Originally a necessity, over time as the means to move have become less significant and cumbersome, and the perception of traveling navigated to leisure. Soon railroad infrastructures not only carried valuable goods and materials but wealthy travelers. Cars and planes revolutionized our accessibility to travel yet again, making our world increasingly mobile and empowering lower-class citizens with the means to see the world alongside their wealthy counterparts.

New technology puts us on the cusp of yet another shift in the general perception, desire, and accessibility of travel. No, not Elon Musk’s shuttles to the moon, but his other venture. Autonomous cars.

Self-driving cars are emerging in the media for the logistics of how they operate, their level of self-sufficiency as opposed to a “supervisor” in the driver’s seat, and for any and all ways they’re different or scary as compared to the version for the automobile that we all know and love today. But that’s natural. Automobiles emerged as a symbol of independence, giving up the independence of not just car ownership, but control of the steering wheel? “No, thank you” most Americans are saying.

Put all of that aside with me for a moment and imagine an environment where the Departments of Transportation and City Planners are all on the same page. We’ve figured out the infrastructure needed for safe and reliable autonomous transportation. What does the American lifestyle look like? More importantly, what does travel and tourism look like?

Here are a few things to consider for your business and marketing strategy as the autonomous travel craze flirts with becoming a reality.

1 – Customized City Tours

Instead of visiting New York for the third time and finding yourself on a city tour that shows you half of everything you saw on your last visits, autonomous travel brings the potential for you to create your own unique experience. A quick pre-trip questionnaire could create a tour map totally customized to your interests!

2 – Rolling Sleeps

You’ve heard the term “flyover states”, but what about “drive through states”? My fiancé and I recently road tripped to Denver, and the thought of going to sleep as we leave Sioux Falls, and waking up just outside Denver the next morning is enticing. A rolling sleep means less mid-trip pit stops for a quick sleep and fewer reasons for us to hang out in any of the cities along the way.

3 – Traveler Expectations

It won’t be enough that your business is in a major city. Differentiating your experience beyond the locale is important as autonomous travel makes it easier for people to get from one place to another. Making a 600-mile trek feel more like a 200-mile trip, and leaving travelers way less “jet-lagged” from their journeys.

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Remember that consumers want an experience that is unique to them. Customize your offerings and sharing those customizations with potential customers is essential for setting your business apart. Even without the rise of autonomous travel, unique customer experiences are your ticket to increased leads and sales potential.

How well do you understand your core visitor? Going beyond age and income, what do you know about them? Do they have a shared interest? Is there a consistency in their family unit (or lack of family) that make them stand out? Does it change with the seasons?

We know, and research confirms, that travelers are changing. There are significant shifts happening in the way they plan trips (business and leisure), as well as how often they travel, when they book, and how much they spend. In this blog, I will break down the top three generations (Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials) to share with you a few insights that may just change the way you are advertising your destination or attraction.

Baby Boomers

Boomers are still the wealthiest generation. According to AARP, they make up 40% of the consumer population. They are also very intentional about their spending and tend to research decisions heavily before committing. While they may be a little late to the “digital” party, they are quickly converting to online sources to research and book. But, if this is your core audience, don’t rush to invest in developing Apps to enhance their experience. Only 20% rely on mobile and they are not likely to download or use a mobile app.

Whiles studies show that this generation will start traveling less (they are more dependent on retirement only income and many lost big when the stock markets crashed), they are still traveling. They are being more selective of how long and where they go, and will respond to offers, promotions, and discounts. Often, their trips will last a week or longer and include some type of sightseeing or tour.

This generation likes content. And a LOT of it. They will read your blogs, read social media comments and look for your reviews. While they gravitate toward news and political content, they also like short videos and inspiring images.

Media traditionalists, this generation rely on television and read magazine loyally. Desktop and laptop computers are still their favorite access point to the world wide web. To bridge the gap between their online and offline experience, build materials and a website that are simple, clean, easy to navigate. Keep the online experience friendly to your non-tech savvy guests. If you’re not sure, ask your dad (or grandpa) to do something on your site and see if he can figure it out in 3 steps or less. If nothing else, it will be an exercise in patience.

Gen Xer’s

The “forgotten generation” is in it’s prime! Stuck between the wealthy Boomers and decisive Millennials, Gen Xer’s value trust and transparency. The good news – if you win their loyalty you will have it for life.

