Seattle, Washington: Microadventure After Microadventure

Often when we see tourism marketing, its goal is to attract visitors to the area for something specific, whether it be an event, attraction, or something else. Explore Seattle Southside took an interesting approach with its “Microadventure After Microadventure” campaign. This campaign demonstrates a looser approach to travel, allowing the trip to develop in the moment. The microadventure idea allows them to highlight some of their best attractions, giving the viewer a blueprint of ideas to follow.

Why We Love It:

This campaign serves as a good reminder that it’s equally important to draw visitors to an area for the sake of just experiencing and enjoying it. Not every trip needs to be planned for a big reason, as the microadventures can take you far. Microadventures is a great name to go along with the trends toward slow tourism, hidden gems and traveling like a local.

Travel South Dakota: So Much South Dakota, So Little Time

Following a similar trend, South Dakota’s “So Much South Dakota, So Little Time” campaign shows off all the area has to offer, and its ability to offer lots of adventure and human connection over digital connections. Since travelers crave that change of pace versus former bucket list items that involve long lines or busy crowds. Its tone is simple yet mysterious, targeting family travelers to “grab the kids and go” because there is so much to explore.

Why We Love It:

The simple yet meaningful message under this campaign is a refreshing take on wide-open-space travel. It appeals to emotions around wanderlust, exploration and learning, while showing potential visitors the type of trip they want to take is possible in this destination.

Canada: Take Your Maple Leave

With the stress of everyday life (especially in the last few years), Destination Canada invites foreign travelers to the country to visit for a breath of fresh air and real sunlight for a “Maple Leave.” The campaign uses its classic resources, unique experiences and the beauty of Canada’s outdoors to explain why visitors should come.

Why We Love It:

In Destination Canada’s words, this campaign is truly a “breath of fresh air,” and is meant to attract travelers who are looking for just that. The fun tone, tongue-in-cheek humor and trendy cultural references (like SAD lamps versus actual sunlight) make for a compelling campaign. And of course, we do love a play on words.

Philippines: LOVE, The Philippines

“LOVE, The Philippines” allows the destination to speak for itself. The nearly 2-minute-long video has no spoken words, and no written words until after the halfway point. The stunning visuals showcasing bright colors and unique experiences are more than enough to encourage viewers to travel there. This campaign is a prime example that less is more.

Why We Love It:

The connection between people, scenery, culture, and experiences tells travelers all they need to know about the destination. With the upbeat background music and subtle messages on screen, this campaign is a perfect blend of simple and exciting.

NYC: #WhatsGoodNYC

The final campaign that grabbed our attention and didn’t let go in 2023 was based around New York City Tourism’s rebrand from NYC & Company to New York City Tourism + Conventions. Along with a new visual identity and brand strategy, NYC launched #WHATSGOODNYC on their social channels. This is meant to focus on the opinions of the people in the city, and to show those looking to travel to the area authentic and realistic ideas of what they should do, and what’s “good” in NYC.

Why We Love It:

Launching a rebrand is no easy feat, and we admire the campaign NYC launched along with this big change. The focus of the new brand is so clearly centered around the people, both within the city and wanting to visit it. Rebranding is something a lot of companies go through to improve themselves, and this is a beautifully executed example!

Bonus: we also love the idea that “pizza is the fruit of NYC”!

Love these campaigns as much as we do?

Check out our Top Tourism Campaign round ups from past years and the elements of a top campaign:

2022 Top Tourism Campaigns Bring Typing Ponies & Talking Kangaroos

Top Tourism Campaigns of 2021

Top Travel Campaigns of 2020: Tourism Marketers Get Creative in the Face of Adversity

The 5 Top Tourism Campaigns of 2019

2018’s Best Tourism Campaigns: Our Five Favorites

Elements of Top Tourism Campaigns

The post Top Tourism Campaigns of 2023 appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

This power might seem daunting, but this purpose also reflects its shortcomings. Due to its structure, AI is unable to provide the same level of nuance to its subject matter as a human would and can only work off already-existing content. ChatGPT itself admits that it lacks many of the qualities that make human-generated work unique, such as creativity, emotional depth, and personal touch.

