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Classic panoramic view of San Francisco skyline with famous Oakland Bay Bridge illuminated in beautiful golden evening light at sunset in summer, San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
The tourism sector globally may be coming to the end of a very dark tunnel, a tunnel that has left the coffers mostly bare. The priority now is to get back out there and tap into the ravenous demands of audiences desperate for a holiday and break from the monotony of their everyday existence under the pandemic. Unfortunately, the cost of advertising in all of the markets you need to be in is prohibitive; it's (at least temporarily) beyond the reach of most tourism brands…hence the need for a better approach to earned media.
A smaller pool of journalists with less resources
While the pandemic has deeply impacted the tourism sector, the loss of up to 30% of journalists in some markets is hidden. We now have fewer journalists worldwide, covering more beats and working across more channels with less time than ever. If you thought it was challenging to get a journalist to return your call, you're about to become much more frustrated.
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Smiling black man taking selfie in London with Tower Bridge on background. He is holding the phone and looking at camera. Photo taken on a sunny winter day.
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Smiling black man taking selfie in London with Tower Bridge on background. He is holding the phone and looking at camera. Photo taken on a sunny winter day.
And now the good news…
As they say, 'necessity is the mother of invention'. With increasing content demands from individual journalists, across more channels and with shorter deadlines, the PR team that helps the media tell and illustrate these stories wins. In a recent Muck Rack survey, 70% of journalists said they share stories based on trending storylines. 68% of the same journalists said they would share stories based on an image, even if it weren't a trending storyline. This tells us that visual storytelling matters as much as breaking news.
Beautiful young smiling face woman holding camera or phone in hand and she makes video call or she is recording video for her fans, she is surprised suddenly, video call and vlogger concept
Beautiful young smiling face woman holding camera or phone in hand and she makes video call or she is recording video for her fans, she is surprised suddenly, video call and vlogger concept
What this means to the travel and tourism sector
After our extensive discussion with journalists, producers, and photo editors around the globe, the overwhelming belief is that PR professionals can get more media coverage if they take the time to understand how journalists now work and supply the online resources to support their activity. The key is providing more illustrated content, with self-service access to libraries of images and videos that allow journalists, producers, and photo editors to make their own choices.
Lookatmedia™ Tourism Video
Lookatmedia™
Destinations have incredible stories, but too often, they struggle to reach the right audience. Lookatmedia™ helps tourism brands cut through the noise by identifying the journalists and influencers who matter most, then delivering personalized press releases, social content, and authentic visual stories that truly resonate. All content is organized in a central media hub, a trusted resource media professionals return to for inspiration and reliable information. The result: destinations stand out, connect with travelers, and achieve measurable impact without wasted effort or missed opportunities.
Assume nothing
Journalists universally say that one of their primary frustrations is that PR professionals blast them with stories that don't fit their style, focus or beat. Unless you have a one-on-one relationship with a journalist, it's hard to know what they're looking for in a storyline. Even the journalists you've known for years are moving jobs and changing their beats at an alarming rate. Rather than limit your PR activity to a database you can't even guarantee is still active, widen your reach and appeal across a more diverse media landscape with a next-generation Newsroom that connects with the 70% of journalists who are actively seeking new story ideas online.
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Beautiful cloudscape over the sea, sunrise shot
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Beautiful cloudscape over the sea, sunrise shot
Earned media for tourism
The great news for tourism is that the most dominant form of communication is now visual storytelling. Images and video have driven your communication strategies since….well, forever. You have libraries of content that you can curate to enable the media to create their own illustrated content. All you need is a home for these visual assets and a newsroom with a workflow that aligns with how the media now works. Lookatmedia™ is that newsroom.
Our newsrooms have allowed tourism brands to spread their illustrated stories locally and around the globe. The secure 24/7 login and access enables the media to access all the assets they need to create and illustrate stories while allowing you to build and manage your media databases. It's a newsroom solution built on the tried-and-true approach PR professionals have always used with journalists; to attract and hold the media's attention.
