AUCKLAND – An international buyers’ panel at TRENZ indicated that the most effective marketing strategy during the current economic downturn was to remain strong and vocal.
Jerry Bridge, owner of Bridge and Wickers in the UK, said, “There are two theories. Do you spend more, or do we spend less on your target markets at this time?â€
The answer, he said, was to work closer with tourist boards and to work tactically, making sure every marketing effort was well focused.
“There are still spenders out there,†he said. “It’s not all doom and gloom.â€
Bridge said that although his numbers for Australia and New Zealand were down, the firm is achieving good results from new markets, such as Canada,
Bernd Rosner, general manager of Germany’s Best of Travel, said his group of independent tour operators was not cutting back on marketing spend.
“If you’re not in the market now, when the crisis is over you’ll miss the recovery,†he insisted.
Rosner added, “Sure, this is a year of consolidation, but what we see on the news in terms of economic gloom does not reflect what’s happening in travel. People in Europe are still spending on travel.â€
Toru Furusawa, general manager of international affairs and tourism promotion, JTB Corp, Japan, said, “You can’t shrink your way out of a recession. This is the time for more rather than less investment.â€
Furusawa said the Japanese were “chicken†travellers, reacting negatively to events such as swine flu, but with Japan now clear of the virus he expected a recovery in outbound travel.
By Ian Jarrett
