Tourism Digital Marketing

Most destinations don’t have a marketing problem. They have an attention problem. If I became the Director of Marketing for a destination tomorrow, I wouldn’t tweak a few things. I’d burn the playbook and rebuild from zero. DMO marketing is too safe, too slow, too predictable, and totally out of sync with how people travel today. Before anything else, this should be number one, but it’s not even on the list. It’s an automatic. I’d start with the team. I’d learn who I’m working with, what drives them, and what they’re best at. I’d build a family culture, not a corporate one. A team that trusts each other moves like one unit. That’s the real engine behind everything else. Then I’d do this: 1️⃣ Build a storytelling machine. Most DMOs push promos, not stories. I’d build a content engine that shows real people, real flavors, real emotion. People don’t love places because of brochures. They love them because of how they feel. 2️⃣ Turn the destination into a media brand. Think like a creator, not a committee. Daily short videos, raw moments, behind the scenes. Stop whispering. Start broadcasting. 3️⃣ Own the story before OTAs do. If a traveler’s first touch is a third party, the DMO already lost. Show up first. Be louder. Be real. 4️⃣ Activate local voices. Locals beat influencers every time. Build an ambassador program. Turn locals into storytellers. 5️⃣ Invest in media libraries. Every strong destination needs content on demand. Drone shots, vertical clips, photos, emotional soundbites. Stop begging. Own it. 6️⃣ Post daily. Not weekly. Not monthly. Daily. Marketing a destination isn’t a campaign. It’s a conversation. And conversations don’t happen once a week. 7️⃣ Master platform psychology. What works on Instagram won’t work on LinkedIn. TikTok isn’t YouTube. Speak the native language of every platform. 8️⃣ Use emotion, not just strategy. Travel is a feeling. It’s desire, belonging, curiosity, status. Win hearts first, wallets second. 9️⃣ Make the data sexy. Data isn’t paperwork. It’s power. It shows trends early and makes every dollar hit harder. You can’t grow what you don’t measure. 🔟 Think lifetime, not one trip. Every traveler is a future guest, fan, and megaphone. Build retention, not just reach. This isn’t about being louder. It’s about being sharper, faster, more human. If DMOs want to win, they need to act less like governments and more like media companies. Attention is the new currency. Destinations that get it will own the future. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

71% of 18-24 year olds used social media to plan their last international trip. For the 55+ demographic? Just 21%. This isn't a trend. It's a generational fault line in how travel decisions are made. According to the new Tourism Economics and Meta report on travel and tourism, social media has become the third most important planning tool for international travellers — behind only OTAs and review sites. But the real story is in the age breakdown: → 71% of 18-24s used social media to plan their last trip → 68% of 25-34s did the same → By 55+, it drops to just 21% And here's the part that should concern every destination marketer: 83% of those who used social media said it was important in influencing their final travel decision. That held true across every age group. The implication is clear. Your future traveller is already making decisions somewhere you might not be showing up. For destinations still leading with traditional media buys and hoping digital will "support" the campaign, this data suggests the hierarchy has flipped. Social isn't the amplifier. It's becoming the primary channel for discovery, inspiration, and decision-making. The question for CMOs isn't whether to invest in social. It's whether your current strategy reflects where your next generation of high-value travellers is actually paying attention. Because if you're not in the feed, you're not in the consideration set 🚀

