Asia’s travel marketers switch focus | WARC | The Feed

Asia’s travel marketers switch focus

Tourism and international travel is picking up across Asia as borders reopen and COVID testing requirements are lifted – welcome developments for a sector that now has to reassess its marketing approach.

Why it matters

During lockdowns when no one was travelling, tourism brands had little option but to focus their continued marketing efforts on brand-building and other upper-funnel activities. Now that travel is a realistic option once again, they need to switch attention to lower-funnel activity to capitalise on what they can expect to be a lot of pent-up demand. 

The industry is stirring

• Tourism bodies across the region are ramping up their promotional efforts, Campaign Asia reports – an important step in giving confidence to travel brands and operators.
• Travel ministers from ASEAN countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Brunei, have pledged to work together to rebuild air travel in the region post-COVID.
• Japan has announced it will trial package tours of foreign tourists to see how well travel agencies can “manage behaviour”, the Straits Times reports.

Tourists have changed

Returning tourists are likely to have a subtly changed outlook – still conscious of things like hygiene but also more conscious of issues around sustainability. Travel brands will need to find a balance between safety and inspiration.

Tone is important 

“Tourists want to feel welcome at these places and not be reminded of the difficulties of the past two years. They want campaigns that are optimistic and upbeat” Anish Daryani, president of M&C Saatchi Indonesia. 

Sourced from Campaign Asia, Straits Times [Image: Getty]