+

Social Media for Culinary Tourism Ayngelina Brogan, Michael Hodson May 14, 2014

+Culinary Tourism not a Trend

n  'In  Ireland,  tourist  expenditure  on  food  and  drink  in  2009  was  close  to  €2  billion,  represen;ng  the  largest  significant  component  of  individual  visitor  expenditure  and  exceeding  the  average  spend  on  bed  and  board.'  (Fáilte  Ireland  Na/onal  Tourism  Framework  Strategy  2011-­‐2013)  

n Culinary/food  tourism  is  not  limited  to  gourmet  food;  the  WFTA  reports  that  "gourmet"  comprises  8.1%  of  culinary  travelers.  

+It’s not about Michelin stars

Food  travelers  simply  like  good  food  and  drink  

experiences  rather  than  fine  dining.  

+Culinary Tourists are Affluent

n Concerned  about  origin  of  products,  want  it  to  be  local  

n Will  spend  money  for  unique  experiences  

n  The  Anthony  Bourdain  moment  

n Will  recommend  specific  restaurants  and  stores  to  friends  

n Will  return  to  loca;on  if  they  feel  connec;on  

+What Food Hunters Want

n Local  cuisine  

n Connect  with  locals  n Food  is  a  way  to  connect  with  locals,  overcome  language  barrier  

n Cooking  classes,  market  tours,  homestays  

n Recipes  to  bring  home  

n Meet  the  people  behind  the  food  

n An  insider’s  view  –  make  it  local  

+How to Begin

n Know  your  current  customers  

n Know  your  region  

n Think  about  experiences  that  make  sense  for  your  business  

n What  is  your  story  –  around  for  genera;ons  or  a  new  business?  

+Not about competing but working together

n Don’t  be  afraid  to  recommend  compe;tors  

n Restaurants  can  work  together,  if  people  like  one  they  will  trust  recommenda;on  to  another.  n  Form  like-­‐minded  groups,  share  your  recommenda;ons  with  others  

n  In  OZawa,  Canada  5  restaurants  with  a  modern  focus  promote  each  other  on  their  websites  and  back  of  business  cards.  

n The  Beehive  Hotel  in  Rome  created  a  guide  with  its  picks  for  visitors  but  it’s  free  for  anyone  on  its  site.  

+It’s all about the photo

Culinary  tourists  stay  connected  on  vaca;on,  they  share  their  finds  with  friends  at  home.

Taking  photos  of  all  of  their  meals  and  pos;ng  them  at  the  table,  culinary  tourists  are  gra;fied  by  sharing  almost  as  much  as  consuming.  

Ge^ng  photos  of  or  with  the  chef  or  farmer  is  the  ul;mate  prize.  

For  operators  it  gives  a  sense  of  ;me  and  place.  Why  your  business  is  special  and  different  than  others.  Find  opportuni;es  to  make  this  happen.  

+Instagram

n  100 million monthly active users.

n  40 million photos per day.

n  8,500 likes per second.

n  1,000 comments per second.

+Quick Tips

n  Post daily

n  Interact often

n  Use hashtags

n  Keep your Instagram caption word count under 140 characters so you can post to Twitter.

n  Use natural light, no flash!

+Instagram: Promote Events

+Instagram: Establish Credibility

+What to share?

Character

n  The restaurant atmosphere during a busy hour.

Food

n  Most photogenic, colourful food.

Insider Access

n  Who is the chef and employees, what happens behind the scenes.

n  Producers, ingredients, the process.

+More Ideas?

n  Uncork a wine bottle, pour into a glass, and raise it to salute the weekend

n  Introduce diners to your chef at work in the kitchen

n  Ask diners for reviews (get permission before posting!)

n  Show a "before" shot of ingredients, the food prep process, and the final dish being served

+Great Instagram Video

+Facebook Tips

n  Think about why people come to your site: 1) location 2) menu 3) contact info

n  Photos! Photos! Photos!

n  Special offers for Facebook Fans n  Partner with other businesses for discounts

n  Small contest incentives n  (e.g. free app to indentify food item)

+Facebook

+Get Feedback

Consumers may not feel comfortable giving praise or critique in person, Facebook is an easy way to get their review.

+How to Deal with Disappointment

n The  person  working  with  customers  should  ac;vely  ask  for  reviews  on  Facebook  and  TripAdvisor  if  they  liked  their  experience.  

n Complaints  and  disappointment  are  inevitable.  

n Respond  to  complaints  n TripAdvisor  studies  show  that  when  a  company  responds  readers  trust  the  company  more  than  the  poster.  

n Food  is  very  personal  and  people  will  understand.  Not  responding  signals  the  company  doesn’t  care  once  the  customer  spends  their  money.  

+Brindisi’s Challenge

n  Travelers  come  to  Italy  several  ;mes  in  their  life;me,  the  first  trip        oben  being  Rome/Venice/Florence,  then  Cinque  Terre  or  Sicily.    

n  How  can  we  encourage  people  to  visit  Brindisi  when  they  may  not  know  it,  how  do  we  convince  people  to  come  here  instead  of  San  Marino  

n  Brindisi  is  the  hidden  gem.  It  is  the  travelers’  secret.  It  is  where  people  go  who  “are  in  the  know”.  It’s  a  special  place  not  overrun  by  tourists.  

n  Experience  the  uncrowded.  Where  you  can  have  a  truly  Italian  experience,  dining  in  local  places  and  mee;ng  locals.  

n  Give  people  a  reason  to  come,  is  this  weekend  a  peZole  fes;val  where  everyone  features  their  best,  what  local  fes;vals  could  be  more  accessible  to  tourists?