tourism marketing news

Be Better Blog

Strategy & Insights

Plotting The Next Big Thing: 2024 Travel and Tourism Marketing Trends

By Hayley Corbett

January 6, 2024

2024 offers no shortage of events and trends to reshuffle the travel and tourism marketing landscape. 

From cutting-edge AI and shifting consumer priorities to major events directing tourist flows, this is undoubtedly a year of great change and opportunity. 

As travelers embrace new tools and trends post-pandemic, destination marketing organizations will need to keep pace and capitalize on emerging niches. 

Flexibility, innovation and insight set apart winners as always. 

What trends and tech should define marketing efforts this year? Let’s explore the pivotal changes that separate winning destinations in 2024’s decisive travel environment.

AI Goes Mainstream for Travel and Tourism Marketing in 2024

While just 17% of American travelers tapped AI tools for vacation planning over the past year, that figure is set to skyrocket in 2024. ChatGPT has dominated thus far, cited by 63% of AI-assisted travelers, but new platforms like TripAdvisor are entering the space. 

And with 50% of travelers now open to leveraging AI for future trips, an explosion in adoption looms. Though only 6% used generative tools like ChatGPT in 2023, Expedia forecasts mass acceptance incoming. 

Outside of the apps, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is also using AI to share travel planning by including AI-generated responses right into travelers’ search results. 

For destinations, the implications are immense — 2024 may see swaths of visitors arriving with AI-powered itineraries in hand. To capitalize on this seismic shift, DMOs must ensure prominence on AI platforms, craft specialized travel packages and position themselves as go-to local experts to shape data-driven recommendations. 

The AI-fueled travel surge is inevitable; early movers stand to welcome an influx.

Astrotourism: A Year of Rare Celestial Wonders

Astrotourism, a form of niche tourism centered around stargazing and astronomy, is poised to soar in 2024 as a leading travel trend. With several rare celestial events on the calendar, from vivid meteor showers to an exceptional northern lights display, 2024 marks a banner year for witnessing breathtaking sights in the night sky. 

• Total Solar Eclipse on April 8: The most monumental event is undoubtedly the total solar eclipse on April 8, with the Moon fully obscuring the Sun in a narrow path across parts of Mexico, the central U.S. and Canada. Total solar eclipses occur about every one to two years but are only visible from any given location about once every 400 years, offering a truly singular sight.
• Vibrant Meteor Showers: Several of 2024’s meteor showers may produce incredible shows, especially the Quadrantids in early January and the Perseids in mid-August. With limited moonlight, these have the potential for upwards of 60-100 vivid meteors per hour at peak, an awe-inspiring display.
• Extraordinary Northern Lights: Due to the approaching solar maximum in 2024-2025, scientists anticipate the best northern lights in years during the start of the decade, with their vibrant colors possibly visible farther south than usual under optimal dark sky conditions.

Destinations around the world are leveraging these astronomical phenomena and the rising popularity of astrotourism by offering specialized services such as expert-guided stargazing sessions, bespoke event packages and lavish accommodations tailored to sky-watching. From the salt flats of Botswana to the Adriatic coastline, stargazers can fulfill their celestial dreams in wilderness hideaways or at luxury beach resorts primed for astronomy. 

As travelers increasingly seek restorative, transformational trip experiences, destinations marketing their awe-inspiring night skies and astronomy-focused amenities can tap into this cosmic travel niche in 2024 and beyond.

Election Year Mutes 2024 Travel Spend

The 2024 presidential election cycle casts uncertainty for discretionary travel spend, with historical dips in election years. 

Domestic and international travel still rank as top priorities for high-income households, but shortened planning cycles point to last-minute bookings. DMOs can leverage flexible offers, emphasize value and keep messaging inspiring — yet sensitive — to the political climate. 

Promoting convenient weekend getaways, discounted shoulder season packages and easy full-refund booking can attract hesitant vacationers. While election distractions may mute 2024 travel initially, deploying strategic promotions as votes are counted can help destinations gain market share into 2025. 

Capturing wavering demand just before or after an election makes for savvy marketing.

Wellness Travel to Skyrocket

Fresh off 36% annual growth from 2020-2022, the thriving $651 billion wellness tourism industry is forecast to rapidly accelerate – projected to reach a soaring $1.4 trillion value by 2027. 

As personal health, self-care and mental health become indispensable to travelers planning 2024 getaways, quality sleep will take center stage. Destinations should highlight specialized programming like multi-day sleep optimization retreats, mindful meditation and partner with hospitality brands offering amenities to aid sleep health. Blackout shades, pillow menus and Sleep Concierges are just the start. 

Marketing efforts should also showcase nature excursions, yoga sessions, spa treatments and other local wellness offerings. Catering to this high-value niche with personalized, restorative experiences taps into its meteoric post-pandemic rise. 

With wellness tourism showing no signs of slowing its explosive expansion, destinations that promote transformative sleep and overall well-being are poised to gain happy, healthy visitors and significant revenue. Early movers stand to win big.

Gig Tripping Hits the Road 

Gig tripping, traveling specifically for concert tours and festivals, is skyrocketing thanks to major 2024 world tours like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Bad Bunny. 

With 44% of US travelers willing to fly short-haul and 18% long-haul to see artists abroad according to Skyscanner , often for ticket savings, gig tripping has mass appeal. Destinations can create targeted campaigns spotlighting the exact performances, highlighting discounted accommodation and transport packages bundled with tickets. Tailored festival sponsorship opportunities also hold potential. 

Similar to the rise of bleisure travel , extending gig tripping beyond concerts to emphasize broader local music culture and unique destination amenities, could further attract ideal travelers. 

As tens of millions combine live shows with tourism in 2024, destinations leveraging their music scenes have a stage to draw substantial new visitors and revenue.

‘Dupes’ Drive a Sustainable Shift

The TikTok-famed concept of substitute “dupes” is steering 2024 travel away from over-visited hotspots and toward fresh discoveries. 

Expedia uncovered major flight search spikes for unexpected alternatives to popular destinations. These changes are signals of travelers moving from packed bucket-list locales to lesser-known gems offering similar amenities for less. 

• Taipei, Taiwan for Seoul, South Korea (+2,786%)
• Pattaya, Thailand for Bangkok, Thailand (+249%)
• Paros, Greece for Santorini, Greece (+193%)
• Curaçao for St. Martin (+185%)
• Perth, Australia for Sydney, Australia (+109%)

Dupe Destinations also aid sustainability by redirecting tourists from saturated destinations to places with capacity for more visitors. 

DMOs have a pivotal role to play by spotlighting their regions as affordable, crowd-free alternatives. Tailored marketing that draws parallels to beloved but maxed-out destinations, like emphasizing Pattaya’s vibrant culture or Paros’ azure waters, will entice tourists as it does in their related destinations. Packages pairing discounted flights with small distinctive hotels can also tap the trend. As “dupes” gain steam for underrated authenticity and value, destinations creatively positioned as the next hot-yet-hidden spot will win big. 

Capturing this wave early helps disadvantaged places by distributing travelers and dollars sustainably.

Foodies Hungry for Flavor

For many globetrotters, it’s the flavors that leave the most lasting memories. According to Amex, 81% eagerly anticipate trying local cuisine above all else when traveling . Culinary adventures satisfy more than just taste buds – they offer a tasty window into regional cultures.

Whether it’s slurping hand-pulled noodles in Shanghai, nibbling sweet French macarons by the Eiffel Tower, or gingerly biting into a scorching hot Carolina Reaper pepper grown by chiliheads in New Mexico, iconic bites crystallize a place in our minds.

Street markets promise adventure, chaos and discovery, too. Travelers can lose themselves amid Marrakesh’s Djemaa el Fna’s thrills or Seattle’s lively Pike Place Market sights and smells. From steaming skewers to towering fruit stacks, iconic markets can feed minds as well as stomachs.

In 2024, increasingly motivated by cuisine, 50% of U.S. travelers will select vacations based on iconic restaurants or food festivals alone. Destinations can spotlight signature dishes, interactive cooking classes, once-in-a-lifetime Michelin-starred dining and quirky food experiences to transform menus into travel brochures. Satisfying appetites for authentic flavor promises delicious returns.

Seize The Moment

As forces reshape travel in 2024, the key becomes responding strategically to ride this wave of change. 

By harnessing engaging content and innovative campaigns, spotlight the competitive edges that set your destination apart. Target emerging niches and embrace new technologies, not just to keep pace with shifting demands, but to redefine them. 

More than ever, position your DMO not just as the ‘go-to local experts,’ but as the heart of a collaborative network that pulsates with the passion and energy of your local community. This is more than adaptation; it’s about crafting the future of travel, one inspired step at a time.

Our team at Noble Studios lives at the intersection of creative digital performance marketing. We can help you gain an edge amid 2024’s pivotal developments. 

Let’s connect to craft tailored strategies for your destination to flourish today and tomorrow.

Hayley Corbett

Associate Director, Client Experience

Destination marketing is changing - get the inside scoop on the latest trends in AI, attribution modeling, sustainable t…

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Let's Be Better Every Day

Learn how building custom intent audiences through layered data signals delivers precision marketing to motivate high-pr…

Noble Studios' VP of Strategy and Insights Jeff Deikis shares key insights from the a recent study identifying distinct …

Learn how to authentically incorporate diversity in advertising from a Q&A with Kristie MacDonald, CEO of Huddled Masses…

Get the key details on Google's September 2023 helpful content algorithm update. Learn what changed and why. See what to…

Our recap of ESTO 2023 captures the energy and optimism that pulsed through the event. From data to sustainability, here…

Explore the key strategies and best practices behind effective data-driven personalization, including how to collect ins…

On August 29, 2023, Gerrit Kazmaier, Google’s VP/GM, Data & Analytics, made a major announcement about analytics f…

Unlock your travel and tourism brand's potential by leveraging these emerging 2023 travel marketing trends this fall. Re…

7 travel marketing trends for 2022

So where should we focus our priorities for the upcoming years? Here are seven trends that I believe will shape our marketing as we move forward.

