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13 July, 2021

“Do not for one second obsess about perfection”: Catriona Rowntree’s top travel marketing tips

Getaway host Catriona Rowntree has urged more tourism operators to embrace the power of social media as an effective marketing channel.

Speaking at Travel DAZE 2021 yesterday, “Australia’s Most Travelled Woman” said she has recently witnessed a number of local operators harnessing social media to showcase their authenticity and point of difference.

“My advice, certainly in this particular market, is get an eight-year-old like I did to help you get your Instagram going,” Rowntree told attendees.

“Do not for one moment think that you need to spend a lot of money to make the most of what you currently have, and that’s a point I really want to get across today.

“You do not have to spend a fortune on your website. What you really want to embrace is the here and now, and get that authentic message across, because that’s what I’m seeing travellers adoring – the authenticity, the relatability.

“And never more so have I seen service be front and centre, and that is your winning formula – really harnessing your level of service. That will keep people coming back, and that is what will get the mums going back to their group of friends and saying, ‘oh my gosh, you have to here, and when you do, here are the five things that you need to do’.”

Joining Rowntree for her speaking session at Travel DAZE was Tourism Australia’s chief marketing officer, Susan Coghill, who echoed the Getaway host’s marketing advice for tourism operators.

“When you talk about social media and the presence that you can create, and the stories that you can tell through that, and then you can demonstrate your service, you can showcase your people, which brings again a little bit more of that authenticity and genuineness through your storytelling about your experience as well,” Coghill said.

Rowntree also encouraged tourism operators to “look at the people you are dealing with and look for those personal stories, bring them to the fore [and] connect with their socials as well”.

“Really work on the relationships that you have with the people that you’re currently working with and how you can maximise that. You get your phone, you start taking photos, you look for those points of difference.

“And do not for one second obsess about perfection, because people don’t care about perfection – people care about authenticity and points of difference.”

Both Rowntree and Coghill talked about the growing demand for Indigenous tourism and the importance of sustainable tourism during their session, as well as sharing plenty of valuable insights into travelling in a COVID world.

You can watch Rowntree and Coghill’s Travel DAZE session in full, on demand HERE.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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