Top 3 Takeaways from the 2021 New York State Tourism Conference

Recently I attended the 2021 New York State Tourism Conference put on by NYSTIA (New York Tourism Industry Association). Held over three mornings, the virtual conference was packed with helpful presentations and tips. Though I couldn’t possibly summarize the wealth of insights shared throughout the conference, a few themes stood out for me.

They are:

1. The importance of authentic relationships (and partnerships)
2. The necessity of planning in good storytelling
3. The value of data

We all know the landscape has changed dramatically over the last year. Consumers have changed, how they use social has changed, and the media we rely on to publicize our sites and destinations have changed. However, those three themes resonated across all conversations, whether the presentation was about public relations, social media, international travel, disability awareness, and inclusion, or creative design and content development.

Authentic Relationships

What do I mean by authentic relationships? It means taking the time to understand the person at the other end of the conversation – whether it is a journalist inundated with emails, the prospective visitor you are trying to entice on social media, the international visitor considering coming back to the US, or the person with a disability who is interested in exploring your location. Be respectful of people’s time, needs, and interests. Target your pitches, messaging, social ads, and creative.

Build partnerships. Train media to see you as a reliable, reputable resource within a specific area or industry by being respectful, thorough, and knowledgeable. Be creative with local partners within your drive radius. Remember, travelers don’t see county or even state lines. They’re looking for experiences and they want to travel. Who can you partner with that shares the same audiences with you? Think outside your usual box and consider local and regional partners – within NYS, or even with other adjoining states – that international and national visitors find attractive and want to visit. Leverage your up funnel DMO partners, Trade Partners & OTAs, airlines, hotel and attraction partners, your locals, and your nearby destinations.

Planning Means You Are Prepared

Good planning is absolutely essential for successful storytelling. It means having your 30-second pitch and press kit ready, staying on top of trends, and having a strategy behind your social media efforts. When it comes to social and digital marketing, first define your goals, your audience, and how you will track success. ROI – Return on Objectives – tracks measurable metrics like sales. ROO – Return on Objectives – allows you to prove marketing impact when it’s not possible or feasible to tie marketing activity directly to sales. Common marketing objectives include increasing factors like awareness, brand preference, social discussion, and purchase intent.

Data Drives It All

We’ve always been a stickler for research and knowledge-based strategy here at BBG&G, and the availability of good data makes it easier and more important than ever.

Use data to understand which writers and editors typically cover your industry and topics, and who the right person is within the Newsroom.

Use your website and social analytics to understand which ads, content, headlines, color palettes, and images perform the best; how people consume content on your site, what interests them most, and how they move around your site. If your CTR is low or Relevance Score and Frequency lackluster – time to adjust your creative. Watch your CPM – it should stay below $30.

Additional destination data that pinpoints your visitors, shows where they are coming from, and what they are interested in can help you formulate your strategy, creative, and partnerships.

• 70% plan to travel with the same or greater frequency as pre-Covid
• 81% of travelers hope to travel within the next 6 months
• 52% of hopeful travelers have already committed (booked hotel/flight)

With good planning, partnerships, and sound data as the foundation, it’s time to market!

By Debbe, President & CEO | April 28, 2021