1. TRAVELER EXPECTATIONS HAVE CHANGED

One of the biggest consequences stemming from this pandemic is how it changed our needs and wants when it comes to travel. In fact, many studies found that low prices were no longer the number one consideration when it came to decision-making in purchasing travel. In a recent article, I shared  what travelers expect in 2021  and we see a clear shift from traditional views, with flexible booking conditions and sanitary measures now coming in at #1 and #2 in terms of importance for travelers.

How is your hotel, restaurant or attraction conveying this on your website? On your social media posts? Are you addressing these concerns with a dedicated tab on your website menu or with information in your regular newsletter? Integrating these aspects in your ongoing communications will be key.

Nature of travel is changing, too

2022 will mark the return of the international traveler, finall. But your organization should also pay attention to evolving behaviors in the travel landscape that were clearly shaped from this recent pandeminc. For example the working travelers, or digital nomads. If these travelers were marginal a couple of years ago, we can expect more and more leisure travelers mixing some business into the equation.

Just like business travelers will also add a few days onto their trip since technologies make it easier than ever to have meetings by the poolside or in a wifi-enabled room. Is your brand ready for this new reality and how are you communicating it across your digital touchpoints?

2. THE EVOLUTION OF LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Loyalty programs have been around for ever, and were able to move the needle (somewhat) of retention mostly with customers in the airline industry, where they were born originally. Hotel loyalty programs are a dime a dozen, and too many of these programs have failed to have distinctive features or get customers to increase their spend. For bigger chain hotels and resorts that can scale offers, loyalty programs still provide value but this is less the case for independent hotels and smaller players.

Now, we are also seeing subscription-based approaches such as  TripAdvisor  with its Plus program. And more recently,  Expedia  revamped and unified the loyalty programs within its portfolio of brands (Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Vrbo, etc.) in order to better position itself against competition such as Booking.com’s Genius Loyalty program. The new program will span flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, cruises, and activities.

We can expect more movement on this front, as hotels, restaurants and other hospitality providers will want to maintain their appeal within the broad loyalty and reward programs universe. This is also a key tactic to preserve the direct booking channel alive and kicking (see next point).

3. DIRECT BOOKINGS WILL PREVAIL, BUT LESS

For years now, hotels have been striving to get customers to book directly on their own website, where costs are low, rather than through brand.com or third parties like Expedia or Booking, where commission levels are steep. With more or less success.

This pandemic has brought in a rare opportunity, making domestic travel a must and only option. When booking locally, travelers feel less of a need to search on OTA platforms and are more confident about dealing directly with travel providers. Thus, direct bookings percentages when through the roof in 2020… but a bit less so in 2021, according to preliminary data from various reports.

In 2022, we can expect a shift back to reservations going to brand.com and, to a lesser extent, back to OTA catering more to an international clientele in general. Direct bookings will remain strong, but won’t stay at levels seen in 2020.

4. TIKTOK NOW A MAINSTREAM PLATFORM

It was almost two years ago when I posted an article stating  Why TikTok matters for travel brands . Now, more than ever, travel and hospitality need to pay attention. Here are a few reasons why:

• TikTok now has more than 1 billion active users (MAU)
• It has been among the most downloaded mobile apps worldwide for over 6 consecutive quarters
• The average user spends over 52 minutes per day on the platform
• TikTok gets the highest levels of engagement per post of any social media
• The fastest growing segment of users are 25-39 year-old

That last bit of information is perhaps the most crucial one. Whenever I talk to brands about the possibility of TikTok, the classic rebuttal I get is that “ it’s for young teenagers only “. That might have been true in its earlier stages, but less so today. Content is more varied than it once was, with tutorials, cooking recipes, movie critics, travel recommendations, and so much more.

Don’t get me wrong, TikTok IS a platform that caters very well to a younger audience, because of it’s very nature and features: music, dancing, trends, pranks, etc. But as it grew in the past two years, so did its userbase. It would therefore be a critical mistake to dismiss it as possibility for your marketing mix in the coming year.

Going mainstream

One last point about TikTok. Late September, it held its first ever TikTok World Event during which many new features were shared for both content creators AND brands wishing to invest on the platform. Advertising is becoming more fluid and accessible, while longer videos are now possible. All in all, we are dealing with a platform reaching a maturity level that has Facebook (and Instagram) shaking and reacting… so it will be interesting to see how this battles unfolds!

5. INSTAGRAM AS THE GO-TO SOCIAL MEDIA

If there is anything the past couple of weeks have shown us, one thing is clear: Facebook is no longer the key social platform for storytelling. It remains a necessary evil, with its Events, Groups, Messenger, Marketplace and other useful features. But as younger audiences continue to flock away from Facebook, there is one silver lining that remains: Instagram.

Case in point, last year SocialBakers evaluated how top Fortune 50 companies were dealing with their presence on Facebook and Instagram. As we can see in the chart above, comparing Q1 2019 with Q1 2020, audiences on Facebook shrank while those on Instagram increased. Interestingly, this increase occured even though brands were posting less, as we can see in the middle column. But to me, the most interesting finding comes from the third column, where we see total interactions, or engagement. Facebook already had dismal engagement levels, and it continues on shrinking while Instagram continues to see robust interaction.

Stories work well on Instagram, less so on Facebook. Reels are working relatively well on Instagram, even though they don’t match TikTok posts, which they clealy emulate. Reels are just arriving on Facebook, but I suspect they will do just like stories, which means not much. AR lens are useful and plentiful on Instagram, less so on Facebook.

Can you see a pattern, here?

Brands must stick with Facebook. For now.

Having said that, I am not saying travel brands should ditch Facebook just yet. Facebook has become a  de facto  outpost for customer service, recruiting, content sharing and overall communication with your community. A dynamic page means better ad campaign performance across the Facebook landscape, which includes Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp. And there are many brands out there that still do a stellar job at creating quality content, which results in great reach and engagement levels.

But as the recent seven hours shutdown showed, it’s dangerous to put all your eggs in the same (Facebook) basket. Thus, having a diversified approach online is key.

6. NEWSLETTERS AND EMAIL MARKETING MAKE A COME BACK

For the past 20 years now, I have been hearing that email is dead, or that newsletters don’t work “as well as they used to”. Really? In a world where social media algorithms block off up to 95% of the content you post on your pages, one-to-one communication like emails, SMS and newsletters are more pertinent than ever.

If you read the points #3 and #4 above, you will also see a cause and effect correlation here. That is, with travel brands pushing more direct reservations and increasing efforts for retention and loyalty, having an email strategy in place is fundamental to fostering that relationship. This also means having automated processes prior to, during and after a stay, including invitations to leave a review after the experience on key platforms, i.e. Google, TripAdvisor, Facebook, etc.

7. WEBSITE SEO MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

According to a Google survey from December 2020, searches for “available near me” grew globally by more than 100% since 2019. In 2021, these searches are up another 60% according to SearchEngineLand. What’s even more interesting is when we dig further to see which were the top categories for these searches over a given period of time.

The top categories for those searches were:

• Entertainment (56%)
• Banking (50%)
• Apparel (41%)
• Personal Care (38%)

These are all categories deeply rooted in the travel experience, as we seek places to eat, things to do and stuff to buy whenever we are in a new destination for leisure or business. So how is your website ranking whenever travelers search with keywords that should lead to your brand?

Your website should not only be mobile optimized, in fact in many cases it should be properly be designed with mobile-first in mind.

Read also:  Understanding the difference between mobile-first, adaptive and responsive design

More importantly, you will want to make sure you claim and manage your  Google My Business  profile. This will ensure you complete all relevant details with regards to your opening hours, amenities and services, photos and videos. This is also where you can manage and respond to reviews, since this has become an important facet for your online reputation.

BONUS: HR MARKETING TO HELP LABOR SHORTAGES

Last but not least, I thought I would mention the fact that all these marketing strategies and tactics are fine and swell in normal times. Or rather, in times when operations are growing smoothly as they should coming out of a worldwide pandemic. Truth is, however, there is a major issue that has been looming over the industry for the past 3-4 years and that is now exacerbated to unseen levels: the shortage of labor.

Earlier this summer, I shared  5 ways to mitigate shortage of labor in Hospitality  and one of the tactics was actually to have a proper HR Marketing strategy in place. Well, I suspect we will be seeing lots more of this integration in 2022, where human ressources will work closely with marketing and communications to convey the employer brand vision, mission and values on social networks and other digital outposts.

Labor shortage will be a problem for the next decade, and marketing alone will not solve it. But a strong and creative digital presence can certainly contribute to a stronger employer brand which, in turn, will help with recruiting and maintaining workforce stability.

First posted on federicgonzalo.com

Related Articles

Booking insights reveal the top 10 places most likely to have already booked their 2025 holiday

A complete timeline for your 2023 Black Friday campaign

Sojern announces platform enhancements to AI-powered audiences

Technology as a solution to travel trends

Related courses.

You might also like:

Pricing strategies: leveraging bias and psychological tricks for success

The Mille Club: luxury demands the unexpected

How personalized upselling and cross-selling can transform your hotel’s bottom line

Green check-in: strategies for hotels to adopt and promote sustainability

Navigating challenges of AI and maximizing value in the service sector

Join over 60,000 industry leaders.

Receive daily leadership insights and stay ahead of the competition.

Leading solution providers:

Arch Amenities Group

Away Together

Eigen Payments

Read the latest news about travel, transportation, and tourism ads. Discover insights from industry leaders at Adweek who break down what it all means.

• Most Recent
• Most Popular

Travel Ad Debunks Cold War Cliches in Pitch-Perfect Satire

By T.L. Stanley

The pitch-perfect satire, running through the month, promotes 700-year-old city Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, as a modernized destination.

Airbnb’s Most Exclusive Listings Are Now Available for More Than One Night

By Luz Corona

Airbnb's CMO on luring new guests with celebrity hosts and unique destinations with Icons.

There’s a Better Way to Do Influencer Trips

By Lauren Todd , Ansley Williams

The marketing tactic works, but recent voyages have garnered criticism.

Avios Stages a Striking Stunt With E-Foil Surfers in Ad for Loyalty Program

By Stephen Lepitak

The ad by Uncommon Creative Studio attempts to correct misconceptions about Avois' rewards program.

British Airways Tells a Sweet Coming-of-Age Story That Starts With a First Flight

By Samantha Nelson

British Airways tells an emotional coming-of-age story through the lens of a baby's first flight.