This generation is also at the height of their career, so time and efficiency are key. Their trips will be less frequent, and shorter in duration, but will be filled with experiences and making memories. They will take frequent mini-vacations consisting of 3-4 days in place of an extended vacation.

While planning their vacation, this generation will rely on their laptop more heavily than a handheld device, but that trend is slowly shifting. They are almost 2x as likely to use a mobile device over the Boomer generation. They will often spend time planning in the late evenings (after work and the kids are in bed). While they also frequent blogs, social content, and comments, they are also likely to download white papers and other content. Most will read reviews on Trip Advisor or other OTA’s before booking.

Gen X is the prime audience for email communication, as this is their preference to other forms (text, direct mail, phone). A good strategy for reaching this group includes a combination of paid search, email, direct mail, social media, and YouTube.

Also note, that while they are at their prime earning years, they also have more debt than any previous generation, making them a cautious spender with demands for honesty. Don’t try to be someone you are not; authenticity will win the day!

Millennials

Ah, my favorite wildcards! Ironically, while many travel planners will overlook this generation when identifying target markets, Millennials families are the only group that is expected to increase their travel frequency and spend.

And they are just getting started! Forbes announced that by the end of 2018, this generation will have more spending power than the Boomers and Gen X.  Yes – you heard that right. Additionally, they estimate that this group will take as many as seven trips annually – mostly long weekends and shorter durations. Ready to rethink your target audience?

Then you also need to rethink your media mix. They are a mobile-first generation. They will spend half the amount of time watching TV as their parents do, and spend significantly more time online (consuming content, watching videos, social media). Additionally, the Millennial traveler is less price conscious and more driven by peers and social trends than their parents and grandparents. In fact, the majority will purchase an experienced that they feel is personalized, regardless of the price. AirBNB backed up this claim saying their study showed that 75% of Millennials would prefer paying for an experience over a product.

To engage with this group, use a heavy mix of paid search, and social media, along with a smattering of mobile display, content, and building up your reviews. Just be prepared by ensuring your mobile site is intuitive and user-friendly.

 

This data is a collection of national research studies along with our experience in working with clients in the industry (hospitality, attractions, and destinations). It is worthwhile to understand the trends you are seeing in your visitor data, then compare it to this data. If there are correlations, rethink the way you are planning your marketing campaigns. You may just find that you are getting a better return for the same investment.

If you’d like support in analyzing your data, or implementing a more strategic approach to your travel marketing, reach out to me via email or call. I’d be happy to chat with you!

Familiar with the saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”?

In the age of digital, a bad experience with a brand or product can have detrimental effects on said entity. Online reviews have become very important, as 90% of people read an online review before visiting a business. A squeaky wheel, or negative review, can really have negative implications for businesses and brands. On average, a single negative online review will cost you 30 customers.

This is even more crucial in the Tourism and Travel Industry, as people search for new things to do in unfamiliar cities. Vacations and experiences are intangible and produced and consumed at the same time, leading those to trust people who have gone through the experience, stayed at the hotel, or ate the food before them. Travelers trust online reviews in the same way that they would a personal recommendation. Technology has transformed the way we travel, with endless information at our fingertips that has shaped the average Joe into a well-informed traveler. User-generated content (like reviews, blogs, ect.) has skyrocketed and illustrates the importance of word of mouth in the tourism sectors. Here is the scope of UGC (User Generated Content) in the tourism industry:

1. TripAdvisor has over 702 million total reviews and opinions
2. Trivago has over 190 million hotel ratings
3. com has over 95 million guest reviews in 230 countries

Scoping the Room

When it comes to booking a hotel, travelers tend to rely on the experiences and opinions of past guests to knowing what they are getting themselves into. In fact, 90% of those polled in a recent survey indicated that ratings on a review site played an essential role in their booking decision. And if bad reviews scare you away from enabling review features, you should know that 53% of consumers won’t book a hotel with no reviews.

So what can you do? Respond! The number one thing that can be done about a negative review is responding, whether the review is positive or negative. This seems like a no-brainer, but only about 32% of hotels respond to reviews and 70% of negative reviewers hope to receive a response.

TRAP Them

There are four things to remember when responding to reviews.

T- Thank Them. Whether positive or negative, it is always good to show appreciation to guests who took the time to write a review about your business.

R- Respond Promptly. Have a dedicated person(s) that monitors your business reputation and can promptly respond to reviews. This indicates a general care for your consumers’ experiences and can leave a lasting impression on them, as well as others looking at the review afterwards.

