| Special Features |
Europe:
New Portal Promises Progress
The first stage of a new €2.2 million tourism web portal will be launched early next year after more than three years of planning and development. By providing a unique gateway to 34 national tourism organisations, it is hoped that the portal will help to strengthen Europe's position as a travel destination and reverse its declining market share.
With just weeks to go before the launch of the portal, DMO World tracked down project leader, Karine Bruère, to find out how things are progressing...
Destination damage control:
It all starts with that single visitor complaint...
.jpg) For destinations, the next new challenge is always just around the corner. Whether it's a simple matter of sloppy service or disaster on a massive scale, these situations will all impact on your destination's livelihood and reputation.
We welcome back hospitality specialist, John R Hendrie, to share his views on how destinations can respond to these events in ways that will enhance their credibility in the eyes of the consumer ... or not.
Measuring event ROI:
It's more than just a number...
Everyone is talking about measuring the return on investment (ROI) in meetings and events, but can you really measure the results in actual monetary values? And even if you can, how is it possible to isolate the results from other influences?
The simple answer, according to Elling Hamso, senior partner at the European Event ROI Institute, is yes, you can put a value on meeting and event results. But, as he explains in our special feature, ROI measurement is a lot more than just returning a number. |
| Key Articles |
Ireland:
Tourism restructuring plans continue
Plans for the massive restructuring of Ireland's tourism marketing function continue to progress on schedule, despite initial opposition from many of the country's regional tourism authorities (RTAs). John O'Donoghue, Ireland's Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, reported on the progress to the second annual forum of the tourism industry earlier this month, but cautioned that there would be 'another challenging year for Irish tourism' ahead.
 The review of tourism had been prompted by a steady fall in visitor figures outside of Dublin. Between 1999 and 2003, the number of bed nights had fallen by up to 39% in some regions and visitor numbers had dropped by 14% overall. Consultants, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, were called in and the proposals that resulted from their recommendations heralded the most radical shake-up of tourism that the country had ever experienced.
The initial review criticized Ireland's structure of six autonomous RTAs, highlighting its lack of integration and cohesion and suggesting that it was failing to address the needs of modern tourists. Instead, PriceWaterhouseCoopers recommended a centralisation of the country's tourism marketing function, under the management of Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority. Dublin Tourism, originally one of the fiercest critics of the plan, will continue to operate independently.
-Pc.jpg) O'Donoghue commented: 'Fáilte Ireland is making a major push on regionality and is about to implement the most radical re-structuring of the Regional Tourism structures seen in decades. It is also engaged in a major overhaul of its approach to the development and marketing of niche tourism products which are so important.'
Internet:
Online sales continue to spiral
In one month alone, over 35 million US consumers used an internet search to help them make travel arrangements, according to a new study by comScore Networks, Yahoo! and Media Contacts. The research also examined the behaviour of these consumers over an eight week period following their initial search, when they made online travel purchases of around US $6.6 billion.
James Lamberti, of comScore, commented: 'For every travel purchase occurring directly after a search referral, five additional search-related purchases occurred at a later time, across both online and offline channels.'
This dramatic rise in online travel booking conversion rates is confirmed in a new report issued by the Travel Industry Association of American (TIA). The Travelers' Use of the Internet, 2005 edition, reveals that, while growth in the number of Americans using the internet has continued to slow since its boom in the late 1990s, there is still a rapid increase in the number of travellers booking or making reservations online.
Today, there are 39 million, or four in ten (41%), online travellers in the USA, an increase of 25% over 2001 figures. Nearly all of these online bookers are making reservations for pleasure, holiday or personal reasons, with three in ten using the internet for business purposes.
Copies of the report can be purchased online and downloaded in PDF format via the TIA website at a cost of US$ 350 or US$ 250 (members).
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| Research and Reports - What's New |
A recent report by internet research specialists, Nielsen//NetRatings debunks, once and for all, the suggestion that the web is a young person's tool. Findings reveal that a massive 86% of online British surfers aged 50 or over have visited a travel site within the last year, with 1.5 million actually booking online.
