Exploring digital marketing strategies to increase tourism figures |20 March 2018

How successfully and effectively are global tourism destinations developing digital marketing strategies to stay relevant and sustainable?

This and other issues related to doing marketing online are being explored over three days by representatives from a dozen tourism boards in Africa meeting here.

The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has this year partnered with TripAdvisor to organise the first TripAdvisor Data Africa workshop taking place at Eden Bleu.

The main facilitator of the training is Damian Cook, founder and managing director of E-Tourism Frontiers, a global programme that develops online tourism in emerging markets.

Mr Cook has experience working in the fields of tourism, media and marketing and he established E-Tourism Africa which works across the continent training and making easier business for the sector.

Two representatives from TripAdvisor and two from E-Tourism Frontiers are also here to share their experience and impart their knowledge.

It is to be noted that this training is held in a different country on the continent every year to which all tourism boards are invited to keep abreast of the latest developments in digital marketing trends around the globe, among other related issues.

Vahid Jacob, the STB  director of Digital Marketing, said it is all about doing marketing online, how this evolves, its impact on tourism, the role of social media, how to increase tourism figures through marketing online, key digital trends influencing tourism travel... 

“For the STB it would be a great opportunity to learn what other tourism boards are doing and to learn a lot from them while at the same time we too can share our experience. It will be exciting to know how they are increasing their tourism figures through digital marketing,”  Mr Jacob remarked.

He noted that as more and more people are turning to the internet to do their travel bookings and find relevant information about the different destinations and products -- something which is easy, convenient and fast, it is therefore  timely for tourism boards to look more closely at and invest in digital marketing which is more and more taking over,” he said.

“Trip Advisor being the biggest review site in the word, to be associated with it and taking part in a workshop it is organising will also boost Seychelles’ position and image on the map,” Mr Jacob stressed.

In remarks to launch the three-day discussion and education session, the chief executive of the STB, Sherin Francis, noted that digital marketing  is the buzz word today in all sectors be it tourism or other.

“If you are not present there, you are missing out on so many great opportunities and may even become obsolete,” she pointed out.

She noted that most people who travel nowadays at some point refer to the internet for information be it to book their entire trip or just to look up for information on their holiday destination.

“If we want to remain in business, we do not have much choice but to jump on the bandwagon,” Mrs Francis added.

The STB’s digital marketing initiative started in 2013 when it set up its digital and marketing department.

On the last day of the training those taking part will see first-hand an example of an integrated adventure (zip lining) available in Seychelles, targeting online communities.