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Online social network sites ‘should be travel allies’
Online social communities and review sites should be viewed as an ally of the travel industry rather than an enemy say leading figures.
Even negative comments and reviews can be a positive thing for travel companies according to speakers at the European Tour Operators Association conference.
Tripadvisor director of brand distribution Nathan Clapton said: “People don’t want to read marketing copy, they see through it and want more. They want a balance of positive and negative comments.”
Clapton added that even if negative things were written within social networking sites on the internet at least travel companies had a chance to respond.
James Dunford Wood, managing director of newly launched service worldreviewer.com said companies could not afford to think of online communities as the enemy.
“The power is in the user and we have to accommodate them and learn how these communities work. There is a great opportunity to learn from them and they can help drive your business forward.”
Dunford Wood also advised travel companies to set up their own blogs and sign up to social networking sites to find out more about them.
WAYN.com co-chief executive Peter Ward also said companies should explore the potential of online community sites.
“It is a challenge to the existing ideas of lazy travel businesses. You can’t rely on your offline reputation or your write-up in a guidebook. It’s important you invest time in understanding how communities can influence a decision.”
Ward added that often there was too much emphasis on the transaction when many people had not decided where they wanted to go or what they wanted to do.
“I would urge you to consider communities as a way to get to perspective customers.”
According to Ward WAYN is weeks away from introducing the next version of its site with bookable travel content including 80,000 hotels from lastminute as well as content from experience site Isango. WAYN is also upgrading its subscription model to give subscribers more services such as travel insurance and translation technology on their mobile phones.
by Linda Fox
Linda Fox
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