The Media, Travel and You: Top PR Trends and Tips of 2018
Earlier this month, I attended the annual PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference in New Orleans, a gathering of media and tourism professionals from across the country. The three-day conference was jam-packed with learnings specific to the tourism industry – the best of which was an in-depth look at 2018 travel trends, straight from the mouth…
Read More4 takeaways from Spring into Social Media.
In May, Visit Rochester and the Visitor Industry Council social media committee held Spring into Social Media: A conversation with social media managers. This event was focused on setting your channels up for success with limited time or budget- something we can all relate to. Thanks to a panel of local experts, everyone in the…
Read MoreInstagram for Tourism: Best Practices
Taking on social media can be challenging, especially with limited time and budget. In this series, I’ll explore best practices for destinations and attractions across different channels. In this blog, we’ll explore Instagram for tourism. Before we dive in- if you need a quick refresher on why your destination should be on Instagram, check out…
Read MoreHow to Market a Tourist Destination
Is your destination saleable? Of course it is! Sales is sales whether the product is tangible or not. In selling a destination, establishing relationships is the single most important factor. We’re not going to say “our widget can make your life easier and is cost-effective.” We’re going to say, “come visit us and we will treat you to…
Read MoreHow to Host a Travel Writer: A Guide for Destinations
A travel writer or blogger wants to visit your hotel, attraction, restaurant – or maybe do a full FAM weekend in your destination. That’s great! But the initial excitement might start to wear off as you ask yourself, How do I prepare? What do I need to do? What do I tell my staff? Here…
Read MoreThe Growing Importance of SEO In Tourism Marketing
SEO is a term we hear often in our marketing and PR circles, but what does it really mean for tourism marketing? What strategies should tourism businesses and destination marketing organizations be focusing on to achieve SEO success? Before I answer these questions, let’s first define SEO. I like the definition provided by MOZ: Search…
Read MoreDrone Photography & Other Recent Trends in Tourism
In April, I attended the Empire State Tourism Conference hosted by NYSTIA in Schenectady. This annual conference is a gathering of some of the best tourism minds in New York State. It always promises to be chock-full of tips, advice, and recent trends in tourism. The knowledge I walked away with was not from one…
Read More4 Common Types of Group Tours
When you’re driving down the highway and see a big motorcoach cruising along, do you ever wonder who’s in there? The possibilities of who participates in group tours are many. First, let’s start with answering the question “What exactly are group tours?” A group tour consists of a group of people who want to have…
Read MoreAdapting Your Media FAM Trip to a Changing Landscape
If you work in Travel and Tourism PR, FAMs are your most effective tool. It’s that simple. But really, FAMs (familiarization trip) are wildly popular in the tourism industry. And while many tourism attractions and destinations are familiar with the process, there is a right way and a wrong way to plan a media FAM trip. It’s…
Read MoreBuilding Relationships for Partnership Marketing
Last week I attended the Museum Association of New York’s annual conference. I learned more about what museums want to accomplish, their main challenges and how they fit into the world of tourism. Unlike other tourism attractions, museums are cultural institutions, aiming to serve the community, preserve history and educate. Every session I went to…
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