What Should You Look for In a Travel Marketing Consultant

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With the travel pauses caused by COVID coming to an end and people gearing up to let their pent-up wanderlust explode, you are thinking of new ways to secure some of that business and help your travel brand grow. One great avenue for doing that is hiring a travel marketing consultant, but since that isn’t something you’ve done before, you don’t know where to start. What are the indicators of a great travel marketing consultant? What can they do for you? How can you prepare yourself to deal with one? This blog will answer these questions and more. Here’s everything you need to know about working with a travel marketing consultant.

What Does a Travel Marketing Consultant Do?

Not to be confused with a travel consultant, a travel marketing consultant is a type of travel consultant that focuses on aiding travel companies with their marketing. Whereas some travel consultants concentrate on assisting consumers in making travel decisions, travel marketing consultants work on a business-to-business (B2B) basis and help travel companies acquire more customers, build their brand, and reach the right market segments.

What is Marketing in the Travel Industry

Travel marketing is a collection of strategies and tactics used by businesses in the travel industry. It encompasses any research, promotion, or communication efforts a hotel, resort, airline (or any travel-related entity) uses to achieve its business goals.

Whenever marketing is mentioned, what usually comes to mind is the end step of reaching and acquiring new customers. However, what’s seldom discussed is the branding and research elements that happen behind the scenes which are especially vital in the travel industry.

What Degree Do You Need To Be A Travel Marketing Consultant?

Not all travel consultants have a tourism-related degree, but ones that do would have usually studied things related to tourism and hospitality management, marketing, communications and media. But essentially, those with travel marketing experience become travel consultants; the degree they carry doesn’t carry that much weight in the world of travel.

What Should You Look For in A Travel Marketing Consultant?

  • A well travelled individual.
  • A consultant that sets clear and measurable goals.
  • A consultant with a solid portfolio of known brands.
  • A well-connected individual.
  • A preference for an individual with experience working in your niche.

Choose A Well Traveleld Consultant

A consultant that can back up their strategies with theories and academic grit is excellent, but nothing beats the cold hard experience and insight that a seasoned traveller provides. They are familiar with standard travel procedures and behaviours and see things from a customer’s point of view. Furthermore, it just happens to be a fact that travel marketing consultants usually began their journey into the world of consulting as travel bloggers. So by definition, they would have travelled a good amount before reaching the position they’re at now.

Choose A Consultant Who Will Provide Clear Measurable Targets

Once again, it’s one thing to theorize and have a plan on paper, and it’s absolutely another to execute those plans and manifest actual tangible results. Select a travel marketing consultant who will provide you with clear KPIs and a timeframe through which they aim to achieve those indicators.

Closely Examine the Consultants Portfolio

One way to ensure that you’re dealing with a travel marketing consultant who will produce actual results is by choosing someone who has worked with influential brands and ones that are similar to yours. Don’t be fooled by portfolios that simply display logos of famous brands without details of what was completed. It is possible that the consultant you are dealing with simply completed a minuscule task for that brand and nothing more. Make sure you always ask for details.

Choose A Well Connected Individual

More often than not, travel marketing is about relationships. The saying “your network is your net worth” is very much a reality in the travel industry. So make sure you contract someone who has a comprehensive network through which they can make the needle move for you through.

Make Sure Your Travel Consultant Has Experience in Your Niche

Some travel marketing consultants may be well versed in the wellness tourism world and know the wellness tourist like the back of their hand. But if your brand revolves around family trips, then that travel consultant may not be the best fit for you. It is also worth noting that most successful travel marketers focus on one niche.

Choose A Travel Marketing Consultancy Instead of an Individual

Instead of opting for a single individual who can only do so much, relying on an organization or consultancy will yield many benefits. Aside from having the cumulative experience of all the professionals in the consultancy and the many hands to produce way more impact for you, choosing a travel marketing consultancy with all of the above-mentioned characteristics is a guaranteed way of ensuring the marketing success of your travel brand. Furthermore, your continued success won’t depend on the flaws, fluctuations, and sometimes the unavailability of a single person.

With organizations come brand names, and often times a whole network or allegiance to back them. For example, Gulf Reps belongs to the International Tourism Consultancy Network (ITCN). This is a unique alliance of the worlds leading travel marketing, PR, and travel representation companies who share the single goal of delivering stellar cross-border travel marketing campaigns. The collective is currently spread over 19 countries and can reach over 3 billion people worldwide.

A famous African proverb states: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In the tourism industry, that couldn’t be more true.

Gulf Reps

Gulf Reps is the leading travel and tourism representation company in the Middle East, with over 60 years of regional and industry experience. Specializing in directing the Arab traveler segment to your region or destination, we have served clients on six continents, delivering transformative results to everyone from hoteliers to tourism boards. 

Our mix of world-class marketing expertise, PR specialists, unparalleled connections and relationships, plus our eclectic mix of marketing channels makes working with Gulf Reps the only sure way to drive Middle Eastern tourists to your destination.

To find out more about our services, you can call us at +971 (0)4 703 6333 or write to us at sammy@gulfreps.com

What is the Best Time to Visit Hong Kong?

