GROWING INTERNATIONAL SALES - Failte Ireland · Germany and France deliver 70% of our international...

Global Segmentation ToolkitUsing segmentation to win international sales

GROWING INTERNATIONAL SALES

CONTENTS

− Introduction

− CulturallyCurious

− SocialEnergisers

− GreatEscapers

−Understandingexperientialtourism

−Theexperiencewheel

− The5stagedigitalconsumerjourney

− Directandindirectsaleschannels

− Overview

− Airandferryroutes

− Snapshotofthemarket

− 5stepstodevelopingyoursalesplan

− Overseassalesactionplantemplate

− FáilteIreland

− TourismIreland

INTRODUCTION

In2013Irishtourismsawasignificantandwelldeservedgrowthinoverseasvisitornumberswithmanymarkets

nowbackorclosetopeakperformancelevels.Overallgrowthof7.2%in2013wasreflectedinanincreasefrom

GreatBritain(GB)of+5.6%,theUnitedStates(US)+14.5%,Germany+7.7%andFrance+9.4%.Forthefirstnine

monthsof2013,correspondingoverseasrevenuegrewby+13%andholidaymakersby+13%.Withgrowthof+11%

betweenDecember2013andFebruary2014,thepositivestartto2014isreflectedinallthemainsourcemarkets;

visitorsfromNorthAmerica(US&Canada)haveincreasedby+17%;GB+14%;Germany+16%andFrance+5%.

TourismIreland’stargetfor2014is8.2moverseasvisitors,anincreaseof1millionover2013.Whilethetrading

environmentinmostsourcemarketsremainschallengingtherearepositiveindicators.TosecurethisgrowthIreland

mustwinadditionalmarketshareinthemainmarketsandinadeterminedefforttodothis,thetourismagencies

ontheislandofIrelandarejointlyimplementinganew,evidence-basedconsumerglobalsegmentationmodel.

Thismodelprovidesnew,uniqueinsightsaboutthekeyconsumersegments;theirmotivations,thekindsof

experiencestheywillbuy,associatedmarketdifferentiatorsandthekeychannelintermediariestheyuse.

Threesegmentshavebeenprioritisedas:

1. Culturally Curious

2. Social Energisers

3. Great Escapers

Culturally Curioustendtobeslightlyolder,areveryindependentlymindedandareinterestedinplacesof

historicandculturalinterest.Social Energiserstendtobeyoung,lookingfornewexperiencesandexcitement.

Great Escapersareallaboutgettingawayfromitall,renewingfamilybondsandspendingtimetogetherina

beautifulplace.

Thistoolkit,Growing International Sales,formspartofaseriesofsalescapabilitysupportsforIrishtourism

industrytoaidinbettertargetingandmoreeffectivesellingintotherightchannelsandoveralltogrow

internationalsales.

| 1

The island of Ireland involves youand brings history to life

The island of Ireland allows you toimmerse yourself more fully and

connect with nature

EXPERIENCEIRELAND

Livinghistorical

stories

Active innature

Vibe ofthe city

Awakeningthe

senses

The island of Ireland’s urban

atmosphereis vibrantimmersive

and distinctive

The island of Ireland’s urban

atmosphereis vibrantimmersive

and distinctive

EVENTS

EVENTS

EVEN

TS EVEN

TS

BRAND IRELAND

AholidayinIrelandmustpresentanddeliveracredibleandengagingmemorytopotentialvisitors.Research

indicatestherearefivedifferentIrishholidaypillarsthatarehighlymotivatingforinternationalconsumers.

1. Living historical stories

2. Awakening the senses

3. Active in nature

4. Vibe of the city

5. Connecting with people

Festivalsandeventsareavitalcomponentthatunderpinthefivepillarswhileconnectionswithpeopleare

importantacrossallpillars.Aswellasbeingcrediblewithinternationalholidaymakers,developingpowerful

experienceswillhelpdifferentiateIrelandfromcompetitordestinations.

2 |

GLOBAL SEGMENTATION

Introduction

ThenewglobalsegmentationmodelistheresultoftwokeyreportsfromtheTourismRecoveryTaskForce;GB Path

to Growth 2012andGermany and France: A Strategy for Growth 2014.

ExtensiveresearchwasoriginallyconductedintheGBmarketandoncethemodelprovedsuccessfulthere,the

ideaofextendingittoothermarketswasconsidered.AdditionalresearchintheUS,GermanyandFrancevalidated

thesegmentsandascertainedthattheyappliedglobally.It’sworthrememberingthatbetweenthem,GB,theUS,

GermanyandFrancedeliver70%ofourinternationalvisitors.

Critically,theresearchfoundthat,inamarketingsense,peoplearebestdifferentiatedbythevaluestheyhold

andtheirindividualmotivationsratherthanbydemographicsornationality.Therearesomelocalnuancesacross

differentgeographicmarketsbuttheglobalnatureofthesegmentsiscompelling.Suchmarketnuancesshouldbe

reflectedonwhenplanningyourcommunicationandengagementwithconsumers.

What is segmentation?

Segmentationissimplythegroupingofpeopleaccordingtosomecriteria.Thenewmodel,basedgenerallyon

valuesandmotivations,underpinsawholerangeofdecisions,notjustspecificholidays.Forexample,peoplemay

chooseadifferenttypeofholiday(e.g.activity,relaxing)atdifferentperiodsoftheyear,butfundamentallytheyare

stillmotivatedbythesamevalues.Thenewmodellooksatwhypeopletakeholidaysandwhattheywanttofeel

fromthatholiday,bothduringandafter.

Themodelalsoallowsforthefactthatpeoplefromverydifferentdemographicsmayholdsimilarvalues-justbecause

somebodyisover50doesnotmeanthattheysuddenlyonlywanttovisitcastlesandgardensanddrinktea…

Why global segmentation?

TheglobalsegmentationapproachisdifferenttothosepreviouslyemployedtopromoteIrishtourism.Focusingon

motivationsratherthanneeds,itdeliversrichinsightsintopotentialvisitors,enablingmoreeffectivetargetingand

moreefficientuseofresources.

Which segments?

Whenchoosingwhichsegmentstoprioritise,thedecisionwasbaseduponIreland’sabilityto:

• Bringthesegmentfrom‘I’llcomesomeday’to‘I’llcomenow’

• Addressthecurrentbarrierstoconversionbypresentingthesegmentwithafreshandpositivelysurprisingtake

onIreland

• Capitaliseonasegment’swarmthtowardsIreland.Ifasegmentisnot‘warm’itwillbemuchmoredifficult(and

expensive)toconvincesuchholidaymakerstoholidayhere.

FáilteIrelandandTourismIrelandhaveprioritisedthreesegmentsinthefourmainmarketsofGB,US,Germany

andFrance.

1.CulturallyCurious2.SocialEnergisers3.GreatEscapers

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Comfortablerelaxed pace

Not beingtold what

to do

Broadculture: food &

café culture

‘Feeling’ of freedomExperience of discovery & authenticity

-new & different culture in all its facets:Fascinating & inspiration: ‘How & why’

Walking

Range ofexploration,

history, culture,architecture

Far awayfrom usualroutine &

culture

Learning

Localinsight

Accessibility

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Culturally Curious

Who are they?

Theychoosetheirholidaydestinationscarefullyandareindependent‘activesightseers’lookingtovisitnewplaces.

Theywantto‘doaplace’andareunlikelytoreturnforsometimeoncetheyhavevisitedit.Theytravelascouples

orontheirown.Iftheyhavechildren,theyhavegrownuporhavelefthome.Higherproportionofsingleadultsand

couples,fewerfamilygroups,slightlybiasedtowardsfemales.

TypicallyCulturallyCurioustravellersareouttobroadentheirmindsandexpandtheirexperiencebyexploring

newlandscapes,historyandculture.Theyarecuriousabouteverythingandaredelightedtodiscovertheworldfor

themselvesonceagain.MostCulturallyCuriousarearound40orover.

What they want from a holiday

They’reinterestedinallthataplacehastoofferandtheywantittobeauthentic.Theywon’tchooseabrandor

visitaplacejusttofollowtheherd.Thisistheirownexplorationandtheyreallywanttocovereverything,to‘do’a

place.TheCulturallyCuriouslovetodiscoverhistoryandalwaysfindwaysofgettingrealinsight.Theyarelooking

toencounternewplacesandexperiencesthatareoutoftheordinary.TheCulturallyCuriousliketofeelthatthey

havenotonlybroadenedtheirmindbutalsoimmersedthemselvesinaplace,givingtheirsensesaholidaytoo-the

sights,thesounds,thesmells,thetastes.Theyenjoyconnectingwithnatureandgettingoffthebeatentrack.They

likepeopletoshowaninterestandeducatethem-tofeelthey’veconnected.Theyreallyappreciatepersonalguides.

Culturally Curious: Self-directed rich discovery

4 |

Social, LocalMobile

What they don’t want

Toparty,toseethingsthey’veseenbefore,todopackagesor‘laidon’activities,tobetoldwhattodo.

Most likely to be seen doing

• Exploringlandscapes-MegalithicorearlyChristianrelics

• Castles,gardens,museums,countryhousesandartgalleries

• Literarytour,UNESCOsite,visitorcentre,browsingforbookstodeepentheirexperience

• Enjoyinggoodfoodandwine,particularlylocalspecialities

• Uniquelocalfestivalsandevents

• Gentleexplorationoftheplace-walking,cycling,pleasureboating

Holiday behaviour - how long and where?

CulturallyCuriousaremostlikelytostayinahotel,self-cateringaccommodationoraB&Baslongasthere’salotto

see.Theywillusuallychoosesomewherewithaccesstosceneryandgoodwalks.Theyarethreetimesmorelikelyto

takelongbreaksthanaveragebuttheyalsotakemoreshortbreaksthanaverage,bothathomeandoverseas.They

areunlikelytoreturnforawhileunlessadestinationistrulydiverse,preferringtomoveontonewdiscoveries.

What are they likely to pay more for?

• Somethingthatisoutoftheordinary

• Superiorservice-“peoplerecognisemebyname”

• Interested-“knowsme,knowswhatIwant”

• Ahumanguidethatoffersrealinsightintothehistoryofaplace

• Environmentallyfriendlyfeatures

What makes a great food and drink experience?

• Getthebesttableandbewelllookedafter

• Peaceandquietwithgoodwineandfood

• ClassicIrishmenuwithatwist

• Goodqualityfoodbecause“I’mlookingaftermyhealth”

• Personalisedservicewherepeoplecallme“Mr.…..”

• Midmorningbreakfast“soIcansleepin…”

Media habits

• Theiruseofsocialmediaisgrowing

• MediumtoheavyTVwhichdrivessomeonlinesearch

• Lighterinternetusage-preferenceforsearchratherthansocialmedia

• Newspapersareprominent

• Radioisimportant.

| 5

CULTURALLY CURIOUS -‐ UK

Image

NAME Vanessa AGE 38 PROFFESSION High School Principal

Interest/Hobbies Barriers to visiting Digital Interest Touch Points

Digital Travel Touch Points

•  Photography & Design (Creative Design)

•  Cookery (Ivy Manning) •  Keeping Fit (London

Strollers) •  Music and Theatre (West

End & Cirque du Soleil)

Not aware of the outdoor activities that Ireland has to offer. Believes that Ireland has a limited food offering from a fine dining perspective.

•  Huffington Post •  Creative Design •  BBC News •  Instagram (Sharolyn Wise) •  Buzzfeed •  Radio Times •  Guardian Guide •  Reuters •  Gawker

•  Guardian Travel •  Culture Trip •  In the Know Traveller •  Lescape •  British Travel Blog •  Mr & Mrs Smith •  Lastminute.com •  Timeout London •  World Travel Market

Implications Visual content appeals to Vanessa including informative articles showcasing culture news, galleries, crafts, photography and food. High quality photographic content that can be used standalone and within articles and distributed to visual social channels like Instagram and Pinterest with relevant social tagging is important to connect with Vanessa. From a distribution perspective, it’s important that our content reaches food, travel and culture-based blogs and online publications to reach Vanessa.

Meet Vanessa, she is a fan of things of beauty, photography, new design, music, mixology and fine cuisine from the world over. She loves photography exhibitions and uses her smartphone to share images from the world over, from her trips abroad to sharing artistic photos around her. She embraces Instagram to share her photos to a wider community using relevant hashtags like #regram and #tbt (Throw back Thursday) As an active person she is constantly looking for new experiences that take her off the beaten track. She likes walking tours around major European cities as she is looking to see what each city can offer her outside of a tour bus. When researching a holiday she’s looking for an authentic experience and researches on multiple sites to determine what galleries and museums to visit and small intimate places to stay.

CULTURALLY CURIOUS -‐ USA

Image

NAME Kevin AGE 36 PROFESSION Social Media Manager



•  Music •  Social Media •  Fashion •  Health and Fitness •  Television (HBO

Series & Mad Men) •  Technology (Windows

Surface & HTC)

Doesn’t see Ireland as offering the depth of diversity he seeks in terms of landscape, culture and history.

•  TedX & Wired •  Globalizer •  The Cultural Calculator •  Simply Measured •  Art on Air •  Huffington Post •  KickStarter •  YouTube •  Twitter .

•  Virgin Atlantic •  Trip Advisor •  Yelp •  Porter Airlines •  Getaway Magazine •  Business Travel News •  CAA Neo Travel •  About.com Travel •  Tripbase .

Implications The type of content which appeals to Kevin is that which brings to life the background history of a place – merging old with the new. As a Social Media Manager he responds well to peer to peer referrals, and is highly engaged on social platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. He is attracted to high quality video and photo content, and ‘snackable’ content such as Top 10 Lists. Social listening is critical to identifying and engaging with Kevin when he is online discussing his possible travel plans.

