Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

How Do You Promote A Free Travel Guide?

Posted by Anonymous on 4/29/2008 at 4:40 AM ET 500 Points
My company is publishing a new city guide for Nafplio, Greece. It is pocket size, in greek & english, has a folded map at the back, and suggests to visitors of the city, accommodation, restaurants, shops, activities in the city etc.

The feeling for the reader is not that he/she sees advertisements of companies but recommendations of the guide to them. Participants may have payed but they are carefully selected. Photos are good, text is intriguing.

We are going to give it for free:

a. directly to tourists (hand by hand in the busy streets),
b. to tourist information points that get lots of visits (then it can be picked up),
c. to large tourist exhibitions,

but always looking for new ideas. The point is to get the guide in the hands of visitors that are already here, but also before they get here.

The guide has also to reach European and American tourists of Greece, so any ideas will be appreciated.

Please ask me any question if you may need any clarification.

Antonia

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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 4/29/2008 at 8:15 AM Accepted
    OKay, I would give TWO solid ideas you can implement right away:-
    1) Research on internet for travel agencies in Europe and US. Contact them and offer them your travel guides for FREE, to be distributed to their customers coming to your city in Greece. Just get as many big agents yo can get and dispatch your booklets in bulk.Trust me travel agenst are always looking for info guides and they have spend money to buy such guides.

    2) Set up a simple website and allow FREE download of the booklets to people visiting the city. Use Adwords or whatever.

    You have to calculate your ROI in both cases, so I hope you are getting enough referral money from adverts.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/29/2008 at 9:13 AM Accepted
    Produce an online (i.e., Internet) version of the guide so people thinking of visiting will find it sooner.

    Place them in taxicabs and train/bus stations. If you can track individual booklets, you can create an affiliate program, so that the taxicab driver who's referral is used can get paid by your program for someone staying at a recommended lodging or eating at a specific restaurant.
  • Posted by michael on 4/29/2008 at 9:37 AM Accepted
    Put it on your website so it can be downloaded.

    Check with the dept of tourism for Greece. They likely have a list in international travel counselors who are "experts" and you want to send it to them.

    Make sure the DMCs have a copy.

    www.mpiweb.com will give you contact info for meeting planners....they need this.

    Bring it to IT&ME this year (if you aren't coming, contact me offline and I'll get it there for you)

    Michael
  • Posted on 4/29/2008 at 9:49 AM Author
    Dear Micheal,

    What is DMCs ?

    "Make sure the DMCs have a copy."

    IN GENERAL...
    All ideas are great! I was just wondering how credible do you think people find a free guide that they can get anywhere. From the description of the guide above, would YOU read it? Would you trust it?

    Any thoughts?
  • Posted by Maximus on 4/29/2008 at 10:17 AM Accepted
    Hi Antonia,

    I will be suggesting you few more ideas which others have told you.

    1. You can approach to the Greece Embassy and take permission to display on their reception.

    2. You can give the print ad / insertions in the leading newspapers (especially Lifestyle or Travel & Lesiure Sections).

    3 You can put the online ad on the travel websites, hotel websites, Airline Booking websites, Restaurent websites,
    and websites like lonelylanet.com, wikitravel.org, travel.yahoo.com etc.

    4. You can distribute your guide or offer in the libarary section of the college or institutions which have tourism management courses.

    5. You can distribute travel guide at the local and international tourism and travel events across the globe.

    6. Also you can distribute the travel guide to the news paper stands and book stores.

    I hope these ideas will help you.

    Regards,
    Arun
  • Posted on 4/29/2008 at 12:16 PM Accepted
    Antonia,

    I'd go with a John Caples type of headline for your guide.

    For example:

    10 Events In Nafplio You Don't Want To Miss Out On This Summer!

    I would really focus on delivering exceptional event content and exclusive value geared towards those particular events from your sponsors.

    I would distribute the guides to your sponsors to give out and discuss with their customers.

    I would also set up a mini web site and landing page to collect the names and addresses of prospective tourists who optin to receive a free guide in the mail. And promote this site with a Google Adwords campaign.

    I would also set up a follow-up email and co-operative direct mail postcard campaign to tell local stories and build excitement towards the coming events.

    Cheers,

    Rod
  • Posted by michael on 4/30/2008 at 8:23 AM Member
    Antonia,

    DMC is Destination Management Company. When large groups come into a city, they often hire a DMC to make all arrangements...not hotel, but site seeing, bus/limo service, outdoor events, special tours etc.

    If you contact me offline (travelindustrymarketingexperts@yahoo.com) I can give you a list of DMC's in Greece.

    Michael
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