The internet has drastically changed the way consumers make their travel decisions. Recently, the European Travel Commission redeveloped their travel advertising website, which links the various National Tourism Organizations of Europe. In order to meet their goal of promoting Europe in its entirety, the ETC incorporated new developments in online technologies and social networking. This “social media for tourism” redevelopment has ultimately led to heightened accessibility and visibility for Europe, for both established and lesser-known regions.
With the new campaign in place, European businesses are quickly realizing the need to synchronize their travel advertising, such as hotel online marketing, with the latest social media trends. Most feel that social media has a positive impact on customer engagement, brand awareness and sales, but they are still unsure about how to take full advantage of new technology. They’re unsure of how to manage multiple platforms and whether to run their campaign in a centralized or decentralized way, how to create content that inspires customers and how to create relevant material that’s within the confines of their budget.
Out of the estimated 475,069,448 internet users in Europe, over half will make the most of their precious holiday time by using online resources to plan budget-friendly holidays. Visitors to travel websites want social media and user-generated content, with 38% of users preferring recommendations and advice from other users when booking a holiday online. The most popular travel website, TripAdvisor, has 34 million unique monthly visitors, surpassing Expedia by over 2 million visits. Facebook has over 500 million active users and Twitter has 175 million registered users. When is comes to successful online travel resources, about 60% of Europeans count “trust” as the most important aspect, ahead of friendliness, simplicity, professionalism and informative-over 90% of users trust personal recommendations more than any other form.
Europe’s biggest travel advertising trend is mobile social media for tourism. Currently, 34% of Europeans use Smartphones to access travel information, but that number is forecast to jump to 50% by 2015. This increased usage of Smartphones also extends to travelers of all ages and across all continents, making it a huge opportunity for tourism companies to creatively and affordably reach target audiences. Best of all, travelers also don’t mind accepting advertising in exchange for free use of travel applications.
The social-mindedness of Europeans is increasing daily. Hotel online marketing and online travel advertising are not only important for successfully promoting tourism destinations, they’re also necessary.
Social media for travel is becoming an essential element in the European travel industry. To keep up with the expanding need for customer engagement and brand awareness, travel operators are turning to methods such as online travel advertising and hotel online marketing. This article touches on the trends, statistics and problems associated with social travel marketing in Europe.