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The Travel Marketing Digest
 16th March 2013 - Volume II, issue 4
 

IN THIS ISSUE.....

  

Dear Industry Colleagues and Friends,

 

We are really looking forward to the Digital & Social Marketing Summit which is now only 4 days away.  If you wish to attend then please register now as the numbers are limited.

 

In this edition we feature: 

  • Pinterest are to develop an advertising model and announce the launch of new analytical capabilities
  • Facebook announce a new look for its newsfeed page which is good for travel
  • Trip Advisor reach a major milestone and announce collaboration with the European Travel Commission
  • Intercontinental Hotel Group provide a new report on the "kinship economy"
  • Hotels.com release new Windows 8 app
  • Starwood to open 50 new hotels across Middle East & Africa in the next 5 years

  

Best regards,

Duncan Alexander
Director
The Travel Marketing Store
 
  
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Pinterest Logo Pinterest to develop an advertising system and introduces analytics

  

 

On the 5th of February Wall Street reported that Pinterest is studying a potential advertising system and that it is also building up its relationships with businesses to learn how Pinterest traffic can eventually convert into commercial transactions.  Pinterest is seeking to raise new funds and is looking to monetise its platform. 

 

Pinterest is an online scrapbook that has, according to comScore, grown from 9 million to 48 million user visits from December 2011-12.

 

On the 14th March, Pinterest announced that they will be introducing analytics.  Up to now it has been a free site for people to post pictures.  Its collection is quite amazing as is the growth in its visitor numbers.  Its travel section is a remarkable catalogue of inspiring images promoting places, cultures and landscapes.  As a platform for travel marketing, its role is likely to become increasingly important along side other sites such as Trip Advisor and wikitravel.  This is what their website says about its new analytics capabilities:

  

"If you have a verified website, you'll get information about how many people have pinned from your site, how many people have seen these pins, and how many people visited your site from Pinterest.  We'll also show you a selection of your most re-pinned, most clicked, and most recent pins so you have a better idea of what's popular. For example, if you have a travel blog, you'll be able to see whether people are pinning your ski vacation posts or beach vacation posts more"

 

One potential way to monetize Pinterest downstream could be the way that Trip Advisor have gone and that is to provide data behind pinning activities for travel companies and tourist boards.  In addition as people pin, "suggested" related images promoting destinations or events could be provided as an advertising opportunity.

 

The "new social marketing mix" will have to work in an integrated manner as with all other forms of marketing.  To have the best impact, promotional campaigns will need to develop consistency in messages, images and videos across a travel company's social activities in Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Facebook and You Tube.   This calls for new organisational roles and structures and a "feel your way approach" towards investment.

Conference speakers

 
The Travel Marketing Store Presents: The Digital & Social Marketing Summit Digital & Social Marketing  

Jumeirah Creekside Hotel 20th March 2013 

 

The Digital & Social Marketing Summit will be both "a conference and an education". 

 

We have assembled a first class line up of practitioners with whom we will explore the latest tools, techniques and traps of Digital & Social Marketing.

 

Sign up now!

 

 

In Association With:

 

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Facebook logo Facebook announce new design for its News Feed
  
On 7th February Facebook announced a new version of Facebook designed to "reduce clutter".  It is not all about consumer experience, however, as it will also enables larger photos and video integration.  With these enhancements travel companies will be able to further to improve their visuFacebook interface updateal identity and communications with their fans.
  
The interface will also be consistent across different mobile platforms therefore improving Facebook's advertising proposition.
According to eMarketer, Google have a major share of search-based ads on mobile platforms but in terms of display adverts Facebook has a narrow lead of 18.4 percent versus Google's 17 percent. 

European Travel Commission TripAdvisor reaches a major milestone and supports European Travel Marketing

TripAdvisor have announced that they have reached over 100 million reviews making it the world's largest travel review site. 

TripAdvisor currently has more than 200 million unique users a month, more than 47 million marketable members (more than 100 percent growth year on year) and collects more than 60 user contributions a minute.
 
According to a recent study by PhoCusWright, commissioned by TripAdvisor, nearly nine out of ten users (87 percent) agree that TripAdvisor hotel reviews "help me feel more confident in my decisions." Despite travellers' increasing expectations and demands, the study also revealed that eight out of ten users (80 percent) agree that TripAdvisor hotel reviews "help me have a better trip."
  
"Travellers the world over want to have the perfect trip, and nothing helps travel planning mTrip Advisorore than recent reviews from people who have been there before," says Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO of TripAdvisor. "Having 100 million reviews and opinions adds remarkable perspective to any travel-planning decision, and we thank our passionate community as their insights continue to increasingly help travellers plan and have the perfect trip."
  