There’s a massive blindspot in hospitality. It's creating the biggest missed opportunity in decades for properties. Here’s how we discovered the industry-wide oversight that is organic social revenue attribution: At Onera, our analytics initially showed social media driving less than 1-2% of bookings. Based on that alone we should have immediately redirected our resources—supposedly Instagram was responsible for just a tiny fraction of our revenue. But something didn't add up… Millions of views. Constant engagement. 5-10k clicks into our booking funnel each month. Yet according to our Google Analytics dashboard, almost none of these followers were actually booking. So we did something radical in today's data tracking-obsessed world: We simply asked our guests how they found us. Yep, a simple survey. The shocking truth? Over 60% discovered us through Instagram. This wasn't a small discrepancy—it was massive. This disconnect plagues the entire hospitality industry. The tracking mechanisms we rely on—from UTM parameters to Google Analytics—simply aren't designed to capture the complex, non-linear journey of today's social-first traveler. Think about your own behavior: - Discover a property on Instagram - Follow them for months - Google search for their website when ready to book - Get counted as "direct traffic" in analytics The social influence that initiated the entire journey? Completely invisible. This blindspot explains why most hotels underinvest in social: - Executives demand clear ROI before investing - They need to see direct lines between spending and revenue - They love Meta & Google ads because attribution is clean and immediate But savvy operators understand a fundamental truth: Just because something isn't perfectly trackable doesn't mean it isn't immensely valuable. These properties are building audiences of tens of thousands—sometimes hundreds of thousands—of potential guests who follow their content daily. They're creating emotional connections that override price sensitivity and competitive shopping. Most importantly, they're capturing direct bookings at a fraction of the cost of traditional acquisition channels. The forward-thinking few recognize that we're in a media revolution fundamentally reshaping how guests discover properties. While everyone else waits for perfect attribution, they're building direct relationships with future guests months or years before they ever book. This isn't just a measurement challenge—it's perhaps the greatest opportunity in modern hospitality. And it's hiding in plain sight.

Google's AI Trip Planner Indefinitely Delayed! What This Means for Hotel Marketing Strategies The recent news of Google's indefinite delay of its AI-powered trip planner for Gemini Advanced presents both challenges and opportunities for the hospitality industry. Initially showcased in 2024, this tool promised to revolutionize travel planning by integrating personal details into customizable itineraries. However, its postponement underscores the complexities inherent in developing such advanced AI applications. Despite this setback, the trajectory of AI in travel remains undeniably forward-moving. Travelers are increasingly turning to AI-driven platforms to streamline their journey planning. For instance, Google's Gemini continues to evolve, integrating more deeply with other Google apps and services to enhance personalized travel planning. This growing reliance on AI tools highlights a pivotal shift in consumer behavior, one that hoteliers cannot afford to overlook. The delay of Google's trip planner offers a unique window for hotels to proactively integrate AI solutions into their marketing strategies, thereby enhancing guest experiences and securing a competitive edge. A Strategic Imperative for Hoteliers In light of these developments, it is imperative for hoteliers to: 1. Invest in AI-Powered Personalization: Utilize AI algorithms to analyze guest preferences and behaviors, enabling the delivery of customized recommendations and services that resonate with individual travelers. 2. Enhance Online Visibility: Optimize digital presence to ensure seamless integration with existing AI travel planning tools. Collaborations with platforms like Google's evolving AI services can facilitate personalized itineraries that prominently feature your property. 3. Leverage AI for Operational Efficiency: Implement AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants to handle inquiries, bookings, and customer service, thereby improving response times and guest satisfaction. By proactively adopting AI technologies, hoteliers can not only fill the void left by delayed third-party tools but also position themselves as pioneers in delivering innovative and personalized guest experiences. The future of travel is undeniably intertwined with artificial intelligence; embracing this reality today will pave the way for sustained success in the hospitality industry.