The Inevitable Shift Towards Technology

Regardless of AI improvements, the movement towards the use of technology in the travel and tourism industry has been inevitable for some time. More and more, travelers are seeking the path of most convenience in their planning, with over 36% willing to pay more if there’s an easy and interactive booking process and 63% relying on technology to reduce travel anxiety and control health risks during trips. The use of technology at every step of the travel process also continues to rise, with 79% saying they plan their trips on the internet.

Whether or not AI exists, users are already drawn to online platforms to organize future trips. With this inevitable growth in the digital travel space, the most effective strategy is to accept these changes and grow alongside them. By understanding how AI and technology are altering the industry, the better prepared we will be as professionals for this certain digital future.

What Does This Mean for the Travel and Tourism Industry?

With the dawn of the age of AI, the inner workings of the industry are sure to change, but not inherently to its detriment. In a study conducted by the Journal of Tourism Futures, officials concluded, “AI certainly enhances tourism experiential services however cannot surpass the human touch[,] which is an essential determinant of experiential tourism. AI acts as an effective complementary dimension to the future of tourism.” Given the limitations of what artificial intelligence can do, its work will not replace that of travel professionals but rather supplement their efforts.

AI-Generated Itineraries

In fact, the rise in popularity of AI might very well lead to more efficient and successful operations. Chad Burt, a co-president of OutsideAgents, a Jacksonville, Fla., company with 8,000 advisers in its network, spoke with the New York Times about his experiences using AI in his work. He had used ChatGPT to plan more than 100 itineraries, asking for help to find activities and hotels across a wide variety of travel schedules. The results “can save some basic legwork,” he said, “but a good agent still needs to fact-check and enhance it.” Only a human touch can understand what travelers say they want versus what they really want, he says. 

AI-generated itineraries are flawed on a technical level as well, as it lacks an understanding of the personal desires of each client. Search engines often provide misleading hotel recommendations as well as create itineraries that are logistical nightmares, leading to results that are well below the quality of industry professionals. According to Fox World Travel chief information officer Sam Hilgendorf, “[AI] sometimes provides answers that are both credible and precise, yet completely wrong.”

While AI can’t answer every question or plan every trip, it can undertake some of the industry’s most basic and time-consuming work, granting professionals the ability to spend more time directly with clients. “While AI can’t handle every customer question, it often frees up travel agents to spend more time on more complicated problems,” says Imaginovation Insider, a leading consultant for businesses in the digital space. “If AI can handle the basic GDS skills that once required the time of travel agents, agents could devote their energy to ensuring that customers are investing their time and money into a trip they genuinely want to experience.” 

No Need for Fear

When professionals within the tourism industry understand the unique skill sets both they and artificial intelligence bring to the table, the more successful they will be in our new digital age. Although this new territory might seem tricky, human excellence is still irreplaceable—and with the help of systems such as ChatGPT, we might get an even bigger chance to shine.

The post Artificial Intelligence In Tourism appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Taking Things Slow

While checking 15 locations off your list over the course of a one week trip might have once been inviting, travelers are increasingly drawn to the idea of staying put. With a constant pressure on productivity in daily life, even the most intrepid of travelers are looking for a more relaxed approach in their vacations. This new travel outlook allows for a more in-depth experience of the places visitors choose to stay in, granting a more well-rounded outlook on a destination and its activities.

A shift towards slower travel means visitors can genuinely enjoy a destination as opposed to just saying they have visited. Before this shift, says Juan Pablo Suarez, travel trade manager for Ottawa Tourism, “People, they really can’t talk, when they get back to their houses and they talk with their families or friends, how they really experienced the place. And not only that, they pass through and they see the building and they took one picture and, and that’s it.” While pictures on a phone might indicate a visit, they do not reflect an experience. More travelers have begun to acknowledge this fact.

Emphasis on appreciating a handful of destinations as opposed to as many as possible allows for businesses to bring in more visitors as they try to truly get to know an area. “For the destinations [it is] awesome because we know that they can stay more time in our cities, more time in our places, and to have more attractions and to have more nights in the cities that we promote,” says Pablo Suarez.

Group Travel

Group travel continues to gain popularity in new and dynamic ways. Gone are the days of massive swathes of people on buses, now being replaced by itineraries which can cater to young adults, families, and solo travelers. 

The new uses for group travel

With so many new demographics interested in engaging with a group travel organization, the reasons behind such curiosity are equally diverse. 

