$1000 Travel Contest
April 8, 2008 · Print This Article
ITCInterhome.com is pleased to announce its first travel contest! In the next few weeks we will be posting the rules and conditions for this contest. The prize will be $1,000 towards a vacation rental in one of the thousands of great European Interhome properties. This will be a writing contest and the theme we are currently leaning towards is slow travel or villa stays.Get your stories together, this is not an opportunity a traveler will want to miss!
PUBLIC RELATIONS
STRATEGY FOR THE
EGYPTIAN TOURIST
AUTHORITY
2007 & 2008
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Background
International Travel Communications (ITC) has been in business since 1984. Since that time, the
travel industry has changed dramatically. Throughout its existence, ITC has been in the forefront of
innovation and a leader in developing and applying solutions for our clients.
Headquartered in New Jersey, we have an associate office in London, England, tending to the needs of
the UK and European travel and tourism industry.
ITC is a full-service marketing communications company committed to increasing business for local,
national and international clients in the travel and tourism industry.
We bring a strategic marketing approach to our clients’ assignments.
Every client brings unique challenges and opportunities. Thus our approach is to consider any
assignment without a preconceived solution or agenda. We analyze market situations and conditions,
competitive strengths and weaknesses, and internal and external communications programs. We look to
find solutions that project the right message, to the right audience with the most impact possible.
We go further than that. Increasingly we are called upon not just to advise, develop and execute
communications plans, but to work with governments and tourism agencies at the highest level. We
assist in creating and developing tourism strategies. With our experience and contacts, we can call upon
our network of travel industry relationships in every industry and destination sector to augment and
expand our clients’ messaging, marketing budget and overall marketing communications programs.
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Our Proven Expertise in Travel & Tourism Marketing Programs
Through the years, ITC has worked with destinations located within all the major tourism continents.
A few of our most notable achievements are described below.
Egypt
Objective: To build awareness of Egypt by using a broad media mix. Position Egypt as a major,
multi-faceted destination—a tactic not previously used.
Tactic: To gain maximum visibility, ITC utilized a highly targeted approach using TV, Internet, Radio,
Print, and Direct to Trade tactics. The destination’s tourism segments were the focus of the campaign.
Result: This campaign increased tourism from the USA by 32% in only 10 months.
The French Caribbean Islands of Guadeloupe
Objective: To position Guadeloupe as a destination where vacationers can get a taste of Europe in the
French Caribbean.
Tactic: Consumer print ads, Travel Trade print and online ads, Billboard, Promotions, Public Relations
and Consumer online marketing.
Result: Guadeloupe realized a 47% increase in US arrivals within 18 months of campaign launch.
Tourism Ireland
Objective: To develop an online program to aid in the expansion of the tourist board’s current
relevant travel trade database as well as the creation of an effective Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) program.
Tactic:We executed an integrated internet program of banner ads, targeted email marketing, and
created incentive registration tools specifically focused to the travel trade.
Results: Tourism Ireland increased their travel trade database by 100% over the life of the campaign.
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Our Proven Expertise in Travel & Tourism Marketing Programs
The Alpine Tourist Commission
The Alpine Tourist Commission (ATC) is comprised of the five member countries of Austria, France,
Germany, Italy and Switzerland. International Travel Communications has been their agency of record for
the last four years. Our responsibility has been to develop and execute all marketing related activities,
ranging from the creation of consumer-related marketing communications plans to the organization of
travel trade road shows to the scheduling of public relations events. Recently, ITC was responsible for
the development of the new destination branding for the ATC. The “Walk My Alps” campaign was
conceived and developed by the ITC creative team. This campaign is designed to develop a dialogue
between the people of the Alps and the American traveler.
Objective: To build an awareness of the Alpine Region of Europe, specifically Austria, Germany, France,
Italy and Switzerland, through a new, integrated marketing theme called “Walk My Alps”
Tactic: This integrated marketing campaign is designed to communicate with the active American
consumer on a nationwide basis. This marketing program is beginning its second year of promotion and
will be utilizing the internet and traditional print advertising on a regional and national level.