A- Address Complaints. Whether you find your business at fault for a negative review or not, you should address the complaints and give feedback that shows they are taken seriously by your business.

P- Profession & Polite. Keep your responses human and non-robotic, but keep it professional. How you respond to a negative review will be seen by many people to follow and leaves a lasting impression.

BONUS TIP- Always respond to a review publicly, but when possible, take the conversation offline. This could include asking the reviewer to send an email or message to your team to further address the situation.

Reviews are an opportunity to start a conversation and engage with guests. Use feedback to improve your employee training, make improvements to services, and better your business from the past experiences of others.

Why So Negative?

Having a better understanding of why people post negative reviews can hopefully help your business mitigate them in the future. The good news is that only 23% of people post negative reviews for vengeance. So while it may seem like you are coming under attack, its likely not personal. As mentioned previously, 70% of people who complain are hoping for a response. Most people just want to be heard. Take a negative review as an opportunity make things right.

The top three reasons for negative reviews in the travel and hospitality business sector are mostly avoidable or at the least fixable.

Rude or Unhelpful Staff- This is the number one reason for negative reviews across most industries, but is heightened in the hospitality sector.

Unrealistic Expectations- Make sure your claims and photos set realistic expectations of the experiences your customers will enjoy. People don’t like feeling duped. If you promise more than you can deliver, you can expect people to take their disappointment online.

Poor Handling of Situations- Sometimes the unexpected happens. How you and your staff respond to situations has a role in the satisfaction of your guests. Challenge your team to go beyond in customer service. Remember, the compensation does not need to be financial. Offer the unexpected. Pleasant surprises are memorable and can turn a poor interaction into an opportunity for a positive review.

Traveling Forward

Negative reviews are inevitable. How your business responds and improves from a negative review is where you have the chance to turn it around and make it a positive experience. Negative reviews are just one aspect of the review landscape, and focusing on gaining more positive reviews should also be a focus for your business. It will take five 5-star reviews to offset the ranking of one 1-star review. Here a few things you can do to encourage customers to leave positive reviews.

• Create Incentives- Sometimes people just need that extra push to make them want to take the time to write a review. This incentive can be something as simple as a coupon code, contest entry, or small prize. Be sure to encourage honest reviews to truly get the best value. I recently stayed at an Airbnb and was sent this email after my stay. The incentive in this case is simple, if I want to see how my host reviewed me, I also have to submit my own review.

• Know When to Ask- Asking for reviews at the wrong time can lead to negative reviews, so make sure you are asking at the right moments of the customer journey. Positive moments could be:
  • After a referral
  • After a reorder or rebooking
  • After a positive social media tag
• Ask Open Questions- Avoid asking for the review outright. Instead ask questions that gauge the level of satisfaction with your products or services. “How did you enjoy your stay?” is a great way to judge initial satisfaction levels and can avoid the awkward mistake of encouraging a negative public review. After a recent shopping trip to Target, where I used my CartWheel to checkout, I was sent this email. A rating scale can be a great gauge of satisfaction levels and can lead to a more honest review of your customer’s experiences.

• SHARE! Acknowledge your customers and thank them for their time in reviewing. Share positive reviews on your website or social channels to encourage others to write their own reviews.

There are many other ways to encourage and facilitate positive reviews, but most importantly, stay with you customers throughout their journey. Don’t wait until the end of their experience to do damage control. The squeaky wheel just needs a little extra attention.

We can’t blame Millennials for this trend. While they may be well known for making last minute bookings (even when they plan ahead), we have groomed today’s travelers to wait for deals, price drop offers, and special promotions before booking their itinerary. It’s spread beyond dining reservations to include hotel rooms, activities and attraction tickets. According to a recent consumer report from Arival, only 25% of summer travelers plan to book all of their activities before they leave for their trip.

In addition to the challenge of last-minute travel, indicators tell us that Boomers and Gen Xer’s are not traveling as much as they have previously. MMGY, in their Portrait of an American traveler, reported that Millennials are the only generation that is expected to spend more on travel than in previous years.

There are glimmers of hope, in what may look like doom and gloom. The same report shares that 80% of Americans plan to travel. So… what can you do to capture your share of last minute bookings from the 2.3 million leisure and business trips expected in 2019?

