| | 
 Googled us Lately?
by Jerry W. Bird
President Kikwete of Tanzania gave the world an important message when he said, "The Western media needs to focus more on success stories in Africa. We are doing so many good things out here which do not get enough publicity." The following testimonials from readers throughout Africa, the USA, Europe and around the world are proof that we have heeded President Kikwete's request by providing positive publicity for the past 15 years. The results are showing up in many measurable ways, as we move ahead in building a library of books and magazines that will showcase the Best of Africa. Our Faces of Africa are smiling for good reason - their stories on our home page and sections are many, varied and well received. Some examples are in our Venues World Edition a free 64 Page Showcase of Events and Incentive Travel. 
Trends we love: Looking at the list on the right sidebar of this page, I give thanks to the company that generates these exciting statistics - Web trends Inc. of Portland, Oregon. They are down the road from our Vancouver office, where Africa Travel Magazine was launched in 1995. Our mandate was to provide a positive atmosphere to stimulate travel between Africa and North America. Thanks to statistics provided by Web trends, Google and Yahoo, who measure our growing global reach and influence, the magazine's impact is much broader. The world is Africa's oyster! As of now, every issue we produce will be part of The Africa Travel and Nature Library - marketing and learning resources that will open doors and win friends. Our stories are mainly in English at the moment, with help from African Tourism Ministries, AT members and partners, more French and other languages will soon be on the agenda. Two Editor's Blobs expand on this concept - one from Egypt, the other from Morocco.
How do the countries rank? As expected the USA, UK and Canada lead the pack in hits, pages read and frequent visits to our site. Yet look what's happening this month as two African counties, South Africa and Morocco are in the Top Seven. China with its vast outbound tourism potential has become number 4. Another giant, India is coming on strong and the Emirates are paying keen attention. At every Africa Travel Association Annual Congress and Symposium since 1995, a key point that speakers, including myself, continue to stress, is supporting Inter- African Travel and Tourism. So having Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia and Egypt in our Top 40 is a positive sign. Small wonder the decision to locate an office in Morocco was so timely. Talk about seizing the moment!
 Travel Trade Shows and Seminars: This spring we expanded our personal marketing efforts to include Europe's leading events IT Berlin, plus Salon de Tourism in Paris and the World Travel Market in London. China shows are on our agenda along with the Arabian Travel Market and Moroccan Travel Market in Marrakech. Trade shows and conferences have been a big winner for us. A recent example is our efforts with the City of Houston. Texas and Ethiopia Tourism in a two week "Out of Africa" promotion, Our year round success record is documented in "Venues," an edition devoted to promotion and incentive travel You can download 60 pages on http://www.africa-ata.org/venues.pdf
Googled us lately? In searches for "Advertising Africa Travel, Trade and Tourism to America" on Googol, and Yahoo our website ranked #1 and 2. Keeping such success in the family, Air Highways, our second online magazine website, ranked #3 and 4. These consistently high scores indicate the success of Africa Travel Magazine's Electronic and Print media - building blocks of the Africa Travel and Nature Library. Answering the quote by President Kikwete above - marketing is where Africa Travel Magazine stands out. We're foremost in delivering "positive news" as voice of the Africa Travel Association, which has staged world class events in 33 African cities since 1976.
Faces of Africa: Who needs Face book? Our Home page and sections are graced by photo stories and galleries by Africa's most capable boosters - our writers, photographers and contributors from inside the industry and out. Since many of today's tuned in, turned on professionals get their news, views and background information via the Internet, our website employs the best facets of North America's top print media - the eye appeal of Conned Nat -the life span of National Geographic - and the variety of Readers Digest. Our visitor's attention is further riveted by a wealth of cultural, wildlife and nature photography, plus scenes of Africans in action at events worldwide. We provide hundreds of positive images - and each gallery page is linked to a specific African country or region.
 Our second Travel Magazine Website - Air Highways - launched in 1995 - has been a success thanks to friends like Ed Anderson whose photos are worthy of top awards. FIVE REASONS YOUR TRAVEL PRACTICE IS NOT GROWING - NETWORKING, WORD OF MOUTH AND PUBLIC RELATIONS August 27th, 2014 by Richard Earls Reason # 3: Travel consulting is a people business. The more people you meet and know, the more opportunity you have to grow your business. It really is that simple. Yet, many travel agents shy away from the fundamentals of good solid marketing basics – networking, word of mouth and public relations. The tactics that make up these three marketing strategies are absolutely key to growing most travel consulting businesses. Your task is to create an association in the minds of the people you meet – when they think of travel, they think of you. Networking, word of mouth and public relations are the way you create, amplify and increase the strength of that association. This is not to say that there are not other marketing strategies that will pay real dividends. But almost all other marketing strategies are extensions of these three basic tactical arrays. Social marketing, for example, is networking and word of mouth carried out in an electronic format. Advertising is a form of public relations. Smart travel consultants eager to grow their travel practice will learn the basics of marketing and work on their people skills. In fact, I would go so far as to say that marketing skills are equally important, perhaps more so, than destination and product knowledge. You can have all of the product knowledge in the world, but if your people skills are poor, it won’t matter. However, with excellent people skills, you can discover your client’s needs and research what you need to know to satisfy those immediate needs. I’m not arguing that product knowledge is not important – it certainly is. I am arguing, however, for the importance of training yourself in the fundamentals of basic marketing and people skills. People do business with people they like. With how many of my existing clients did I speak?Ask yourself these questions about last week: - How many of my existing clients did I ask for referrals?
- With how many new people did I meet and discuss travel?
- On how many public relations programs did I work?
I promise you that the higher the number is for each question, the more business you are doing. Want to grow your business? Develop your people skills and network, develop a word of mouth campaign and work though some public relations efforts. The results will show. | |
| | 
| | |
| 
| |