Inside SXSW 2024 Brand Activations: Prime Video, Paramount+, Delta and More

By Kathryn Lundstrom

Austin, Texas, is brimming with brand activity this week as South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual series of festivals and conferences, takes over the capital city.

To Keep Up With the Customer, Get Personal—With Data

By Paul Hiebert

Online shopping continues to change not just what people buy, but how they buy it.

Southwest and Omni Leverage April’s Solar Eclipse in a Spacey Marketing Mission

By Robert Klara

Promising the sun, the moon and the stars—and delivering.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Tourism Campaign Is About to Get Even Greater

Director Kate Taylor Tett outlines her ambition to improve the creative ads promoting the U.K.

Booking.com Makes Anyone Tina Fey in Its Super Bowl 58 Ad

By Jason Notte

Booking.com marks its third Super Bowl by surrounding Tina Fey with Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and Glenn Close during a year of ‘me’ for online travel

The Consumer Trends Guiding Choice Hotels With CMO Noha Abdalla

By Adweek Staff

Learn how Choice Hotels uses customer insights to expand its portfolio with CMO Noha Abdalla.trav

The Travel Trends You Need to Know for 2024

Expedia's Unpack report highlights set-jetting, unique properties, outdoor amenities.

Uber Secures Arena Naming Rights to Celebrate 10 Years in Germany

By Brandy Shaul

Uber will claim the naming rights to two venues in Berlin, as well as the surrounding entertainment district.

Austria Parodies AI Ads With Its ChatSkiPT Tourism Campaign

The three-day campaign sees real skiing experts answer tourists' questions live online.

MGM Resorts Names Mischief Creative AOR for Entire Portfolio

By Kyle O’Brien

The agency won the business without a pitch.

...Loading Popular Posts

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

NYC & COMPANY LAUNCHES LARGEST-EVER GLOBAL TOURISM RECOVERY CAMPAIGN ITS TIME FOR NEW YORK CITY

NYC & COMPANY LAUNCHES LARGEST-EVER GLOBAL TOURISM RECOVERY CAMPAIGN “IT’S TIME FOR NEW YORK CITY”

—New $30 Million Global Multimedia Marketing Effort Includes Unprecedented Advertising for NYC with Television and Digital Promotion in Three Phases, Designed to Create FOMO—

—First Phase Includes Launch of AAA Northeast Official Summer Guide and Partnership Targeting 8 Million Members, and New Itineraries on NYCgo.com with Eight-Week NYC Trip Giveaway Sweepstakes—

New York City (June 24, 2021) — NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, today launched the first phase of “It’s Time for New York City,” the largest-ever, multi-phased global tourism marketing and advertising campaign to promote New York City. The unprecedented $30 million tourism recovery campaign is being rolled out as restrictions are lifted, more people are vaccinated and as travel resumes in the United States and beyond. The new investment is made possible through American Rescue Plan Act funds secured and awarded by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It’s Time for New York City” will run in three phases and will include television, digital, outdoor media and partnerships. The initiative reminds visitors of the City’s unrivaled energy, excitement, and the abundance of life, endless experiences and resiliency that make NYC the most iconic destination in the world. Designed to create urgency and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), “It’s Time for New York City” will be unveiled today during NYC & Company’s Board of Directors Meeting at the Javits Center. The announcement comes as New York City expects to welcome 36.1 million visitors this year—recapturing more than half of its record 66.6 million visitors in 2019.

“The Summer of NYC is here—and now it’s time to tell the whole world about how this city is building a recovery for all of us,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio . “Tourism impacts hundreds of thousands of jobs across the five boroughs, and its return will fuel our recovery even more. The greatest travel destination in the world is ready to welcome back visitors from around the region, country, and globe, and we can’t wait to greet them.”

“As Majority Leader, securing funding for state and local governments was a top priority in the American Rescue Plan and I fought hard to ensure that New York and especially New York City could receive resources to revive the economy, including the vital hospitality and tourism industry,” said Senator Charles Schumer . “As a son of Brooklyn, I can safely say this campaign is spot on: It’s Time for New York City!”

“It’s Time for New York City” will first target travelers in 23 markets across the United States, followed by Mexico, Canada and Latin America, with plans to expand farther internationally as other key markets reopen for leisure and business travel. The multi-phased campaign will launch with a cooperative marketing and advertising partnership with AAA Northeast to boost regional travel this summer. Consumers can browse an official resource to Enjoy the Best of Summertime in NYC , including unique guides to each of the five boroughs. The collaboration will also include special offers and the opportunity to experience personalized NYC packages for 8 million AAA members in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington, DC as well as travel agent trainings and promotions across digital and email, with the goal to restore confidence and encourage the drive market to visit this summer.  In addition to targeted digital media and regional out-of-home advertising, and an integrated social media and influencer campaign, a new television spot will begin airing in select U.S. markets next month. Further, the campaign will be seen on LinkNYC screens and bus shelters across New York City’s five boroughs, through NYC & Company’s collaboration with Intersection and JCDecaux, which will also extend across the globe, valued at nearly $25 million. 

“New York City is open for business and we invite visitors to experience everything our destination has to offer—from exceptional deals on dining during Summer NYC Restaurant Week ® to surfing in the Rockaways to exploring the City’s rich tapestry of diverse communities,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. “We are extremely grateful for Senator Schumer and Mayor de Blasio’s support for the hospitality and tourism economy so we can make sure everyone hears the news: It’s Time for New York City.”

As part of the second phase of the campaign, a television and video spot will launch nationally in early July, asking American travelers to consider, “ Where Were You in the Summer of ’21? ” reminding them that they do not want to miss being a part of New York City’s comeback. The video depicts the City’s unparalleled diversity, vibrancy and excitement as well as its homecoming to normalcy, underscoring the return of FOMO and driving that message of urgency. The :30, :15 and :06 video spots will air via a combination of linear TV, connected TV and online video in key domestic feeder markets. A longer version of the video will also be featured on NYCgo.com, and in the coming months NYC & Company will create a series of videos that highlight seasonal, significant events throughout the five boroughs.

For the third phase, NYC & Company will focus on international markets and activate the campaign both digitally and through out-of-home advertisements with global media partner JC Decaux, adding further value to the total campaign effort. It will first launch in Mexico this summer, utilizing the Spanish tagline, “New York City, El Momento es Ahora,” followed by Canada and select countries in Latin America . Designed to be flexible as travel restrictions evolve, international feeder markets will also include the United Kingdom, Europe and other key regions , with translated advertisements to roll out alongside to-be-announced travel partners.

“New York City has shown time and time again how resilient it can be, and throughout this pandemic, that has not changed,” said Charles Flateman, NYC & Company Board Chairman. “This campaign showcases the best of the destination—from the dazzling lights of Broadway to our world-class hotels and cultural organizations. It’s time to welcome visitors back to the five boroughs and remind them why NYC is the greatest city in the world.”

Locals and visitors can browse new five-borough itineraries —and design their own—on NYCgo.com/timeforNYC . New Yorkers are encouraged to invite friends and family to visit, while outside NYC, the focus is on browsing itineraries and entering a sweepstakes that will run for eight weeks, with the chance to win trip giveaways. There are currently 24 unique itineraries online and counting—created by NYC & Company staff and well-known New Yorkers including A$AP Ferg, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Danny Burstein, Bianca Marroquin, Geoffrey Zakarian, Rocco DiSpirito, and the NY Knicks and NY Rangers—and this new permanent tool will continue to evolve and be updated with new itineraries on an ongoing basis.

Through the end of the year, targeted digital media will reach regional and domestic visitors via Facebook and Instagram, while an influencer campaign will feature diverse voices from New York City and beyond. Consumers can engage with the campaign using the hashtag #ItsTimeForNYC.

“This campaign spotlights what we all love about our great city, from the iconic Statue of Liberty to each of our beloved boroughs,” said Nancy Mammana, Chief Marketing Officer of NYC & Company . “The campaign was designed to drive urgency for visitors to book a trip to New York City now and be part of the comeback, and will highlight all the amazing things to do in the City every day, but especially now during this very special time.”

To help stimulate the City’s meetings and conventions sector, the campaign will also include an iteration titled “It’s Time to Make It NYC.” Next week, NYC & Company will launch a B2B tool kit for the local business community, providing engagement opportunities and ways to help amplify the campaign.

“It’s Time for New York City” was developed in-house by NYC & Company’s Creative/Content Team, with support from local creative agencies PUNCH Projects, Future Current and Smartbomb Studio. PUNCH Projects helped develop the content strategy, broadcast television commercial and film assets. Future Current helped develop the creative strategy. Smartbomb Studio helped develop the design language. The campaign will once again embrace New York City’s most powerful icon, the Statue of Liberty, representing hope, resilience, opportunity, diversity, new beginnings, and most of all, welcoming openness. Some of NYC’s greatest hits will be featured within Lady Liberty’s silhouette through a lush, vibrant color palette, to support the feeling of life in uncommon abundance. NYC & Company has selected Universal McCann as its agency responsible for strategy, planning, buying, data and analytics.

The 2021 summer season in New York City is bursting with activity, supporting the urgency for travelers to visit now. For example, the City will welcome back big events this summer including Formula E (July 10—11); NY NOW / JA Jewelry Show (August 8—11); New York Auto Show (August 19—28); Central Park ‘Homecoming’ concert (August); US Open Tennis (August 30—September 12); and more. Additional destination updates can be found in the recent announcement, NYC & Company Gives Visitors Reasons From A to Z to Visit NYC This Summer as well as NYC & Company Highlights 10 Ways to Experience What’s New in NYC in 2021 .

“It’s Time for New York City” follows the strategy that was outlined in All In NYC: The Roadmap for Tourism’s Reimagining and Recovery , released by The Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery in July 2020.

NYC & Company predicts 36.1 million people will visit New York City in 2021. This summer alone, 10 million people are projected to visit NYC. Since the quarantine requirement for domestic travelers was lifted on April 1, New York City’s hotel demand has steadily risen from 338,367 rooms for the week ending April 3 to 457,568 rooms for the week ending June 19, a 35% percent increase.

