MyTravelResearch.com was lucky enough to be invited to Google as one of their Sydney City Experts to the Google Sydney MapUp where the shared goal of the room became to add as many businesses on Google Maps as we could. I guess Google is asking us to help them do the work. But there is definitely a mutual benefit for us all especially for local destinations that could get more local customers through Google Maps. … [Read more...]
Archives for 2014
Your Tourism Strategy Will Get You Through The Tough Times
I’ve just finished reading the discussions on a few Tourism Marketing groups on LinkedIn. The discussions are a fascinating insight into the mindset of the Travel and Tourism industry and the companies who service it. There are discussions about whether to do trade shows or road shows, the value of content, and the role of brochures vs. online. In other environments, I am constantly asked about the future of Visitor Information Centres (VICs) or what social media channels are best. … [Read more...]
Millennial Travellers More Diverse Than You Think
If you’re in regional and local tourism in Australia marketing to younger tourists – so-called Millennials – it may be time to challenge misconceptions. Millennial Travellers (also called Generation Y) were born 1980-1995 or so. Today they are in the 20-35 age range. … [Read more...]
What Made This The Best Holiday Ever
Sorry for the gap in communication. But I am just back from the best holiday I have had in years. What made it the best holiday? Aside from a bee sting on miss 7 year old and Mum apparently squeezing the venom sack injecting more sting, everything was perfect. Everyone was happy and catered to. Service was faultless. And what's more, it was right here in Australia. … [Read more...]
Let’s Focus On Productivity Not Wages
Andrew Robb, the Minister for Trade (whose portfolio covers tourism) recently spoke at the TAA Conference on the future of the Tourism Industry. He touched on a number of topics but two evergreen perennials of tourism and hospitality events tended to dominate: staff costs and the need to encourage people to make a career in tourism. … [Read more...]
Are Accommodation Businesses Optimising VFR Travel?
When you are a tourism researcher, it is not so much that life reflects art but that life reflects research. As such, it has been fascinating to take visiting friends and relatives trip so soon after completing the research on VFR travel in Australia. … [Read more...]
Visiting Friends and Relatives Travel Research – Coffee Break Insight
In this video, we give you a 4-minute insight into one of the key findings of our VFR Research - the information void. VFR hosts and visitors rarely see marketing targeted at them and their pain points. We need to go back to basics - marketing 101 and learn how to talk to the VFR persona and start helping them with the information they need to have a great stay. … [Read more...]
How to Increase Yield and Customer Loyalty Once they Booked
Path to Purchase: Anticipating Part 2 Over the years I have looked at both the path to purchase and the total journey experience for a variety of clients across the tourism industry. But one of the most exciting moments actually dates back to some work I did for a regional area in NSW, Australia back in 2004. … [Read more...]
Applying The Lessons of Penalty Shoot-outs In Your Tourism Business
On my personal Twitter feed, I have noticed that those relating to the World Cup have really resonated – especially one on Costa Rica’s performance. As I started writing, Costa Rica are locked in a penalty shoot-out with the Netherlands to see who will go into the semi-finals. Plucky Chile faced a similar situation - going out to Brazil in the previous round. … [Read more...]
What The Tourism Industry Can Learn From World Cup Super Brands
At 4.30am on Saturday, all three household members here got up to watch defending World Cup holders Spain play the Netherlands (who they defeated in the final in 2010), ahead of seeing the Socceroos play Chile. We were among probably 200 million people around the world who did so. … [Read more...]