✈️ Behind Every Great Tourism Campaign... Is a Smart Partnership Strategy. As someone working at the intersection of aviation and tourism, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful and strategic tourism board partnerships are. It's not just handing out brochures or running digital ads. It's about influencing Michelin guides, building public–private coalitions, and partnering with airlines to drive meaningful visitor flows. Some of the take from behind the working are as follows, 1. Public-Private Matchmaking Many tourism boards are public–private partnerships. Visit Florida matches state funding with private partners like Disney and SeaWorld. ROI? Every $1 spent returns $2.15 in tax revenue. 2. Trade Shows & Roadshows Tourism boards meet key partner airlines, DMCs, and hotel brands at ITB Berlin, ATM, and WTM London events. These are not just eye candy; when one plans their calendar well, they’re strategic sourcing grounds. 3. Michelin-Star Power Moves In 2024, Southern U.S. states co-funded Michelin’s expansion into their region to boost culinary tourism. These aren’t small bets, they’re investments in perception and positioning. 4. Operator Training as Marketing Smart DMOs train local tour operators to tell a consistent story. “Your operator’s marketing is your destination’s marketing.” 5. Data-Driven Destination Content Boards like Visit California now tailor content based on search behavior: “What to do with kids in June in Santa Cruz?” This shift from broad lists to personalized storytelling drives higher-conversion engagement. 6. Airline & Brand Co-Marketing Airlines, OTAs, payment platforms—everyone’s in the mix. Think Emirates + Dubai Tourism. Expedia + Destination Canada. Smart boards build bundles, campaigns, and loyalty plays. Want to pitch a tourism board? Know their target source markets, priorities, and brand voice. Tailor your pitch accordingly. Generic proposals go to the bottom, strategically relevant ones get the call. #TourismStrategy #AviationConsulting #DestinationMarketing #PublicPrivatePartnership #TourismBoards #RouteDevelopment #TourismInnovation #Sagheermoula

The death of traffic as a leading indicator KPI is here. Are you still measuring the wrong thing? With AI search taking over, the game has fundamentally changed. Yet 90% of travel marketers I talk to are still obsessing over the same metrics they used in 2015. Google's AI Overviews aren't just a new feature - they're a complete paradigm shift. Think about it: When someone searches "best tour companies in Barcelona" and gets an AI-generated paragraph with 5-7 company mentions, where's the traffic? There isn't any. The battle is won or lost based on whether YOUR BRAND appears in that paragraph. The new currency isn't clicks - it's MENTIONS and SENTIMENT. This requires a completely different approach: 1. VISIBILITY > TRAFFIC Your brand needs to be mentioned across the web, not just on your own site. Every quality mention increases the chance you'll appear in AI-generated results. Your SEO strategy needs to expand beyond your own domain. 2. SENTIMENT MATTERS AI models don't just see that you're mentioned - they analyze HOW you're mentioned. Negative sentiment will kill your chances of being recommended. You need an active reputation management strategy across review sites and media. 3. BROAD TOPICAL AUTHORITY The days of ranking for a few specific keywords are over. AI models assess your brand's broad authority across entire topic areas. Are you the definitive source in your travel niche? Smart travel marketers are already adjusting their dashboards to track: * Brand mention frequency across quality sources * Sentiment analysis scores * Inclusion rates in AI-generated results * Topical authority metrics The traffic-obsessed will be left wondering why their "successful" SEO strategy isn't generating bookings anymore. Are your marketing KPIs still stuck in the pre-AI era? #AImarketing #travelSEO #AIoverviews #contentmarketing #travelmarketing

Skift’s 2024 Hotel Distribution Outlook by Pranavi Agarwal and team has sparked some heated debates. If you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor—it’s a must-read. A few stats jumped out at me: ✅ 80% of hoteliers said direct bookers are more likely to become return guests than OTA customers. ✅ Independent hoteliers want to go from 44% direct bookings today to an ideal 65% mix. ✅ Despite this, only 34% are prioritizing investment in booking engines, while 63% focus on marketing campaigns. ✅ OTA commissions are as high as 30% for independents—not including promotions. Skift predicts that direct digital channels could overtake OTAs by 2030, but there’s a catch: big hotel brands will likely drive this shift as they dominate supply and have been investing in direct booking strategies for years. Independents need to step up if they want to survive—and thrive—in this battle. Here’s what I think needs to happen now to solve this existential crisis: 1️⃣ Price parity matters. Ensure your best rates are on your website. Buyers are savvy and will price-shop across multiple sites. Offering slightly lower direct rates or member exclusives beats paying 30% OTA commissions every time. Plus, direct channels = more upsell and cross-sell opportunities. 2️⃣ Upgrade your booking engine. Stop settling for “good enough” booking engines that are after-thought products in an all-in-one solution. Travelers expect seamless, intuitive, personalized, digital experiences. Archaic systems hurt your brand and tank your conversions. 3️⃣ Promote direct booking benefits. Don’t bury perks like loyalty programs, spa credits, or room upgrades in the later stages of your booking funnel. Make them prominent and compelling. Visitors need clear reasons to book directly with you when the OTAs are giving them rewards. 4️⃣ Revamp your website–CONSTANTLY. In other industries, websites are updated weekly (if not daily!). A three-year redesign cycle doesn’t cut it anymore. Your site is your storefront, treat it that way. 5️⃣ Create accountability. Ask your team: Who owns the direct booking strategy? Who’s responsible for the website? If these roles are different people, that’s a problem. Alignment here is critical. 6️⃣ Think about Groups. Group travel is increasingly moving to platforms like Airbnb for its ease of use. Hotels need fully digital group booking solutions that eliminate the need for phone calls and RFPs. The future of independent hotels depends on bold action now. Are you ready to compete, or will you let OTAs and big brands define your fate? #HospitalityTech #HotelIndustry #DirectBookings #OTAvsDirect #HotelStrategy #DigitalTransformation #TravelTech #FutureOfHospitality #HotelMarketing https://lnkd.in/gJGkm_-s

