Tourism marketing: the new frontiers of industry communication and emerging players
Tourism can be considered the most important industry in the world in terms of turnover, employment, and development prospects. In Italy, the industry and its allied industries account for a large portion of the national GDP, resulting in jobs.
The Bel Paese, after all, is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of environmental and cultural heritage: it is a sought-after destination for its historical artistic heritage and landscape that allows you to alternate between the sea, mountains and art cities. The gastronomic offerings, climate, and wide range of offerings in many regions. In fact, it is one of the big players in the international tourism market.
And marketing has entered the tourism industry more and more insistently, even with related events and fairs, precisely because of this importance of marketing in the economic system, given the need of businesses to fill their accommodation capacity and the need of travel agencies to continuously place new products.
In the past two years, however, traditional travel agencies and tour operators operating in the market have found new frontiers for tourism marketing to rely on and be able to invest in. On the one hand, social networks (with influencers from Instagram and TikTok), and on the other hand, some startups, which have focused on how to make the most of this resource.
The travel business is the one that has suffered the worst setbacks from periods of crisis in recent years. If, in fact, the trend to contract the average length of vacation time has been going on for some time now, the pandemic has forced entrepreneurs to find new ways to reinvent themselves.
Many, indeed, have been small and medium-sized businesses, but also influencers, who have invested in “alternative” tourism projects. More sustainable, then, promoting a free and conscious way of traveling to places that are still little known.
A new approach to tourism: Magna Sicilia
In this area, the startup promoter of slow tourism stands out, Magna Sicilia.
Magna Sicilia is a slow tourism network, founded during the 2020 lockdown by three young Sicilian friends with multiple international experiences, with a mission to make visitors to the island experience real Sicilians and not just vacation in an anonymous luxury resort.
The startup’s goal is to increase and spread environmentally, culturally and traditionally conscious tourism (as opposed, therefore, to mass tourism) throughout Sicily. Even in rural and less traveled or known areas. What you want to offer guests, tourists, is a tailored authentic Sicilian experience with a broad 360-degree look (from nature, art, history, food, and architecture).
The network had the opportunity to participate in an event on digital marketing applied to tourism, organized by Marketers Club in Venice, where the group’s co-founder, Federica Spatola, described what it means to be part of the Magna Sicilia family.
In addition, he presented his value proposition at the format Idea Booster Lab, a series of six meetings conceived and promoted by the Bocconi University of Milan, where it was possible to engage with colleagues and fellow travelers.
Still, at the end of July the community took part in the event “Beach&Love 2022: Taste of Brand,” a format on tourism marketing organized by &Love and CreationDose in Catania, which not only provided an opportunity to hear what the latest trends are in tourism and digital marketing, but also included networking moments with the various speakers at the speeches.
Attending meetings and events is a constant stimulus and a clear opportunity to constantly update and improve. Indeed, the goal remains to create an increasingly rich value network of multiple realities with which to Magna Sicilia can share the values of authenticity.
Because while the whole world is running faster and faster, the future is moving in the direction of being slower, on certain areas, to recover one’s well-being and fully enjoy experiences.
by Francesco Cataldo