Writing for Travel Pulse, Janeen Christoff cited research that shows a rapidly increasing number of travelers that take sustainability and environmental efforts into consideration when making arrangements. If you want to collect more of this growing audience, partner with an ecotourism public relations team to plan a media day.
Traveling is a visual, visceral experience, and words alone can rarely convey the sights, sounds and takeaways from a successful adventure. Because of this, journalists covering the best destinations around the world need to experience the lodging and attractions for themselves to accurately report their findings to their audiences – your next guests. One great way to attract more visitors is to invest a little up front in hosting journalists on your dime, and at Orange Orchard, we know that the coordination can be challenging if you go it alone.
It all begins with media relations
There are numerous PR firms to choose from, but choosing a team that specializes in ecotourism public relations is critical for both initial and long-term success.
Planning to host one or more travel journalists should begin with a well-executed media outreach effort. Any agency that can demonstrate results in pitching and garnering earned media placement can get the ball rolling. However, one that also has direct experience with sustainable travel destinations and organizations will select the best targets and most accurately relay your key messages.
Once a number of journalists are interested in attending, timely coordination is key. Making it easy for the writers to commit is important for delivering a 5-star experience, and a smooth start can influence a positive story. Once the media day is finalized, your PR team should work with you to plan an effective strategy for sharing the great stories written about your destination.
Don’t try to plan a media day alone. Contact Orange Orchard today at (865) 977-1973 to learn how adding ecotourism public relations to your marketing plan can help make it a success.