Tourism and Travel Marketing

Tourism and travel is one of the world’s largest and most fragmented industries. These two aspects of the industry can be viewed separately, yet often, they overlap and involve each other in marketing.

It is estimated that the tourism industry accounts for 10% of workforce worldwide. In Singapore, the tourism industry  contributes 3% to the nation’s GDP and generates more than S$12 billion in tourism receipts. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) recently launched its Tourism Compass 2020 targeting 17 million visitors by 2015 and tourism receipts amounting to S$30 billion. The United Nations World Tourism Organization anticipates that by 2020 an estimated 100 million Chinese travellers would go abroad.

But the going will not always be good, as recent events have proved. Singapore experienced a tourism industry slump in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008. Visitor arrivals to Singapore reached 771,000 in January 2009, down 12.8%  compared to January 2008. Visitor days in January 2009 totaled 3.3 million days, a decrease of 6.9% compared to 2008.

While many events are beyond a certain radar of control, it is always good to anticipate – and that is what marketing is all about. It is about anticipating and identifying the wants and needs of a target market of consumers, then satisfying those needs to make a profit. Even with a grim outlook and slow tourism, the tourism and travel industry is not just going to disappear.

One significant travel trend this year is the rise of ‘real-time Web’. In an rapidly expanding online world, ‘digital’ is synonymous with ‘instant’. The reality is more people are using social networking sites, more time-sensitive “flash” sales offered through Twitter and Facebook, more real-time postings of travel experiences and quicker responses from companies fearful that negative opinions will go viral.

An ideal marketing professional partner would be someone who understands the travel and tourism sector, experienced with cost-effective, high value online marketing and digital branding, and able to combine the two successfully with passion and panache.

Contact AONIA at SG@Aonianow.com or +65 6 733 8839 so we can understand your business and suggest ways your digital marketing can help you achieve your wider business objectives.