Marketing

Local

slideshare.net/planeta/marketinglocal • 10 .2012

E tha n Ge lbe r + Ron M a d e r @ r o n m a d e r @ t h e t r a v e l w o r d

From June - September 2012 the WHL Group, the Local Travel Movement

and Planeta.com joined forces to determine how good

you think tourism marketing really is where you live.

Are locals satisfied with the materials presented at the tourism kiosk?

Are locals able to engage with the tourism authority (or authorities) and social web channels?

If locals had a way of seeing, would they be pleased with how the city is presented at trade shows?

Does the promotion reflect a variety of narratives?

These are not rhetorical questions. We asked for your take on your city

What interests us is the marketing in the locale and of the locale:

are locals engaged?

How Good is Tourism Marketing Where You Live?

Yes 115 79.86% No 11 7.64% Sometimes 18 12.50%

Are you involved in tourism in your locale?

Academic 21 8.61% Cultural attraction employee 11 4.51% Driver (any form of transportation) 7 2.87% Guide 19 7.79% Hotel owner/manager 12 4.92% Hotel employee 4 1.64% Merchant (whose primary target is travelers) 6 2.46% Natural attraction employee 7 2.87% Restaurant owner/manager/chef 1 0.41% Restaurant employee 2 0.82% Tour operator owner/manager 27 11.07% Tour operator employee 11 4.51% Travel agent 15 6.15% Travel journalist/writer/blogger 39 15.98% Web portal owner/manager 30 12.30% Other 32 13.11% Total 244 100%

If 'yes' or 'sometimes,' in what capacities are you involved? (Check all that apply.)

Local (neighborhood/town/city) public group or association 60 19.48% Local (neighborhood/town/city) private group or association 49 15.91% Regional (county/state/region) public group or association 67 21.75% Regional (county/state/region) private group or association 30 9.74% National public group or association 63 20.45% National private group or association 26 8.44% Not sure / don't know 7 2.27% Other 6 1.95%

What institutions or organizations ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR tourism marketing in your locale? Check all that apply.

Local (neighborhood/town/city) public group or association 112 2.876 Local (neighborhood/town/city) private group or association 112 3.131 Regional (county/state/region) public group or association 112 3.000 Regional (county/state/region) private group or association 112 3.276 National public group or association 112 3.021 National private group or association 112 3.239

Average 3.091

How satisfied are you with the tourism marketing of your locale?

Local (neighborhood/town/city) public group or association 112 2.876 Local (neighborhood/town/city) private group or association 112 3.131 Regional (county/state/region) public group or association 112 3.000 Regional (county/state/region) private group or association 112 3.276 National public group or association 112 3.021 National private group or association 112 3.239

Average 3.091

How satisfied are you with the tourism marketing of your locale?

Yes 39 36.79% No 35 33.02% Sometimes 32 30.19%

Do you feel like you are able to share information, pitch ideas and collaborate with the institutions or organizations responsible for marketing tourism in your locale?

Yes 39 36.79% No 35 33.02% Sometimes 32 30.19%

Do you feel like you are able to share information, pitch ideas and collaborate with the institutions or organizations responsible for marketing tourism in your locale?

Yes 80 75.47% No 26 24.53%

Do you have ideas that you believe could improve the marketing of tourism in your locale?

I'd think twice about pitching ideas to the public sector as there's a history of such ideas finding there way into procurement processes and open tenders, which is a shabby way of treating intellectual property.

Structures in my city are not open to outsiders. So if you don't know someone in the tourism hierarchy or have some connection to the "apparatus" it's difficult to become part of the discussion.

We push to share ideas with our competitors but we have never been involved with Ministry of Tourism - we have tried! Reports have been written about tourism but we were not consulted and the World Bank report was not available to tourism companies unless specifically requested which seems mad!

S u r v e y r e s p o n s e s a r e r a w . P e r s o n a l l y i d e n t i f y i n g r e m a r k s h a v e b e e n r e m o v e d .

Raw Comments

There is still TOO much duplication despite what everybody says about it.... The key is to DO the bits that need doing, that nobody else is doing - not doing the easy things and things we have always done.... DOING THE RIGHT THING, NOT THINGS RIGHT. Too many people, public and private sector too are still playing safe and NOT making REAL differences. Simplify strategies and local actions and get BASICS right at GRASS ROOT LEVELS. Wholesale change, not just tinkering.

Marketing could be more destination specific, most promotional activities abroad are done on a national level. Regional and local initiatives could reach out more actively through various media or the internet both to domestic and international tourists. At the moment, they are rather passive. In general, there is a vast pool of information and resources, but it needs to be communicated to the people, those involved need to speak out.

S u r v e y r e s p o n s e s a r e r a w . P e r s o n a l l y i d e n t i f y i n g r e m a r k s h a v e b e e n r e m o v e d .

Raw Comments

The local CVB should accept that they are a marketing organization and stop trying to be all things to all people, their primary responsibility should be to market the destination and the private business should then be the sales side.

Less image marketing and more direct marketing of the companies and products.

Tourism Marketing in Africa is still traditional and not internet inclined. Destination managers would therefore do travelers and the industry a great deal if all service providers in the sector should go online.

Building new and more findable information places around the main touristic areas. To be honest you see none…

S u r v e y r e s p o n s e s a r e r a w . P e r s o n a l l y i d e n t i f y i n g r e m a r k s h a v e b e e n r e m o v e d .

Raw Comments

Activities and Attractions should be the marketing focus and Accommodation as an add on.

Public organizations must improve their websites and promote active use of it. Website information in English has been very insufficient. Travel facilities like proper mountain trails should be built across the country.

There is no overall plan for local tourism. When we began our DMO 6 years ago our city had a tourism budget, though no plan. Now it has neither, but we continue to market the community outside the community for now.

There are plenty of creative and pro-active people within our community who aren't consulted and do things off their own backs.

S u r v e y r e s p o n s e s a r e r a w . P e r s o n a l l y i d e n t i f y i n g r e m a r k s h a v e b e e n r e m o v e d .

Raw Comments

Locals want a greater voice in articulating the merits of localities

Visitors want to connect with locals

There are opportunities for conversations and collaboration

Summary

What’s Next?

s l i d e sha re .ne t/p l ane t a/marke t ing lo ca l

@ronmader

planeta.com