Kevin, a social media manger for a mid-size corporation enjoys keeping fit and follows Nike & New Balance to find out about the latest equipment. He also frequently checks into Pilates studios as well as letting his followers and colleagues know about new health products. A knowledge seeker, he is constantly engaging with current digital trends and reading up on entrepreneurship. He is a keen traveller who has been to Europe a number of times. He considers Rome, Budapest, Prague and Greece some of the best places he has visited due to their mix of ancient and modern. He likes to travel with his partner and both enjoy checking out local, authentic venues and tasting local foods. He is also quite active in his exploration of new places – always bringing his running/hiking boots so he can uncover new locations by foot. When searching for new places to explore, Kevin relies heavily on peer to peer recommendation sites as well as visiting trusted blogs.

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Culturally Curious: Digital Personas

6 |

CULTURALLY CURIOUS -‐ GER

Image

NAME Alexander Gorny AGE: 45, Married PROFFESSION: Engineer, BMW



•  History •  Technology / Engineering •  Hillwalking / Trekking •  Iconic Scenery •  News / Current affairs

•  Looks for warmer climates •  Not aware of what Ireland

has to offer •  Distance from Germany

•  Spex •  Der Spiegel •  Re-publica •  Wuv.de •  Stern •  Wallpaper.com

•  Tripadvisor •  AirBerlin & German Wings •  Travel Made Simple •  Slow Travel Berlin •  Frommers •  Lonely Planet

Implications Content should seek to educate i.e. informative articles that give Alexander a clear sense of what a destination has to offer. Content should be distributed to a mix of OTAs, third party interest sites and travel sections of media publications . Itineraries and regional brochures play a key role in helping Alexander plan and enjoy his trip, so having e-brochures and itineraries easily accessible as PDFs is important. Likewise, all content needs to be mobile friendly, and packaged up within apps which he can use while on holiday.

Alex is an engineer at BMW’s primary production plant in Milbertshofen, Munich, heading up a vehicle testing team. His logical and curious mind translates into his holiday research habits. He engages in meticulous research pre-trip, talking with friends to get specific recommendations and researching official tourist sites to really discover the must-dos of an area, planning every detail of his trip in advance. In addition to reading the Sunday Travel newspaper supplements, he accesses information via his iPad, mostly searching in the evenings and at weekends. Recent trips of note with his wife Doris have included a two week coastal trip of Croatia, visiting the world heritage sites of Dubrovnik, Split and the Plitvice Lakes National Park, and a Danish adventure to the scenic beauty of North Jutland and the historical epicentres surrounding Kronborg Castle and Roskilde Catherdral. He always travels with his iPad and iPhone by his side, and Frommers & Lonely Planet Guidebooks. .

CULTURALLY CURIOUS -‐ FR

Image

NAME Cedric Buisson AGE: 57, Married no kids PROFFESSION: Sales Manager



•  Documentaries •  Arts, Culture & Theatre •  Literature •  Museums & Galleries •  Current Affairs

•  Aventures en Islande •  Culture Spaces •  nuitdesmusees.culture.fr •  Le Monde •  Le Nouvel Observateur •  La Fourchette

•  www.viamichelin.fr •  Lastminute.com France •  Voyages-sncf.com •  www.voyage-prive.com •  Expedia.fr •  www.homair.com •  www.gralon.net

Implications The type of content that resonates most with Cedric is long form articles from reliable sources, i.e. respected travel bloggers and travel sections of media publications. Therefore, relationship building online with key influencers is critical to helping Cedric to decide which destinations to visit (consideration stage). Paid media on OTAs and review sites will also be key in creating initial visibility.

Cedric comes from Lyon. He and his wife, Celine, like going on romantic ‘learning’ breaks, together having explored Pompeii and Herculaneum, and have taken a two week tour through Transylvania, Bulgaria and the Balkans. He follow’s Adventure Holiday Providers & Novelle Frontieres for ideas on upcoming trips. He sees himself as a free-spirited adventurer, despite putting a lot of effort into planning every step of his trips. With a hectic work schedule, he likes to unwind by watching documentaries and particularly likes Bernard Natan films. Cedric also likes the theatre and is a regular attendee at Lyon’s Halle Tony Garnier Theatre. He is also a fan of the Night Museums. He follows Le Monde, Le Figaro, Le Point and Le Nouvel Observateur on Twitter to stay up to date on current affairs. A foodie, he refers to the Guide Michelin and the La Fourchette food review site when choosing places to eat.

Weather and price, believes that Ireland’s weather is always bad! Also price is a contributing factor. He is looking for value.

| 7

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Culturally Curious: Subtle differences between the markets

Acrossthefourmainmarkets,patternsandkeymotivationsfortheCulturallyCurioussegmentaremorealike

thandifferent.

• GB Culturally Curiouslikeauthenticity,areindependentandwanttoimmersethemselvesinaplace.They

likeconnectingwithpeople,nature,exploringculturalsitesandhavingfun.Won’tchooseaplacetovisittojust

followthecrowd.

• TheUS Culturally Curiousaresignificantlymoreinterestedinthingsthatarenewtothem,mindbroadening

andknowledgebuilding.Willhavedoneresearchandselectedtheirpreferredexperiences.WhileU.S.Culturally

Curiousaremorelikelytobeinterestedinfeelingspecialorspoiled,thisisstillwellbelow50%ofthem.

• German Culturally Curiousareslightlymorelikelytobeinterestedinpeaceandquiet,activeoutdoorand

coastalareas.Theyhavelessneedforthe‘wow’factor,solesssuperlativesareneeded,andagreaterfocuson

broadeningthemind.Thereisalsolessfocusongourmetfood.They,alongwiththeFrench,haveabsolutelyno

interestinmeetingandhavingfunwithothertourists.

• French Culturally Curiousshowslightlylessmotivationfor“funandlaughter”and“soakingupthe

atmosphere”-suggestingaveryslightlymoreserioustravellerthantheglobalaverage.Theyaremoreinto

breath-takingwildbeautyofthelandscapeandarealsoalittlemorelikelytowanttohaveheardsomething

aboutaplacebeforetheygo.Theyareslightlylesslikelytowanttobephysicallyhealthier.LiketheGerman

CulturallyCurious,theyhavenoabsolutelyinterestinmeetingandhavingfunwithothertourists.

Requirements

HowdoesmybusinessfittheCulturallyCuriousmotivations?

Whatdoesmybusinessofferthatmeetsthespecificwantsofthissegment?

WhatdeliversontheirdesiretodiscoverandlearnaboutIrishculture?

Whathelpsthemconnectwithlocalcultureandlearnaboutlocalstories?

WhatallowsthemtoimmersethemselvesinIreland?

8 |

Excitement % adrenalin rush - 24 hrStatus attached to the experiencing of it

- stories to tell on returnOut-of-the-ordinary for a city break

Thingsto do

Involved aspart of

the group

Sharing theexperience

New, out-of-the-ordinaryexperiences

Be at thecentre of it

Doing whatthe people inthat city do

Be occupied

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Social Energisers

Who are they?

Youngcouples/adultgroupslookingforexcitement,newexcitingexperiences,fun,socialholidaysinsomewhere

newanddifferent.

Agoodexample:agroupof28yearoldsonalongweekendinDublin.They’refriendsorcolleagues,lookingfora

cool,excitingtripsomewherenewandvibrant.


Theyreallylikehavingalaughandsharingtheadventurewiththeirfriends,theylovenewexperiencesandexploring

newplaces-themoreout-of-the-ordinary,themoreexciting,thebetter.It’sgreatifthere’slotstodoinarelatively

smallarea,sotheydon’thavetoplantoofarahead.They’reupforbeingspontaneous,asthisoftenleadstoeven

morefunandlaughterandareallygreatbreak.

SocialEnergiserswanttobeattheheartofitall-wherever’ssocial,whereverit’shappening.Buttheirdefinition

ofagoodtimeiswiderthanjustpartying.They’realsolookingforinterestingevents,funactivities,gigs.Always

readytotrynewthings-exploringthecitybydayforitsvibrancyanduniqueatmosphere,aswellasenjoying

thenightlife.SocialEnergiserswillgoforsomethingunusualaslongasithasthe‘wow’factorthey’relookingfor.

They’rehungryforexperiencesothey’relikelytobepackingeverythingin.

Social Energisers: Defining Fun & Excitement

10 |

Inspire, DeliverStay in touch


Peaceandquietareofftheagenda.AsSocialEnergisers,theywanttogetbackhomerevitalisednotrested.They

won’twastetimesearchingforsomethingorwaitingforthingstohappen.

Mostlikelytobeseendoing

• Latestenergetic,popularactivities

• Livelypubs,goodfood,musicandconversationwithlocals

• Contemporaryfestivals,entertainment,comedy,streetart

• ‘In’placestoshop,coolplacestoeat,bestsightseeingopportunities

• Visitingattractionswherefunispartofthedeal


SocialEnergisersaremostlikelytostayinahotelclosetotheaction.SomestayinB&Bs,guesthousesandhostels

aslongasthere’salotgoingonaroundthemthat’snewanddifferent.Thisisthemostlikelygrouptogoto

Europeancitiesandevenfurtherafieldinsearchofthesekindsofexperiences.Theyarealsomorelikelytotakea

shorterbreakoftwoofthreenights.

What are they more likely to pay more for?


• Anall-inclusivepackage(flight,accommodationandcarhire)makesiteasyforthemtogetfromoneexperience

tothenext

• Aholidayofferedbyawellknownbrand


• Greatatmosphere

• Atableinthecentreoftheaction

• Trendiestrestaurantintown

• Goodwholesomefoodsthatarelocalandtellastory

• Trendycocktaillist

• Artisancoffeeandqualityteaandcoffeeshops

• Brunchbecause“Iliketopartylate”

Media habits

• Heavysocialnetworkers-accesstotheinternetwherevertheyareisvital

• Mostownasmartphone

• Socialmediaplaysabigpartintheirlives

• Heavyinternetusers

• LightusersofTV&print

• Cinemaispopular

| 11

SOCIAL ENERGISER -‐ UK

Image

NAME Amanda Kennedy AGE 28 PROFFESSION Marketer



•  Photography •  Music and gigs: Frank Turner,

Ventura Nights, NaHves. Also recording music

•  Cycling: Mountain biking •  Technology •  Nights out with friends:

Cinema – Likes Beetle Juice and Run Lola Run

•  Doesn’t think Dublin is cool. •  More aSracted to other

European ciHes which have reputaHons for more vibrant cultural scenes and nightlife.

.

•  Tech City News •  Made Good Bikes •  Perfect Pint •  SoundCloud & Grooveshark •  Serious Eats •  Open Data Challenges •  Instagram

•  Guardian Travel •  Culture Trip •  In the Know Traveller •  Mr & Mrs Smith •  Lastminute.com •  Timeout London •  Airbnb.com

Implications

Amanda works and lives in London and is a keen traveller as well as blogger. She has her own website and likes to keep up to date with different technology. She likes to go out with her friends to off the beaten track places like Burger Bear in London which serves burgers and a disco. She loves music and gigs and likes Frank Turner, NaHves and follows digital music trends. This has lead her to set up her own SoundCloud account where she stores her favourite remixes. She is very keen about discovering the new sites and sounds of London. She recently went to Norway to see the Northern Lights , the caves and the beauHful scenery. She is quoted as doing some of her best thinking on her bike. When she travels, Amanda is looking for the whole package of culture, nightlife and adventure.

With a love for unique features, content that pulls out the quirky and unusual places, menus and acHviHes in Dublin, is key for Amanda. Short, punchy arHcles play a role in helping her plan a trip. Strong visual content such as photography and illustrated maps help to make a connecHon with her on visual social channels (Instagram / Pinterest). Using curated content from events and fesHvals, a relaHonship can be fostered direct with organisers that are genuine and authenHc to Amanda. Keen to explore by bike, maps available offline and on mobile help Amanda when she visits a desHnaHon.

SOCIAL ENERGISER -‐ USA

Image

NAME Eric Simmons AGE 26 PROFESSION Illustrator



•  Online Gaming •  Music •  Design/illustraHon •  Fashion •  Comics •  Street Art

•  Distance between New York and Ireland seems vast.

•  Lack of knowledge of Ireland’s culture, restaurants, music and bars.

.

Implications As a creaHve, Eric is aSracted to high quality content. Illustrated maps naturally, but video and photo essays too. A discerning cultural criHc, content needs to be unique and different to catch his aSenHon. Always online, sharing his experiences through TwiSer and Instagram is constant, while Tumblr is a window to his carefully curated tastes. He rewards good content via sharing. Social listening is criHcal to engaging with Eric.

Eric, a ConnecHcut naHve, has found his true home in hipsterville Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Working as an illustrator n a SoHo creaHve agency, he likes to think of himself as the official office culture vulture, keeping everyone up to speed on cultural happenings in the Brooklyn hood. He follows all his favourite local bars, restaurants and music venues on TwiSer. He is keen to find out about special offers and upcoming events, and always eager to learn where a new bar is opening, or a party is about to kick off. His Tumblr account provides updates on his fascinaHon with street art, comics, taSoos and veganism. A gamer, he is a fan of Call of Duty and retro Nintendo games. He prides himself on making sure his t-‐shirt collecHon is one of a kind, buying regularly online from Threadless, AlternaHve Apparel and Opening Ceremony.

•  CoolHunHng •  Flavorpil •  Gothamist •  TwiSer •  Facebook •  Instagram •  Tumblr

•  Tripadvisor •  Airbnb •  Travels of Adam •  Fox Nomad •  VICE Magazine •  Thrillist.com

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Social Energiser: Digital Personas

12 |

SOCIAL ENERGISER-‐ GER

Image

NAME: Sabina Hein AGE: 32 PROFESSION: Chef



•  Food •  Cinema •  Culture •  CreaHvity •  Nightclubbing

•  Has a percepHon that Ireland is not cool or contemporary.

•  Unaware of the cultural acHviHes and nightlife in Dublin.