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Without a doubt, the best time to visit Hong Kong is during the autumn season or the early winter season. To understand why these are the best times to visit “the other side of China”, we must first come to grasp with how Hong Kong is on an average day outside these seasons. After that, we’ll delve into the attractions and events visitors can participate in during these two best seasons.

What is the Best Time To Visit Hong Kong?

Hong Kong in the Summer

Hong Kong has a subtropical climate, which means it is hot and humid. On average, temperatures in summer can reach 30 degrees Celsius. Visitors will find themselves sweating when their out and about at noon. But luckily, all venues and modes of transport are fitted with ACs to keep the population cool. People may favour going outdoors after the hottest hour of noon because of how intense the heat can be. But then again, Hong Kong’s worst temperatures are far more forgiving than many of the world’s heat hotspots which are all but barren of people come noon. Hong Kong is different, however. The streets are still very much enveloped in life, and people are moving about during noon.

What is Hong Kongs Hottest Season?

Summer is the hottest season in Hong Kong, particularly the month of July when the temperature can reach 30 degrees celsius.

Hong Kong in the Spring

Temperatures in the spring can range from 17 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees. Those hoping to get a decent amount of warm sun will enjoy Hong Kong during this season. Spring in Hong Kong is not as humid as summer and, therefore, way more comfortable. It rains every now and then, and morning mist can be experienced as the weather oscillates between a summer and winter climate. Many events, festivals, and fairs take place during this season, and visitors will be rewarded with a long list of outdoor activities to choose from.

It is worth noting, however, that spring is the peak tourist season; therefore, price hikes are typical, and congestion could also be a concern.

The Best Time to Visit Hong Kong is in Autumn

From October to November, the temperatures in Hong Kong range from 19 to 28 degrees Celsius. The humidity subsides during this season, making it a highly favourable time to be out and about during the day. However, visitors can expect to wear a light hoody at night as things get a little chilly.

Things to Do in Hong Kong in the Autumn

Visit the Victoria Harbour: Originally a transport hub for citizens to escape the congestion of the city roads, the Victoria Harbour is now an illustrious tourist attraction where visitors can enjoy the Hong Kong skyline from ferries or more luxurious boat options. The view from the harbours waters at night is especially bewitching.

Visit the enchanting islands of Lantau, Lamma Cheung Chau: All a short ferry ride away from the Hong Kong Mainland, visitors can enjoy pristine beaches, delicious seaside restaurants, and hikes in the breathtaking greenery and natural beauty of these islands.

The Second Best Time To Visit Hong Kong is in the Winter

Hong Kong can become very cold from December to March, and sudden temperature drops are not unheard of. However, with temperatures that generally swivel between 14 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees, Hong Kong’s winter is very tolerable, with extremes only occurring at below 10 degrees.

<h4> Things to do in Hong Kong in Winter

As many sales and great shopping deals happen during winter, it is an excellent season for mall hopping and visiting the famous Hong Kong outdoor markets. A name that is seldom mentioned when it comes to East Asian outdoor markets is the Fuk Wah Market, where visitors will find everything from apparel and electronics. No price discrimination occurs in this particular market as everything has a price tag attached to it, and tourists can rest assured that they are being charged the same prices the locals are charged.

One of the most crucial tourist events of Hong Kong every year is the Chinese New Year celebrations that take the entire area by storm, with parades and fireworks that light up the Hong Kong night sky. 

The New Years celebration is a unique mix of ancient culture and modern influences. Its main course is the parade that serenades the streets of Sim Sha Tsui near Victoria Harbour. This famous event is an explosion of colour where onlookers will see Chinese-styled dragons dancing in the streets in unison with dancers and bands playing along to the same beat. The parade goes through famous landmarks across Hong Kong, including Kowloon Park, the Golden Mile of Nathan Road, and the Avenue of Stars.

One more place that doesn’t need much of an introduction or a description is Disney Land Hong Kong. Being an amusement park, the Winter time is the best time to enjoy this edition of Disney World in all its glory.

What is the Difference Between Beijing and Hong Kong?

Although they are one country, the two cities answer to different dictates of law, have different dialects, and even different currencies. 

Visitors to Hong Kong will find jaw-dropping currencies that can serve as a souvenir in of themselves and will make excellent editions to those with currency collections. Everything in Hong Kong is full of innovation, from colourful and see-through paper bills to extraordinarily thick coins and even flower-shaped ones. 

Furthermore, the slogan “One country, two systems” is often used to describe the difference between Hong Kong and the rest of China because of these stark differences. 

Lastly, it can be said that Hong Kong embodies a lot of Western influence while the rest of China is the opposite.

To find out more about the adventure that awaits you in Hong Kong, visit the Discover Hong Kong website.

Gulf Reps

At Gulf Reps we understand the importance of delivering marketing solutions to different traveller types. Starting with market research and ending with execution and reporting, we build campaigns that make an impact. Gulf Reps is the leading travel and tourism representation company in the Middle East, with over 60 years of regional and industry experience. We have served clients on six continents, delivering transformative results to everyone from hoteliers to tourism boards. Our mix of world-class marketing expertise, PR specialists, unparalleled connections and relationships, and an eclectic mix of marketing channels makes working with Gulf Reps the only sure way to drive Middle Eastern tourists to your destination.

To find out more about our services, you can call us at +971 (0)4 703 6333 or write to us at sammy@gulfreps.com