Inspired by the recent “36 Hours Copenhagen” in the global edition of the New York Times, I was reminded how important it is for hospitality PR to broaden its efforts to include destination marketing.
While practicing PR for a hotel, resort, spa, or a small B&B, from traditional media relations to tweeting messages, there is not much you can do without casting a wider net to provide spotlight on the destination. For instance, the Hotel Heritageis a 24-room four star hotel in Bruges. As a PR person, I have to raise awareness about the destination itself through strategic tactics, and also partnering on efforts with the local tourism offices. Doing PR just focused on the hotel isn’t enough or effective. Otherwise, the media might not know where Bruges is, or that it is the best preserved medieval city in Europe (well… unless you saw the movie In Bruges, of course!)
The point is, so many times I see great hotel packages and renovations announced and other quirky angles, yet little effort in generating awareness about the destination the hotel is in! A good travel PR person knows that the first responsibility is to generate sharp angles for a property that lend themselves to providing exposure to the destination as a whole. While often complex, that communications strategy nearly never misses, and you will be adding PR value not only to your property, but travel value to the location it is in.
Tags: cvb, destination marketing, In Bruges, pr tourism, social media PR
There are definitely synergies between destination PR for the general travel destination and the specific property you are promoting. I really enjoy the “36 hours in …” articles, as they provide a lot of new ideas for places to visit.