•  Facebook •  Food blogs -‐ Kekstester

and MulHkulinarisch •  Candycrush •  Girlsgogames.de •  Kaltblut Magazine •  Electronic Beats

•  Tripadvisor •  Proud •  German Wings •  Slow Travel Berlin •  Suddeutsche Zeitung •  DK Travel •  Lonely Planet

Implications Urban experiences around creaHvity, food and nightlife are paramount for Sabina, so content must reflect these in fresh and vibrant ways to aSract her aSenHon. Unique first person POVs and word-‐of-‐mouth influence her travel decisions as she seeks out the new. Using her tablet for online shopping and showrooming, Sabina browses for good offers and can make quick decisions, so content must be opHmised for mulH-‐screen browsing.

When work finishes on a Saturday night, Sabina is oden to be found at Salon Zur Wilden Renates, a house party venue with an actual underground labyrinth – perfect for checking out new bands. Sundays are all about flea markets -‐ Mauerpark for vintage threads, GDR kitchenware and Nowkoelln for local art. She loves Berlin in the summer when she and her friends take part in group Karaoke at Mauerpark, watch a film at the Friedrichschain Open Air Cinema, chill out at bars such as Yaam and Chez Jacki on the banks of the Spree, before taking a plunge in the barge-‐cum-‐pool of The Badeschiff. She has taken part in an aderhours museum crawl during the Long Night of the Museums. She loves escaping the city to one of the nearby lakes. Holidays that combine her love of quirky urban experiences with outdoor adventure are perfect – a recent four day trip with her boyfriend to Istanbul blew her mind.

SOCIAL ENERGISER-‐ FR

Image

NAME Victoria Moreau AGE 28 PROFESSION: Fashion Student



•  Fashion •  Blogging •  City Breaks •  Food and Wine •  Snowboarding

•  Paris by Mouth •  Marie Claire •  Hipsters in Paris •  From Paris •  Garance Doré •  The Sartorialist

•  Mr & Mrs Smith •  Luxe City Guides •  lastminute.com (France) •  Expedia.fr •  Airbnb •  Vogue

Implications Personal brand is everything for Victoria. Forging her way in the fashion world, she updates her personal blog, TwiSer and Instagram like clockwork. Between selfies and snapping street style, her life is recorded digitally and shared. Priding herself on personal recommendaHons from peers, facilitaHng relaHonships is key to connecHng with Victoria. Content that champions the unique – e.g. crad beers, latest food trends and fashion -‐ will appeal to Victoria. She seeks content that she can consume via mobile and visual social channels. (Instagram / You Tube).

A fashion business student at MOD’SPE Paris, Victoria is determined to make it to the top of the fashion buying world. She has already established a voice for herself via her personal blog, TwiSer and Instagram presences. Ticketless, she watched the Dior Show live on Facebook, followed by a YouTube documentary around the Fendi Spring/Summer Show, ‘Inside the Mothership’. Using her Galaxy S3, she documents street style, jeing around the city easily with the help of her Paris Metro App. She watches a lot of videos on her phone, as well as listening to music via SpoHfy.

•  Distance to Dublin is perceived to be too far for a city break.

•  Doesn’t come across relevant content related to her interest streams.

| 13

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Social Energisers: Subtle differences between the markets

• GB Social Energisersholidayingroups,mainlycitydestinations,likethespontaneityandpartyingatmosphere

incoolandvibrantvenues.Don’tliketoplantoofarahead.

• US Social Energisersareslightlymorelikelytobeinterestedinthe‘wow’factor,experiencingthingsthatare

newtothemandarekeentosoakuptheatmosphere.Explorationisalsoslightlymoreimportant(theyare

comingfromfartherawaythantheirEuropeancounterparts)aswellasfunandlaughter.Foodanddrinkare

moreimportanttoUSSocialEnergisersthantoothers.USSocialEnergisersareslightlymorelikelytostayina4

starormid-rangeaccommodation.

• MoresothanotherSocialEnergisers,German Social Energisersalsowantfreedom,tobeactiveand

adventurousoutdoors,ratherthanparty.Theyaremoreintobroadeningtheirmindsthanpartying.50%of

FrenchSocialEnergisersratepartyingbutjust28%ofGermans.However,forGermanSocialEnergisers,partying

isstillverystrongrelativetootherthings.

• French Social Energisersaremoreintopartyingandmoreintothebeautyofnatureandlessinclinedtowards

physicalactivitythanotherSocialEnergisers.Theyarealsoslightlylesslikelythantheglobalaveragetobe

motivatedbybroadeningtheirthinking.ThesinglebiggestdifferencebetweentheFrenchandotherSocial

EnergisersisthattheFrencharemuchmoremotivatedbypartying.

Requirements

HowdoesmybusinessfittheSocialEnergisers’motivations?


DoIhavealistingoffuneventslike‘What’sontonight?’

Whatis‘wow’oroutoftheordinarycloseby?

Istheresomethingunique/differentthattheycandoandthenbragaboutwhentheygethome?

14 |

Water;coast, river

lakes

Experiencingthe elements:stars, water

Feeling of release- getting away from stress & revitalisingExploration (landscape, history) as a way of

connecting and bondingBeing part of the landscape and the elements

Easily accessible

Relaxing withfriends and

family

Nature &rural

Picturesquelandscapes

Away fromit all/the

stress

Take yourbreathaway

Unusual -greater sense of

explorationAccessibility

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Great Escapers

Who are they?

Theyareoftencouples,approximately30yearsold,somewithbabiesorquiteyoungchildren.Mostareinserious

needoftimeoutfrombusylivesandcareers.Theyarespecificallyinterestedinruralholidaysandtravelverymuch

asacoupleorfamily.GreatEscapersareonholidayforabreak,togetphysicalwithnature,andtoreconnectwith

theirpartner.Morelikelytotakepartinslightlymorestrenuous,butnotextreme,exploration.Moreinterestedthan

othersegmentsingettingconnectedtonatureespeciallythemoreremoteandexcitingplaces.


Toconnectwiththelandscape,tofeeltheearthbeneaththeirfeet,tosoakupthebeauty.Asenseofhistory,of

theirplaceinthevastnessofnature-theywanttofeelpartofit.AgainstthiskindofbackdropGreatEscaperscan

spendrealqualitytimebondingwiththoseclosesttothem.Theycanrebalancethemselvesandtakestockoftheir

lives,concentratingonwhat’simportanttothem.Theyappreciatepeaceandquietbetweenactivities…thepointis

thetripitself.It’s‘downtime’,it’sbeingoffthebeatentrack,it’sagreatescape.Butit’simportantthatgettingaway

fromitalliseasyenough-theywantthe‘wow’factorwithouttoomucheffort.Mostimportantly,GreatEscapers

wanttocomehomerefreshedandrevitalised,theirbatteriesrecharged.

Great Escapers

16 |


Tomakeconnectionswithotherpeople-localsorothersonholiday-theydon’tneedto,they’retheretobewith

eachother.Theydon’tlikecrowdedplaces.

Mostlikelytobeseendoing

• Escapingtobreath-takinglandscapes

• Activelyexploringmoreremoteandexcitingplaces,onfootorbybicycle

• Standingenvelopedineachother’scompanyonthetopofamountainorcliff

• Visitingacastleoralandmark

• Gentleexplorationoftheplace-walking,cycling,pleasureboating

• Relaxedmealoffreshlocalproduce,orafuneveninginanauthenticpub


Theyarelikelytotakemoreshortbreaksthantheaveragevisitor.Irelandoffersplentyofwhatthey’relookingfor.

What are they more likely to pay more for?

• Superiorservice-“peoplerecognisemebyname”

• Interested-“knowsme,knowswhatIwant”


• Thingsthattakethehassleaway


• Anauthenticexperienceinalocalhotelorpub

• Greatqualitylocalfoodatavalueprice

• Agoodfoodqualitychildren’smenu

• Ahighenergybreakfastandtheoptionofbringingapicniclunch

• AquietroomsoIcanunwindfrommyhecticschedule

• AnIrishcheeseboardbythefireatnight

Media habits

• LighttomediumTVusers,duetobusyscheduleandyoungchildren.Programmeschoiceoftendictated

bychildren

• Internetiskeysourceofinformationforworkandleisure

• Light-mediumusersofsocialmedia

• Light-mediumuseofnewspapers;catchinguponnewsonlineispopular

• Cinemavisitevery2-3months,oftenwithchildren

| 17

GREAT ESCAPER -‐ UK

Image

Implica4ons Content that appeals to John needs to communicate speed and ease of access to a variety of ac@vi@es, close to airport hubs. Although he likes to connect with nature in the moment, he also likes to post #latergrams of his adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Working every second weekend, his travel go-‐tos are supplement and lifestyle sites. He likes info in diges@ble formats, such as top 10 lists which are stuck on the fridge. Visual content that shows breathtaking landscapes are a key travel mo@vator. Mobile is key channel for him to access content.

•  Running •  Mountain biking •  Health Food •  Yoga •  TV Show – House of

Cards, Game of Thrones

Interests/Hobbies •  Believes Ireland is expensive,

par@cularly when it comes to dining out.

•  Limited @me is a factor, with a busy work schedule, his usual escapes are within close proximity to home.

•  Unaware of diverse outdoor ac@vi@es on offer in Ireland.

Barriers to Visi4ng Digital Interest Touch Points

•  The Independent •  The Observer •  The Times •  NeWlix •  Yogaglo •  MindBodyGreen •  Elephant Journal •  Facebook •  Instagram


•  Lastminute.com •  BBC Travel •  Travel Zoo •  SecretEscape •  Guardian Travel •  TheJournal.co.uk •  The Sunday Times

John works as a paramedic with the North East Ambulance service – stress is part of his daily working life! To help de-‐stress, he runs 3-‐4 @mes a week with his local running club, Tyne Bridge Harriers, and aims for a half-‐marathon/marathon every year – the Great North Run is his favourite. A yogi, he subscribes to Yogaglo, watching ‘how to’ videos so he can cram in a yoga session at home. He also follows a number of health and lifestyle sites like MindBodyGreen and ElephantJournal for daily posi@ve pep-‐ups. As an NHS employee, his salary doesn’t allow an overly extravagant lifestyle, so he subscribes to daily emails from deal plaWorms like Groupon, Wowcher and Achica.

NAME John Gills AGE 32 PROFESSION Paramedic

GREAT ESCAPER -‐ USA

Image

Jen studied interior design and the arts before se`ng up her own studio in downtown LA. A mum of two, she spends her days juggling the needs of her young kids alongside the demands of her small business. Work-‐life balance is a constant struggle, weekly Bikram yoga classes, weekend bike rides and runs down the Santa Monica pier help keep her sane, but to really take a break from it all, she has to schedule in ‘away @me’ for her and the family. Together, they’ve already explored the Redwood Forests of the Yosemite Na@onal Parks, driven Lake Tahoe’s spectacular Western Shoreline and got lost on the West Coast of France. She looks for opportuni@es to leave behind the trappings of city livings, turn off her iPhone and get close to nature, to help her rekindle her rela@onship with her equally busy insurance rep husband and her kids.

NAME Jen Nilson AGE 35 PROFESSION Interior Designer

Barriers to Visi4ng

•  Biking •  Interior Design •  TV Shows -‐ Breaking

Bad, Modern Family •  Healthy Ea@ng

•  Unaware of what Ireland has to offer in terms of natural beauty and outdoor facili@es. Perceives Ireland as small, full of history and culture.

•  Sees US na@onal parks as very accessible -‐ just load up the car and go. Ireland seems far away with two kids.

Digital Interest Touch Points


•  Loves Apps! Whatsapp, Amazon, Nike+

•  Wallpaper •  Apartment Therapy •  Design Sponge

•  Na@onal Geographic Traveller •  LA Times •  Travel Zoo •  SecretEscapes •  Condé Nast Traveller

Implica4ons Content that appeals to Jen's daydreaming a`tude to life is a must. Escaping and re-‐connec@ng with herself and her family are a priority, so content must reflect current lifestyle trends, such as digital detoxing. With a huge emphasis on healthy ea@ng, content showcasing Ireland’s food quality and traceability would appeal to Jen. For distribu@on, it is important content is hosted on Pinterest and makes use of Google's in-‐app display network to reach busy mul@-‐taskers like Jen.

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Great Escaper: Digital Personas

18 |

GREAT ESCAPER -‐ GER

Image

Interests/Hobbies Barriers to Visi4ng Digital Interest Touch Points


•  Music •  Art •  Sun Holidays •  Pilates •  Medita@on •  Art

•  Unaware of what Ireland has to offer.

•  Ojen holidays in in neighbouring countries, so accessibility may be an issue.

•  Doesn't perceive Ireland to offer mix of great food, family getaways, culture and outdoors.

•  Google •  Konkret Magazine •  Monopol Magazine •  Juice •  Intro.com •  Facebook •  Instagram •  YouTube

•  Booking.com •  Airbnb •  AirBerlin •  Homelidays •  Tripadvisor

Implica4ons With a busy gallery and family life, spontaneity does not influence Conny's travel plans. During extensive researching, she seeks out family focused reviews, culture magazines and sites with ‘Top Places for Family Holidays’. Peer-‐to-‐peer content ins@ls trust and influences her decision making. Content found through family related keyword search is important for her.

Conny is a 37 year old single mom of two. Having studied Fine Arts at Berlin University of the Arts, she went on to work in a number of art galleries in Berlin and Bremen, before returning to her home town of Koln to set up her own gallery. She is par@cularly interested in the arts, theatre and music. Her other down-‐@me ac@vi@es include pilates, hiking and daily medita@on. Hiring a new assistant for her gallery has finally given her the confidence to spend @me enjoying travel. Generally, she looks for an easy escape, holidaying in neighbouring Austria, France or further afield to Spain. The North of Ibiza is her perfect escape haven. When researching holidays, she generally uses Google search and sites like Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Homelidays and the Air Berlin website.

