TravTalk India Online Magazine
Striking a balance between traditional promotional strategies and digital media, winners from India Travel Awards and India MiCE Awards share views on the use of social media as an effective means of promotion.
TT Bureau
Best MiCE Organiser — Mach Conferences
Laveena Bhatia, Director, Mach Conferences & Events believes that social media has grown in functionality and has changed the way brands interact with their target audience. “Along with having a website, we are expanding our online outreach to social media platforms. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Companies that are not active on social media handles risk, thereby missing out on numerous marketing opportunities. The user-generated content has become a popular source of inspiration for modern travellers. Due to the authenticity of user-generated or earned content, there has been a transformation in not only the travel buying process but also in the post travel exposure,” says Bhatia.
Best Organiser of Incentive Programmes- International — Ambassador Express Holidays
According to Saurabh Mahajan, Director, Ambassador Express Holidays, Facebook and Instagram are the most important mediums to showcase a brand effectively. “We use these platforms to distribute information and attract the attention of potential clients interested in those products. This has helped us increase the new customer base by 15 per cent YOY. Today, a lot of tourism boards and hotels are attracting people to offbeat destinations without having their representatives in the Indian market. Social media allows travellers to virtually experience destinations prior to actually visiting them,” he shares.
Fastest Growing MiCE Travel Agency — SKIL
Using social media platforms to showcase client testimonials and services provided, Trishal Rao, CEO, SKIL opines that visual content reaches and connects the best with people through social media and helps the company get new clients. He mentions, “A lot of newer generation companies have more online presence and we believe in leaving a strong online footprint. Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help us get in touch with a larger audience that we would otherwise not be able to reach out to. Right from the younger generation planning for a camping trip to the older generation looking for a leisure trip, they all remember what they see in pictures on social platforms. It has become a very important part of planning a trip.”
Best Travel Agency — Nextourism
Saurabh Sanghavi, Director, Nextourism feels that social media today is the fastest medium of promotion. “Technology has made things more transparent. Today, anyone can access social media, anytime, anywhere, rather than traditionally going and meeting a travel consultant during initial inquiries. We are aggressively using all the means of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and LinkedIn. People are very conveniently getting to know about our current offers and it is also helping us in showcasing our services. We also post our best offers on social media platforms, which is giving us better results.”
