MAY 2019 | TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
Kim Caplinger | Director of Public Policy & Research,
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department
How do you emphasize the importance of tourism in the face of multiple budget cuts? Don’t give up. As Oklahoma Tourism’s Director of Public Policy & Research, Kim Caplinger educates elected officials with data and insights. But her job is more than presenting numbers. It’s about using them to tell a story.
The CenStates board of director, under the guidance of Chair Brenda Myers, has developed a three-year Vision Plan for the chapter to empower its members to produce travel and development research to enable flexibility and responsiveness. The areas of focus are: leadership, membership, education, communications, and research. The award-winning CenStates chapter looks forward to a fulfilling and productive new year…for you and with you!
Read the Vision Plan HERE.
It also showcases how print usage in US travel is far from being in decline and has held firm and even grown slightly over the last decade. Still around half of US travelers still use print at some point in their trip planning or travels each year. Print is showing continued strength in travel but certainly the role of print has shifted towards a far greater emphasis on inspiration and motivation. For more on the role of print – see our research summary from partners such as Destination Analysts and Longwoods in our white paper, The Value of Print.
Not surprisingly, a look at different generations of US travelers shows a far higher mobile, UGC and social usage among younger, Gen Y travelers. However still just under half of all Baby Boomers use traveler reviews and UGC in trip planning and almost one-third use social media content posted by friends/family.
This research highlights how content and media planning needs to respond to a highly complex, multimedia, fragmented marketplace. US Travelers are accessing more information from more places than ever before. Considering how to deliver your message across multiple channels and media types is key as is the ability to generate “cut through”. Measurement of results – though still highly imperfect, is essential to understand which content, creative, media and channels are working – and what are not.
Check out the companion blog “The Rise of the Hyper Informed Traveler” for added context and detail on these recommendations.
In today’s world of information and technology, consumers are using a wider variety of tools available to them and are using each of them at a higher rate of frequency. The types of media, websites, apps, channels and devices are mind blowing but traditional media is still an effective and critical part of your toolbox. While traditional may not get as much attention these days, it may just be the tipping point in your consumer’s decision-making process. Regardless of the channel, the key for today’s marketer is making sure your content is compelling and that its reaching the right consumer at the right time. Content personalization is now expected. If you’re not already using data to provide personalized messaging, it’s time to start exploring that option. While the use of data and technology are changing the way we deliver the messages, there are things that don’t change. Storytelling and emotion effect our decision making process throughout the day but especially when it comes to larger investments such as a vacation. Finally, word of mouth is still the number one influencer. The best way to generate word of mouth is by giving your visitors a reason to talk about you. A destination’s brand is built one visitor at a time….so give them something good to say.
This is an excerpt from a webinar presented by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and Miles Partnership. A recording of the webinar is available here. You can see this blog and read the Miles white paper for more on the Hyper-Informed Traveler. For further information contact the author Chris Adams, Head of Research & Insights at Miles Partnership at [email protected]
With gubernatorial races in 36 states and three territories this fall, state tourism boards “increasingly face pressure to justify higher spending, or in some cases even their existence,” reports Skift.
State general fund spending for enacted FY 2018 budgets is up only 2.3 percent from FY 2017 — the slowest growth rate since fiscal 2010—and that has a direct effect on state tourism budgets.
Airlines Reporting Corp. reported today that travelers flying during the summer months can expect to pay slightly less than last year. This drop mirrors what ARC sees as a larger trend in average ticket prices, posted monthly on the company’s website. Travel sold to the top 10 destinations by U.S. travel agencies is up from 2017, showing continued strong demand for air tickets in the U.S. Like 2016 and 2017, ticket sales to Cancun continue to be the top seller this summer.
Other summer hot spots are on the rise for U.S. air travelers this summer. Ten percent more travelers will fly to Punta Cana as compared to the same period last year while Honolulu will see a 14 percent increase. Air travel to Orlando and Seattle increased eight percent year over year. New York and Los Angeles will also see a four percent increase in air travel, while air travel to Las Vegas is down eight percent although it still ranks in the top ten.