NAME Conny Soddemann AGE 37 PROFESSION Art Gallery Owner

GREAT ESCAPER -‐ FR

Image

NAME Laurent Muzellec AGE 40 PROFESSION Designer

Laurent is a mother of three residing in the Cóte d’Azur. When she is not working or looking ajer her children she loves to read magazines like French Morning and listen to the likes of Carla Bruni, Lescop and Les Femmes. She has a keen interest in Social Media and follows the French equivalent of the Social Media Examiner – Map Social. This gives her @ps for her Twioer, Pinterest and blog. She longs for the perfect trip and reads blogs about the Seychelles. She uploads photos of her trips and follows the Lonely Planet keenly for the perfect get away for her and her family. She looks at TMS travel and the Family on Bikes site to get inspira@on as to where she and her family can have an alterna@ve holiday. She likes wine and discovers the latest wines from sites like the Glass of Bubbly. She users her Android smartphone to upload photos to Instagram and document her favourite designs from Pure Design Interna@onal.

Interests/Hobbies Barriers to Visi4ng Digital Interest Touch Points


•  Wri@ng •  Reading •  Music •  Fine wine •  Food •  Cycling •  Skiing

•  Doesn’t perceive Ireland to be a des@na@on of fine wine and dining.

•  Unaware of range of ac@vi@es available, only knows there is no skiing.

•  French Morning •  Pure Design Interna@onal •  WritersCarnical •  Pinterest •  Twioer •  Map Social •  Glass of Bubbly

•  Familyonbikes.com •  Lonely Planet •  Trivago •  TMS Travel •  @Kids_away •  Blogger.com, healthy holidays,

family travel

Implica4ons A keen Android smartphone user, mobile is a key content touch point for Laurent. With an interest in social media, she values genuine two way conversa@on and direct assistance. For this, social listening is ideal. Ac@ve on Pinterest and Twioer, visual content is important to her. Holiday research is always extensive, but not limited to travel sites. Lifestyle magazine on outdoor ac@vi@es, fine wines and food also influence her travel plans.

| 19

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

Great Escapers: Subtle differences between the markets

Averysimilarpatternisvisibleacrosscountries,withfeelingconnectedtonatureandspendingtimewithmyother

halfas‘classic’GreatEscapertraits.

• GB Great Escaperslikeconnectingwithlandscape,havingqualitytimetogetherandmorelikelytostayinself-

cateringaccommodationinruralIreland.Want‘wow’momentswithouteffortandenjoyingdowntimeoffthe

beatentrack.

• US Great Escapersvalueflexibilityandfreedomtochangeplans.Theyprefertomoveattheirownpaceinan

unrestrictedway.

• German Great EscapershaveanevengreaterfocusonnatureandgettingruralthanGreatEscapersfrom

othermarkets.Theyhavelessneedforthe‘wow’factor-theyaremoreinterestedthanothersinsimple

natureandruralIreland.Themostmarkeddifferencefromtheirglobalcounterpartsisthelackofimportance

of‘gourmet’food.

• French Great EscapersarelessactivewhenoutdoorsthanGreatEscapersfromothercountries.Tobalance

that,theywantmoreculture.Theyarelessexplorationfocussed.FrenchGreatEscapersarelessmotivatedthan

theirUScounterpartsonasitebeingfamous.

Requirements

HowdoesmybusinessfitthemotivationsofGreatEscapers?


Wherecantheyengagewithnaturetogetthatspecialqualitytimetogether?

Wherecantheygetpeaceandquiet,personalserviceandrelaxingatmosphere?

20 |

EXPERIENCES

Delivering Memorable Tourism Experiences

Agreattourismexperiencehasastrongideaatitsheart.Itissomethingwhichonedoes, seesorfeelswhichis

(ideally)uniqueanddistinctivetoaparticularplace.Itisinherentlypersonal,engagingthesenses,andmaking

connectionsonanemotional,physical,spiritual,intellectualorsociallevel;creatingalastingmemoryanddriving

repeat and referral sales.

AgreattourismexperiencerespondstothespecificmotivationsoftheCulturallyCuriousortheGreatEscaperor

theSocialEnergiser.

Understanding experiential tourism

Forvisitorstoday,it’slessabout‘doing’somethingandmoreaboutfeelingthattheyaretrulyimmersedinaplace

oranactivity.Anexperienceiswhatavisitorgainsfromthecombinationoftheplace,itsattractions,productsand

activities,and really importantly, it’s about the people they encounter - along with the stories they tell.

Thinkofitlikethis.Ifyoubuyfishfromafishmonger,youarebuyingacommodity.

Ifyoubuyafishpieinthelocalsupermarketyouarebuyingagood.

Ifyouorderfishinarestaurant,youarebuyingaservice.

Butifyouwenttoacookeryschoolinabeautifulpartofthecountryforaweekofrelaxationandcookeryclasses,

pickedyourfishatalocalmarket,learnedhowbesttoprepareitinthelocalpreferredstyle,maybeheardtalesof

howfishinghassustainedthelocalcommunityorindeedlendyourhandatlandingyourowncatch…andthen

finallygottotastethefinishedproduct….thatwouldbeanexperience!

And the Benefits?

For the visitor… Theofferismoreattractiveandhasgreaterpotentialtoinspireandmotivatethevisitortopurchase.

Theexperienceishighlyimmersiveandinvolvingforthevisitor,isofhighquality,uniquetothelocalplaceand

peopleandoveralldeliversahighlevelofsatisfactionforthevisitor….resultinginwonderfulholidaymemoriesthat

arere-livedandshared!

For the business… addingvalueallowsthetourismbusinesstofocusonthekeymotivationsofthevisitorsegment,

adjustitsoffering,diversifyintonewsaleschannels,includingdigitalchannelsandincreasesalesrevenues

(upselling/crossselling)andinmanycasescommandbetteryields.

Guiding principles

Memorabletourismexperienceshavethefollowingincommon:

• Visitor centric -focussedonunderstandinganddeliveringuponcustomerneeds,motivationsandexpectations.

• Authentic-Irishexperiencesmustbewellmanagedandpresented,basedonstrongthemesandstories,but

theymustalsoretaintheirauthenticity.

22 |

Feel

ing

enlig

hten

ed b

y st

orie

s th

atre

sona

te a

nd la

st a

life

tim

e

Feeling energised and instilled witha real connection to the place

Feeling enriched by imm

ersionin the local culture

and the personal service experienced

Feeling valued by the quality on offer

Product

Narration

MEMORABLETOURISM

EXPERIENCE

Service

Stor

y

1. A good story is at the heart of any experience

3. Is your infrastructure (and the business partners you work with) and equipment of a high standard?

2. How will you make the experience truly immersive?

1. Good service begins before the visit (see visitor journey*)

3. Experiencing world class service with a local twist

2. Meeting passionate and hospitable peoplethroughout the visitor journey

3. Does your story add to the overall experience and does it mean something to an overseas visitor?

2. What is unique about your story?

1. Communication that informs and motivates

3. Are you encouraging people to share your story through social media and other mediums?

2. Themes and stories are well narrated throughout visitor journey*

1. How will the experience be delivered on site?

The Experience Wheel -

Components of a

Memorable Tourism Experience

TheExperienceWheelcaptures

thecomponentsthatcombine

todeliveramemorableexperience.

• Commercial-tourismexperiencesmustcreateimpactinordertomotivateandgeneratetheappropriatevisitor

interest.Whereverpossible,thatinterestmustthenbeconvertedintosales,eitherdirectlyorindirectly.

• People led-proactivelyengagewithvisitors,adoptingtherequiredlevelsofprofessionalism,inapersonable

andfriendlymanner.

• World class with a local twist

• Sustainable

• Product-oneofthecoreelementsisqualityproduct.

It’simportanttonotethat‘product’includesthemainproduct offering;alongwiththeplaceandthe

environmentwhichisintegraltothatactivity;

supporting products,suchasaccommodation,foodetc.

andinfrastructuresuchastransportation,wifi,signageetc.

• Serviceplaysavitalroleinthevisitorexperience.Itisthepeoplewhodeliverahighquality,considerate,

personalservicethatcanmakeanexperiencereallymemorable.

• Storiesaretheidentifiedreasontheproduct/activitystandsoutwhenitisconsumedinIrelandratherthan

anywhereelse.Irelandisalandofstorytellerslikenoother…wecanreallyexcelinthisarea!Itisthestoriesthat

driveauniqueIrishexperience.Remember,storiesarenotlimitedtothespokenword,it’sreallyaboutensuring

thevisitorgetsastrongsenseoftheplaceandthepeople.

• Narrationisaboutcommunicatingthesethemesandstories...thisiswhatreallydeliversontheexperience

elementforthevisitor...a real sense that they have learned or discovered something new and engaged

with the people and the place.

| 23

EXPERIENCES

Components of a Memorable Tourism Experience continued

Culturally Curious Social Energisers Great Escapers

Fun, excitement ✓

Away from it all ✓

Meet the locals ✓ ✓

Enriching ✓

Personal development ✓

Different, authentic ✓ ✓ ✓

Participative ✓ ✓ ✓

Want to feel

connected to the

place. Broaden

my mind

Want to feel

stimulated, excited

Want to feel

connected to nature

and loved ones.

Elated, refreshed

Culturally Curious

IN JOYCE’S FOOTSTEPS

It’salovelywalkfromDúnLaoghairedowntoSandycove…pasttheseawallwiththequote(fromAPortrait

oftheArtistasaYoungMan)“Thefirstfaintnoiseofgentlymovingwaterbrokethesilencelowandfaintand

whispering”…downtoseethewavessplashingattheFortyFootandthe“snotgreensea”…intotheMartello

Towertoconsumethearchive,thenupthenarroweststairwellandoutontotheroof,whereyoumaypause,

seeingandhearingthatopeningscenefromUlyssesinyourmind’seyeandear,andwonderingat“the

surroundingcountry,andtheawakingmountains”…FromthereyoucouldwalkontotheWriters’Galleryat

DalkeyHeritageCentre,tolearnsomemore…YoumaywanttocomebackfortheDalkeyBookFestival,orfor

DúnLaoghaire’sMountainstoSeaBookFestival…andofcourseyou’llbewantingtocomebackon16thJune

forBloomsday.Youwill,won’tyou?Sureyouwill!

24 |

Social Energisers

I3 WAYS TO SHOOT THE (MOUNTAIN) BREEZE

1. Not for the fainthearted-anighttimevisittothesiteoftheinfamous18thcenturyHellfireClubfora

hauntedhistorytour.ClearlyvisibleontheDublinMountainsskylineit’safamouslandmarkintheseparts

withanotorioushistoryofdrinkingandexcess…Anditwasbuiltonthesiteofaprehistorictomb,sosaid

tohavestirredthewrathoftheDevilhimself…

2. Go on a Mountain Pub crawl…JointhelocalshalfwayupaMountainforAnSéisiúnofIrishsong,dance

andcráicattheMerryPloughboy,apubownedbymusicians…sitoutsidetheBlueLightonastillnight

andseethelightsofDublinCityspreadoutatyourfeet…joinatraditionalhooleyatJohnnieFox’s,saidto

beIreland’shighestpub…

3. Test your skills on the challenging Ticknock Mountain Bike Trail…8kmofpurpose-builtnetworkof

forestroadclimbsandtwistysingletrack…loadsoffastdescents,upsanddowns,tightturnsandtechnical

rockybits,guaranteedtoleaveyousmiling!Thatandtheamazingvistasovercityandbay...

Great Escapers

TAKE THE CABLE CAR FOR ‘EUROPE’S LAST SUNSET’

It’sadramaticdrivealongthenorthedgeoftheremoteBearaPeninsula,withviewsnorthandwestacross

themusselraftsandsealcoloniesinKenmareBay,toIreland’shighestmountains,andtheghostlyoutline

oftheSkelligsoutatsea.ThelandendsattheDurseySound-wherestrongtidesmaketravellingbyboat

hazardous.YetouttoseaisDurseyIsland,oneofover100islandsoffWestCork-sevenofwhich,including

thisone,areinhabited.Threefamiliesliveandfarmonthistinyisland,andyoucantakea10-minuteride-

abovethewaves,onIreland’sonlycablecar-toexploreitonfoot.There’salighthouse,castleruins,asignal

tower,standingstones,andstunningsunsets-knownlocallyas“Europe’slast”.Butdotakenoteofthecable-

caretiquetteinthiscorneroftheworld:theresidents-withorwithouttheirsheep-takepriorityovervisitors

inthequeueforacrossing.

Requirements

Doesmybusinessofferatrueexperience?

Whatexperiencescanmybusinessdeliveron?

Whatismyproduct,howandwheredoIdeliverservice?

WhatismystoryandhowdoIcommunicateittovisitors?

| 25

THE DIGITAL CONSUMER JOURNEY

Creatingyourstoryandassociatedcontent,beitimagery,videoorarticlesisthefirstcrucialstepinthejourney.

Thenextistocommunicateittotherightsegment,intherightplaceattherighttime.

UtilisingtheGoogle 5 Stages of Travel Modelthetablebelowadvisesthekeyactionstobetakenateachstageof

thedigitaljourneytocommunicateyourstorytothe3targetsegments.