The central thesis of our business is that hotels are ecommerce businesses but they don’t act like it. The hotel industry has outsourced discovery to third-party platforms for so long that it’s forgotten how to sell itself. Think about it—Expedia Group, Booking.com, and other OTAs package every hotel into the same sterile format, stripping away personality and reducing properties to a price war. Same white-and-blue layouts, same bullet-pointed amenities, same uninspiring photos. If your hotel looks just like every other option, how do you compete? On price. But travelers don’t book experiences based on price alone. They book based on vibe, story, and trust—all things that OTAs fail to communicate. A Perfect Example: How Travelers Actually Choose Hotels I was talking to Greg Auerbach today—he’s heading to Shoptalk and browsing hotels in Las Vegas. Three properties fit his price and location preferences, but their OTA listings told him nothing useful. So, he visited their official websites. And guess what? They were old, uninspiring, and gave him zero confidence in what staying there would feel like. Where did he actually get a sense of the hotels? TikTok There, he found real guest videos showcasing the vibe—what the rooms actually look like, the energy in the lobby, the quality of the pool. Suddenly, the decision became clear. What Hotels Must Do in 2025 1️⃣ Stop treating your website like a brochure. It’s an ecommerce store, and it needs to sell the experience. 2️⃣ Leverage UGC (User-Generated Content). If your guests are creating engaging content about your property, use it. Feature it. Make it part of the booking experience. 3️⃣ Capture direct traffic. OTAs can be great billboards, but your website should be where the sale happens. Don’t just list prices—sell the experience. 4️⃣ Embrace video, reviews, and modern ecommerce tactics. If TikTok does a better job of showcasing your property than your own website, you’re doing it wrong. 5️⃣ Invest in your digital experience with tools like olive. If a guest is on your website, they are yours to lose. Don’t let outdated technology send them back to an OTA. Hoteliers: Your direct channel is your most valuable asset. If you don’t invest in it, you’ll forever be at the mercy of OTAs. #ecommerce #hotels #directbookings #hospitality #digitalmarketing #ugc

I'll tell you this U.S. Travel Association 2025 Strategic Priorities: it's not just another industry roadmap. As someone who's spent 20+ years helping DMOs navigate the digital landscape, three things caught my eye: - The idea of localizing USTA's tools for DMOs is spot on. Tying national data to local impact is the secret sauce for community buy-in. - Seamless travel isn't just a convenience. It's a competitive edge. DMOs that highlight smooth, tech-forward travel as part of their appeal are setting themselves apart. - Lastly, the focus on talent development and innovation for a future-ready industry is a call to arms. We have to invest in people and tech if we want to lead, not just react in the next era of travel. I'm particularly excited about what this means for smaller destinations. When national strategies align with local execution, it opens a new door for magic to happen. What part of USTA's vision resonates most with your destination's goals? Let's connect and explore how these priorities could reshape your 2025 strategy. #TravelIndustry #DestinationMarketing #Tourism #Leadership #DigitalStrategy