 Alex Burmaster, European Internet Analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, commented: 'The figures for the online travel sector continue to impress but what screams out is the staggering percentage of over 50's who go online for travel.' The report, Britain: A Land of Online Travellers, describes the over 50's age group as a wide and varied audience, hungry for travel experiences and adept at using the internet to get the best deals. It is available from the Nielsen//NetRatings website.
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European online travel buyers may visit the same travel sites and, indeed, many of the same destinations but, according to tourism research specialists, PhoCusWright, they differ widely in the ways they purchase their holiday travel. The distinctions between the different nationalities are highlighted in Online Travel Shopping and Buying Behaviour: Key European Markets. The full report can be bought online via the PhoCusWright website.
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Word of Mouth Marketing is the focus of two new reports. The first, published by eMarketer, examines the reason so many online marketers are engaging in word of mouth, or viral, campaigns... and why even more plan to do so in the future. The report can be bought online from the eMarketer website for US$ 165.
The second report, by market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, explores The Financial Power of Advocacy in the Travel and Hospitality Industry.
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The results of a new survey by P&O Cruises suggest that today's traveller prefers to explore as much of the world as possible, rather than spend one or two weeks in a single destination. The research also reveals that many holidaymakers in their forties and fifties are now organising the gap years they missed when they were younger.
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A free report - Experiencing the Brand: Branding the Experience - by management consultants, Accenture, aims to help organisations convert theory into practice, by developing the capabilities and commitment needed to turn customers into advocates. The report can be downloaded from the Accenture website.
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The World of Travel in 2020 is the subject of a new study by Cendant Travel Distribution Services. The report explores the attitudinal, social, economic, cultural and technological drivers that are shaping the future of the global travel industry and suggests that holiday aspirations and frequency will change significantly over the next 15 years. The report is available free of charge from the Future Foundation website.
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Greece boasts one of the world's largest and most mature hotel sectors with nearly 9,000 businesses and a 342,000-room capacity, yet it is among the least developed in regard to branding, according to a new study. Copies of the research findings are available from the author, Dr Dimitris Koutoulas.
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 Tourism's impact as a major economic force is recognised in a new publication - Making Tourism More Sustainable: a Guide for Policy Makers. The guide is a result of collaboration between the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and aims to support the integration of sustainability into tourism policies.
The publication includes a comprehensive toolkit for policy makers, setting out key aims and policy implications, as well outlining the collaborative structures and strategies needed at both national and local level. It also identifies ways to influence the development and operation of tourism enterprises and the activities of tourists.
PDF versions of the guide can be downloaded from the UNEP website. Alternatively, paperback versions can be ordered from Earthprint at a cost of US$ 40.
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Many US resorts are still at an early stage of adopting effective internet marketing techniques, according to a new report by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).
The study - Best Practices on Internet Marketing and Distribution for Resorts - benchmarked a range of resorts in key internet marketing metrics such as marketing efficiency, total marketing / e-marketing spend as a percentage of total revenue, and direct web revenue per web marketing dollar spent.
The report is available to HSMAI Resort Marketing Special Interest Group subscribers, although highlights also appear in HSMAI's Marketing Review publication.
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| Destination Brand Watch |
.jpg) New York, Sydney and London are the top three city brands in the world, according to the latest edition of the Leo Burnett World Cities Brand Index. The study, carried out by global ad agency, Leo Burnett, in partnership with pollsters, YouGov, questioned 4,000 UK adults on their perceptions of 50 worldwide cities.
The research identified a number of dimensions that contribute to brand strength, including vibrancy of culture, standard of living, attractiveness as a holiday destination, suitability of the climate and positive word of mouth. Close behind the leading three cities, came Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto and San Francisco, respectively.
Beijing was ranked 35th but this rating is expected to improve next year as the city gears up for the 2008 Olympics and begins to focus more closely on its international image.
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After a wait of nearly 17 years, Korea's tourism operation is to get a new corporate identity. The new logo, developed by the reformed Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) illustrates the warm welcome that the country offers visitors.