About NYC & Company: NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com .

Media Assets: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/ZBi3HiIAZO

By downloading these Media Assets, you are agreeing to the following terms:

NYC & Company is granting you permission for press use only. Any use of the provided Media Assets, in whole or in part, other than for PRESS purposes, is prohibited (including, but not limited to, copying, distribution or sale of these Media Assets). Please note that the Media Assets must not be used for commercial purposes or rebranded in any way without explicit permission from NYC & Company. NYC & Company is providing this to you without any representations as to rights and clearances with regard to third-party rights.

Tourism Marketer - A Resource for Tourism Professionals

Welcome to TourismMarketer.com , a news site designed specifically for travel-industry professionals involved in marketing of tourism and leisure-travel. If your organization is a tourist board, DMO, tour operator, travel agency, advertising agency, lodging property or chain, transportation company, technology provider or any other kind of business or non-profit involved with the selling or promotion of a tourism destination, product or service, this site is for you.

In our ACRO Global Tourism Marketer email newsletter you'll find, delivered to your e-mail in-box, with links to the full articles, the latest and most important tourism headlines categorized by area of interest:

• Africa & Middle East
• Connecticut
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Asia - Pacific
• Associations
• Conferences
• Destination Marketing
• UK & Ireland
• Hospitality
• Media & Film
• Overtourism
• Research & Stats
• Sports & Entertainment
• Transportation
• Travel Trade

Every news story has been reviewed and selected for relevance to international tourism marketing by a live, human editor!

But that's not all. On TourismMarketer.com you'll find:

• The latest international-tourism news headlines with links to the full articles, updated weekly
• A searchable archive of current and past headlines
• Access premium content
• Manage your member profile
• Subscribe to e-mail alerts of new posts in categories of interest
• Access the member directory
• E-mail other members (Your e-mail address will be hidden.)
• Comment on articles
• Rate other members' comments
• Upload attachments
• Suggest new categories

Open Source Software

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

California Today

California Is Rebranding

Why the state’s tourism agency ditched its “Dream Big” slogan after more than a decade.

By Soumya Karlamangla

Perhaps you remember the commercials: images of the glittering blue Pacific, the majestic peaks of Yosemite, storybook vineyards and ancient redwoods stretching toward the sky.

For more than 10 years, tourism advertisements have painted California as a place for dreamers, a place for adventure and testing your limits by surfing, rock-climbing and skiing. The state tourism agency, Visit California, led the campaign, which invited people from around the world to “Dream Big” and travel to the Golden State.

Not anymore.

This spring, Visit California replaced “Dream Big” with a new campaign and a new brand for the state, as the “Ultimate Playground.” The scenes in the ads are much the same as before — with the addition of the Rady Shell, San Diego’s outdoor concert venue that opened in 2021 — but there’s no longer any mention of dreams.

Caroline Beteta, the chief executive of Visit California, told me there were a number of reasons for the switch, including that branding phrases like “Dream Big” tend to lose power over time and that the concept of dreaming had been popping up elsewhere, in corporate advertising.

Another major driver of the “Ultimate Playground” campaign was a more polarized political climate across the United States, which has created antipathy toward California in some parts of the country.

Beteta told me that the agency’s consumer research confirmed that Americans increasingly see the world through a political lens, and that framing California as a place to dream about was striking some viewers as a political statement. “Ultimate Playground” seemed to be a safer and less charged message.

The new campaign is meant to tap into pent-up demand for excitement and travel after pandemic restrictions. Visit California’s research found that 43 percent of consumers said vacations were the only time they could really let go and play.

California’s tourism sector was doing well even before the new campaign. Spending by tourists rose to a record-high $150.4 billion in 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom said over the weekend — surpassing 2019 and suggesting that the pandemic slump has ended. The surge generated billions of dollars in tax revenue for the state and helped create 64,900 new jobs last year.

The rest of the news

California’s Department of Water Resources reported the first increase in groundwater supplies in four years, recharged by capturing more runoff from a very wet winter, The Associated Press reported.

The California Supreme Court will hear arguments on the legality of a ballot measure that would strip the Legislature and governor of the ability to increase taxes , The Los Angeles Times reports.

Southern California

Police officers in riot gear arrested dozens of protesters and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, San Diego.

More demonstrators were arrested as classes resumed at U.C.L.A., with 43 people charged with conspiracy to attempt burglary.

Central California

A jail in the San Joaquin Valley is updating its routines and system to prevent inmates from harming themselves , CalMatters reports.

Northern California

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have demanded that school leaders cut ties with Hillel International and three other Jewish organizations.

We’ve recently been publishing your notes about why you love your corner of California.

If you’d like to submit a love letter to your California city, neighborhood or region — or to the Golden State as a whole — please email us at [email protected] . We’ll keep sharing your missives in the newsletter.

And before you go, some good news

The Los Angeles Times has a list of the best-smelling food spots that serve as guideposts throughout L.A. Here’s an excerpt from the essay by Julissa James:

“L.A. food leads with the nose. Mostly because the best of it is being cooked on the street — oftentimes we don’t even have to walk into a restaurant to be enthralled by it or convinced that it’s what we need in that moment. It meets us where we are. Some cities have their own distinct smells according to season — roses in the spring, hot trash in summer. We have Phillips Bar-B-Que and the birria truck that posts up right around the corner, all year round.”

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword .

Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox .

Soumya Karlamangla reports on California news and culture and is based in San Francisco. She writes the California Today newsletter. More about Soumya Karlamangla

Marketing91

What is Tourism Marketing? 15 Strategies in 2023

March 22, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing

From hotels and other types of accommodation to car rental services, airlines , restaurants, entertainment spots, and travel agents – tourism marketing encompasses a wide range of advertising and marketing strategies often used by companies in the tourism and travel industry themselves. All these various marketing efforts are put together under one collective name – Tourism Marketing!

Tourism marketing is an essential tool for a business to ensure they are standing apart from its competitors, garnering customers, and creating brand recognition. Nowadays, various digital marketing platforms such as websites, online ads, email marketing campaigns , and social media marketing outlets have become vital components of modern tourism marketing initiatives for businesses.

Table of Contents

What is Tourism Marketing?

Tourism marketing is a type of marketing used by businesses operating in the travel and tourism industry to attract tourists to a business name or particular location which can be a state, a city, a particular heritage site or tourist destination spot, a hotel, or a convention center anything.

Achieving success in the travel and tourism industry requires thoughtful Tourism Marketing campaigns that are designed to generate brand awareness , create both, reach the most target audience or potential customers, drive traffic, foster loyalty among existing clients, and create a captivating customer experience . By utilizing these strategies, businesses can effectively engage with travelers while generating more sales opportunities.

Tourism Marketing has been profoundly impacted in recent years by digital development, as well as changes in consumer attitudes and desires. Crafting successful Tourism marketing messages today entails taking advantage of social media platforms, featuring user generated content, leveraging online reviews and search engines to your benefit, collaborating with influencers to drive traffic and expand reach, and experimenting with various channels for targeted messaging to attract travelers and optimize their customer journey in a way to convert them into loyal customers.

Why is Tourism Marketing Important?

To make a tourism business thrive, savvy marketing is an absolute must. By staying up-to-date with current trends and launching impactful campaigns, businesses can boost the recognition of their brand, gain customer loyalty and attract travellers. Moreover, tourism marketing holds promise for contributing to the economic growth of the region by driving tourists towards local enterprises.

The tourism industry is one of the biggest in the world and therefore highly competitive. To succeed, businesses must differentiate themselves from their competitors by promoting and advertising what makes them unique, showcasing why they’re the best option for tourists, and advertising and highlighting any special features that set them apart.

To allow businesses to gain a competitive advantage , marketing is essential. Many of the top tourism marketing approaches concentrate on highlighting a business’ unique selling point and broadcasting it effectively. Moreover, marketers must keep abreast with current trends to generate an effective promotional mix and deploy the most viable methods for disseminating their message across all channels.

Understanding the concept of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing is associated with most businesses, with marketing strategies in the field of tourism.  Today there are many countries in the world, where the tourism industry plays a major role in economic development , enhancing their GDP.

In such cases, tourism and digital marketing become important things. Many of the places are generally the hotspot for tourists like the Taj Mahal in India. Now places like these are considered the perfect areas where one can boost tourism through digital marketing.

The places which are more likely to be the major spots for attracting tourists are the places where tourism marketing flourishes the most. Now tourism marketing is all about applying several marketing techniques and strategies to create and boost the tourism industry of that place.

For successful tourism marketing to take place, the thing that is required the most is that the brands should speak for themselves in such a way that makes sense that their voices can be heard in the targeted markets.  This way they will be able to generate the cleanest successfully. Also, they need to be really careful in providing services to clients.

This is because if the customers are happy with the services chances they will spread the word and this may bring them more customers.  In the case of tourism marketing, it becomes easy to find the right audiences and create content to draw the attention of the targeted customers to the website by providing encouraging content.  Thus strategic planning , content marketing, and branding is the key to effective tourism marketing.

With it being carried out by keeping these two points in mind, chances are that the company that is involved in tourism marketing will be able to gain the advantage over their existing customers in no time and become a monopoly in the tourism industry.

What are the different ways in which Tourism Marketing Can Be Done in 2023?

Now various methods are applied for tourism marketing to flourish.  Below are some of the important ways in which the tourism marking of any place is given a boost.

1) Location marketing

In this type of marketing strategy , the main focus of tourism marketing is one bringing people’s attention to a specific location. In this strategy , no recommendations are made with respect to a particular site or any accommodation. Now some locations are already so popular all over the world that tourism marketers don’t have to make many efforts to attract their attention to such places.

All they need to do to attract customers is remind them of such locations and chances are that the consumer can easily get convinced to spend money and visit any such place. For example, Las Vegas is popular for its undying charm and full of life kind of prospects.

Now there s also a popular slogan related to Las Vegas which is ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’. This slogan has gained worldwide popularity and almost everyone wants to visit Las Vegas at least once.

So here the tourism marketers have to simply remind people of how amazing this city is and what are the different ways in which they can have the time of their lives here. Another example that can be taken in Florida.