Dreaming

Sharing Planning

Experiencing Booking

26 |


DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARINGC

ULT

UR

ALL

Y C

UR

IOU

S 1. Ensureyourwebsiteisaccessibleacrossalldevicese.g.mobile,tabletanddesktop

2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoCulturallyCuriouse.g.historytour,culturalholidays,nature&beauty

3. Ensureyourwebsiteiseasytofindoninternationalsearchengines,e.g.Google.fr,Google.deetc

4. Ensureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualityimagerye.g.scenicshots,people,culturalorheritageattractionsnearyourbusiness

5. Ensureyourwebsiteimageryandlanguageappealstointernationalvisitors,notjustdomesticvisitors

6. SubmityourbusinesstoGooglePlaces

7. Implementan‘emailsign-up’featureonyourwebsite

8. Establishasocialpresence(featuringhighqualityimagery)onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest

9. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfromlocalculturalbusinessesviaTwitter

10. ImplementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsiteandcreateblogcontentthatisrelevanttotheCulturallyCuriouse.g.Historicalwalkingtrails

11. Set-upGoogleAlertstomonitormentionsofyourbusiness

12. Remindpreviouscustomerstovisitagainviaemail/social

13. ConsidertranslatingkeyinformationintoFrenchandGerman

1. WriteblogpostbasedontheinterestsofCulturallyCuriousandpromotingyourregione.g.HistorytourofKilkenny

2. CreateillustratedmapsandinfographicstoinspireandeducateCulturallyCuriousonwhatyourregionhastooffer,e.g.hikingtrailsinConnemara,keyculturalsightsetc.

3. Uploadhighqualityimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursitetopromotethehistoricalandculturalsignificanceofyourregion.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermse.g.historytour,culturalholidays,nature&beauty

5. Createphotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcasethehistoricalandculturalhiddengemsofyourregionandoldercouplesenjoyingtheseexperiences

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamerae.g.60-90secvideoscapturingthehistoryandcultureofyourregion

7. Createsampleitinerariesincorporatinghistory,cultureandlandscapeexperienceswhichcanbecombinedtocreaterichday-longactivityplans

8. Shareallyourcontent,andcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyoursocialchannels

9. RepublishFáilteIrelandcontentonyourwebsiteandsocialchannels.Personalisewithreferencetoyourbusiness/region

10. Usepaidsocialmediae.g.Facebookadstobuildyoursocialcommunityanddrivesalesofspecificservices/specialoffers

11. Monitorreviewsitese.g.TripadvisorandrespondtocommentsfromCulturallyCurious

1. Ensureyourwebsiteiseasytonavigate&easytobook(desktop,tabletandmobile)

2. Makeyour‘ContactUs’detailsprominent

3. Highlightthatyourbusinessisaccessibletotophistoricalspots&landmarks

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedon‘what’shappeninginyourarea’,relevanttoCulturallyCurious

5. Promotespecialoffersacrossallchannels

6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessname,localactivities-WalkingroutesinClare

7. Useretargetingadvertising(e.g.GoogleRemarketing)topushafinalsale.Adstargetpeoplewhohavevisitedyoursitebutdidnotconvertonthefirstvisit

8. Monitorreviewsites(eg.Tripadvisor)andrespondtocomments

9. Don’tjustlistyour€prices-thinkaboutyourGBandUSvisitors.

10. Ensureyouhaveagoodsystemfordealingefficientlywithemailenquiries


2. Postrelevantlocalnewsonwebsite/acrosssociale.g.newexhibitionopening

3. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-points(e.g.Posteratfront-desk,vehicles,clothingetc.)

4. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethods(e.g.Guestbook,businesscards,surveys,pollsetc.)

5. RespondtoquestionsfromCulturallyCuriousviawebsite/socialchannels

1. Askyouraudiencetosharetheirexperienceonline,directingthemtospecificsocialchannelse.g.Tripadvisor,Facebooktopostreviews

2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviews(e.g.#LoveDublin,#BurrenCentre)

3. Incentivisetoshareexperience(e.g.throughcompetition)

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofCulturallyCuriousenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness

5. Ifwell-knownpeoplevisit,asktotaketheirpictureandshareviasocial

28 |

DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARING

CU

LTU

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LLY

CU

RIO

US 1. Ensureyourwebsiteisaccessible

acrossalldevicese.g.mobile,tabletanddesktop

2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoCulturallyCuriouse.g.historytour,culturalholidays,nature&beauty


4. Ensureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualityimagerye.g.scenicshots,people,culturalorheritageattractionsnearyourbusiness




8. Establishasocialpresence(featuringhighqualityimagery)onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest

9. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfromlocalculturalbusinessesviaTwitter

10. ImplementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsiteandcreateblogcontentthatisrelevanttotheCulturallyCuriouse.g.Historicalwalkingtrails



13. ConsidertranslatingkeyinformationintoFrenchandGerman

1. WriteblogpostbasedontheinterestsofCulturallyCuriousandpromotingyourregione.g.HistorytourofKilkenny

2. CreateillustratedmapsandinfographicstoinspireandeducateCulturallyCuriousonwhatyourregionhastooffer,e.g.hikingtrailsinConnemara,keyculturalsightsetc.

3. Uploadhighqualityimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursitetopromotethehistoricalandculturalsignificanceofyourregion.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermse.g.historytour,culturalholidays,nature&beauty

5. Createphotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcasethehistoricalandculturalhiddengemsofyourregionandoldercouplesenjoyingtheseexperiences

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamerae.g.60-90secvideoscapturingthehistoryandcultureofyourregion


8. Shareallyourcontent,andcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyoursocialchannels

9. RepublishFáilteIrelandcontentonyourwebsiteandsocialchannels.Personalisewithreferencetoyourbusiness/region


11. Monitorreviewsitese.g.TripadvisorandrespondtocommentsfromCulturallyCurious



3. Highlightthatyourbusinessisaccessibletotophistoricalspots&landmarks

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedon‘what’shappeninginyourarea’,relevanttoCulturallyCurious


6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessname,localactivities-WalkingroutesinClare


8. Monitorreviewsites(eg.Tripadvisor)andrespondtocomments





3. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-points(e.g.Posteratfront-desk,vehicles,clothingetc.)

4. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethods(e.g.Guestbook,businesscards,surveys,pollsetc.)

5. RespondtoquestionsfromCulturallyCuriousviawebsite/socialchannels

1. Askyouraudiencetosharetheirexperienceonline,directingthemtospecificsocialchannelse.g.Tripadvisor,Facebooktopostreviews

2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviews(e.g.#LoveDublin,#BurrenCentre)

3. Incentivisetoshareexperience(e.g.throughcompetition)

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofCulturallyCuriousenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness


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DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARINGSO

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2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoSocialEnergiserse.g.Dublinmusicscene/MountainbikingDublin



5. EnsureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualitycontemporaryimageryofDubline.g.showcasingSocialEnergisershavingfuninDublin



8. Establishasocialpresence(featuringhighquality,contemporaryimagery)onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest,Google+

9. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfrompopularDublinbusinessesviaTwitter(e.g.Lecool/DublinTown)

10. Implementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsitee.g.Wordpress



1. WriteblogpostsbasedontheinterestsofSocialEnergisersandpromotingDubline.g.Mixtureofurban&outdoorexperiencesnearyourbusiness

2. CreateillustratedmapsandinfographicstoinspireandeducateSocialEnergiserse.g.FashionMaps,TopactivitiesinDublin

3. Uploadhighquality,contemporaryDublin-basedimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursite.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermse.g.Dublinmusicevents/MountainbikehireDublin

5. CreatephotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcaseSocialEnergisersexperiencingurbanandoutdoorDublinexperiences

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamerae.g.60-90secvideoscapturingurbanandoutdoorDublinactivities

7. CreatecontentbasedonQ&A’swithinfluentialpeopleyouknowe.g.Favouritethingstodointhecity

8. Createlistsofwhat’shot,coolandcurrentinDublin.Lookatcurrentlistingsforinspiration

9. Shareallyourcontent,andcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyourwebsitesocialchannels


11. Monitorreviewsitese.g.TripadvisorandrespondtocommentsfromSocialEnergisers



3. Highlightthatyourproductisaccessibletothelocalhotspots

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedon‘what’shappeninginyourarea’,relevanttoSocialEnergisers


6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessname,localactivities-WalkingroutesinDublin


8. Monitorreviewsites(e.g.Tripadvisor)andrespondtocomments

9. Listyourpricesinmulti-currency





3. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-points(e.g.Posteratfront-desk,businesscards)

4. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethods(e.g.Guestbook/Comments)

5. RespondtoquestionsfromSocialEnergisersviawebsite/socialchannels

1. AskcustomerstosharetheirexperienceandpostreviewsonTripadvisorandFacebook

2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviews(e.g.#LoveDublin#Dublin)

3. Runsocialcompetitionstoincentivisecustomerstoshareexperiences

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofSocialEnergisersenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness


30 |


SOC

IAL

ENER

GIS

ERS 1. Ensureyourwebsiteisaccessible


2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoSocialEnergiserse.g.Dublinmusicscene/MountainbikingDublin



5. EnsureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualitycontemporaryimageryofDubline.g.showcasingSocialEnergisershavingfuninDublin



8. Establishasocialpresence(featuringhighquality,contemporaryimagery)onFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest,Google+

9. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfrompopularDublinbusinessesviaTwitter(e.g.Lecool/DublinTown)

10. Implementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsitee.g.Wordpress



1. WriteblogpostsbasedontheinterestsofSocialEnergisersandpromotingDubline.g.Mixtureofurban&outdoorexperiencesnearyourbusiness

2. CreateillustratedmapsandinfographicstoinspireandeducateSocialEnergiserse.g.FashionMaps,TopactivitiesinDublin

3. Uploadhighquality,contemporaryDublin-basedimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursite.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermse.g.Dublinmusicevents/MountainbikehireDublin

5. CreatephotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcaseSocialEnergisersexperiencingurbanandoutdoorDublinexperiences

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamerae.g.60-90secvideoscapturingurbanandoutdoorDublinactivities

7. CreatecontentbasedonQ&A’swithinfluentialpeopleyouknowe.g.Favouritethingstodointhecity

8. Createlistsofwhat’shot,coolandcurrentinDublin.Lookatcurrentlistingsforinspiration

9. Shareallyourcontent,andcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyourwebsitesocialchannels


11. Monitorreviewsitese.g.TripadvisorandrespondtocommentsfromSocialEnergisers



3. Highlightthatyourproductisaccessibletothelocalhotspots

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedon‘what’shappeninginyourarea’,relevanttoSocialEnergisers


6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessname,localactivities








3. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-points(e.g.Posteratfront-desk,businesscards)

4. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethods(e.g.Guestbook/Comments)

5. RespondtoquestionsfromSocialEnergisersviawebsite/socialchannels


2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviews(e.g.#LoveDublin#Dublin)

3. Runsocialcompetitionstoincentivisecustomerstoshareexperiences

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofSocialEnergisersenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness


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DREAMING PLANNING BOOKING EXPERIENCING SHARINGG

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2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoGreatEscaperse.g.coastallandscape,naturalbeauty,escapeholidays



5. Ensureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualityimagerye.g.sceniclandscapes,couples&familiesenjoyingoutdooractivities



8. EstablishasocialpresenceonFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest

9. PostcontentrelevanttoGreatEscapersonsocialchannelse.g.photoalbumsshowcasingremotesceniclocationsofyourregion

10. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfromlocaloutdooractivitybusinessesviaTwitter

11. Implementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsitee.g.Wordpressetc.



1. WriteblogpostsbasedontheinterestsofGreatEscapersandpromotingyourregione.g.WalkingTrailsinConnemara,ScenicDrives,TopBeachesforFamilyPicnics,RecommendationsonGreatLocalRestaurants&AuthenticPubs

2. Uploadmapstoyourwebsite,highlightingkeyscenicattractionsandtheiraccessibilitytoeachothere.g.geographicmaphighlightingtopscenicattractions

3. Uploadhighqualityimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursitetopromotethescenicbeautyofyourregion.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness.

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithtermsthataresearchfriendlye.g.regionalandinterest-basedtermssuchas‘WildAtlanticWay’,‘nature’,‘coastallandscapes’

5. Createphotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcasestunninglandscapesandnaturalphenomenafromyourregionandcouples/familieshavingqualitytimetogether

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamera-e.g.60-90secvideoscapturingtheremotenessofyourregionandkeylandmarks

7. CreateTop10Listsforregionaloutdooractivitiesandactivitiesforcouples/familiestodotogether

8. ShareallyourcontentandcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyourwebsiteandsocialchannels


10. Monitorreviewsites(e.g.Tripadvisor)andrespondtocommentsfromGreatEscapers



3. HighlightthatyourbusinessisinanareasuitedtoGreatEscapers,i.e.inanareaofnaturalbeauty,alongthecoast,forexampletheWildAtlanticWay.

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedonhiddengemsandgetawaylocationsinyourarea.


6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessnameandlocalactivities.






1. Postandsharerelevantlocalnewse.g.localtrips,classes,activitiesetc.

2. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-pointse.g.posteratfront-desk

3. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethodse.g.Guestbook,questionnaire,polls,etc.

4. RespondtoquestionsfromGreatEscapersviasocialchannels


2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviewse.g.#WildAtlanticWay

3. IncentiviseGreatEscaperstoshareexperiencese.g.runaphotographycompetitionformostscenicpictureofyourregion

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofGreatEscapersenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness


32 |


GR

EAT

ESC

APE

RS 1. Ensureyourwebsiteisaccessible


2. EnsureyourwebsiteistaggedwithsearchfriendlytermsrelevanttoGreatEscaperse.g.coastallandscape,naturalbeauty,escapeholidays



5. Ensureyourwebsiteincludeshighqualityimagerye.g.sceniclandscapes,couples&familiesenjoyingoutdooractivities



8. EstablishasocialpresenceonFacebook,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube,Pinterest

9. PostcontentrelevanttoGreatEscapersonsocialchannelse.g.photoalbumsshowcasingremotesceniclocationsofyourregion

10. JoinandbecomeapartoftheIrishTourismcommunityonlinee.g.followandre-tweetcontentfromlocaloutdooractivitybusinessesviaTwitter

11. Implementblogfunctionalityonyourwebsitee.g.Wordpressetc.



1. WriteblogpostsbasedontheinterestsofGreatEscapersandpromotingyourregione.g.WalkingTrailsinConnemara,ScenicDrives,TopBeachesforFamilyPicnics,RecommendationsonGreatLocalRestaurants&AuthenticPubs

2. Uploadmapstoyourwebsite,highlightingkeyscenicattractionsandtheiraccessibilitytoeachothere.g.geographicmaphighlightingtopscenicattractions

3. Uploadhighqualityimagery,videosandothercontentfromFáilteIrelandtoyoursitetopromotethescenicbeautyofyourregion.Personalisewithlocalhighlightsandreferencestoyourbusiness.