Results: The “Walk My Alps” campaign has become recognized as the Alpine Region’s marketing
message. The dialogue between the people of the region and the American traveler, the American travel
trade and the American media has proven to be highly successful. Success was measured by numbers
of visitors to the website, the amount of time spent by visitors interacting with rich media campaign
components and on our advertising tactics.
Online Destination Marketing Programs
Objective: To develop an online marketing and promotional platform for specific travel destinations and
its partners to promote travel offers. ITC has successfully developed promotions for the following
destinations: Italy, Egypt, Hong Kong, Thailand, Austria, India, Costa Brava and regions within the UK
and Ireland.
Tactic: Combine the attributes of search-engine marketing with very niched travel-related website
promotions. The goals in these programs were to drive interested consumers to the destination websites
promoting specific partner travel deals.
Results: These programs have proven to be quite successful in creating general business for the
partners and raising the awareness in a given destination as measured through profiled consumer
visitations and general business generated to the partners.
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Our Proven Expertise in Travel & Tourism Marketing Programs
German National Tourist Office
Objective: To create an online program to build an awareness of the destination, create a profiled
consumer and travel trade database and offer our partners actionable consumer leads
The concept of Online Consumer Focused Destination Partnership Marketing originated through the
collaboration of the marketing teams at ITC and the German National Tourist Office in New York. This
innovative marketing concept was developed in 2003 and has continued, uninterrupted, for the last five
years. Germany has become the benchmark of success in this overall ITC marketing and promotional
concept. Through the relationships of the professionals at the GNTO and International Travel
Communications, Germany has realized unparallel success in promoting the destination and its partners
for a fraction of the cost it takes to develop and execute this marketing and communications program.
Tactic: Integrated program using banner ads and email on a Cost Per Thousand (CPM), Cost Per
Lead (CPL) and Cost Per Click (CPC) basis to drive traffic to the partner marketing site
http://www.ComeToGermanyNow.com.
Result: The campaign generated nearly 60,000 actionable, consumer contacts for the German National
Tourist Office and its travel partners on a yearly basis. These leads have directly contributed to the
increase in awareness and overall travel to Germany over the last five years. The Germany Destination
Partnership Marketing Program as derived and executed by ITC and the GNTO has created incremental
marketing revenues over this period of time that is valued at over $1,200,000.00. During this same
period, the German National Tourist Office has committed less than 5% of its own financial resources.
This means 95% of the total revenue required to develop and execute these programs is derived from
the investments of the travel trade partners recruited for the annual program.
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Our Proven Experience of Partner Acquisition Initiatives
ITC has created marketing communications programs for national tourism organizations for over
20 years. Through these years, we have developed partner programs that have promoted states and
CVBs in the US, countries in the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. We have been
actively involved in prestigious travel organizations like Skal, the USTOA, ASTA, the Caribbean Tourism
Organization, the Caribbean Hotel Association, as well as taken part in and attended other travel related
trade shows and symposiums. ITC has a network of travel trade relationships that bridge all segments
of the travel and tourism industry. Through these relationships ITC has become recognized as a
trustworthy partner and source of creating mutually rewarding relationships for our clients and their
individual destination suppliers. In the past five years these relationships have been leveraged to
promote destinations most effectively.
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Our Proven Experience in Major Marketing Disciplines
ITC’s experience within the travel and tourism industry is broad and lined with successful programs
designed and executed for Tourist Boards, Hotels, Airlines, Tour Operators, Car Rental Companies,
Cruise Lines, and Travel Agencies. We understand the needs of the business travel market and the
consumer market, as well as the niche and special interest markets. ITC has successfully created
programs to general population consumers, up-scale and wealthy consumers, seniors, and a variety of
business based groups including incentive travel, meetings and conventions, business fairs, symposiums
and congresses.