Solo Traveler

For solo travelers, group travel means still having a sense of community. “The solo traveler that wants to travel, they’re getting on these group travel experiences so that they’re not solo,” says Dagney Ashley, director of Tourism for the City of Quincy and Discover Quincy. “People are kind of like getting to their bucket list and saying, ‘I wanna travel and I can’t get people to go with me, so I’m just gonna go on this group travel experience.’” With so many more individuals joining travel groups alone, organizations need to ensure the experience can be just as engaging by yourself as with family or friends. 

Group Travelers

Group travelers also increasingly skew towards younger generations, with more individuals relying on experts to do the planning for them. Among these younger visitors, there is also a strong desire for a more educational approach to travel, learning about the history and culture of a given place. 

“What we love is just seeing younger folks…which is perfect for us because we have so much technology in the museum if you want to engage,” says Gary Hahn, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the National Comedy Center and the Lucy Desi Museum in Jamestown, New York. “I’m seeing kind of… broader demographics than I was seeing a few years ago.”

Due to pandemic influences, group travel has also created interest in the domestic travel market, with travelers learning more about the country’s different regions and their offerings. Tina Mount Pleasant, director of Travel Trade Sales for Destination Niagara USA, has noticed an uptick in interest on the US side of travel. “We’ve seen with that border being closed, a huge shift in domestic group travel,” says Mount Pleasant. Even with borders back open and world travel once again widely accessible, the desire to explore your own backyard remains.  “[People] are rethinking the way they do their itineraries and are really shifting back to the US side of Niagara Falls…that trend is something we are very excited about.”

Increased Collaboration

Given the changing wills of travelers and their desire to explore one place at a time, collaboration is more important than ever. Through collaborative efforts across businesses, visitors are more likely to choose your destination for more extended periods of travel. Through working with other organizations, companies can also find ways to branch out their markets, appealing to people they had not thought possible. Keith Snodes, Chief Operating Officer of Kaleidoscope Adventures, said of the company’s collaboration with Drum Corps International “It really has brought us new business, but it’s also brought us business that we probably could not have accessed without that partnership.” Snodes says that Kaleidoscope Adventures is increasingly “trying to be where customers are,” and with contacts across companies they are able to more effectively target their audience. 

As travelers wish for more in-depth experiences, the success of one is increasingly tied to the success of all, with the combined appeals of many businesses helping to draw visitors inward. Through collaboration, businesses can not only ensure their own growth, but help to bolster their entire region in the process.  

A Land of New Opportunities

With a wider array of interested parties and a greater desire to work together, the industry is equipping itself successfully for future projects, ready to cater to the needs of any travel that comes their way—regardless of age, budget, or group size.

The post Changing Travel Trends in 2023 appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

What has been the biggest change in your digital strategy that has resulted in big wins for your organization or destination?

Increased use in user-generated content.

Chris Lukenbill, co-founder of Sherpa, focused heavily on user-generated content when helping different communities connect with their travelers better during times of uncertainty. Chris said “User-generated content is where we’re seeing the big changes, in more people getting into that and excited about that opportunity.”

More investment in social media

In terms of change, CEO of Discover Lancaster, Ed Harris, has invested more into social media in order to drive enthusiasm for his destination. Ed stated “We have seen a huge uptick as we’re continuing to experiment with things like video and uncovering a lot of hidden gems at our destination to make people aware of. We’re getting really strong engagement in comments, likes, and shares.” With Lancaster being so close to Amish communities, the interest throughout social media of that culture helped Ed boost Visit Lancaster’s own awareness.

A full-funnel marketing strategy

Emilie Harris, Director of Marketing at Bandwango, took a look at the full-funnel marketing strategy and decided to flip it on its head. She stated “The big change in strategy for our clients has been instead of focusing on top-of-the-funnel inspiration-focused marketing, we pivoted to tracking conversations at the bottom of the funnel, which has required a lot of creativity in how people are spending their digital media dollars.” In times of change, it’s important to think outside of the box and look at things we have always done in terms of strategy and consider a different perspective.