4. Ensureallcontentistaggedwithtermsthataresearchfriendlye.g.regionalandinterest-basedtermssuchas‘WildAtlanticWay’,‘nature’,‘coastallandscapes’

5. Createphotoalbumsforsocialchannelsthatshowcasestunninglandscapesandnaturalphenomenafromyourregionandcouples/familieshavingqualitytimetogether

6. Experimentwithvideocontentusingyoursmartphonecamera-e.g.60-90secvideoscapturingtheremotenessofyourregionandkeylandmarks

7. CreateTop10Listsforregionaloutdooractivitiesandactivitiesforcouples/familiestodotogether

8. ShareallyourcontentandcontentfromFáilteIrelandandtradepartners,acrossyourwebsiteandsocialchannels


10. Monitorreviewsites(e.g.Tripadvisor)andrespondtocommentsfromGreatEscapers



3. HighlightthatyourbusinessisinanareasuitedtoGreatEscapers,i.e.inanareaofnaturalbeauty,alongthecoast,forexampletheWildAtlanticWay.

4. Onsocial,writepostsbasedonhiddengemsandgetawaylocationsinyourarea.


6. Utilisepaidsearch(e.g.GoogleAdWords)toappearforrelevantsearchtermse.g.yourbusinessnameandlocalactivities.






1. Postandsharerelevantlocalnewse.g.localtrips,classes,activitiesetc.

2. Promoteyouronlinepresenceatavailableofflinetouch-pointse.g.posteratfront-desk

3. Captureemaildatathroughtraditionalmethodse.g.Guestbook,questionnaire,polls,etc.

4. RespondtoquestionsfromGreatEscapersviasocialchannels


2. Promptyouraudiencetousehashtagswhensharingphotos/reviewse.g.#WildAtlanticWay

3. IncentiviseGreatEscaperstoshareexperiencese.g.runaphotographycompetitionformostscenicpictureofyourregion

4. Withpermission,captureandpromoteimages/videosofGreatEscapersenjoyingexperiencesatyourbusiness


| 33

• Brand website• Email• Internet Booking Engine• Mobile• Social media

OFFLINE• Phone• Walk-in

DIRECT

THE CUSTOMER / TOURIST

INDIRECT

Hotels, B&Bs, Self Catering, Car Rental, Visitor Attractions, Events, Restaurants etc

TOURISM PRODUCT

• Tour Operators• GDS• Incoming Tour Operators• Retail Travel Agents• Handling Agents• Destination Management Companies• Professional Conference Organisers• Online Travel Agents /3rd party Websites etc

ORONLINE

Half of trip planning starts on either OTA,

airline or hotel websites

Hotel bookings from mobile devices, Dec. 2011, 1 in 8;

Dec. 2012, 1 in 4;Dec. 2013, 1 in 3.

DIRECT & INDIRECT SALES CHANNELS

Knowingwhereyourpotentialcustomerssearchforinformationandbeingvisibleinthoseplaces/channelsiskeyto

drivingsales.

2 main channels:

1. Direct-bothonlineandoffline:primarilyyourwebsite,butalsophoneandwalk-inbusiness

2. Indirect-bothonlineandoffline:onlinetouroperators(OTAsincludingcomparatorsites),touroperators,travel

agents,grouporganisersandothertravelwebsites.

34 |

Worth thinking about…

• 60%ofallhotelsbookingsarenowdonedigitally.

• Acrossallsegments,themajorityoftravelpurchasesareinfluencedbydigitalchannels(websites,social

media,peerreviews,smartphoneortabletapps)evenifthefinalpurchaseisn’tmadeonline.

• TouroperatorsandOTAsareoftenconsultedduringresearchandthebookingmadethroughthem

ordirectlywiththetourismbusiness-theseintermediariescanbeashopwindowthatinfluences

directsales.

• Anaverageholidaymakerwillvisitupto38sitesbeforemakingapurchase.

• ThesegmentresearchshowsthatCulturallyCuriousandGreatEscaperstendtoavoidall-inclusive

packageswhileSocialEnergiserslikethem-especiallyusingOTAsanddynamicpackagingwebsiteswhere

theybuildandpurchasetheirownpackagecombinationofflight,accommodation,carhire,activitiesetc.

onasinglewebsite.

• OTAsareanimportantsourceofinformationbothforinspirationandplanning.

• Thepercentageofholidaymakerswhowatchonlinetravelvideosisincreasingyearonyear.Videos(from

hotels,experts,‘peoplelikeme’,friendsandfamily)areeffective.

• Holidaymakersnotonlywatchonlinetravelvideos,theycreateandsharethemtoo-thiscandrive

referralsales.

• Moreandmorepeopleareusingsmartphonesortabletsfortravelrelatedinformationwhileonatripso

thereareopportunitiesforlocation-specificadvertisingtopeoples’smartphones/tabletswhenthey’rein

yourarea.

• Holidaymakersarewaryoftheroamingchargesthatapplywhileinanothercountrysoconsidertheuseof

appswhichavoidthisissue.

Requirements

What’sthecurrentmixofdirectvsindirectsalesinmybusiness?

Isthismixappropriate?Ifnot,whatmeasuresmustIinitiatetoredressthebalance?

Doesmywebsitereflectallthataholidaymakercanseeanddo?

Internet is becoming local

and personalThose seeking to

book hotels are twice as likely to search for

travel images

| 35

Reaching visitors with timely and

personalised offers


Online travel agents (OTAs)

OnlineTravelAgents(OTAs)arebasicallyonlineversionsofthetraditionaltravelagentortouroperator.Theysell

travelproductstocustomersonlineandactasabridgebetweensuppliers(hotels,airlines,carhirecompanies,

visitorattractionsetc.)andconsumers.

HotelroomsarethemainfocusofthemajorityofmostOTAwebsites,whilesomealsoofferdynamicpackaging

thatallowstheconsumertopurchasetheirhotel,flightandcarhireinonetransaction.OTAsarenowselling60%of

allroomsinIreland.

WellknownOTAsincludeExpedia,Booking.com,HostelWorld,Orbitz,Travelocity,PricelineandLastMinute.com.

ExpediaownsTripAdvisor,hotels.com,venere.comandHotwire.SomeOTAssuchasGoIrelandandIrelandhotels.

comonlysellIrishaccommodation.

OTAsarethefastestgrowingdistributionchannelfortravelproductsandcanbeveryeffectiveforindependent

hotels,B&Bsandguesthouseswhowillnottypicallybeknowninternationallyandwhomightnothavethe

expertiseormarketingbudgetstodirectlytargetinternationaltravellers.AstudybyFáilteIrelandshowedthat82%

ofIrishhotelssaythatOTAsgivethemaccesstointernationalmarkets.

WorkingwithOTAscanbearelativelylowmaintenancewayofreachingnewandinternationalcustomers.Fáilte

Irelandresearchindicatesthat86%ofIrishhotelsspendlessthan5hoursperweekupdatingtheirOTArates.Many

oftheseupdatesaredonemanually,whilesomeuseaChannelManagersuchasRateTigerorEasyYield.

The OTA billboard effect

OneofthemostpowerfulbenefitsofworkingwithanOTAisthe‘billboardeffect’.Thisiswhereahotelbenefits

fromthebrandingandvisibilityofbeingonanOTA’swebsite,butthecustomerbooksdirectlywiththehotel,saving

thehotelthecommissiontheywouldpaytheOTAifthebookingcamefromthem.Thiswasprovedina2011

CornellUniversitystudywhichshowedthatofthe1,726peoplewhomadereservationsontheIntercontinental

Hotelswebsite,75%hadvisitedanOTAbeforebooking,83%hadusedasearchengineand66%haddoneboth.

Thisprovestheimportanceofyourownwebsite,adirectchannelwhichshouldgeneratehigheryieldsthanany

otherdistributionchannel.Makesureyoumaximiseallopportunitiestoconverta‘looker’intoa‘booker’,i.e.

someonewhomightfindoutaboutyourpropertyona3rdpartywebsite,butcheckyououtonyourownsite

beforemakingadecisionandbooking.

CommissionsareoftentheboneofcontentionbetweenhotelsandOTAsandratestypicallyrangebetween10%

and30%.Thesecommissionscomeoffthehotel’s‘bestavailablerate’,andmanyOTAsinsistonrateparitywiththe

hotel’sownwebsite.OnthemajorityofOTAwebsites,hotelscanonlysellroomonlyandB&Brates.Beforedoing

businesswithOTASbeveryclearaboutcontractualarrangementsandreviewthebusinesssmallprintindetail.

36 |

Opaque deals on OTAs

ArecenttrendhasdevelopedwherebysomeOTAsofferanopaqueor‘topsecret’booking.Thisiswherethename

ofthepropertyisnotrevealedtothecustomeruntiltheyhavemadethebooking.OTAswhoofferthisinclude

PriceLine,Lastminute.comandHotwireanditisofmorerelevancetocitycentrehotelsthanothers.

Dynamic packaging

Dynamicpackagingisapackageholidaythatenablesconsumerstobuildandpurchasetheirownpackageofflights,

accommodation,carrental,activitiesetconasinglewebsite.

Other channels and GDS

Inrecentyears,inadditiontobuyingaholidayfromatouroperatorortravelagent,thetouristhasanincreasing

choice-tourismdistributionchannelshaveexpandedtoincludesupermarkets,readeroffers,specialinterest

groupsetc.

Site comparators (sometimes called metasearch)

Thesearesiteswhichpotentialvisitorsuseaspartoftheirresearch,andincludeTrivago,TripAdvisor,Hipmunkand

Kayak.Pricecomparisonisnottheonlyfunctionofthesesites,theyprovideeverythinginoneplace,search,maps,

photos,ratings,availabilityandprices.Theyprovidepeaceofmindforusersandaccuratetailoredinformationfor

thevisitor.In201360%ofholidaymakerscomparedpricesbeforebuying,andcomparatorsitesdriveupto13%

increaseintraffic(Source:tnooz2013).InEuropepercentagecostsofgenerateddirectbookingsfromcomparator

sitesare15-20%cheaperthanOTAs(Source:Mirai2013).Trivagowasthenumber1trendingbusinessfor

internationalhotelgroupsonGoogleinIrelandin2013(Source:IrishTimesDec.2013).

OTAs are not just for hotels

ExpediaandLastminute.comdon’tjustworkwithaccommodationproviders;

theyalsofeatureattractionsandtransportproviders.

| 37


Tour Operators

Theroleoftouroperatorshaschangeddramaticallyinrecentyears.Nowjust20%ofinternationalholidaymakers

cometoIrelandonapackage(flight+oneothergroundelement).Despitetherelativelylowpercentages,tour

operatorsarestillakeypartofthemixformostIrishtourismbusinesses.

AllinclusivepackagestoIreland:

• 29%ofUSholidaymakers

• 24%ofGermanholidaymakers

• 21%ofFrenchholidaymakers

• 6%ofGBholidaymakers

Top tour operators

GB USA Germany France

ImagineIreland CIETours DERTour VacanceTransat

HoganCottages BrendanTours CTSGruppen BrittanyFerries

Superbreaks SceptreTours HighlanderReisen GaelandAshling

ActionTours TrollTours CelticTours

NationalHolidays Wholesalers:Service

Reisen,Behringer

TouristikandFrumm

Touristik

Albatross

Pleaseseewww.tourismireland.comforfulllistofoverseasoperatorsprogrammingIreland.

The ITOA

TheIncomingTourOperatorsAssociation(ITOA)istherepresentativeassociationofIreland’sinboundtour

operators.Membersdesignprogrammesanditinerariesforescortedtourgroups,individualholidaymakersand

businesstouristsincludingincentive,corporatemeetingsandconferences.TheITOAoperatestwoworkshopsin

IrelandeachMarch-oneeastcoast,onewestcoast.Theseareavaluableopportunityfortourismbusinessestosell

toincomingtouroperators.Seewww.itoa-ireland.com

Rate parity and price transparency

Allproductprovidersshouldaimtomaintainrateparityacrossallchannelssoastobuildtrustfromonlinecustomers.

Customersareinternetsavvy-theycaneasilyseewhatpricesyouchargeindifferentdistributionchannelsandyour

reputationwillbedamagediftheypayahigherpricedependingonwheretheybuyyourproduct.Customersliketo

feelthatthepricetheybookedisthebestavailableprice,particularlyiftheybookfromyoudirectly.

Whenworkingwithtouroperatorsyoushouldhavearecommendedretailpricesothatthereispricingtransparency

acrossallyourdistributionchannels.

38 |

Winning on theinternet is a

science not an art!

Developing a Channel Strategy - things to consider

Somepointstobearinmindwhensettingadistributionstrategyforyourbusiness.

• YES • NO

1.DoIhaveamultichannelstrategysoasnottobeover-reliantonanyonechannel?

2.AmImanagingandmarketingmyownwebsitetomaximiseyieldbutnottothe

exclusionofotherdistributionchannels?

3. HaveIconsideredtheimportantrolethattouroperators,DMCs,travelagentsetccan

playinmybusiness?

4. DoIhaveapricingstrategyinplaceforallrevenuechannels?

5.Ismychannelstrategymarketspecificandagoodfitformyproductand

targetsegments?

6.HaveIsettargetsforallmyrevenuechannels?

7.HaveImaximisedmybusinessrelationshipwiththoseOTAswhofitbestwith

mybusiness?

8.Howeasyisitforcustomerstobuyfrommyownwebsite?