The European Travel Commission (ETC) recently signed a partnership with TripAdvisor at the ITB Berlin.  The collaboration between ETC and the world's largest travel site will involve sharing of market intelligence gathered from customer feedback on TripAdvisor, as well as best practices in online travel marketing with the European Travel Commission's membership base of 33 National Tourist Organizations (NTO's) from Europe, with includes 24 EU member states.

The ETC sees this collaboration as a key factor in the implementation of the Destination Europe 2020 initiative, a project designed together with the European Commission to incorporate the entire tourism industry in defining a long-term strategy for Europe as a tourist destination. "We are delighted to be partnering with the European Travel Commission as they launch Destination Europe 2020, with an emphasis on digital strategy," said Helena Egan, Head of Destination Marketing for Europe, from the London office of TripAdvisor.

"The aim of this initiative is to position Europe as a tourist destination in the international markets with a clear brand image and to promote and support the NTOs in their overseas research and marketing activities," said Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission. "To achieve these goals, we must listen to what travelers are saying about our destination. We need up-to-date information about customer needs, expectations, and satisfaction rates. We have to find out what Chinese tourists find so exciting about our continent and why they prefer to visit some countries rather than others."

This is an interesting development which we are likely to see more of.  Government led initiatives to develop tourism are on the increase and to ensure effective use of funds, data and facts are required.

Without Frontiers Madibat Jumeirah  

The Global Travel Marketing Forum

Dubai Madinat Jumeirah

24-26th September 2013

 

the marketplace for

travel marketing services   

IHG LogoInterContinental Hotels Group report on evolving trends in travel

Intercontinental Hotels Group have issued an insightful report into future trends in travel that they feel need to be taken into account when developing their own brand and service strategy.  It explores the growing impact of technology in the guest experience and the emergence of new groups of travelers with different needs that need to be catered for.  It talks to a new "relationship economy" that supersedes the significance of experience.

They define four new groups of travelers that require particular attention:

  • New global travel explorers from emerging markets
  • New family groups from both developed and emerging markets
  • Younger "laptop and latte" travelers mixing business with play
  • Expansive mid-lifers who are redefining older age

The reports describes the importance and needs of these new important groups.  It provides an interesting Infographic and is certainly worth a read by all travel marketers. 

IHG Infographic

 

Click here for the report

Upcoming Events

 

The Digital & Social Marketing Summit

 

Wednesday March 20, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM GST

 

The Digital & Social Marketing Summit is a forum aimed at bringing together practitioners and suppliers of digital marketing and social marketing. Our Dubai location is ideal as it is the cross roads of cultures and easily accessible. The event is both a conference and an education.

 

The Jumierah Creekside Hotel - Dubai - UAE

 

 

In Association with:

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Hotels.com Windows app Hotels.com release Windows 8 app

Hotels.com have continued their investment into mobile applications with the launch of a new app built specifically for the Windows 8 tablet. According to their President, Scott Booker, their current apps have been downloaded globally by 15 million users. They already have apps for iOS and Android. The evidence is growing that users like apps from trusted brands and they are certainly becoming a significant part of the distribution strategy for a number of hotel groups and websites.

CASMA vegas Sponsored advertisement
  
Starwood Starwood to open 50 new hotels across Middle East & Africa in the next 5 years
  

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it will increase its MEA portfolio by more than 60% with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the next five years. With over 20 hotels expected to open by the end of 2015, Starwood is on track to reach a milestone 100 hotels across MEA.

"Starwood continues to see demand for growth of all of our brands across the Middle East and Africa despite economic and political uncertainty in some parts of this incredibly diverse region," said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "Rapid economic growth, rising personal incomes, a growing middle class and ever greater global connectivity are driving new travel patterns and demand for travel, and this region is at the center of these trends and a key focus of our growth strategy."

With more than 70% of the world's economic growth coming from fast-growing markets over the next few years, Starwood is focused on expansion in developing MEA markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Nigeria. The company is also focused on growth opportunities in key emerging markets including Iraq, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and East Africa.

As Starwood continues its extensive expansion across MEA, the company is also focused on upgrading its existing portfolio of hotels in the region, primarily under the Sheraton and Le M�ridien brands and the expansion of the ultra-luxury St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Brand.

Further underscoring the importance of the region as one of Starwood's fastest growing hotel and travel markets, earlier this month the company relocated its global headquarters from Stamford, Connecticut to Dubai for a month-long immersion.

"With 80% of Starwood's pipeline coming from rapidly growing markets, it is simply not possible to lead a truly global business from a boardroom in Connecticut," said van Paasschen. "Dubai epitomizes the changing face of travel, and we expect this relocation will deepen our relationships with partners, associates and customers. The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today's rapidly changing world."   

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The Travel Marketing Store
Nicky Baxter 
Editor
The Travel Marketing Digest 
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