They use a more ‘benefit-oriented’ approach. Their slogan and website are ‘The Sunshine State’.  This way they are presenting their state with a joyous and charming climate and as a perfect place for beach and football lovers.  Also with their slogan and website, they are successfully able to present their state as an ideal ‘summer vacation’ destination and are definitely a dream for many to visit this place.

Thus location marketing is one of the simplest forms of tourism marketing in which without even putting much effort, with the brand value and the popularity of some specific location, the customers can be attracted.

2) Activity marketing

Now, this type of tourism is carried out keeping in mind both the location and the activities that are performed in such places.  This type of tourism marketing strategy usually keeps in mind travelers who are adventure lovers or activity freaks.

There are many other sites and locations all over the world that are famous for some specific activities. Like Alaska is famous for snowboarding, Yellowstone national park is famous for thrilling activities like hiking, and camping and is a perfect place for all nature lovers, similarly, there is ‘Colonial Williamsburg’ which attracts all history lovers.

Thus depending on the target audience and the type of activity that a particular place is famous for, tourism marketing can be carried out. Some people may be adventure lovers, some people may be looking for art and culture some people love hunting, depending upon their area of expertise and interest, the tourism markers can segment the groups of potential visitors and customers and approach them.

Thus activity marketing is a form of tourism making and social media marketing that emphasizes the booking process and bringing the attention of a customer to particular places on the basis of the activities that are performed there.

3) Corporate marketing

This is quite an interesting approach to tourism marketing. Now it has been found that a large number of people working in corporate sectors have to travel to different places to attend a conference or a meeting.

Then according to research, it was found these locations were ideal for tourists, and a number of people came to attend those places. Also, they brought their families and their loved ones as well. Now considering these scenarios’ latest trends in mind, corporate influencer marketing can contribute a lot to tourism marketing as it has significant potential.

Here the tourism marketers take advantage of the fact that by planning the business meeting in touristy places, people come in large numbers thus they can make a lot of profit out of it.

What are the four basic pillars of Tourism Marketing?

The foundation of tourism marketing stands firmly on four of its important pillars which are the product , the price, the place, email marketing, and the promotion.

Let us understand each of these separately as to how they contribute to tourism marketing!

Marketing Mix of Tourism

1) product in tourism marketing.

One of the most important aspects of the tourism marketing strategy is to determine the effect of the selling benefits and the other types of benefits that are re-obtained by competing with their rivals in the same market .

Tourism marketers need to focus more on such destinations that provide both business advantages to travel brands and pleasure to their customers. These pleasures depend on several factors like the ease of traveling, facilities of the sites and the hotels, the nightlife of that place, activities offered, and the overall culture of that place.

Thus by considering these factors, tourism marketers will understand the areas that have to focus more on, so that marketing can be done effectively.

2) Price in Tourism Marketing

The price point is yet another important aspect of tourism marketing. Now many people avoid traveling due to money-related issues.  And this is where tourism marketing comes in to save the day.  Today so many mobile apps have been developed, on which if a person books a hotel r a transport like a flight or a train, they get discounts. This attracts a lot of customers.

Along with the free referral marketing, they also try to give value-added services to their customers. Some hotels also offer free shuttle services to their visitors. Also depending on whether it is a high season or an offseason, the prices are altered.  

3) Place in Tourism Marketing

Now for tourism marketing to earn a profit, deciding the location where they want to perform the marketing can play a key role in how far they can go. The place refers to the area where the products and services can be distributed.

Now in tourism and destination marketing, the location and the destination marketers offer their products and services to their customers through travel agents, tour operators, inside sales teas, etc.  The distribution of their products and services to visitors can be done through catalogs, online, sites, mobile devices, websites, stores, etc.

4) Promotion

In this numerous different strategies and technologies are used for the promotion of any specific area or tourist destination.  In fact, trade magazines and meeting planners are also efficient ways for promotion purposes.

These often come with many other forms of discount coupons, brochures, etc. also they try their target customers to come across the ads that pop up on the website to make them aware of the various tourist places.

15 Tourism Marketing Strategies in 2023

1. prioritising hygiene and safety via marketing communication.

Tourism marketers must now prioritize safety and hygiene to give their customers peace of mind when they travel. By highlighting the protocols that are being taken, tourists can rest assured knowing they will be protected while visiting.

2. Developing Loyalty Programmes

Loyalty programs are the ideal way to demonstrate your appreciation for existing customers and stimulate repeated patronage. Tourism marketers should construct loyalty programs that will not only retain existing customers but also appeal to fresh audiences.

3. Capitalising on Voice Search

In the age of voice search, it is essential for tourism marketers to create content that can be quickly found and accessed. Optimizing your site and content for this new technology will bolster your site for visibility and success in the long term.

4. Facilitating User-Generated Content

User-generated content, such as ratings and reviews on social media, is critical in helping customers make informed decisions. User-generated social media content is one of the key tourism marketing trends.

5. Deploying Artificial Intelligence:

AI technology is a valuable asset for Tourism marketers, allowing them to track customer behavior and create personalized brand experiences tailored to each individual. This can help customers find the brand information they need quicker and more easily than ever before.

6. Not Neglect Review Marketing

Reviews and ratings are a critical resource for Tourism companies, making them an invaluable asset in swaying potential customer decisions. Any Tourism marketer must recognize the importance of reviews if they wish to stay competitive.

7. Enhancing the Guest Experience & Satisfaction Through Chatbots

Chatbots can be a vital tool in creating an effortless, tailored experience for all customers. Chatbot technology should be a top priority for the hospitality and tourism industry to provide quick customer service and support, as well as respond promptly to any inquiries.

8. Investing in Remarketing Efforts

Maximizing your Tourism business’ potential by tapping into already engaged customers is a surefire way of increasing sales. Leverage the power of remarketing to maximize your potential and gain more qualified leads.

9. Utilising Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality provides the ideal platform for tourism businesses to build mesmerizing and unforgettable experiences for their customers.

10. Prioritising Personalisation

Customization is a crucial element of this form of marketing. By personalizing content and messages to the target audience’s wants and needs, Tourism marketers can engineer and create an experience that will ensure positive word-of-mouth publicity for their business or brand.

11. Exploring Metaverse

The metaverse is becoming more and more popular with tourism companies, as it allows them to give their customers an unparalleled, immersive experience.

12. Using NFTs

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are quickly becoming a widely recognized trend. Tourism companies can harness this technology to propel their marketing campaigns and draw in more visitors.

13. Promoting Virtual Reality (VR) Tours

Allow your customers to explore new destinations without even having to leave their homes – with VR tours, the possibilities are endless!

14. Focusing on the Customer Experience

Crafting an exceptional customer experience should be the primary focus of any Tourism promotional strategy . Optimizing customer experiences on all marketing channels is crucial.

15. Embracing content and influencer marketing

Content and influencer marketing are essential building blocks of any successful tourism strategy. It helps in optimizing the presence of a travel business in the search engine.

Thus, tourism and travel agency marketing are one of the branches of marketing that deal with the tourism and travel industry only.

It is essential to carry out efficient tourism marketing, as one can make a lot of money through this because there are so many people in this world who love traveling, and this can help the tourism marketing industry to flourish their business.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Marketing

Related posts:

• 15 Promotional Strategies to Use in 2023 (Types, Steps & Role in Marketing)
• What is B2B Marketing? A Comprehensive Guide with Strategies, Examples & Trends in 2023
• Database Marketing – Definition, Types, Importance and Strategies
• One-to-one marketing: Definition, Examples and Strategies
• What Is Affinity Marketing? Definition and Strategies for Success (Updated 2024)
• What is Consumer Marketing? Definition, Strategies & Example
• What is Offline Marketing? Strategies and Advantages
• Trade Marketing: Definition, Strategies, Advantages, Disadvantages
• Luxury Brand Marketing – Concept and Strategies
• Healthcare Marketing – Definition, Strategies and Challenges

About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

All Knowledge Banks (Hub Pages)

• Marketing Hub
• Management Hub
• Marketing Strategy
• Advertising Hub
• Branding Hub
• Market Research
• Small Business Marketing
• Sales and Selling
• Marketing Careers
• Internet Marketing
• Business Model of Brands
• Marketing Mix of Brands
• Brand Competitors
• Strategy of Brands
• SWOT of Brands
• Customer Management
• Top 10 Lists

This was a great article! Now I’m interested in a career in tourism marketing. How do I start? I already write travel content/copywriting blogs for an agency. Where would I go from there?

this article really helped me in conducting research on tourism. Thank you very much

This article helped me alot on my academic research

Hello,the article is highly assisting and I am seriously having interest in studying Tourism Marketing.

This information was very helpful

hey! This is a good and interesting article about tourism marketing. I am a second degree student in tourism business administration,the program is all about tourism as a business perspective.if you can possible,please post such relevant articles via email address that i have attached below the space provided.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• About Marketing91
• Marketing91 Team
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Terms of Use
• Editorial Policy

WE WRITE ON

• Digital Marketing
• Human Resources
• Operations Management
• Marketing News
• Marketing mix's
• Competitors