9.HaveIconsideredthecostofsaleswhencreatingmychannelstrategy?

(OTAcommissions,etc)?

10.Whoinmybusinesswillmanagemysalesandrevenuestrategyonadayto

daybasis?

11.AmIreviewingandmanagingmyreviewrating,conversionrate,availability,number

ofphotosandqualityofdescriptionsonOTAsites,andmybusinessranking?

12.ShouldIconsiderachannelmanagersuchasRateTigerorEasyYield?

13.HaveIconsideredrateparityacrossallmyrevenuedistributionchannelssothatmy

pricingstructureistransparenttoconsumers?

Content and advertising strategies need

to span all devices or risk missing out on ¼ of prospective

customers

| 39

ACCESS

Why access is so important

Goodairandferryaccessarevitalforinternationaltourism.NomatterwhereinIrelandyourbusinessislocated,it’s

importanttoletinternationaltouristsknowhowaccessiblebothIrelandandyourbusinessare.

Thepopularityofshortbreaksunderlinestheneedtocommunicateaccessinformation.Forexample,thenew

MunichandBerlinflightstoShannonpresentrealopportunitiesforbusinessesinthesouthwesttoincreasesales

fromGermany.

Airaccessaccountsfor80%ofGB&Frenchvisitors,75%ofGermanvisitorsand99%ofUSvisitors.Arrivalbyferry

accountsfortheremaining20%fromGBandFrance,and25%fromGermany(viaFranceorGB).

Forsummer2014,thenumberofairlineseatstoIrelandwillincreaseby5%over2013levels.Ferryaccesswillsee

newferryroutesaswellasadditionalcapacityonestablishedroutes.

It’s important to sell Ireland as a close BUT also very exotic place.

ForGB,GermanyandFrance,Irelandneedstobeseenaseasytogettobutdifferentenough

todifferentiateitfromcompetingdestinations.

BY AIR FROM GB

DEPART ARRIVE AIRLINE

ABERDEEN Dublin AerLingus

Knock Flybe

BelfastCity Flybe

BIRMINGHAM Knock Flybe

Dublin AerLingusRegional;Ryanair

Shannon AerLingusRegional

Cork AerLingusRegional

Waterford Flybe

BelfastCity Flybe

BelfastInternational easyJet

BLACKPOOL BelfastCity Citywing

Dublin AerLingusRegional

BOURNEMOUTH Dublin AerLingusRegional

BRISTOL Cork AerLingusRegional

Dublin AerLingusRegional;Ryanair



Knock Ryanair

CARDIFF Dublin AerLingusRegional

BelfastCity Flybe

DONCASTER SHEFFIELD BelfastCity LinksAir

EAST MIDLANDS Knock Ryanair

BelfastCity Flybe

Cork Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

BelfastCity Flybe

EDINBURGH Dublin AerLingusRegional;Ryanair;Flybe



Knock Ryanair


BelfastCity Flybe

40 |


EXETER BelfastCity Flybe

Dublin Flybe

GLASGOW PRESTWICK Knock Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

CityofDerry Ryanair

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL Dublin AerLingusRegional


Donegal Flybe


BelfastCity Flybe

INVERNESS BelfastCity Flybe

ISLE OF MAN Dublin AerLingusRegional

BelfastCity CityWing

JERSEY Dublin AerLingusRegional;Flybe


BelfastCity Flybe


LEEDS BRADFORD Dublin Ryanair

BelfastCity Flybe

LIVERPOOL Knock Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair

Cork Ryanair

CityofDerry Ryanair


LONDON CITY Dublin CityJet

LONDON GATWICK Knock AerLingus

Dublin AerLingus;Ryanair

Cork Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair


BelfastCity AerLingus;Flybe

LONDON HEATHROW Dublin AerLingus

Shannon AerLingus

Cork AerLingus

Dublin BritishAirways

BelfastCity BritishAirways

LONDON LUTON Knock Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

Kerry Ryanair


LONDON SOUTHEND Dublin AerLingusRegional

LONDON STANSTED Knock Ryanair

Cork Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

Kerry Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair


MANCHESTER Knock Flybe

Dublin AerLingusRegional;Ryanair;BritishAirways



Waterford Flybe


BelfastCity Flybe

NEWCASTLE Dublin AerLingusRegional;Ryanair



BelfastCity Flybe

SOUTHAMPTON Dublin Flybe

BelfastCity Flybe

| 41

ACCESS

BY SEA FROM GB

DEPART ARRIVE CARRIER

CAIRNRYAN Belfast StenaLine

Larne P&OFerries

DOUGLAS (ISLE OF MAN) Dublin IsleofManFerries

Belfast IsleofManFerries

FISHGUARD Rosslare StenaLine

HOLYHEAD Dublin IrishFerries

DunLaoghaire StenaLine

DublinPort StenaLine

LIVERPOOL Dublin P&OFerries

Belfast StenaLine

PEMBROKE Rosslare IrishFerries

TROON Larne P&OFerries

BY AIR FROM USA


ATLANTA Dublin DeltaAirlines

BOSTON Dublin AerLingus

Shannon AerLingus

CHICAGO Shannon UnitedAirlines

Dublin AerLingus

DENVER/BOULDER Shannon USAirways

Shannon JetBlue&AerLingus

Dublin JetBlue&AerLingus

LOS ANGELES Shannon JetBlue&AerLingus

Dublin JetBlue&AerLingus

NEW YORK

JFK Dublin AerLingus

JFK Shannon AerLingus

JFK Dublin AmericanAirlines

Newark Dublin AmericanAirlines

Newark Dublin UnitedAirlines

Newark Shannon UnitedAirlines

Newark BelfastInternational UnitedAirlines

JFK Dublin UnitedAirlines

Newark Dublin Lufthansa

Newark Shannon Lufthansa

JFK Dublin DeltaAirlines

ORLANDO Dublin AerLingus

PHILADELPHIA Dublin USAirways

SAN FRANCISCO Dublin AerLingus;AmericanAirlines

Dublin USAirways&AerLingus

Shannon AirCanada

SEATTLE Dublin JetBlue&AerLingus

WASHINGTON DC

Dulles Shannon JetBlue&AerLingus

Dulles Dublin AerLingus;UnitedAirlines

Dulles Dublin JetBlue&AerLingus

42 |

BY AIR FROM GERMANY


BERLIN (SCHONEFELD) Dublin AerLingus;Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair

BREMEN Dublin Ryanair

COLOGNE/BONN Knock Lufthansa;Germanwings

DUSSELDORF Dublin AerLingus;Lufthansa;Germanwings

FRANKFURT Dublin AerLingus;Lufthansa

FRANKFURT (HAHN) Dublin Ryanair

Kerry Ryanair

HAMBURG Dublin AerLingus

HANOVER Dublin AerLingus

MEMMINGEN (MUNICH WEST) Dublin Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair

MUNICH Dublin AerLingus;Lufthansa

Cork AerLingus

STUTTGART Dublin AerLingus

BY AIR FROM FRANCE


BERGERAC Dublin Flybe

BIARRITZ Dublin Ryanair

BORDEAUX Dublin AerLingus


BREST Dublin AirFrance;Flybe

CARCASSONNE Dublin Ryanair

Cork Ryanair

CLERMONT-FERRAND Dublin Flybe

GRENOBLE Dublin Ryanair

LA ROCHELLE Dublin Ryanair

LYON Dublin AerLingus

MARSEILLE Dublin AerLingus;Ryanair

NANTES Dublin Ryanair

NICE Cork AerLingus

Dublin AerLingus;Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair

PARIS (CHARLES DE GAULLES) Cork AerLingus

Dublin AerLingus

Dublin AirFrance


PARIS (BEAUVAIS) Dublin Ryanair

Shannon Ryanair

POITIERS Shannon Ryanair

PERPIGNAN Dublin AerLingus

RENNES Dublin AerLingusRegional


RODEZ Dublin Ryanair

TOULOUSE Dublin AerLingus

TOURS Dublin Ryanair

| 43

ACCESS

BY SEA FROM FRANCE

DEPART ARRIVE CARRIER

CHERBOURG Rosslare IrishFerries

Dublin IrishFerries

Rosslare StenaLine

ROSCOFF Rosslare IrishFerries

Cork BrittanyFerries

ST NAZAIRE Rosslare LDLines

Requirements

ListairandferryroutestoDublinandyourlocalairport/portonyourwebsite

Providetraveltimesanddirectionsfromairportsandferryportstoyourbusinesse.g.30minutesfrom

KnockAirport,2hoursfromDublinAirport

Createlinksfromyourwebsitetocarrierwebsites

Accessinformationissubjecttochangesocheckregularlyforupdates

SignupforGooglePlacestofeatureonGoogleMaps-makesiteasierforpeopletofindyou

44 |

4 MAIN OVERSEAS MARKETS

Introduction

Ireland’sfourmainoverseasmarketsdeliver70%ofvisitorsandrevenue.So,whenallocatingresourcesitmakes

sensetofocusresourceswherethereisbestpotential.

Questions Great Britain United States Germany France

When do they visit Ireland? Visitallyear

31%Jan-Apr

23%May-June

22%July-Aug

9%Sept

15%Oct-Dec

62%visitoutsideofJulyandAugust

17%Jan-Apr

29%May-June

29%July-Aug

11%Sept

13%Oct-Dec


23%Jan-Apr

31%May-June

27%Jul-Aug

8%Sept

12%Oct-Dec


22%Jan-Apr

26%May-June

36%July-Aug

6%Sept

9%Oct-Dec

Where do they go in Ireland? Majorityspendtheirtimeinone

destination

Short-breaks,lessregionaltouring

53%Dublin

28%Southwest

19%West

11%Midwest

Mostwillvisitmorethanoneregion

Dublinisonthemajorityof

itinerariesfollowedbyWestern

seaboardandSouthwest

80%Dublin

48%Southwest

35%West

32%Midwest

41%liketotouraround

24%visitDublinonly

65%Dublin

50%Southwest

33%West


6%Dublin

50%West

43%Southwest

How long do they stay in Ireland? Average5nights

Averageannualleave28days

Average6.8nights

(42%stay6-8nights)


Average8.3nights


Average8.9nights

13%shortbreaks(1-3nights)

Averageannualleave

7.5weeks,min.5weeks

What accommodation do they use when in Ireland? 33%hotels

13%rented

9%guesthouses/B&Bs

26%friendsandrelatives

50%hotels

25%B&Bsandguesthouses

7%rented

8%hostels

34%hotels

25%Guesthouses/B&Bs

10%rented

23%guesthousesandB&Bs

20%hotels

13%rented

Where are they from? 21%SouthEast

15%London

11%SouthWest

11%NorthWest

10%WestMidlands

8%Scotland

8%Wales

NewYork,California,

Massachusetts,FloridaandIllinois

Bavaria

Baden-Wurtemburg,NordRhein/

WestphaliaRheinland-Palatinate

andHessen

33%fromParis

20%fromWesternFrance

14%SouthEast

12%SouthWest

11%Mediterranean

6%East

3%North

46 |


When do they visit Ireland? Visitallyear

31%Jan-Apr

23%May-June

22%July-Aug

9%Sept

15%Oct-Dec


17%Jan-Apr

29%May-June

29%July-Aug

11%Sept

13%Oct-Dec


23%Jan-Apr

31%May-June

27%Jul-Aug

8%Sept

12%Oct-Dec


22%Jan-Apr

26%May-June

36%July-Aug

6%Sept

9%Oct-Dec

Where do they go in Ireland? Majorityspendtheirtimeinone

destination

Short-breaks,lessregionaltouring

53%Dublin

28%Southwest

19%West

11%Midwest


Dublinisonthemajorityof

itinerariesfollowedbyWestern

seaboardandSouthwest

80%Dublin

48%Southwest

35%West

32%Midwest

41%liketotouraround

24%visitDublinonly

65%Dublin

50%Southwest

33%West


6%Dublin

50%West

43%Southwest

How long do they stay in Ireland? Average5nights


Average6.8nights

(42%stay6-8nights)


Average8.3nights


Average8.9nights

13%shortbreaks(1-3nights)

Averageannualleave

7.5weeks,min.5weeks

What accommodation do they use when in Ireland? 33%hotels

13%rented

9%guesthouses/B&Bs

26%friendsandrelatives

50%hotels

25%B&Bsandguesthouses

7%rented

8%hostels

34%hotels

25%Guesthouses/B&Bs

10%rented

23%guesthousesandB&Bs

20%hotels

13%rented

Where are they from? 21%SouthEast

15%London

11%SouthWest

11%NorthWest

10%WestMidlands

8%Scotland

8%Wales

NewYork,California,

Massachusetts,FloridaandIllinois

Bavaria

Baden-Wurtemburg,NordRhein/

WestphaliaRheinland-Palatinate

andHessen

33%fromParis

20%fromWesternFrance

14%SouthEast

12%SouthWest

11%Mediterranean

6%East

3%North

CONTINUEDOVERLEAF

| 47


continued


What age are they? Agreaterportionover35s

48%areover45

Mostlycouplesandaquarterin

otheradultgroups

Lesschildorfamilyfocussed

SlightlyolderthanEuropeanvisitors,

25%areover55

44%areover45

Almosthalfvisitaspartofacouple

22%areunder24

24%are25-34

16%are35-44

38%areover45

39%couple

12%family

23%withotheradults

Youngerthanothermarkets;just

27%areover45

36%couple

25%family(morethantwicethe

numberofGermanswhotravel

withfamily)

19%withotheradults

How do they get here? 8outof10air

2outof10hireacar

2outof10bringtheircar

99%air

46%hireacar

75%air

25%bysea

32%hireacar

23%bringtheircar

80%air

20%sea

18%bringtheircar

37%hireacar

Have they visited Ireland before? 59%previouslyvisited

Visitingfriendsandrelations(VFR)

isbigfromtheGBmarket

75%areonfirstvisit 65%areonfirstvisit

25%arerepeatvisitors

65%areonfirstvisit

Will they return to Ireland? 76%willreturn 50%willreturn 54%willreturn 50%willreturn