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Australia has been awarded 'cool brand' status in the UK's annual Cool BrandLeaders list. Cool BrandLeaders is an initiative that identifies and pays tribute to the strongest brands, drawing from a shortlist of thousands of brands.
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| Dates for Your Diary |
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Here are just a few of the key events for tourism destination professionals taking place over the coming months:
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The sixteenth session of the World Tourism Organization's General Assembly will be held from the 25th November to the 2nd December 2005 in Dakar, Senegal.
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There's still time to book your place at EIBTM 2005. The Exhibition for the Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Industry takes place in Barcelona, Spain from the 29th November to the 1st December.
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Styled as the only travel conference created exclusively for the electronic distribution industry, the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association's annual event will, this year, be held in San Francisco, USA, between the 4th to 6th December. More information is available from HEDNA.
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European business school, CERAM, is running an English speaking workshop on Event Evaluation in Tourism on the 7th December at its campus in the Sophia Antipolis science and technology park, near Antibes, France.
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The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) will be held in Cannes, France, between the 5th to 8th December.
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Olympian innovation is the overall theme of ENTER 2006. The conference, which will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, between the 18th and 20th January, will present benchmarking projects in tourism technology and business innovation.
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International Confex 2006, a leading exhibition for the events industry, will take place in London between the 21st and 23rd February.
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Next year's International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin will be held on 8th to 12th March.
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AIME 2006 is the 14th AsiaPacific Incentives & Meetings Expo, due to be held on the 6th and 7th June in Australia.
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The 55th PATA Annual Conference will take place from the 23rd to the 27th April in Pattaya, Thailand. More information is available on the Pacific Asia Travel Association website.
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There's a new event planned for next summer... City Break Expo 2006, held in Finland, between the 12th and 14th June, will focus on the increasingly profitable city break sector.
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LACIME 2006, the trade event for the Latin American and Caribbean meetings and incentive industries, will be hosted by São Paulo, Brazil, from 20th to 22nd June.
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And, finally, for those of you that really like to plan ahead... the 92nd Annual Convention of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) is scheduled for late July in Texas, USA.
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| In This Edition...
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RESEARCH AND REPORTS
DESTINATION BRAND WATCH
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
UK improves e-commerce
Latest info re avian flu
Australia links with India
UN on key role of tourism
San Diego gets super-site
Malaysia focusses on skills
Hurricanes impact on sales
Hotels get low SE rankings
Impartial flights search
Online marketing weblogs
Travel searches speed up
Tiscover wins portal project
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| International News |
E-Commerce:
UK launches new system
A major upgrade of VisitBritain's e-commerce system is being rolled out around the country. Developed by Agilisys, the EVIIVO frontdesk will provide consumers with the ability to check availability and book accommodation or tourist activities online.
There are also major benefits for tourism businesses which will be able to create their own low cost 'out of the box' e-commerce enabled website that can be set up in under two hours. The site can connect to the UK's national and regional sites and major travel portals, such as LastMinute.com, allowing hotels to manage allocations via a single interface.
This standardisation of the UK's e-commerce system will also allow more detailed collection and analysis of visitor data.
Avian Flu:
Experts urge caution
Tourism experts are urging governments, travel organisations and the media to act responsibly over the threat of an avian flu pandemic, in order to avoid a repeat of the SARS panic in 2003, which reduced the number of international arrivals in South-East Asia by 14%.
The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Francesco Frangialli, said: 'We must ensure that people are not deterred from travelling without good reason. Unnecessary scaremongering can cause a sharp drop in tourism that squeezes economies, especially those of developing nations and the incomes of millions of workers in this industry.'
The WTO has been meeting with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in an effort to keep the tourism industry better informed and prepared.
Australia:
Links forged with India
Eco-tourism, sharing expertise and a tourism business forum are to form the basis of an action plan for fast-tracking tourism growth between India and Australia.
A high-level delegation of tourism ministers from both countries met recently to discuss plans for joint marketing, improved air connectivity and regular interaction between the Australian Federation for Travel Agents (AFTA) and the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).