Recent News From MMGY

• Unlocking the Power of GA4 14 Jun 2023
• MMGY GLOBAL ANNOUNCES 2023 EVOLUTION OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP TEAM 17 Aug 2022
• MMGY Global Research Reveals Omicron's Impact on Travel Sentiment 09 Dec 2021
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation Appoints MMGY Global to Assume Agency of Record 29 Sep 2021
• MMGY Global Rebrands Nonprofit Organization Tourism Cares 28 Jul 2021
• MMGY Global Announces Grant Recipients Supporting Black Travel Organizations and Creators 08 Jul 2021
• eTourism Summit Announces 2021 Emerging Tourism Stars Winners 01 Jul 2021
• Social Voice of the Traveler During COVID-19 03 Apr 2020
• MMGY Global Joins Destinations International's Weekly Webinar 26 Mar 2020
• The World Is on Pause. Your Planning Doesn't Have to Be. 26 Mar 2020
• COVID-19 has Upended the Travel Industry 16 Mar 2020
• Resilient Travelers in Times of Crisis 13 Mar 2020
• MMGY Global and Partners Take Home Best of Show at HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala 23 Jan 2020
• MMGY Receives 10 HSMAI Adrian Awards 01 Nov 2019
• MMGY Global Ranked in Adweek’s Fastest Growing Agencies 24 Sep 2019
• Remembering Lucas Cobb 12 Aug 2019
• MMGY Global Acquires Canadian Strategic Planning Firm NEXTFactor 22 Jul 2019
• MMGY Global Announces New Values Mission and Brand Identity 09 Jul 2019
• MMGY Selected As Lead Agency For The Colorado Tourism Office 19 Jun 2019
• Parent Company MMGY Global Acquires European Media and Content Firm Digital Spring 11 Apr 2019
• MMGY Global Launches Inaugural Portrait of UK Travellers™ Study 12 Mar 2019
• MMGY Global Sponsors Destinations International's 30 Under 30 Program 28 Feb 2019
• MMGY recognized at 62nd Annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala 23 Jan 2019
• We stand in support of Visit California and all those affected by the recent wildfires 15 Dec 2018
• Kansas City Makes National Geographic’s Best Trips 2019 List 29 Nov 2018
• Reimagining Papua New Guinea’s Website 28 Nov 2018
• MMGY Clients Bring Home 2018 Destiny Awards 20 Aug 2018
• Parent Company MMGY Global Acquires U.K. Agencies Grifco and Ophir PR 07 Aug 2018
• MMGY & United Nations World Tourism Organization Partner to Support Women's Empowerment 17 Jul 2018
• The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel Breaks Guinness World Record™ 28 Jun 2018
• Parent Company MMGY Global Acquires Leading Travel and Tourism Public Relations Company 08 Mar 2018
• MMGY Receives 16 Awards at 61st Annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala 21 Feb 2018
• MMGY Announces Yesawich Award for Marketing Excellence 25 Oct 2017
• Kansas City Breaks Tourism Records 29 Sep 2017
• Outstanding Agency Achievements 18 Sep 2017
• An Award-Winning Week in PR, Social Media and Experiential Marketing 31 Aug 2017
• Introducing Terminal 19 Jun 2017
• MMGY Tourism Cup Raises Donation for Norah Junior School in Uganda 10 Nov 2016

Bangor Daily News

Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries

Aroostook tourism group focuses on marketing for different seasons

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

FRENCHVILLE, Maine — Aroostook County is seeing a boost in tourism and money spent in the region, thanks in part to organizations that actively promote the area as a seasonal destination.

Aroostook County Tourism, a marketing organization, demonstrated how it promotes The County to potential visitors from Maine and beyond during an all-day tourism summit on Wednesday.

Dozens of community and business leaders packed into the Frenchville Community Center for the summit, which featured presentations from several statewide and regional organizations.

ACT is a standing committee of the Northern Maine Development Commission focused on improving the region’s economy through tourism marketing and promotion. It is designated by the Maine Office of Tourism to promote and market the area.

Summit attendees learned the marketing appears to be working. Visitors to Aroostook County in 2023 directly spent $169,599,300 on accommodations, transportation, groceries, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and other expenses, an increase of 5.5 percent from 2022, according to data shared by Maine Office of Tourism Deputy Director Hannah Collins. The County attracted 332,400 visitors last year, up 17.4 percent from the prior year. 

One attendant asked Collins if there were any plans to get online influencers involved with marketing the region. She said they are working on finding a skilled snowmobiler who would be able to take pictures in the area and post them to Instagram.

Another guest asked how they are able to compile all of this data for annual reports. Collins said they do intercept surveys, which involve gathering on-site information from visitors, to collect much of their information.

“We have a whole team of people,” she said. “They’re out there 12 months a year getting all of this data, and they supplement it with a little bit of online surveys.”

ACT Tourism Developer Jacob Pelkey gave a presentation explaining how he and others on the committee work to promote the region. Pelkey said they promote four seasonal periods in the region: early winter, late winter, early summer, and late summer. They then promote six activities during each of these periods. 

“For example, early summer is what we are in right now,” Pelkey said. “So most ad placements are already out and running. We will be promoting trout fishing, high water season paddling, and agritourism — we just had maple syrup sunday .”

Some summer activities, such as ATVing, are in the late summer category since trails are not dry enough yet. 

Pelkey said that it’s important to market Aroostook County as a unique part of the state. He said that while Maine may be known for foods like lobster, blueberries, and red hot dogs, these things aren’t really what people associate with The County. He said some distinctive Aroostook foods include potatoes, potato candy, fiddleheads, ployes and poutine.

He then gave an example of how he often needs to develop marketing plans for certain activities, like golfing, several weeks in advance.

He said that, on average, it takes about six weeks for someone to plan to come to The County. So if he’s marketing for golf, he would start by posting photos of golfing, and then follow that up with a link to the Aroostook County Tourism website. This would then be followed up with video of golfing and, finally, a link to a golfing event.

By having this content appear multiple times, Pelkey said it helps people develop the idea to visit the region through repetition. Breaking up the information into multiple parts, he said, also makes the content more easily digestible.

He concluded by telling business and community leaders in the audience that they can reach out to him and ACT directly via email or even Facebook message if they would like to promote an upcoming event. Looking ahead, he said ACT is going to refresh how its content is pushed online, and that part of this involves building a new website which should be going live soon.

The tourism summit also featured presentations from the Maine Snowmobile Association, Northern Maine Development Commission, Maine Department of Transportation and ATV Maine.

More articles from the BDN

Volusia tourism leaders celebrate 10.1 million visitors in destination 'reset' year

DAYTONA BEACH  ― Volusia County attracted 10.1 visitors in 2023, down from a record 10.6 million in 2022 , according to figures from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The news was announced at a celebration event to mark National Travel & Tourism Week on Wednesday at Hard Rock Hotel.

Area tourism officials and other local leaders praised the strength of the area’s leading industry as they also acknowledged increasing competition for travelers as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues fade into the past tense.

“That number reflects what we have been calling a ‘reset’ year, so we’re actually very pleased,” said Lori Campbell Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area CVB. “The world has reopened. International travel is booming.”

Volusia's 2023 visitor total surpassed pre-pandemic 2019

As Florida emerged as one of the first states to re-open for tourists in the wake of pandemic-era restrictions, Volusia County’s record-setting 10.6 million visitor total in 2022 was the destination’s highest annual count since logging 10.2 million in 2018.

Although the 2023 visitor total failed to match that record high, Baker pointed out that it was better than the pre-COVID 2019 total of the 9.8 million.

“As always, we’re working to bring that total up,” she said. “Everything we do is geared toward attracting overnight visitors.”

In addition to a decline in visitors, Volusia County’s tourist development tax collections for the fiscal year that concluded on Sept. 30 finished 3.51% below the year-end total for 2021-22, according to figures from the Volusia County Revenue Division.

For the previous fiscal year that concluded on Sept. 30, 2022, record-high overall tourism bed-tax collections of $33.7 million countywide were more than 20% higher than the previous year, which also set a record.

The county collects a 6% tourism tax on hotels and lodges with half of the revenues going to fund the county-run Ocean Center convention complex in Daytona Beach. The other half goes to the county’s three tourism ad authorities to market their respective areas — the Daytona Beach/Halifax area, Southeast Volusia and West Volusia — as tourist and special event destinations.

Tourism trend also evident in statewide visitor total

The trend in Volusia County also is evident in statewide numbers.

In 2023, Florida welcomed an estimated 135 million tourists according to the Visit Florida tourism marketing agency. That's down from 137.4 million the year before, but up from 131.1 million in 2019, the last full year of data before the pandemic.

At Wednesday’s event, the contributions of the area’s tourism industry were heralded by host Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.

After nearly 60 years as a hotelier and tourism leader, Davis emphasized that connection among hotel owners, managers, small businesses, elected officials and educators was essential for success.

“It takes all of us together, working to make Volusia the No. 1 county in Florida,” Davis said. “We’re all in this together. We all have a part to play.”

That theme was echoed in presentations by leaders of the county’s three tourism advertising authorities representing the Halifax area, West Volusia and Southeast Volusia.

In case you missed it: After two record-setting years, Volusia tourism weathers downturn in 2023

There also were updates from Cyrus Callum, director of aviation and economic resources at Daytona Beach International Airport, Ocean Center Director Lynn Flanders and Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald.

Recktenwald offered thanks to county staff members and area businesses for contributing to the recovery from beach damage sustained during back-to-back tropical storms Ian and Nicole in fall 2022.

“The last 18 months touched us like never before,” said Recktenwald, adding that the future still holds the prospect of “significant investment” to ensure the condition of the area’s beaches. Yet he, too, was optimistic.

“The businesses, the hotels and the county’s environmental staff have acted swiftly to repair the damages,” he said. “Things are looking positive.”

MMPRC promotes the Sunny Side of Life at ATM 2024

Categorized

What are you looking for?

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 6
• Very Good 11
• All languages ( 25 )
• Russian ( 25 )
• English ( 0 )

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

ELEKTROSTAL HOTEL

Money blog: 'Loud budgeting' - The money-saving trend that has nothing to do with giving up your daily coffee

Created accidentally by a comedian, "loud budgeting" is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money. Read this and the rest of our Weekend Money features, and leave a comment, and we'll be back with rolling personal finance and consumer news on Monday.

Saturday 11 May 2024 09:05, UK

Weekend Money

• 'Loud budgeting': The money-saving trend that has nothing to do with giving up your daily coffee
• What is most in-demand period property?
• £12m tea advert, downsizing, £320 tasting menus and job interview mistakes: What readers have said this week
• Free childcare applications about to open for new age band
• Where has huge week for UK economy left us?

Best of the week

• How to avoid a holiday data roaming charge (while still using the internet)
• Mortgage rates up again this week - here are the best deals on the market
• My daughter discovered undeclared £600 management fee after buying her flat - can we complain?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

By Jess Sharp , Money team 

Money saving trends are constantly popping up on social media - but one in particular has been gaining huge amounts of attention.

Created accidentally by a comedian, loud budgeting is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money.

The idea is based on being firmer/more vocal about your financial boundaries in social situations and setting out what you are happy to spend your money on, instead of "Keeping up with the Joneses". 

On TikTok alone, videos published under the hashtag #loudbudgeting have garnered more than 30 million views - and that figure is continuing to climb. 

