Putting Africa on the Map

PUTTING AFRICA ON THE MAP

25th & 26th October 2010

Cape Town E- Tourism Conference

Our Industry is in Distress

Global Economy

Local Currencies are strong

Expensive Destination

Technology Changing the Rules

Opportunity for Growth

Africa has only 4% of global travel

– this must grow!!!

Use technology to:-

Educate (public & industry)

Entice and Encourage more travelers

Make it simpler to sell our products

Make it easy to Book

Access new markets

Tourism in Transition

Over 80% of Travel begins online

Largest Online Commodity

Content is Critical

Increasing travel spend is online

Increased Transparency

Research is part of the Experience


What does this mean….

Middlemen are being removed• Client – Travel Agent – Tour Operator – Product

• Client – Tour Operator – Product

• Client – Travel Agent – Product

• Client – Product

Tighter Margins

Importance of your Online Presence

e-Marketing is vital


The way forward seems clear ………or is it?

While the global travel industry is has been radically changed this is not the case for Africa where traditional channels are still

intact (although under threat)


Why is the channel still intact• Lack of Education• Lack of Information • Fear of the Unknown• Challenging Infrastructure• Security • Technologically Challenged


My Advice

Support the channels that bring Business

• Provide content and tools to help sell the your product

Understand then Invest in e-Marketing

• Content, Social Media, Blogs, Newsletters, Live Availability,

Manage Online Reputations, etc

E-Marketing

Creating good quality content

Distribute it via as many channels as

possible

&

Ensure that the enquiry/ booking process is as simple & quick as possible.

SmartGuide

We use technology to distribute content in an interactive and engaging manner.

Aggregate Content

Edit it

Distribute it

Geo-locate

Input (Create & Aggregate)

SmartGuide Approach Distribution

Text and Audio

Images

Tourism Organisations(National, Regional, Local)

Map

Tour Operators

Tourism Products(Accommodation, Activities, etc)

Hotel Groups

Marketing Groups

Virtual Tours (360 pictures)

Videos

User Generated (You Tube, Flickr and Reviews)

Travel Agents

Providing a powerful platform that the industry can use to promote Africa

Focus on Mapping

• Maps are central to tourism

• Google Maps are amazing

• Geo-located Information more valuable

• Makes Content very accessible

• Interactive and Engaging • Publishing Platform (instantly updatable)

The Interactive Map

Interactive Map

18 000 Points

Each Icon Carries Content

Images

Videos

Audio

Flickr

Text

360s

Zoom in

Zoom In – The Cape

Geo-Located Guides

Geo-located – relevant

Easy to create / customise

Search Facility

Search for Beaches

Zoom In

Using the Interactive Map

Which one represents and sells the product better ?

Resort Layout vs Interactive Map

http://www.smartguide.co.za/PM/Shandrani%20Resort.htm

Facebook

Twitter

Tour Operator Integration

Click on the Link to Map

Tour Operator Integration

Distribution of Content

WebsitesProvides:• Destination / Location Guide • Interactive Experience• Large library of Rich Content

WebsitesProvides:• Destination / Location Guide • Interactive Experience• Large library of Rich Content

Sales AgentsAssists with:• Providing information • Education • Empowering them to Sell• A sales tool

Sales AgentsAssists with:• Providing information • Education • Empowering them to Sell• A sales tool

Social MediaUsed in:• Blogs• Twitter• Facebook

Social MediaUsed in:• Blogs• Twitter• Facebook

Email / DocumentationUses:• Insert in all correspondence• Include in Signature • Attach to Quote / Documentation

Email / DocumentationUses:• Insert in all correspondence• Include in Signature • Attach to Quote / Documentation

The Map

VIRTUAL ITINERARY

Revolutionising the way

travel itineraries are presented

The Virtual Itinerary

Virtual Itinerary

Interactive Virtual Itineraries

• Represent an itinerary in an appealing manner• Provide a spatial understanding• Are interactive & engaging• Allow potential travellers to do in-depth research• Provide depth to an itinerary (Rich Media)• Provide confidence in recommendations• Provide confidence in the itinerary

Virtual Itinerary

The Interactive Virtual Itinerary is a

• Marketing tool• Sales tool• Education tool• Conversion tool


Car

Scheduled Flight

Charter Flight

Distribution of the Virtual Itinerary

Sample / Scheduled Virtual Itineraries• In websites• In specials • In blogs & social media• In newsletters

Personal Virtual Itineraries• Rapid response teaser• Accompany the standard itinerary / quote

The E-Brochure

eBrochure

Paper Brochures

• Expensive to print (each one costs)

• Expensive to distribute

• Out of Date the day it is printed

• At the right time, it is in the wrong place

• Expensive to develop in different languages

What is an e-Brochure

• mini website built for presentations (content & important info)

• Brings your rich content to the fore

• Easy to distribute (email, social media, specials, newsletter, etc)

• Accessible when needed

• Easily branded by Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Marketing Organizations, etc

• Easy / Cheap to produce in many languages (new markets)

• Measurable

eBrochure

How will it be used

Products • Will distribute it widely to use it to educate, promote and sell their property

• Use it as a way to transfer Content & Information

• Place to put Specials

Tour Operators • Place in digital documentation, quotes & itineraries

• Can quickly send a client the link to a few options

• Carries all the information they need (no need to go back to the product)

• Access Specials

Travel Agents • Replace the traditional brochures

• Provide them with the tools to sell the product

• Present or send to clients

eBrochure

Change of Marketing Focus

SmartGuide had been focusing on providing these tools to Online Tour Operators

New Approach• The real power of the tool is to educate and provide tools to the people in the front line – the Travel Agents

The Travel Agents is still a major player yet• They are hard to market to and hence neglected• Most have limited knowledge on Africa •They receive little or no training on selling Africa

And these are our frontline marketers!!!!

Change of Marketing Focus

The average Travel Agent is • Commission based • Sells what they are confident selling• Sells what they know

SmartGuide’s Tools can • Educate Agents• Increase their confidence • Providing the Agents the tools to compete in the computer age• Help them sell Africa

SmartGuide Portal

The Industry’s One Stop Shop for Content, Information & Sales Tools

Interactive Map

Virtual Itineraries

eBrochure

Specials

Growing Africa’s Share

For Africa to increase it’s share of the travel market it needs you to:-

Embrace the Internet

Assist the Industry to sell Africa

Contact Details

www.smartguide.co.za

http://www.smartguide.co.za/

Putting Africa on the Map

Technology

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