Our marketing background is steeped not only in the traditional promotional media such as Newspaper,
Magazine, Radio and Television but in all of the New Media electronic platforms. Through the versatility
of the internet and the ability to focus our clients message on a one to one basis, ITC prides itself on
being able to focus our clients marketing messages to those consumers that are best qualified to receive
it and act accordingly. Building and executing fully integrated marketing communication programs for
our clients has become a passion and an obsession. Two notable examples of our achievements over the
last couple of years are as follows. These summaries are just a small sampling from our overall business
experience. They are designed to bring our clients awareness and incremental business to the
destination and to their supplier partners.
Hong Kong
Objective: The Hong Tourist Office retained the services of ITC to develop a South Florida regional
marketing program promoting the destination and specific partner travel packages to Hong Kong during
a specific travel window of time. Hong Kong had limited funds for this three month program.
Results: ITC developed and executed a regional promotion campaign that included local cable TV, local
radio, and regional internet promotions through the use of pre-profiled consumer email marketing and
local newspaper print and website advertising. This campaign ran for a total of three months, and the
extremely favorable overall results were measured by the vacation packages booked by Hong Kong’s
travel partners during that period.
State Of Maine Tourism
Objective: Market and promote the State Of Maine’s Vacation Planner to consumers most empowered
to travel to Maine for the autumn season.
Results: Through data mining analysis, ITC developed an understanding of the consumer interests for
the autumn travel season. Utilizing this information, ITC formulated an integrated internet marketing
plan that incorporated the attributes of general Cost Per Thousand (CPM), Pay For Click (CPC) and
Consumer Lead Generation (CPL) based on predetermined travel interest silos. The program generated
enough interest and actual bookings for the state that these strategies have been employed for low or
shoulder season marketing initiatives. The campaign created a great deal of business for the state’s
hospitality segments on a short term basis.
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ITC’s Marketing Philosophy and Technical Empowerment
Our diverse and award-winning creative team is made up of creative directors, art directors, web
designers, account managers, and writers from a variety of professional and style backgrounds. This
allows us to provide assorted options and assign the right team for the right project. In addition, our
production team is well versed in the latest technology, and is able to fuse traditional and new forms
resulting in designs that are outstanding.
Our services include:
Management
• Strategic Planning and Consultancy
• Tactical Campaigns
• Marketing Program Design and Development
• Branding
• Market Intelligence: Custom Competitive Research, Industry Research, Focus Groups
• Public Relations
• List Marketing and Acquisition
• Database Development and Mining
• Media Research, Planning and Placement
• TV Radio and Outdoor Management
• Direct Mail/Direct Response Marketing
Creative Services
• Corporate Identity Programs
• Graphic Design
• Trade Show Promotional Materials
• Collateral Production – Brochures, catalogues
• Print Sourcing and management
• CD-ROM production
• Print, Video and Broadcast Production
• Interactive/Multimedia Presentations
• Point of Purchase
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ITC’s Marketing Philosophy and Technical Empowerment (cont.)
Internet solutions
• Web Site Development
• Interactive Promotions and Marketing
• Online Branding
• Search Engine Optimization
• Online Advertising/Communications
• E-marketing
• Usability Studies
• Streaming video content
Collaborative Partnerships
• Strategic Alliances with major firms in all the main sectors of the Travel & Tourism Industry on a
destination focused basis.
• Agency and marketing co-operation with major print and online publications focused on
promotions that target profiled consumers.
• Freestanding relationships with all the major travel trade print and online promotion platforms.
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ITC’s Public Relations Strategy for Egypt
Our Expertise and Background
With thirty years of tourism experience in the USA, including ten years as Communications Director for
VisitBritain, our ITC Public Relations Team Leader, Robert Titley, has built and nurtured a wealth of
connections and personal contacts within the travel trade media and travel consumer media and has
acquired a wealth of marketing and public relations expertise in this marketplace in destination tourism
and marketing.
Since becoming a part of the ITC marketing and PR team in 2004 Robert has collaborated with
destination clients as diverse as The Greenbrier Hotel, Tourism Ireland, England’s North Country, and
the cities of Glasgow and Liverpool. Other clients include Cheapflights.com and Contribute Magazine.