We spoke to Lukas Battle - the 26-year-old who unintentionally created the trend as part of a comedy sketch. 

Based in New York, he came up with the term in a skit about the "quiet luxury" hype, which had spread online in 2023 inspired by shows like Succession. 

The term was used for humble bragging about your wealth with expensive items that were subtle in their design - for example, Gwyneth Paltrow's  £3,900 moss green wool coat from The Row, which she wore during her ski resort trial...

"I was never a big fan of the quiet luxury trend, so I just kind of switched the words and wrote 'loud budgeting is in'. I'm tired of spending money and I don't want to pretend to be rich," Lukas said. 

"That's how it started and then the TikTok comments were just obsessed with that original idea." 

This was the first time he mentioned it...

Lukas explained that it wasn't about "being poor" but about not being afraid of sharing your financial limits and "what's profitable for you personally". 

"It's not 'skip a coffee a day and you'll become a millionaire'."

While talking money has been seen as rude or taboo, he said it's something his generation is more comfortable doing. 

"I've seen more debate around the topic and I think people are really intrigued and attracted by the idea," he said. 

"It's just focusing your spending and time on things you enjoy and cutting out the things you might feel pressured to spend your money on."  

He has incorporated loud budgeting into his own life, telling his friends "it's free to go outside" and opting for cheaper dinner alternatives.

"Having the terminology and knowing it's a trend helps people understand it and there's no awkward conversation around it," he said. 

The trend has been a big hit with so-called American "finfluencers", or "financial influencers", but people in the UK have started practising it as well. 

Mia Westrap has taken up loud budgeting by embarking on a no-buy year and sharing her finances with her 11.3k TikTok followers. 

Earning roughly £2,100 a month, she spends around £1,200 on essentials, like rent, petrol and car insurance, but limits what else she can purchase. 

Clothes, fizzy drinks, beauty treatments, makeup, dinners out and train tickets are just some things on her "red list". 

The 26-year-old PHD student first came across the idea back in 2017, but decided to take up the challenge this year after realising she was living "pay check to pay check". 

She said her "biggest fear" in the beginning was that her friends wouldn't understand what she was doing, but she found loud budgeting helped. 

"I'm still trying my best to just go along with what everyone wants to do but I just won't spend money while we do it and my friends don't mind that, we don't make a big deal out of it," she said. 

So far, she has been able to save £1,700, and she said talking openly about her money has been "really helpful". 

"There's no way I could have got this far if I wasn't baring my soul to the internet about the money I have spent. It has been a really motivating factor."

Financial expert John Webb said loud budgeting has the ability to help many "feel empowered" and create a "more realistic" relationship with money.

"This is helping to normalise having open and honest conversations about finances," the consumer affair manager at Experien said. 

"It can also reduce the anxiety some might have by keeping their financial worries to themselves." 

However, he warned it's important to be cautious and to take the reality of life into consideration. 

"It could cause troubles within friendship groups if they're not on the same page as you or have different financial goals," he said.

"This challenge isn't meant to stop you from having fun, but it is designed to help people become more conscious and intentional when it comes to money, and reduce the stigma around talking about it." 

Rightmove's keyword tool shows Victorian-era houses are the most commonly searched period properties, with people drawn to their ornate designs and features.

Georgian and Edwardian-style are second and third respectively, followed by Tudor properties. Regency ranked in fifth place.

Rightmove property expert Tim Bannister said: "Home hunters continue to be captivated by the character and charm of properties that we see in period dramas.

"Victorian homes remain particularly popular, characterised by their historic charm, solid construction, and spacious interiors. You'll often find Victorian houses in some of the most desirable locations which include convenient access to schools and transport links."

Throughout the week Money blog readers have shared their thoughts on the stories we've been covering, with the most correspondence coming in on...

• A hotly contested debate on the best brand of tea
• Downsizing homes
• The cost of Michelin-starred food

Job interview mistakes

On Wednesday we reported on a new £12m ad from PG Tips in response to it falling behind rivals such as Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and Tetley....

We had lots of comments like this...

How on earth was the PG Tips advert so expensive? I prefer Tetley tea, PG Tips is never strong enough flavour for me. Shellyleppard

The reason for the sales drop with PG Tips could be because they increased the price and reduced the quantity of bags from 240 to 180 - it's obvious. Royston

And then this question which we've tried to answer below...

Why have PG Tips changed from Pyramid shape tea bags, to a square? Sam

Last year PG Tips said it was changing to a square bag that left more room for leaves to infuse, as the bags wouldn't fold over themselves.

We reported on data showing how downsizing could save you money for retirement - more than £400,000, in some regions, by swapping four beds for two.

Some of our readers shared their experiences...

We are downsizing and moving South so it's costing us £100k extra for a smaller place, all money from retirement fund. AlanNorth

Interesting read about downsizing for retirement. We recently did this to have the means to retire early at 52. However, we bought a house in the south of France for the price of a flat in our town in West Sussex. Now living the dream! OliSarah

How much should we pay for food?

Executive chef at London's two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan, raised eyebrows when he suggested to the Money blog that Britons don't pay enough for restaurant food.

Ikoyi, the 35th best restaurant in the world, charges £320 for its tasting menu. 

"I don't think people pay enough money for food, I think we charge too little, [but] we want to always be accessible to as many people as possible, we're always trying our best to do that," he said, in a piece about his restaurant's tie up with Uber Eats... 

We had this in... 

Are they serious? That is two weeks' worth of food shopping for me, if the rich can afford this "tasting menu" then they need to be taxed even more by the government, it's just crazy! Steve T

If the rate of pay is proportionate to the vastly overpriced costs of the double Michelin star menu, I would gladly peel quail eggs for four-hour stints over continuing to be abused as a UK supply teacher. AndrewWard

Does this two-star Michelin star chef live in the real world? Who gives a toss if he stands and peels his quails eggs for four hours, and he can get the best turbot from the fishmonger fresh on a daily basis? It doesn't justify the outrageous price he is charging for his tasting menu. Topaztraveller

Chefs do make me laugh, a steak is just a steak, they don't make the meat! They just cook it like the rest of us, but we eat out because we can't be bothered cooking! StevieGrah

Finally, many of you reacted to this feature on common mistakes in job interviews...

Those 10 biggest mistakes people make in interviews is the dumbest thing I've ever read. They expect all that and they'll be offering a £25k a year job. Why wouldn't I want to know about benefits and basic sick pay? And also a limp handshake? How's that relevant to how you work? Jre90

Others brought their own tips...

Whenever I go for an interview I stick to three points: 1. Be yourself 2. Own the interview 3. Wear the clothes that match the job you are applying Kevin James Blakey

From Sunday, eligible working parents of children from nine-months-old in England will be able to register for access to up to 15 free hours of government-funded childcare per week.

This will then be granted from September. 

Check if you're eligible  here  - or read on for our explainer on free childcare across the UK.

Three and four year olds

In England, all parents of children aged three and four in England can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 1,140 hours (38 weeks) a year, at an approved provider.

This is a universal offer open to all.

It can be extended to 30 hours where both parents (or the sole parent) are in work, earn the weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum or living wage, and have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

Two year olds

Previously, only parents in receipt of certain benefits were eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.

But, as of last month, this was extended to working parents.

This is not a universal offer, however.

A working parent must earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 per year. For couples, the rule applies to both parents.

Nine months old

In September, this same 15-hour offer will be extended to working parents of children aged from nine months. From 12 May, those whose children will be at least nine months old on 31 August can apply to received the 15 hours of care from September.

From September 2025

The final change to the childcare offer in England will be rolled out in September 2025, when eligible working parents of all children under the age of five will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In some areas of Wales, the Flying Start early years programme offers 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks, for eligible children aged two to three. The scheme is based on your postcode area, though it is currently being expanded.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free early education of 10 hours per week in approved settings during term time under the Welsh government's childcare offer.

Some children of this age are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare over 48 weeks of the year. The hours can be split - but at least 10 need to be used on early education.

To qualify for this, each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year, be employed and earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage, or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is at least 10 weeks in length.

All three and four-year-olds living in Scotland are entitled to at least 1,140 hours per year of free childcare, with no work or earnings requirements for parents. 

This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over term time (38 weeks), though each provider will have their own approach.

Some households can claim free childcare for two-year-olds. To be eligible you have to be claiming certain benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit, or have a child that is in the care of their local council or living with you under a guardianship order or kinship care order.

Northern Ireland

There is no scheme for free childcare in Northern Ireland. Some other limited support is available.

Working parents can access support from UK-wide schemes such as tax credits, Universal Credit, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.

Aside from this, all parents of children aged three or four can apply for at least 12.5 hours a week of funded pre-school education during term time. But over 90% of three-year-olds have a funded pre-school place - and of course this is different to childcare.

What other help could I be eligible for?

Tax-free childcare  - Working parents in the UK can claim up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with childcare costs. 

If the child is disabled, the amount goes up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year).

To claim the benefit, parents will need to open a tax-free childcare account online. For every 80p paid into the account, the government will top it up by 20p.

The scheme is available until the September after the child turns 11.

Universal credit  - Working families on universal credit can claim back up to 85% of their monthly childcare costs, as long as the care is paid for upfront. The most you can claim per month is £951 for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Tax credits -  People claiming working tax credit can get up to 70% of what they pay for childcare if their costs are no more than £175 per week for one child or £300 per work for multiple children.

Two big economic moments dominated the news agenda in Money this week - interest rates and GDP.

As expected, the Bank of England held the base rate at 5.25% on Wednesday - but a shift in language was instructive about what may happen next.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey opened the door to a summer cut to 5%, telling reporters that an easing of rates at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on 20 June was neither ruled out nor a fait accompli.

More surprisingly, he suggested that rate cuts, when they start, could go deeper "than currently priced into market rates".

He refused to be drawn on what that path might look like - but markets had thought rates could bottom out at 4.5% or 4.75% this year, and potentially 3.5% or 4% next.

"To make sure that inflation stays around the 2% target - that inflation will neither be too high nor too low - it's likely that we will need to cut Bank rate over the coming quarters and make monetary policy somewhat less restrictive over the forecast period," Mr Bailey said.