1. Optimize your search strategy. Travel related searches for “tonight” and “today” have increased 150% over the last 2 years. That means you have a finite window to capture and convert! Incorporate a local focus using keywords related to time into your paid campaign.
2. Audit your website for mobile usability and conversions. Treksoft reported that 72% of all mobile bookings happen within two days of Many of the last-minute searches (leading to bookings) are happening on mobile devices. Can a 7^th grader find your phone number or book a reservation within 3 minutes (or less)? If you answered “no”, start working on your website now.
3. Experiment with Beacons. Hyper-local marketing is becoming a requirement to capture last-minute bookings, and Google is making the technology easier than ever to implement. Beacons will improve last-minute sales, as well as enhance your customer experience and provide key insights that will help you improve your services.

The internet has made it easier for travelers to be their own booking agents, inciting fierce competition among travel companies in the targeted online marketing space. Creating a comprehensive campaign is one of the best ways for businesses in this field to capture new customers. Based on data collected from online banner advertising and other marketing metrics, its potential is tremendous.

"I have not yet seen a travel service provider who is not aggressively investing to better engage with its target customers by adding value pre-travel, during travel, and post travel," Ken Herron, vice president of marketing at Tourico, told EContent Magazine.

Businesses that are headquartered in popular or emerging tourist destinations can greatly benefit from placing a video or mobile advertisement instead of solely relying on local tourism publications or traditional forms of marketing. While those platforms still grab the attention of some travelers, many more are using their mobile devices or computers to find the answers they need.

The issue with this accessibility is that prospective customers want to find the answers fast and see relevant results. Companies that have not begun building an local internet marketing strategy may end up behind their competitors once online ads really gain traction.

Lonely Planet, for example, has been providing PDFs of their travel recommendations since 1973, before the organization even knew there was a market for e-books.

"Our mission has always been to provide the very best information to travelers in whatever way they desire, Lonely Planet's e-publishing manager Mark Germanchis added. "To this end, we've made our trusted content available on most platforms as they emerge, whether it be through apps, e-books, the mobile version of our website, etc."

The added flexibility may require a bit of work, but the advantages will pay off in no time. Accommodations or other businesses in the travel industry looking for a team with experience with online advertising should partner with Key Media Solutions. 

The American financial crisis heavily impacted local markets, but many other nations also experienced their own recessions. Travel during this time was a rarity because vacations became a luxury. Since bouncing back from such instability, more countries are expecting travel in 2014 will be stronger. 

Because the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and the World Cup in Brazil are on many travelers' minds, traveling overseas is expected to happen more often in comparison to other years, the International Business Times reported.

"We are optimistic when we see people who are not spending in other ways, but who are continuing to travel," Doros Theodorou, commercial director at TripAdvisor, told Euro News. "So, on a travel perspective definitely optimistic and for Europe even more."

TripAdvisor was one of many organizations that attended the World Travel Market exhibition in London recently. Hoteliers, attractions and parks around the world are revving up their internet marketing solutions to draw in visitors in 2014.

Europe has always had a stronger travel culture due to the ease of entering one nation from another, but Chris Fair of Resonance Consultancy listed 2014 traveling trends marketers and travel industry companies should look out for in a webinar reported on in the Travel Market Report. 

Overall more interest in traveling

Affluent individuals and senior citizens are known to schedule travel arrangements, but Fair thinks businesses need to pay attention to Millennials, those between ages 18 and 30, as well.

"Millennials are a much more ethnically diverse group than other generations and so are more interested in international travel," Fair said in the online seminar, according to the source.

While Millennials are interested in group activities, senior citizens are looking for "less congested destinations," and affluent individuals in the United States and Asia are expected to "dominate the luxury travel space" for the next seven years.

Excellent customer service

The internet has made it possible for individuals to do their research on just about anything. Reviews on a country, airline and everything in between can be found with a few clicks. Companies that venture into local online marketing will be able to grab the attention of prospective travelers during the early research stages, helping them build an itinerary around the business' location.

Creating an "authentic experience" is becoming increasingly important for all three of these age groups. Organizations that partner with Key Media Solutions will find themselves at a great advantage compared to other companies that have yet to enter the online advertising market.

In terms of vacations, recent statistics show that more people across the globe are beginning to consider the United Kingdom as their final destination. The Office for National Statistics showed that compared to last year, the number of inbound visitors increased by 16 percent, reaching close to 3.5 million people total for the month of August.

Additionally, the amount spent in the first eight months of the year by travelers to the U.K. remained at record levels, up by about 11 percent at £13.7 billion.

VisitBritain chief executive Sandie Dawe commented on the tourism figures in an interview with Travel Weekly.

