Posts by Colleen
How to Pen the Perfect Pitch
Being able to successfully pitch a story to the media is one of the most important tools to have in your PR toolbox. Public relations campaigns take time, energy and effort. It’s an adrenaline rush when a journalist responds to your pitch and wants to cover your story. But how do you make that happen?…
Read MoreHow to Combat Overtourism Through Marketing & PR
Before March 2020, an influx of people had been traveling to impressive destinations. While on one hand this is exciting, that surge of travel has a downside – overtourism. Overtourism is when there are too many visitors in a particular destination. The impact, as explained by the World Tourism Organization, is congestion at specific locations…
Read MorePublic Relations Takes Time: Setting Realistic Expectations for Your PR Efforts
Public relations is a marathon, not a sprint. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. Public relations and media relations take time – because at their core, they’re about building relationships. Heck, relations is right in the name! Back in elementary school, building relationships was easy. You’d share your pudding with someone and…
Read MoreTapping into Niche Market Tourism
What is Niche Tourism? Niche market tourism uses programs to attract visitors focusing on a very specific market segment built around a well-defined product. We’ve said it before, tourists are looking for experiences. So it only makes sense that visitors are throwing out generic “everything but the kitchen sink” trips, and planning vacations that align…
Read MoreThe Difference Among Travel Media
You’re probably familiar with how the travel media landscape has changed over the past few years – smaller travel sections (or staff) in print publications, a rise in frequency of bloggers and freelancers, and the emergence of social media influencers. These changes in the industry have only been exaggerated by the pandemic. Each one of…
Read MoreThe Evolution of Welcome Centers
Welcome centers were created to provide travelers with helpful information to improve their stay. They provide suggestions on things to do and aim to convince visitors to stay a little longer. Visitors often needed to seek out these centers to get brochures and maps, within a destination or at a highway stop on the way.…
Read MoreCollaborative Marketing in Tourism: Working Together to Lift All Boats
In the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, we understand how difficult it can be to grab the attention – and reservation – of a visitor. With limited time and a set budget, travelers have the tough decision of choosing where to go. As a destination, you may often feel like you’re competing against other tourist…
Read MoreCreative Travel Writing for Your Destination
I participated in a creative writing skills workshop at a PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference with the very talented Pam Mandel. During this day-long workshop, we talked about creative travel writing: what it is, how to do it well, and how to avoid common pitfalls. By the end of the day, I felt empowered and enabled…
Read MoreHow to Promote Local Tourism
When it comes to promoting your tourism business – whether you’re an attraction, restaurant, museum or hotel, you may feel like you’re all alone. Luckily, that’s not the case. By working with your Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) or Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA), you’re able to get some free marketing that will help to distribute your…
Read MoreAligning Your Marketing Around the Customer Journey
Every customer goes on a journey when making a purchasing decision – whether buying a car, selecting a cleaning service or choosing a family vacation spot. Each step of the way moves them closer towards making a choice. If you’ve been in marketing for a while, you’ve probably have heard of the rule of seven.…
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