List of Tourism Related Videos Reviewed:
1. Scottsdale CVB
2. Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation
3. Niagara USA
4. Philippines
5. Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica
6. Celebrity Cruises: Elegant Nights and Days of Discovery
7. Scotland
8. Brussels
9. Disney Dream Cruise-2011
10. Cedar Point
11. Egypt
12. Shanti Ananda Destination Spa and Resort in Maurice
13. Luna Lodge in Costa Rica
14. Welcome to South Carolina
15. Wanaka Transport and Toy Museum in New Zealand
16. SS Great Britain Ship in Bristol
17. Whistler Peak to Peak Skiing in British Columbia, Canada
18. Amsterdam Airport Hotel-Hotel Sheraton
Five Top Videos:
1. Niagara USA- http://www.niagara-usa.com/youtube_video.html
2. Philippines- http://www.tourism.gov.ph/SitePages/VideoContainer.aspx?id=Wow_Philippines
3. Brussels- http://www.visitbelgium.com/
4. Luna Lodge in Costa Rica- http://www.lunalodge.com/index-en.html
5. Welcome to South Carolina- http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/plan-your-trip/video-gallery.aspx
The Top Video: Luna Lodge in Costa Rica- http://www.lunalodge.com/index-en.html
It was difficult to choose a number one winner out of the top five videos I selected because they all had their own unique aspects that were interesting. However, in the end I chose the Costa Rica Luna Lodge video as the one that I believe is the most likely to proportionately improve tourism spending to the entity featured for several reasons.
First of all, I really liked how their video had a number of brief customer testimonials, which was a feature that none of the other top five videos had. Customer testimonials are a key ingredient in sales if a large ROI is wanted. “If you say you are good, people ignore your self-serving back-patting. When others say you are good...it's credible. This goes to the very heart of why testimonials are so powerful...they give us credibility and believability. When you deliver a good compelling offer that is both credible and believable, your sales and profits will increase” (Reece, 2001). On another note, the customer testimonials are also a great way to add a personal touch to their video.
Another reason I chose the Luna Lodge video is because of the increasing popularity of ecotourism along with sustainability and how that is the main focus of this destination. In fact, “Ecotourism is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry, according to the World Tourism Organization with an annual growth rate of 5% worldwide and representing 6% of the world gross domestic product, 11.4% of all consumer spending” (“Defining Eco-Tourism”, n.d.). There is a huge market for this type of tourism right now ever since the buzzword of being “Green” became a focal point in the last few years for many industries and for a majority of people in general. Due to the immense growth and attractiveness of ecotourism, this will cause more interest in Luna Lodge as a destination to visit, intern creating more profit for the lodge. In comparison to the other top five videos, the Brussels video was the only other video to mention a “Green” aspect.
The Luna Lodge video had some other great characteristics, which included calming, relaxing music in the background, a narrator during parts of the video (who is actually the founder of the lodge), and contact information at the end of the video (their website) so that people could find out more information if they are interested. Several of the other top five videos had these features as well, but some were lacking in one area or the other. Additionally, the Luna Lodge video showed people in action enjoying themselves at the lodge. We talked in class a few times about how important it is to actually show people doing an activity and enjoying themselves at a destination because that makes it more convincing. Three of the other top five videos had this aspect too, except for the South Carolina video which was composed of about 95% of still pictures, making it more of a slide show rather than a video.
Today’s world is extremely fast passed and people do not get much time to rest and enjoy life. If people are longing for a relaxing escape, which most are, then it is obvious (after watching the video) that Luna Lodge is the place to go. I believe that is a perfect way to market to people because that will get more business for the destination. All in all, the video was charming, peaceful, unique, showed a variety of activities and amenities that Luna Lodge has to offer, showed the beauty of Costa Rica, showed friendly staff members, and will initiate and improve tourism spending at Luna Lodge.
Sources:
Defining Eco-Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from The Sustainable Tourism Gateway website: http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/etour-define.html
Reece, T. (2000, January 1). Using Testimonials to Increase Sales. Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Site Point website: http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/testimonials-increase-sales/1
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Amanda I like how you explained why you choice the video that you liked, that is how I did and I feel it was a great way to narrow down what were the best. I like how your video had customer reviews that were a great way for potential customers to see what others had to say, it takes the guess work out of it. I think many tourism companies should pick up on this and I think they will see an improvement in people planning their vacation based on the video they saw. I also choice the video that I like because of the music I feel it add a good twist on the video and helps get the point across whatever it maybe.
ReplyDeleteI liked your blog Amanda. I agree with your point about testimonials. It's good to have people outside the company tell what they enjoyed about it to encourage others to check it out too. Do you think you'll get the chance to go visit Costa Rica? And if so, would you go to the Luna Lodge after viewing the video? Good work on the statistics as well. Great job!
ReplyDeleteAmanda I like that you brought up the ecotourism and sustainability part of the video. I think that factor will definitely have more people that consider going to this lodge/hotel for their vacation. That is such a trend right now in the tourism industry. I really enjoyed your video, I now have to add Coasta Rica to my list of places to visit!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great choice, it is very informative, and it shows how we can profit and preserve the rain forest. It allows visitors to have the peace of mind and enjoy every bit of mother nature. The testimonials only increase value to the product, and provides great information for potential visitors.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job !
Testimonials are very important these days for destinations, some people just do not completely trust traditional advertising. The Luna Lodge looks amazing and I am definitely sold on the location and thanks to the testimonials I gained a lot of important information.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I would have never thought to view the Luna Lodge in Costa Rica website but it sounds and looks amazing!
I agree with you that eco tourism is such a huge part of travel these days, and it sounds like the Luna Lodge has a great marketing plan in action. Eco tourism is the "in" thing right now, and it pays to be on that bandwagon.
Testimonials are huge in tourism. The fact is that many travelers read reviews and testimonials prior to booking a hotel or trip. By having testimonials right on your website, you eliminate a third party website which is to your advantage because you chose the testimonials that go on your video.
Great review,
ReplyDeleteI know it has already been said but the use of testimonials was a positive addition to this site's video. I also liked how they tied in the whole eco tourism thing. All in all a great post.