Is the language important to them? N/A N/A Veryimportantifattending

consumershowsinGermany

Manyliketodotheirholiday

researchandplanningintheirown

language,soknowledgeofthe

languageisadefiniteadvantage

BeingabletospeakFrenchis

importantbothforconsumer

andtradeengagement

48 |



48%areover45


otheradultgroups



25%areover55

44%areover45


22%areunder24

24%are25-34

16%are35-44

38%areover45

39%couple

12%family

23%withotheradults


27%areover45

36%couple



withfamily)

19%withotheradults


2outof10hireacar


99%air

46%hireacar

75%air

25%bysea

32%hireacar

23%bringtheircar

80%air

20%sea

18%bringtheircar

37%hireacar






65%areonfirstvisit










andtradeengagement



48%areover45


otheradultgroups



25%areover55

44%areover45


22%areunder24

24%are25-34

16%are35-44

38%areover45

39%couple

12%family

23%withotheradults


27%areover45

36%couple



withfamily)

19%withotheradults


2outof10hireacar


99%air

46%hireacar

75%air

25%bysea

32%hireacar

23%bringtheircar

80%air

20%sea

18%bringtheircar

37%hireacar






65%areonfirstvisit










andtradeengagement

| 49


A snapshot of the GB market

Size of the segments

• 4.8mSocialEnergisers

• 4.7mCulturallyCurious

• 5.5mGreatEscapers

• 100%ofGBSocialEnergiserswhohavebeentoIrelandrateit8outof10

• MorethanhalfofCulturallyCuriousvisitorswerehappywiththevalueprovided

Potential of the market for Ireland

• Ireland’slargestsourcemarket;2.9mvisitorsin2013,anincreaseof5.6%over2012

• 42%ofallouroverseasvisitorsarefromGB

• 36%ofallouroverseasholidaymakersarefromGB

• 64%ofGBoutboundmarketareinterestedinvisitingIrelandinthefuture

Top 10 destinations for GB traveller

1. Spain

2. France

3. US

4. Greece

5. Italy

6. Portugal

7. Turkey

8. Netherlands

9. Ireland

10.Belgium

A snapshot of the US market





Size and potential of the market for Ireland

• Oursecondmostimportantmarket;itgrewby14.5%in2013to1.036mvisitors

• USvisitorsareourhighestspendersandourmostaffluentvisitors

• Theystaylongerandtravelaroundmore

50 |

A snapshot of the German market






• Theworld’ssecondlargestoutboundtravelmarket(afterChina);53%takeaholidayabroad

• Irelandgets1%ofGermanoutboundmarket

• Ireland’s3rdlargestsourcemarket;483,000visitorsin2013,up7.7%over2012

• Activityisimportantformany;28%takepartinhiking/walkingandGermanyisthelargestmarketfor

overseasanglers,whichaccountsfor15%ofalloverseasanglingvisits

• 68%ofoutboundmarkethaveexpressedaninterestinvisitingIrelandinthefuture

A snapshot of the French market






• Ireland’s4thlargestsourcemarket;434,000visitorsin2013,upby9.4%on2012

• 60%ofoutboundmarketexpressedaninterestinvisitingIrelandinthefuture

• Frenchpeopletakeanaverage4holidaysperyear,1.5oftheseareabroadholidays

Franceistheworld’s5thmostimportantoutboundmarketbyrevenue;24.6moutboundtrips,with

€29billionspend

| 51

The Pastsales history

Presentmarket analysis

Futuresales and

revenue goals

Sales Planpositioning and actions

Competitioncompetitor

analysis

2

3

4

5

1

DEVELOPING YOUR SALES PLAN

The 5 steps to developing your sales plan

Theplanningandtimeyouputintodevelopingyoursalesplanisasimportantasthefinalwrittenplan.Work

throughthe5stepsandyou’llhaveawellthoughtout,focussedplantodrivesales.Eachstepisimportant-from

lookingatpastsalesperformancetoevaluatingyourbusinessagainstthecompetitiontoallocatingresourcesand

measuringeffectiveness.

1. Thepast-saleshistory

2. Thepresent-marketanalysis

3. Thecompetition-competitoranalysis

4. Thefuture -salesandrevenuegoals

5. Thesales plan-positioningandactions

52 |

1. The past - sales history

1.1 Revenue Useinternalsystemsandreportstoanalyserevenue-rooms,activities,

food,tickets,etc.

1.2 Sales mix Whichareasofthebusinessperformbest?Doesthe80:20ruleapply?

Ifyouaretooreliantonasmallnumberofcustomersitcanhaveabig

impactiftheycontract.

1.3 Key performance

indicators

Workout

• averagespendpercustomer

• averageroomrate(ARR)

• occupancylevels

1.4 Business mix

breakdown

Whichareasofthebusinessmixgeneratethemostandleastrevenue?

• Overseasleisuremarkets:GB,US,Germany,France

• Domesticleisuremarket

1.5 Cost of Sales Doyouunderstandthetruecostofsalefor?

Directbookings:

• Whatcostsdoesyourbusinessincur,forexamplecostsformanagingand

updatingyourwebsiteincludingdesign,hostingcosts,commissionto

bookingsites,managingemail,channelmanager,PPCandSEO?

OTAs:

• Doyouknowyourcommissionrates,channelmanagerandstaffcosts?

TourOperators:

• Doyouknowyourcommissionrates,costsoftraveltomarkettoattend

in-marketactivity,promotionalmaterial,etc?

1.6 Seasonal nature of

revenue

Determineweakandstrongperiods:

• Aretheretrends?

• Whatisforecast?

1.7 New/renewal/

existing business

New/repeat/existingbusiness:

• Whatnewbusinessisthereandwhatisitworth?

• Whoarethebusiness’top100customers?

• Whatistheretention/renewalrate?

| 53


2. The present - market analysis

2.1 Customer groups Whoaremycustomers?

• Overseasordomestic?

• CulturallyCurious,GreatEscapersorSocialEnergisers?

• Wherearetheyfrom?

2.2 Market size

and share

Isthemarketgrowing?Analyseindustrytrends.

WhatshareofthemarketamIgetting?

2.3 Changes and trends Whattrendscanbeforeseen?

• Whereisthebusinessnowagainstwhereitiswas?

• What’shappeningtomycustomersthatwillinfluencesales?

• What’shappeninginthemarketthatwillinfluencesales?

3. The competition - competitor analysis

3.1 Competitive

advantages

Competition:

• Whatmakesmybusinessdifferent?

• Howdocompetitors’offeringsandratescomparewithmybusiness?

• DoIhaveacompetitiveedge?

3.2 SWOT Strength: Whatdoesyourbusinessdowell,thatisbeyondwhatyour

competitiondoes?

Weakness: Whatdoesyourcompetitiondobetterthanyou?

Opportunity: Somethingoutsideyourbusinessthatcanbeturnedintoa

strengthe.g.newinfrastructure,achangeinconsumerbehaviour

Threat: Anexternalinfluencethatposesathreattoyourbusinessbeyond

yourcontrole.g.reducedairaccessfromakeymarket

4. The future - sales and revenue goals

4.1 Revenue goals Setsalestargetsbysegmentandbymarket:

• overseasleisurebusiness

• domesticleisurebusiness

4.2 New/repeat/

existing

It’scheapertosellmoretoexistingcustomersthanacquirenewones:

• Mytopcustomersandtypeofbusinesstheygenerate

• Newbusinessfromnewcustomers

• Newbusinessfromexistingcustomers

54 |

5. The sales plan - actions

5.1 Acquiring new

business

Howwillnewbusinessbeacquired?

• Digitalsalesstrategyandownwebsite

• Touroperators

• In-Irelandeventsandtradeshows

• OnlinepresencewithOTAs

5.2 Growing existing

business

Reviewwhatyouhavedoneinthepast-learnfrommistakesandrepeat

whatworkedwell

5.3 Sales Action Plan

Template

Setoutallyoursalesactivitiesby:

• Month

• Detailofthesalesaction

• Target

• Resources(budgetandstaff)

• KPIs

• Responsibility

| 55


Short term actions that will drive sales

1. Amobile websiteisprobablyoneofthemostimportanttasksonyouractionplan.Keepcontentupdated,

relevantandofvaluetoyourtargetsegments.

2. Email newslettersaremoreeffectiveindrivingsalesthanmostsocialmediaplatforms.Asegmenteddatabase,

acleversubjectline,ashortnewsletter(1or2keymessages)andastrongcalltoactionthatdirectspeopleto

yourwebsiteisgreatfordrivingrepeatandreferralbusiness.Remembertheinfluenceofrecommendationsfrom

friendsandfamily!Stayintouchwithhappycustomersandtheywillbecomeyoursalesteam.

3. Anattractivevideoonyourwebsiteandotherdigitalplatformsisabigadvantage.Videoisextremelyeffective

forallsegments.

4. Goodimageryisvital.And,itgetsoverthelanguagebarrierwithoutanyneedfortranslation.Bothphotographs

andvideocanpowerfullycommunicateuniqueandauthenticexperiencesthatmakethevisitorwanttobuy.

5. Pricingonyourwebsiteandyourbookingengineshouldbemulti currency.

6. Location-based communications -capitaliseonthefactthatmanyofyourcustomersusetheirsmartphone

ortabletassourcesofinformationwhileonholiday.

7. OTAs-don’tgethunguponcommissionrates-theycanbeanimportantshopwindowandopenupmarkets

youmightnotreachonyourown.ManageyourpresenceonOTAs-don’tbeoverreliantbutdon’tignorethem.

AlsoconsiderhavingapresenceonanOTAcomparatorsite,e.g.Trivago.

8. Languagesareimportant-particularlyforconsumerengagement.Translatekeypagesthatareofinteresttoan

overseasvisitorintotheirlanguage.

9. UseGoogle Places-itwillmakeyourwebsiteandyourbusinesseasiertofind.

10. International SEOwillmakeiteasierforinternationalvisitorstofindyourwebsite.

11.Google Adwordscanbeacosteffectivewayofdeliveringvisitorstoyourwebsite.Oncetheygetthere,make

surethesitehookstheminanddrivesthemtowardsasale.

12.Use Facebook and Twitter and other current social media-especiallyforSocialEnergisers.Socialmedia

tendstobelessofageneratorofsalesthansearch,butit’spreferredbySocialEnergisers.

13.EngagewithTripAdvisorandotherrelevantonlinereviewsites.Includecustomerreviewsonyourownwebsite

andbesuretohighlightanyaccoladesforexamplefoodawards.

14.Guidebooks caninfluenceatinspirationandpurchasestage-areyoulisted?

15.Don’tforgetPR -notethenumberofpeoplewhousemagazines,TVandradiowhenresearchingtheirholiday.

16.Whendealingwithtour operatorsrememberthethreestepstosales;preparationforthesalespitch,theactual

salespitchandfollowup.Manybusinessesmakethemistakeofnotfollowingup-usuallythemostimportant

steptocloseasale!Stayintouchwiththemthroughouttheyear.Keepthemupdatedwithyournews.Askfor

thebusiness!

17.Partner withotherlocaltourismproviderstoenhancetheimpactofyourcombinedsalesactions.

56 |

18.Respondtocustomer enquiriesquickly,efficientlyandaccurately.Givethemtheanswerstheyarelooking

forandidentifywaystoaddvaluetothefactssotheyarepersuadedtobuy.Dealingwithsalesenquiriesisan

importanttask-ifsomeonehascontactedyoutheyarepreparingtobuy,don’tlosethesale.

19.Thesecrettosalesisunderstanding your customer,tradeorconsumer.Themoreyouknowaboutwhat

motivatesthem,themoresuccessfulyouwillbeinallyoureffortstogrowsales.

20. Monitortheimpactofyoursalesefforts.Makesureyouknowwhat’sworkingandwhatisn’t.Learnfrom

mistakesandtailoryoursalesplanforthefuture-don’twastetimeandmoneyrepeatingactivitiesthat

didn’twork.

21.Whynotmarketandselldirectlytoyourpreviousinternationalvisitors,example€10discountfornext

directbooking.

22.Ensureimageryandlanguageonyourwebsiteissellingtotheinternationalvisitorandnotjustthedomestic.

23.Rememberthatevery‘phone callandemailreceivedisasalesopportunity;everybodyisresponsibleforselling.

| 57


Overseas sales action plan template

Month Sales activity Target Resources KPIs Responsibility

58 |

Month Sales activity Target Resources KPIs Responsibility

| 59

BUSINESS SUPPORTS

Fáilte Ireland contacts

Leisure Sales

EvaDearie

T:0719194206

E:[email protected]

JennyDeSaulles

T:0214233209

E:[email protected]

OonaghKelly

T:061403810

E:[email protected]

TaraKerry

T:061575478

E:[email protected]

Digital

ShaunDelaney

T:018847761

E:[email protected]

InternationalPublicity

AislingTravers

T:061403814

E:[email protected]

Tourism Ireland Contacts

Great Britain

VanessaMarkey,HeadofGreatBritain

T:02075180800

E:[email protected]

North America

AlisonMetcalfe,HeadofNorthAmerica,

T:+12124180800

E:[email protected]

Germany

ZoëRedmond,Manager,CentralEurope,

(Germany,AustriaandSwitzerland)

T:+496992318514

E:[email protected]

France

MonicaMacLaverty,ManagerSouthernEurope

T:+35314763483

E:[email protected]

Tourism Ireland Dublin - Industry Opportunities

GeraldineEgan,IndustryLiaisonOfficer-

Co-operativeMarketing

T:+35314763414

E:[email protected]

Business Supports

FáilteIrelandoffersarangeofbusinesssupportstohelpyougrowyourbusiness.

Fulldetailscanbefoundonwww.failteireland.ie

60 |

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