumers responded that they wanted to hear more about museums, family travel, luxury dining & romantic tips for couples.

Three Tips on catering to Chinese travellers
China is identified by the Tourism Forecasting Committee as Australia’s fastest growing inbound tourism market — the Total Inbound Economic Value of tourists from China grew by 18.3% in the year ending June 2010, outstripping every other market. Some tips to help you get your share of those traveller dollars:

6. Language
Add Chinese language pages to your online marketing sites and booking engines.

7. Culture
Teach your employees a basic understanding of Chinese manners and culture.

8. Welcome
Train your staff to speak a few passable words of Mandarin associated with hospitality.

Sharpen up your website (tips mostly from marketingtourguide.com):

9. Highly Visible Phone Number
It is so important to make your phone number easy to find on your website. If you haven’t captured your audience within the first seven seconds, you’re not in the race.

10. Instant Notification
You need to be able to tell the customer if your tour or accommodation is booked out or close to being booked out immediately. A calendar with available dates is an easy way to address this. Alternatively having an instant message service or a live chat option would also help. Whatever option you offer you must respond without delay.

11. Customer Service Links
Be sure your customer service links and contact information is large and clearly marked, so your client does not have to dig around to find how to get in touch. It’s important to be accessible before, during and after the booking process so the more obvious it is on how your customer contacts you the better off you are.

12. About Us
Provide an ‘About Us’ section or a section about your policies. If you have privacy statements and customer satisfaction policies, your customer will feel better about ‘shopping’ with you.

13. Testimonials
You definitely want to have customer quotes and references on the ‘storefront’ page, that is, your home page, as well, to let your prospective client know that others are happy with your service, your accommodation or your activity or attraction.

14. FAQ Page
Provide FAQ pages with information about refund policies, guarantees, taxes and all other questions guests and online queries most often ask you. Use FAQs to put your customers mind at rest since most FAQ’s answer all those ‘buying’ questions a customer is usually asking him or herself.

15. Download PDF Brochure
Consider offering a downloadable PDF brochure. While many people are researching online they are also collecting documents or brochures that they can read while seated elsewhere, that is, not in front of their computer. Or, they want to share further information with a friend or partner.

For accommodation providers, from TNOOZ.com:

16. Details, Details, Details
Make sure your website copy has all the details guests want about location, rooms, services, in-house dining and more. If you have washers and dryers in the rooms, clearly state that on the room’s page.

If you have free coffee in the lobby, make it known. Guests research and make decisions based on amenities, so leaving something out doesn’t give the guest the full picture of what your hotel offers.

Leading SEO site Seomoz calls this definitive content.

“Definitive Content educates people so, with their expanded knowledge can engage in conversation and make informed decisions. This content is educational. People who are searching for information have already identified that they’re not comfortable making uninformed decisions. They’re looking for ‘the answer’.”

17. Local area and transportation
The first thing most travellers want to know when arriving in a new city is where they are staying in relation to the rest of the city. Is the hotel in the northeast section of the city? The arts district? Downtown?

Help orient your guests by providing destination content about your location and providing public transportation options, including the nearest bus, train, or underground stops.

18. Local activities and events
Take time to research the hotel’s local area and include nearby attractions and activities that guests can enjoy during their free time. Be sure to include local events and remember to update events at least quarterly.

From TourismKeys.ca, the most common reasons why many tourism folks haven’t started working on a handheld version of their website for mobiles (despite the fact that Travelport reports more than half of business customers now use mobile technology for researching and booking hotels):

19. You don’t know where to start
You are hesitating because you don’t know what to do or how to do it.   So ask your guests what kind of info would be helpful.  Think like a traveller.  That’s a good start. Then:

• Start with a map
• Add your phone number
• Add your SMS text number

20. You think your site looks just fine on the tiny screens
Get real.  Even with those fancy phones that zoom in, traditional websites are a poor substitute to a well designed mobile website.  Take care of simple things for your traveler with a clean minimalist site.

21. You don’t have the time to get working on your mobile site
You will soon have lots of time — when all the business is going to those who make the time to create their mobile site.