Travel intelligence company, Skift has revealed the 11 tourism boards that use Twitter like a real-time concierge. Of the more than 450 destinations listed on Skift’s social data dashboard only 11 destination marketing organisations reply to travellers’ tweets in less than two hours, with only one UK board making the list. Of course, two hours isn’t fast enough for a tourist looking for real-time information, but it’s a step toward providing same-day information to people traveling to or already in a city.
Tourism Ireland is bringing St. Patrick’s Day to the masses with an animated online parade. Facebook users are being encouraged to design their own floats – complete with leaping leprechauns, shamrocks and rainbows leading of pots of gold – which will be posted on the tourist board’s Facebook page. The 20 float designs that get the most likes will go into a draw to win one of two holidays to the Emerald Isle. #PasstheGuinness
The Egyptian Tourist Authority has created an official UK Facebook page, designed to provide travel information as well as hosting polls and competitions to encourage engagement on the social community following recent instability. Facebook.com/LoveEgyptUK will also be used as a platformfor the authority to provide travel and safety updates and to highlight Egypt as a safe and popular holiday destination for Brits.
For those addicted to Social Media, Coca Cola has come up with the ultimate solution… welcome the "Social Media Guard", modelled on a cone that is used by vets to prevent dogs from getting to their wounds. In this scenario, the guard prevents us from looking at our phones, and hold our heads up to acknowledge what happens around us when we are not on social media… the beauty that is life.
Celebrities have come out in force this week in a bid to save BBC three from being pushed to an ‘online only’ channel. Jack Whitehall, Greg James and Richard Bacon are just a few of the entertainment industry ‘big names’ to get behind the campaign. The official #saveBBC3 has been popular across Twitter – Bacon tweeted "If the rumours of it being cut are true, we might need to retool that 6Music Campaign", Whitehall added "I really hope reports that the BBC may kill BBC3 arejust rumours…their support of new comedy in particular is vital!". With the backing of some well-known faces in the industry, we’re pretty confident the message will be heard loud and clear around the BBC boardroom table – the big question, will they sit up and take notice of the collective social media voice? Watch this space…