Using data to inform and prioritize markets

Data is one of the best assets to use, especially in times of change. Victoria Simmons, a Senior Vice President at BVK shared how the use of data has helped their clients during those times of uncertainty. “What we have been focused on as an agency is creating a dashboard that synthesizes all of that data, but more importantly, investing in analysts. They are the ones who understand how to interpret that data and translate it into strategy.” An abundance of data is a great asset, but without the knowledge to translate it, that data will not help to the fullest extent.

Collaborating with locals

Maria Skrzynski at Destination Ann Arbor, gave us some insight into how her destination has been collaborating with locals during COVID. She stated, “when we are collaborating with our residents, we’re able to showcase our destination in a new light, support our local businesses, strengthen our connection with our communities, and help uplift and support our destination.” It was a win-win situation with Ann Arbor by not only steering their marketing in a direction it has not gone before, but also help local businesses during such a hard time.

Marc Garcia, CEO of Visit Mesa, brought the community together to help market the destination during COVID. Marc said “We developed a local steering committee made up of Mesa residents, really bringing them into the marketing process, helping us advance our digital strategies, particularly in social media.”

Using Influencers

Leena Riggs, Director of Marketing and Partnership at Visit Rancho Cordova, also collaborated with locals. “Our residents become micro-influencers when we need them to,” she told us.

Mark Romig, CMO for New Orleans and Company, used influencers to bring more families to the area. Mark said, “we delved into utilizing influencers to come in and help tell this story and to work with them through their platforms, through how they speak with their followers, the story of New Orleans as a family destination.”

Learn how to find, vet and work with influencers using our step-by-step process in our Influencer Marketing ebook.

Looking into the future, what innovations are happening now that you think will impact digital marketing for your organization or destination?

Better use of data to measure ROI

Data and its analysis show up again in our conversation with Jake Brown from Visit South Bend. He is excited about the vendors that are helping better analyze data in terms of ROI. “I think we are getting close to closing that circle of saying okay, we served people this ad, did they come and spend money in the destination? I think as an industry we are getting close […] and that’s going to be a really big moment for all of us.”

Expanded focus on converting visitors to residents

Kyle Johnson, Digital Strategy Manager for Visit Indiana, is excited about using location tracking data to help convert visitors into residents. “We are no longer just trying to attract visitors, but we’re also trying to convert visitors and attract talent to the state. So, the innovation perspective that location tracking data is going to be very important for us.” This type of data can help convert visitors into residents, and deepen the ties between tourism and economic development organizations.

Take a look at ideas for applying tourism marketing strategies to talent attraction.

Development of dashboards to help destinations show their value

Jason Holic, Vice President of Business Applications and Insights for Experience Kissimmee, talked to us about a product they created. The Impactulator helps destinations defend their government funding. Jason said “we have colleagues that need to have something in place to help defend their funding. But also those other destinations that have seen record visitation and occupancy tax collections as the economy has recovered, and don’t know what to do with the money. They don’t know what the best use for it is, and this tool helps them navigate that.”

Podcasting becoming more important in the digital marketer’s toolkit

Ralph Thompson, Operating Partner of Traveling Tourism for Street Sense Consulting, is excited to see how podcasting is changing into something the travel and tourism industry can leverage. “It’s important to find a way that’s not forcing communications, but also a little laid-back way to have a conversation and talk more about this. I think that podcasting is going to be great for destinations.” With the constant innovations happening in how we communicate digitally, podcasting can become a beacon of information to visitors of a destination.

To hear more from industry professionals at the eTourism Summit, listen to our 2-part Roadshow series:

Episode 252: Insights from the 2021 eTourism Summit (Part One)

Episode 253: Insights from the 2021 eTourism Summit (Part Two)

More trends for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry: 10 themes from our interviews at the Destinations International annual convention.

The post 10 Digital Marketing Trends from Destination Marketers appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

• Giving people the tools they need to feel engaged and empowered
• Educating people on different processes
• Giving people the contacts they will need to succeed

Capacity building in action

In Rochester, New York, the Neighborhood Service Center is hosting a Mayor’s Neighborhood Leadership Training Program that works to help residents advocate for themselves and their neighborhoods. This community-driven program hosts three-hour sessions every week for accepted applicants to learn skills to increase their capacity. The goal is to make their lives easier and help them improve their neighborhoods. Members of the program have the chance to attend sessions on topics like:

• The city’s organization
• Problem solving
• Conflict resolution
• Outreach techniques
• Creating a website  

Administrator of the Southeast Neighborhood Service Center, Nancy Johns-Price explains capacity building saying, “If you have the tools you need, you become empowered.”