Robert Titley is an active and well-respected member of The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
and The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). These professional organizations are ideal outlets
for communicating Egypt’s unique story angles.
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Media Plan Elements
Media Relations:
Public Relations is a proactive, ongoing process of establishing and maintaining relationships with
appropriate media. After 13 continuous years of successfully dealing with the travel media – initially as
communications director at VisitBritain and now with International Travel Communications – Robert
Titley enjoys exceptional access to and credibility with the very segment of A-list editors and journalists
that Egypt should be focused on. The following elements would build a meaningful PR campaign.
•Distribute press releases to targeted media on a regular basis. Media targets would be agreed in
advance. ITC has its own database but would also utilize Cision (formerly Bacons) to distribute
these releases. Some wire services could also be included.
•Create an on line Media Room for Egyptian Tourist Office. This would hold releases and basic
information about the country that is always accessible to journalists. Regular news updates would
encourage media to ‘bookmark’ and return to the site regularly.
•Organize press trips in late 2007, early 2008, for visits in Spring 2008. Numbers/logistics would
need discussion.
•Schedule small, regional press breakfasts/lunches in early 2008 to establish connections to key
media in key cities. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco should be initial targets.
These can be destination and / or product focused.
•Develop a bid to host the 2010 SATW Convention in Egypt. The bid would have to be submitted
in Spring 2008. Robert Titley is uniquely qualified to assist in creating a winning bid and – if Egypt
is selected – to shepherd Egypt through the 2-year process leading up to the Convention: He was
instrumental in bidding for, and winning, the 2007 SATW Annual Convention for Manchester,
England. SATW is the premiere travel writers’ organization, with over 1200 North American
members: top editors, travel journalists and PR professionals.
•Negotiate for and develop a series of Egyptian cultural events at the prestigious Smithsonian
Institution in Washington, DC. Robert Titley has the contacts necessary to open discussions and
interest Smithsonian in developing a program of public events, having done so for Wales and
Ireland. The Smithsonian’s audience is a highly educated, exceptionally discerning group of
perennial students who become actively engaged at these events. Straw poles at the conclusion of
Wales and Ireland events in 2005 indicated that the content had influenced attendees’ travel plans.
The events could be performances, seminars, and lectures that showcase what Egypt has to offer.
These events will have to be underwritten by the Egyptian Tourist Authority, but this is an ideal
audience for Egypt.
Monitoring of activity:
•Burrelles/Luce would be the vehicle to monitor results of activity.
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Media Plan Elements (cont.)
Support Expected From The Egyptian Tourist Authority:
•Supply of relevant information/themes, updated on a regular basis to create newsworthy
press releases
•Creation of itineraries for Press Trips
•Assistance from IT staff for creation and implementation and maintenance of on line media room
•Support and contacts for key airline, hotel, etc partners to assist with Press Trips in order to secure
media rates
•Access to key personnel suggested for media breakfasts/lunches
Fee:
•A monthly fee of $10,000 would be required in order to achieve the ideas suggested.
•This fee would not include such expenses as travel, mailing, monitoring, press release distribution,
telephone, fax, costs related to events and Press Trips.
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Conclusion
Through this proposal we have tried to build a compelling, measurable and cost-effective program that
will promote Egypt to the American travel editors and writers who are the most qualified to write about
and promote Egypt. Our concepts are flexible and allow for adjustments throughout the campaign based
on response. Our vision and philosophy always keep the goals and objectives of the client in mind.
ITC is uniquely qualified to work with the Egyptian Tourist Authority through our expertise in promoting
destinations, individual locales worldwide and all segments of the travel and tourism industry. We
understand the dynamics of the American interest in traveling abroad. We know how to build programs
that are cost effective, multi-channeled and results oriented. We have experience forging business
relationships in the travel and tourism industry that benefit our clients’ programs. We understand what
it takes to motivate people to take a trip, choose a destination or select a specific travel product because
travel is not only our profession, IT IS OUR PASSION…