"More people than ever from around the world are choosing to holiday in Britain, with record numbers coming from the high spending markets of Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific," she said. "This all adds up to a new milestone of spend over a 12-month period of £20 billion, which proves the massive contribution that inbound tourism makes to the U.K. economy."

Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays, agreed that the numbers are positive for Britain's economy. According to him, the nation is proving its global appeal as tourist numbers strengthen for the fourth month running. He added that the Olympics in 2012 probably contributed to travelers' continued interest in visiting the U.K.

Why travel companies need the right marketing approach

When organizations see figures like this, it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that consumers continue to receive the information they need to create travel plans. A targeted internet marketing solution will help businesses reach their ideal audience through a medium that is most convenient to them.

Key Media Solutions will ensure that small- to medium-sized agencies can utilize the internet and keep travelers informed and satisfied.

It is not difficult for companies in the travel industry to find customers. However, it is essential that those businesses are able to accurately advertise to their desired consumer base. International air travel is just one small section that organizations can target with local online marketing. With recent research showing that adventure travel is on the rise, companies must ensure that they create a campaign that caters to the right audience.

According to the 2013 Adventure Tourism Market Study, adventure travel has been growing 65 percent year-over-year since 2009. Now, the outbound adventure travel market for the Americas and Europe is estimated to be $263 billion.

The study was conducted by George Washington University with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

"We expected growth — we expected big growth — but not at that level," ATTA President Shannon Stowell told Travel Weekly.

Stowell added that there were several factors that contributed to the rapid growth. First, more adventure travel suppliers are being created, and the market itself is becoming more mainstream. When the study was first conducted in 2009, the entire travel industry was bottoming out because of the economic downturn.

Another factor that could affect targeted internet marketing is that 37 percent of adventure travelers go on excursions with a spouse or partner and 30 percent with their family and kids. Additionally, an individual's per-trip spending for adventure traveling – excluding airfare and gear – increased to $947 in 2012. In 2009, that number was $593.

When businesses partner with Key Media Solutions, they can develop a local online marketing campaign that takes into account numerous variants so a strong, successful approach is developed.

Travel companies must keep abreast of the latest industry trends, and ensure that they are using targeted internet marketing to reach their customers. A failure to do so will not only make it more difficult to remain profitable in the short-run, but it could deter shoppers from becoming long-term customers.

If businesses do not understand their audience, how can they create an advertising campaign that will draw them in? Recent research shows that when it comes to travel, some female customers are being met with lackluster marketing approaches.

A study by Insights in Marketing's (IIM) i-on-Women Division found that only 23 percent of women are extremely satisfied with the products and/or services in the travel category. Additionally, 97 percent of the surveyed women said that they have a large influence on their family's travel decisions.

Results also showed that out of the 1,200 women surveyed, 80 percent make their travel purchases online, but only 12 percent find Priceline to effectively market products to them. Just 9 percent believe Orbitz does.

According to a recent Inc. Magazine piece, companies must recognize the purpose of each of their online marketing channels, how customers absorb the information and how each channel might vary in efficacy for the business' intended message.

"For a channel to be effective, you must pair it with appropriate messaging, and for that message to be well received, it must reflect the appropriate stage in the conversion funnel your customer is currently in," the article said.  

Investing in small business internet marketing that can pinpoint customer needs will help travel companies grow. It is not enough to know who your audience is. An organization must be willing to go the extra mile to develop the right marketing campaign to create strong relationships with customers.

The ability to access a wealth of information on the go is one of the advantages of mobile use for consumers, and real time advertising tactics that capitalize on mobile data can help drive up your company's presence, according to a recent article from Travel Daily UK. By constantly investigating and interpreting user information in a wider context, your organization can learn important things about customers.

The article quoted a recent Economist Intelligence Unit study in which 87 percent of American executive responders said that data is playing a large role in modern marketing strategies. Nearly a quarter said they make it a key part of their company's initiatives.

According to the study, executives in the travel industry have changed their online marketing tactics significantly. Whereas several years ago, the focus of marketing initiatives was to flood the consumer and reach them through as many channels as possible (mobile, internet, television, etc.), now travel executives focus on data mining to profile users and target the "right" customers. Additionally, travel companies have begun an effort to create consumer advocates for their brands through increased engagement.

The opportunities for appealing to customers are there, and as more companies realize the benefits of targeting nearby consumers who are ready to purchase, these changes in marketing will likely continue. If you're unsure of how to create a strong advertising campaign that takes advantage of these trends, Key Media Solutions can just be the jumpstart you need.