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Indian tourism to Australia is expected to grow at an average of 14% per year over the next decade whereas Australian travel to India has already increased by 22% over the last year.
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Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (2006) and Delhi (2010) were also identified as a further opportunity for joint marketing and a way to significantly increase tourism flows between the two countries.
United Nations:
World summit debates role of tourism
The United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York hosted its largest ever meeting of international leaders recently at the 2005 World Summit. Among the many items discussed, was the role of tourism in tackling the global issues of poverty, environment and development.
A brief overview of the key decisions, action plans and reports that are of direct relevance to travel and tourism has been compiled by PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and is available in the October edition of its monthly newsletter, Issues and Trends.
The newsletter is distributed free of charge to subscribers; annual membership costs US$ 250.
Travelocity:
New partnership with San Diego
Travelocity, the fifth largest travel agency in the USA, has teamed up with the San Diego CVB to provide a one-stop shopping experience for online travel bookers. The new 'super-site' presents extended travel information, increased booking options and exclusive travel promotions.
Tourism is San Diego's third largest industry, drawing in more than 27 million visitors last year alone. Reint Reinders, president of the San Diego CVB, said: 'Through this relationship we will better serve these millions of travellers by raising awareness and providing exclusive travel deals to get them here.'
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Malaysia:
Hospitality skills campaign
Tourism Malaysia is to focus on upgrading the hospitality skills of its tourism professionals with a new initiative launched last month. Malaysia Welcomes the World will focus on improving communication skills in different languages, enhancing best practices in hospitality such as courtesy, and encouraging key workers to 'think and act tourism'.
The initiative is aimed at both government staff and private sector workers. Training will be cascaded throughout the tourism industry, with workshops available at a variety of levels for tour guides, taxi drivers, hotel staff, etc. |
| E-Business News |
Hurricanes:
Limited impact on online bookings
As economists continue to count the costs of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf region, financial management firm, Merrill Lynch, is optimistic that the impact on online travel bookings will be transitory.
A 1-2% impact on third-quarter industry bookings growth, based on the size of the travel industry in the Gulf region, is expected, according to a recent Forbes' Market Scan report.
Search Engines:
Hotels lose out to travel giants
Hotels are losing the battle to achieve high search engine rankings, according to research published by online marketing analysts, SEMphonic. The findings indicate that travel websites such as Expedia and Travelocity are pushing even major hotel chains out of the top spots.
VisitBritain:
Launches impartial flights engine
VisitBritain, the UK's tourism marketing organisation, has launched a new and impartial online service to help international visitors compare the price of flights to British airports.
The new flights engine, available on the VisitBritain website compares and consolidates information on flights from more than 500 airlines, then directs customer enquiries to individual airline websites.
Online Marketing:
Weblogs offer networking solution
Looking for information on the latest online marketing trends? Want to exchange thoughts with industry colleagues? Then Hitwise Intelligence Weblogs could be just what you're looking for.
The Hitwise research team measures internet usage behaviour across half a million websites, then posts the most interesting findings on weblogs. Comments are invited on a variety of related topics such as online shopping trends and demand forecasting.
Dynamic Packaging:
Online travel searching just got faster
travelsupermarket.com, the travel comparison site, now offers users the opportunity to mix and match their own packages from more than one hundred specialist suppliers. Searches for flights, hotels and car hire can be carried out individually or simultaneously, with results returned in less than 30 seconds.
Italy:
Tiscover wins tourism portal project
Internet technology specialist, Tiscover, has won the contract to run Italy's national tourism platform. Tiscover will work in collaboration with IBM and ITS, taking responsible for all tourism applications and the DMS technology. The contract is the largest in the company's history.
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This edition of DMO World has a particular significance as it is exactly one year since our first newsletter was published! Since that first issue, we've reported on many world-changing events and brought you commentary from key tourism figures throughout the industry. It's hard to anticipate what the next twelve months will bring, but we are looking forward to experiencing it with you and helping you keep up-to-date and informed.
