Stunning views of the snow-capped Southern Alps near Cass from the TranzAlpine service by Great Journeys New Zealand
the new product garnered a wide variety of press coverage in outlets ranging from National Geographic to PETA . org . To no surprise , the tours sold out and continue to earn both Edelman and the tour operator revenue and accolades . “ It ’ s the gift that keeps on giving ,” said Becca Fritz , Alluring Africa ’ s marketing manager .
Pitch to the Media Journalists are always looking for credible sources to include in their coverage , and you can be one of them . Kaleigh Kirkpatrick , founder of The Shameless Tourist , finds Cision ’ s website HelpAReporter . com to be an invaluable tool . She used the feature to share recommendations for Rome that ended up being included in a recent CNBC article . She also uses it locally , sometimes waiving her travel planning fees in exchange for promotion from area influencers and celebrities . She feels that it ’ s a valuable barter : She ’ s seen an increase in followers , inquiries and credibility as a result .
Troy Petenbrink of The Gay Traveler became his local television station ’ s go-to travel expert after reaching out to the producer directly ; they now invite him onto segments regularly . “ The most important thing is to pitch something that is timely and fits the style of the station ,” he advised . “ Say a report comes out about rising prices ; a travel advisor would be the perfect person to explain how viewers can still find deals .”
Get Your Work Published If you have a knack for storytelling , this is a way to shine . Jude Vargas , founder of Art of Voyage , writes regularly about sustainable travel for the digital publication A Hotel Life . While she appreciates the exposure boost she sees in her travel design business , she ’ s personally more focused on the benefit of being able to promote positive change in the hospitality industry .
“ It gives our clients a little insight into our thoughts and values ,” she said . “ I believe if we are in a position to be a positive influence on others , we should be doing so .”
Use the Travel Industry ’ s Reach We are an industry that loves to support each other , and one mutually beneficial way to get eyes on your business is to contribute to an industry blog . Networking organization Millennials in Travel is always soliciting guest posts for their blog about hotels , FAM trips and more , which reaches an audience of about 6,000 travel professionals nationwide .
“ It is more important now than ever for travel advisors to differentiate themselves from others in the industry ,” said MIT ’ s Director of Operations , Monika Weinsoft . “ We offer ample opportunities for advisors to showcase their industry knowledge and expertise .”
“ Travel stories inspire wanderlust . They ’ re the first step toward a booking — the catalyst for a traveler to think , ‘ I want to go there .’ Creating content and sharing assets is a great way to put yourself out there as an advisor .”
If you are a member of a larger host agency , other opportunities might be available , too . Fora Travel publishes travel guides written by their advisors to destinations around the world and optimizes them for SEO so they hit high rankings on Google .
“ Travel stories inspire wanderlust . They ’ re the first step toward a booking — the catalyst for a traveler to think , ‘ I want to go there ,’” said Fora ’ s Head of Marketing , Kelley Louise . “ Creating content and sharing assets is a great way to put yourself out there as an advisor and tell the world about your travel advisor business .”
Leverage Social Media Cassandra Santoro , founder and CEO of Travel Italian Style , loves sharing her adventures around Italy with her 25.2k Instagram followers . Her posts , which inspire wanderlust as well as showcase her local knowledge , receive hundreds to thousands of likes and comments . “ I always make it a point to respond to every message and comment I receive ,” said Santoro . “ I also share my personal journey and stories often . With this I can prove my dedication , kindness and care for Italy and those who interact with the company even before they become clients . That has been the key to my agency ’ s success .”
You don ’ t need to be an influencer to earn business from social media , though . It ’ s easy to establish a small but loyal audience on Instagram and other social media platforms , especially when you have a niche . Remember to tag every hotel , destination and business you share photos of , as well as use relevant hashtags so that content will be seen not just by followers , but by anyone researching the destination .
Hire a Publicist Where would travel advisors be without good PR ? Promoting yourself can be a full-time job , so if you have the resources to do so , consider hiring a seasoned publicist to take some of the load off your plate and guarantee stronger results . Jessica Parker , founder of Trip Whisperer and a career travel publicist , has helped upward of 100 advisors secure media placements over the years by way of reviewing quotes , preparing them for broadcast segments , writing bios , creating press kits and more .
Joshua Bush , CEO of Avenue Two Travel , hired a publicist to represent his business and team of advisors to ensure that potential travelers truly understood the importance of the work that they do . “ Travel has become extremely complex , wrought with pitfalls for the unassuming consumer ,” said Bush . “ By showcasing what we do through PR , these customers have belief , trust and insight that travel advisors are just as valuable as a financial advisor , estate planner or even medical professional .”
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