In simple terms, capacity building helps individuals build a skill set to make their life easier.

Improving a destination

So, how can you apply capacity building to your destination?

First of all, capacity building improves communities. Rochester’s Neighborhood Leadership Training Program gives community members the tools and skill sets they need to make their neighborhood a better place. A community-driven mission to improve your destination will make it more appealing to outside visitors. Tourism development and building the capacity of the community should be done hand-in-hand. Through these efforts, underdeveloped communities are given the ability to participate in tourism.

This is exactly what happened in the Corn Hill Neighborhood in Rochester. Corn Hill Landing, an area of nice homes and restaurants, was tired of the deteriorating, overgrown wall that blocked both the view of and access to the Genesee River. Working with the Neighborhood Service Center and New York State, The Corn Hill Neighbors Association pushed for a West River Wall to be developed.

They were able to rebuild the river wall, enhance the area along the river, and provide connections to the waterfront area for the adjacent community areas. Eventually, the area will become a beautiful dining area with playgrounds and kayak launches. The project only recently broke ground, yet tourists have started coming to Corn Hill landing. The community made the initiative happen, and it directly led to an increase in tourism that will continue to rise.

Moral of the story

Increasing the number of visitors to your area starts at home. Look at how you can improve your community’s capacity to help improve and develop your destination, making it a better place to live and a more enjoyable place to visit.

The post Capacity Building in Communities for Destination Development appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

The rise of home DNA tests

One of the biggest trends of the 2010s was home DNA tests. As of 2020, Ancestry DNA has 16 million users and 23andMe is not far behind with 10 million users. People all over the world are learning they have ancestors in places they never imagined. Databases like Ancestry DNA can provide users with in-depth information about where their ancestors lived and worked, and what their lives were like.

What does this mean for the tourism industry?

DNA-mapped adventures are becoming increasingly popular as individuals learn more about their family history and want to connect to their roots. A study done by Airbnb found that 50% of Americans have traveled to at least one country of their ancestry. Ancestry DNA even has a specific service called Heritage Travel to plan ancestral home visits where travelers can find the exact plot of land where their family once lived. Users can also book guided tours with professional genealogists to places like Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Germany, or take genealogy cruises to learn more about where they came from through workshops and discussions.

In 2019, Airbnb partnered with 23andMe to give heritage travel recommendations to its customers. When 23andMe users get their DNA results, they also receive suggestions from Airbnb for rentals and experiences in their ancestral locations. Airbnb also has pages on its website dedicated to heritage travel. A 2018 study showed the number of travelers using Airbnb for tracing their roots had increased by 500% since 2014. They then took it one step further to see what people would be willing to give up for a chance to explore their roots. 57% of Americans reported they would be willing to give up alcohol for a year for a free heritage trip.

Countries that are known for their history of immigration are the most popular places for heritage travelers to originate. The United States is the most popular, followed by Canada and Australia. Airbnb has found that travelers ages 60 to 90 are the most likely to take ancestry trips, but these kinds of vacations could trend younger in the future.

Embracing heritage travel

Many companies have begun to capitalize on this trend. The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin has a dedicated genealogy butler to help guests trying to track down their Irish ancestors. Tour company Classic Journeys matches travelers with specific trips after reviewing their Ancestry DNA or 23andMe results. For those willing to spend some money, luxury travel company The Conte Club designs custom ancestry travel experiences that can last several weeks and cost up to $132,000.

Historical events can lead to a rise in heritage travel as well. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, when many Polish citizens fled Eastern Europe. Many people of Polish ancestry will use this as an opportunity to visit the country their ancestors once called home. Poland has built over a dozen brand new hotels to prepare for the rise in heritage travelers looking to explore their roots.

A new era of travel

Tourists today are looking to get more out of their trips than ever before. They want to discover something new about themselves and piece together some of their story. Destinations would be wise to embrace heritage travel when creating their next travel and tourism marketing plan. Travelers are eager to find experiences that will fundamentally change them. This is not a trend that will be going away anytime soon!

The post The Rise of Heritage Travel: A new way for tourists to find themselves appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.