Marketing messages ‘are hitting right tone’


Ben Ireland T


ravel brands releasing soft marketing campaigns during the coronavirus lockdown have been praised for getting their tone and messaging “spot on”.


Operators, agencies, airlines and tourist boards


have released videos with messages of hope about travelling once the peak of the pandemic is over. British Airways thanks Britain for its handling


of the crisis in a poem recited by staff, while South African Tourism’s campaign says ‘Don’t travel now, so you can travel later’. Emirates says ‘We will get through this


together’, striking a similar tone to Flight Centre, which insists ‘Better times lie ahead’, and Intrepid Travel, which says ‘Today we must be apart so that someday soon we can all be together’, while the Caribbean Tourism Organisation has launched a #CaribbeanDreaming campaign. MSC Cruises tells viewers to ‘Stay safe, keep


dreaming, discovery awaits you’, Sandals is promoting a ‘Sandals state of mind’, Cosmos says ‘Dreaming doesn’t stop’ and Kuoni has released a series of ‘Moments’ to inspire. Steve Dunne, chief executive of marketing


agency Digital Drums, said the current situation is an “unbelievably challenging period for travel marketers” but that “the answer is keep in touch”. He added: “Vacuums are bad news for


travel brands. Other brands or destinations will


ALSO IN THE PAST WEEK...


replace you or the consumer will forget you.” But he stressed it was important for brands to


“show an understanding of where the consumer is right now, mentally and physically”. He advised: “The sentiment of any message should be one of hope, a light in a dark place; that travel will be experienced again. “It should always acknowledge how tough things


are right now for everyone.” Dunne added: “I have seen travel brands and


destinations marketing brands getting it spot on. It strikes me that the sector understands the sentiment, tone of voice and types of content that is


required for times like these.” i Marketing and social media tips, page 16


A British Airways crew member recites poem


Fain sees glim Lucy Huxley R


Wednesday, April 8 O


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EasyJet puts summer 2021 on sale and extends winter 2020-21 programme


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Abta’s Save Future Travel campaign gets 13,500


signatories in first day


Tui, Scenic, Great Rail Journeys and AmaWaterways all extend suspension of operations


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Lufthansa Group says it will permanently decommission 29 aircraft


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Lata Expo tradeshow is postponed until October


Half of passengers on Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer are said to have contracted Covid-19


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oyal Caribbean boss Richard Fain has warned travel and tourism is likely to be “at the tail end” of the recovery from the Covid-19 shutdown but said “glimmers of


light” were emerging. The chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean


Cruises cautioned: “While people are ready to get out of the house, it may take a while before they are focused on taking a long flight, joining crowds at a theme park or taking a cruise. “But we know that,” he stressed. “We are not at the


end of the tunnel, but at least now we can begin to see glimmers of the light that’s coming there. “We don’t know how long this will all play out.


Until we do, it’s appropriate to take each day as it comes because we know the eventual outcome will be positive.” Referring to the number of new coronavirus cases, he


said: “We have flattened the curve and now we need to start thinking about the future.”


VIVID Travel boss Kane Pirie starts Right to Refund campaign


Thursday, April 9 O


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EasyJet defers order for 24 new aircraft


Abta postpones Travel Convention in Morocco to 2021; 2020 event to be held in UK


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Crystal Cruises postpones launch ofCrystal Endeavor


Flight Centre group secures A$900 million additional funding


Hoseasons stops taking agent bookings ‘until further notice’


Friday, April 10 O


ADS, Airlines UK and the


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16 APRIL 2020


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