You can read economics editor Ed Conway's analysis of the Bank's decision here ...

On Friday we discovered the UK is no longer in recession.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics said.

This followed two consecutive quarters of the economy shrinking.

The data was more positive than anticipated.

"Britain is not just out of recession," wrote Conway. "It is out of recession with a bang."

The UK has seen its fastest growth since the tailend of the pandemic - and Conway picked out three other reasons for optimism.

1/ An economic growth rate of 0.6% is near enough to what economists used to call "trend growth". It's the kind of number that signifies the economy growing at more or less "normal" rates.

2/ 0.6% means the UK is, alongside Canada, the fastest-growing economy in the G7 (we've yet to hear from Japan, but economists expect its economy to contract in the first quarter).

3/ Third, it's not just gross domestic product that's up. So too is gross domestic product per head - the number you get when you divide our national income by every person in the country. After seven years without any growth, GDP per head rose by 0.4% in the first quarter.

GDP per head is a more accurate yardstick for the "feelgood factor", said Conway - perhaps meaning people will finally start to feel better off.

For more on where Friday's figures leaves us, listen to an Ian King Business Podcast special...

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money .

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

If you've missed any of the features we've been running in Money this year, or want to check back on something you've previously seen in the blog, this archive of our most popular articles may help...

Loaves of bread have been recalled from shelves in Japan after they were found to contain the remains of a rat.

Production of the bread in Tokyo has been halted after parts of a "small animal" were found by at least two people.

Pasco Shikishima Corp, which produces the bread, said 104,000 packages have been recalled as it apologised and promised compensation.

A company representative told Sky News's US partner network, NBC News, that a "small black rat" was found in the bread. No customers were reported to have fallen ill as a result of ingesting the contaminated bread.

"We deeply apologise for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties," the spokesman said.

Pasco added in a separate statement that "we will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your co-operation."

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in the Gunma prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

Record levels of shoplifting appear to be declining as fewer shopkeepers reported thefts last year, new figures show. 

A survey by the Office for National Statistics shows 26% of retailers experienced customer theft in 2023, down from a record high of 28% in 2022.

This comes despite a number of reports suggesting shoplifting is becoming more frequent. 

A  separate ONS finding , which used police crime data, showed reports of shoplifting were at their highest level in 20 years in 2023, with law enforcements logging 430,000 instances of the crime.

Let's get you up to speed on the biggest business news of the past 24 hours. 

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival, which is on the brink of administration.

Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo's marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets.

The process to auction the used-car platform's constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.

International Airlines Group said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) - above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023.

The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.

The prospect of a strike across Tata Steel's UK operations has gained further traction after a key union secured support for industrial action.

Community, which has more than 3,000 members, said 85% voted in favour of fighting the India-owned company's plans for up to 2,800 job losses, the majority of them at the country's biggest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Tata confirmed last month it was to press ahead with the closure of the blast furnaces at the plant, replacing them with electric arc furnaces to reduce emissions and costs.

In doing so, the company rejected an alternative plan put forward by the Community, GMB and Unite unions that, they said, would raise productivity and protect jobs across the supply chain.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

• Yekaterinburg
• Novosibirsk
• Vladivostok

• Tours to Russia
• Practicalities
• Russia in Lists

Rusmania • Deep into Russia

Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

Plan your next trip to Russia

Ready-to-book tours.

Your holiday in Russia starts here. Choose and book your tour to Russia.

REQUEST A CUSTOMISED TRIP

Looking for something unique? Create the trip of your dreams with the help of our experts.

• SMP WEDDINGS
• SMP’S VENUE BLOG
• LITTLE BLACK BOOK BLOG
• LBB INDUSTRY BLOG
• DESTINATION
• NEW ENGLAND
• THE NORTHWEST
• THE MIDWEST
• THE SOUTHWEST
• THE SOUTHEAST
• THE MID-ATLANTIC
• THE TRI-STATE AREA

Russia Weddings

• Real Weddings
• Bridal Week
• Engagements & Proposals
• Seasonal Wedding Trends
• Bridal Beauty
• Wedding Fashion Trends
• Vendor Guide
• DIY Projects
• Registry Guide
• Engagements & Proposals
• by Melissa Hammam
• comments ( )

Hands up if you’re ready to be dazzled! From a ceremony structure designed to float on water to a jaw-dropping reception room with flowers blooming from every service, we’re swooning over every bit of this wedding. If you can believe it, that’s just the beginning. Julia Kaptelova artfully shot every detail, like the ballet performance guests were treated to and snow falling from the ceiling for the first dance! Prepare to be amazed and take a visit to the full gallery .

From About You Decor … Our design is a symbol of dawn and a distant endless horizon. Ahead is a long, happy life without any borders. An international couple, Pavel and Cherry, met in London and have been walking together for many years.

From the Bride, Cherry… My husband and I we decided to have our summer wedding in Moscow because the city is where his roots are. As we knew we were going to have the other wedding ceremony in China, we wanted our Moscow one to be very personal and intimate. We’ve known each other since we were fourteen, together with many of our friends whom we’ve also known for a decade.

I didn’t want to walk down the aisle twice so the plausibility of my request quickly came into discussion. The open pontoon stage was constructed in order to facilitate the bridal entrance on water, although there were concerns about safety as the last thing we wanted was probably a drowned bride before she could get on stage, picture that! I have to say on that day it wasn’t easy to get on the pontoon stage from the boat, in my long gown and high heels. Luckily my bridesmaids still noticed even though they stood the furthest from me on the stage, and helped me out without prior rehearsal. My girls could just tell whenever I needed a hand or maybe they were just so used to my clumsiness. Who knows 😂

We all love our photographer Julia! She’s so talented and her style is so unique. Our beloved host Alex is exceptional who made everyone laugh and cry. It was truly a blessing to have so many kind and beautiful souls on our big day. Thank you all!

[iframe https://player.vimeo.com/video/384992271 600 338]

Photography: Julia Kaptelova Photography | Wedding Planner: Caramel | Cake: Any Cake | Invitations: Inviteria | Rings: Harry Winston | Band: Menhouzen | Grooms attire: Ermenegildo Zegna | Wedding Venue: Elizaveta Panichkina | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Marchesa | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Alice McCall | Bride’s gown : Jaton Couture | Bride’s shoes: Manolo Blahnik | Decor : About you decor | Earrings: Damiani | Muah: Khvanaco Studio | Video: Artem Korchagin

More Princess-Worthy Ballgowns

I’m still not convinced this Moscow wedding, captured to perfection by  Sonya Khegay , isn’t actually an inspiration session—it’s just  that breathtaking. From the beautiful Bride’s gorgeous lace wedding dress and flawless hair and makeup to the pretty pastel color palette and stunning ceremony and reception spaces, this wedding is almost too good to be true. Do yourself a favor and see it all in The Vault now!

From Sonya Khegay … It was the last day of April and still very cold in the morning. The weather forecast wasn’t pleasing and no one expected that the sun would come out, but miracles happen and light rain gave way to the warm rays.

I love how all the details went together, you could feel the harmony in everything throughout the entire wedding day from the morning until the fireworks.

A gentle look of the bride, elegant but so airy and unique decor, the fresh and light atmosphere of early spring and, of course, true happiness in the eyes. My heart becomes so warm from these memories, it is always a pleasure to see the birth of a new family of two loving hearts.

Photography: Sonya Khegay | Event Design: Latte Decor | Event Planning: Ajur Wedding | Floral Design: Blush Petals | Wedding Dress: La Sposa | Stationery: Special Invite | Bride's Shoes: Gianvito Rossi | Hair + Makeup: Natalie Yastrebova | Venue: Rodniki Hotel

• by Elizabeth Greene

You really can’t go wrong with simple: a beautiful Bride , perfectly pretty petals , loved ones all around. But add in an amazing firework show  to cap off the night and simple just became downright extraordinary. Captured by Lena Elisseva , with assistance by  Katya Butenko , this rustic Russian celebration is simply fantastic. See it all in the Vault right here !

From Lena Eliseeva Photo …  This cozy and warm summer wedding of gorgeous Natalia and Anton was in the middle of June. The young couple decided to organize their wedding themselves, and the day was very personal and touching. I am absolutely in love with rustic outdoor weddings, and this one is my favourite because of the free and easy atmosphere.

All the decor excluding the bride’s bouquet was made by a team of ten friends of the bride and groom. And it was charming – a light and beautiful arch, eco-style polygraphy and succulents, candy-bar with caramel apples and berries – sweet joys of summer.

At the end of ceremony the guests tossed up white handkerchiefs embroidered by Natalia’s own hands.

The most touching moment was the happy eyes of the groom’s grandmother, the most estimable person on the wedding. And the fireworks were a bright end to that beautiful day.

Photography: LENA ELISEEVA PHOTO | Floral Design: Katerina Kazakova | Hair And Makeup: Svetlana Fischeva | Photography - Assistance: Katya Butenko

These photos from Lena Kozhina are so stunningly beautiful – as in you can’t help but stop and stare – it’s hard to believe it’s real life. But these pics are proof of this gorgeous Bride and her handsome Groom’s celebration at Moscow’s Fox Lodge , surrounded by vibrant colors and breathtaking blooms . Oh, and the idea of prepping for your Big Day outside in the sun ? Brilliant. See more bright ideas right here !

From Lena Kozhina … When we met with the couple for the first time, we immediately paid attention to Dima’s behavior towards Julia. There was a feeling of tenderness and awe, and we immediately wanted to recreate this atmosphere of love, care and warmth on their Big Day.

Later, when we had chosen a green meadow and an uncovered pavilion overlooking a lake as the project site, it only highlighted a light summer mood with colorful florals and a great number of natural woods. The name of the site is Fox Lodge and peach-orange color, as one of the Bride’s favorites, set the tone for the whole design – from the invitations, in which we used images of fox cubs to elements of serving guest tables and other decorative elements with the corresponding bright accents.

Photography: Lena Kozhina | Event Planning: Ajur Wedding | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara | Shoes: Marc Jacobs | Catering: Fox Lodge | Makeup Artist: Elena Otrembskaya | Wedding Venue: Fox Lodge | Cake and Desserts: Yumbaker | Decor: Latte Decor

From Our Partners