Alberta Business Marketing

All you have is stories.

Your destination marketing organization (DMO) benefits from the stories your guests tell about their experiences in your region. That’s part of what makes tech savvy travel writers and content creators of all sorts (think video, audio, photos too!) such an important part of your marketing effort.

• The good news: Travelers are beginning to tell stories. 1/3 of travelers have reported publishing feedback on the places they have visited at least once. The bad news: DMO’s and travel regions cannot control these stories.
• Stories are influential: 19% of travelers visit blogs prior to their visit, 27% check out reviews on TripAdvisor.com.
• Multimedia Matters: An incredible 42% of Travelers head over to Youtube to check out video on their chosen travel region.
• Spreading the Word: 33% of travelers use Facebook to learn more about travel options.

Travel Bloggers

Travel writers are well known advocates for the Travel Industry. Tech Savvy Travel writers (travel bloggers) tell interesting, compelling stories using a variety of online media. Travel Bloggers can strongly influence how people feel about visiting your region. Savvy DMO’s are now recruiting bloggers and giving them engaging travel experiences that the Destination Marketing Organization believes cast a positive light on their region.

Travel Bloggers are more than just a writers

Tech literate travel writers not only write stories about your region, they also:

* tell stories before, during and after their experience.
* are masters of multimedia: photograph, record audio and video.
* distribute stories across multiple Web sites and blogs.
* have followers across a variety of social media: blogs, facebook, twitter!

It’s all about getting your STORIES seen.

Last week I met with Lucy Izon, an award-winning travel writer at the Ontario Tourism Summit and we stopped for a quick chat on the value of tech savvy travel writers to grow visibility for your travel region.

Lucy is also a big fan of Twitter (@canadacool) with almost 30 000 followers! Talk about the ability to influence an audience.

Recruit a Blogger as a permanent Travel Writer for your Destination Marketing Organizaton

Bloggers are the new Travel Writers. Bloggers are multimedia specialists and are an important and underutilized asset that can quickly get your region the attention it deserves. Consider putting a blogger on the payroll of your Destination Marketing organization and set them loose in your community.

Regional Travel Blogs

• Spotted by Locals
• My Life in Leeds
• Go Visit Hawaii.com

Other Travel Blogging Posts

• Travel Bloggers: a different Breed of Media
• Blogging Networks: A great conversation about blogging networks
• Community Web presence Podcast with Darren Cronian
• Why Blogging Matters to Tourism – a conversation with Chris Brogan

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Tags: conferences & events, multimedia, tourism marketing
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In Pittsburgh, dozens and dozens of downtown businesses closed during the G20 Meetings, September 24-25, 2009.  Those that stayed open, saw minimal benefit.

“It’s like a ghost town. I don’t know why we opened today,” said the owner of a fast food restaurant.  “We’ll be throwing out over a thousand dollars in perishable food.  There just aren’t any customers.  We’ll be closed for the second day of the G20.  It’s too bad, Friday is usually our best day.”

The city of Pittsburgh left it up to individual businesses whether to remain open during the two-day summit, most chose to close.

“We know it’s an inconvenience,” Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said. “It will be a win for all the businesses. If more people come here because of this, every single business will get the benefit.”

BUT, that’s a big IF.

Hosting an International event of the significance of the G20 will, in the short-term, be a major expense and inconvenience for business. But will it be a small price to pay for long-term economic benefits? Only time will tell.

Leaders at this summit have declared the G20 to be the pre-eminent circle of global leaders, supplanting the G8.  As a result, the resort town of Huntsville, Ontario – will likely host a G20 event next June.  The lack of tangible short or medium term benefits for hosting such an event in early summer should be a concern to business leaders.

Meeting the needs of journalists and media

Huntsville, in the heart of Muskoka is cottage country with ample opportunities for outdoor adventure and nature tours.  Unfortunately, media at events like this don’t arrive early or stay late.  They come to town to do their job and leave once that job is complete.  Anyone considering offering special packages for journalists or delegates of the G20 will be very disappointed in the response of these short-stay visitors.

Links:

• Pittsburgh Business Times on the Benefits of Hosting G8

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Tags: conferences & events, economic development
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Edge of the Wedge is offered by http://www.gmist.ca in beautiful Gros Morne National Park.

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Tags: conferences & events, experiential tourism, gmist, gmist.ca, gros morne, tourism
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Edge of the Wedge is offered by http://www.gmist.ca in beautiful Gros Morne National Park.

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Tags: conferences & events, experiential tourism, gmist, gmist.ca, gros morne, tourism
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I recently jumped into work on a project involving a gathering of global significance on Greenland this July. Learn more and consider joining the social network at http://fireandiceceremony.ning.com

You might even consider applying to join me in Greenland. The event is very small due to the remote nature of the event, but important scientists and story-tellers will be there with spiritual leaders from around the world to discuss the significance of the melting of the big ice at the top of the world.
I am also looking at ways to bring this event to as many people as possible online.

As many of you know, I’m also a Climate Change presenter with Al Gore’s – The Climate Project which is taking place from May 14-16, 2009.
This is a live blogging stream from the Climate Project Summit in Nashville, Tennesse. I hope to share some photos and text that brings the most important messages from this event to the Web in real time. I plan to share updates through the day Thursday eve thru Saturday, May 16, 2009.

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Tags: al gore, climate change, conferences & events, the climate project
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