marcoruggieronline

This summer we went to York for two days (one night). Looking for a nice but cheap accommodation in the city centre we found a nice Hostel - The Fort Boutique. It was open from just three weeks, but there was a good amount of information on the web: facebook, twitter and a blog. It had especially a good rating on hostelworld and travellerspoint with many reviews. They've started their web marketing before it was open, starting from Twitter and Facebook accounts and posting pictures of the work in progress. When we arrived we had to go at Kennedy's bar, just beside the Hostel, to check in and drop the baggage (only a small one, but still..). The Hostel was very nice, still with some works on the way to be finished, but the welcome was warm from the Duty Manager, the cleanliness was perfect, the environment gave an idea of youngness and we were very happy. Until the night (!). The problem wasn't what we were expecting (noise coming from the road - as other comments reported online), but the bathroom in the room didn't have a door (yet) but only a curtain and the fan in it was on for 1 hour after you'd switched off the light. Of course the first thing we thought was that, being the room an "artistic room" probably the artist arranged the toilet to be like that. But that wouldn't explain how I could have scratched my hand on a sharp tile by the door frame. So definitely a door was in plan to be put there. Too much hurry in opening before the York Races going on that very week-end and the Hostel wasn't finished. Definitely the web marketing strategy the Hostel had was paying back. It was fully booked and had (and has) an excellent rating online. The blog is updated at least once a month (answering customer questions and complaints) and the facebook page at least every ten days (not much though). To find something to eat for dinner that night hasn't been very easy. Every nice restaurant we had advised on the guide (and checked online) was fully booked or with a table at 6 pm (too early for us) or by the toilet door (not a very nice place where to eat: I wonder why you place a table there!). But, while walking in the city center, we came across a nice looking restaurant Kuja Lounge. It didn't look expensive and seemed to have a nice choice on the evening menu. Problem: we couldn't find any information about it online. Not even the official website was coming up on Google. Time was running low (around 5 pm - late to book a table in UK) so we decided to take the chance and book a table for two at 8.30. When the owner (or the manager, I don't know) opened the restaurant diary it was pretty much empty. We were scared for sure. If a restaurant is good, in a week-end where York has about half a million visitors you expect it to be full. But we were wrong. Kuja Lounge is a very nice restaurant where very good food is served and attention to details and to the customer are given. There were about 8 tables in when we arrived including a table of 10 people (noisy) and there were 1 bar tender and 3 waiting on staffs. We had to wait some minute before they could have taken the order but the waitresses were always kind and apologizing for the delay. Water came even before we could have ordered it, just to give us something for the waiting time (10-15 minutes... nothing!). We really enjoyed the evening. Kuja doesn't have a web marketing strategy and we decided to go there only because more popular restaurants (online and on the touristic guide) were too busy. It definitely has a good product and is in a very central position (even if a bit hidden). But its positioning online is poor and that affects the business. In the long-term I'm sure that the word of mouth will do. But how many customers has it lost during the years that it will take? When we went to Kuja it was open from just 3 months. But the hostel web strategy proved us that the customer relation is built even before you open.

A small skiing area, shared between a few small towns, close to Ligurian Sea but in Cuneo region, a development plan that could bring here investments and more tourists. An area that put as its point of strength the small dimensions, the contact between residents and tourists and the lower prices. An area that wants to grow remaining "natural" as it is, where the difference is made by the people who attends these towns and live them. S. Giacomo di Roburent is the biggest town of this area, but, as appointed by the guys of the Parpaiun Association is the Area their focus point, because a town alone is not enough: together is the power. The Parpaiun Association is a nice case of how people who live or share interests in a certain area can help its growth using internet as a vehicle of information, helping building a sense of belonging through all the stake holders would they be residents, second houses owners or tourists. Throughout this sense they can stimulate information sharing and User Generates Contents, increasing the brand knowledge. I've been in S. Giacomo di Roburent in March, there was still a lot of snow (even too much, we couldn't ski!) and I had time to talk with some shop owners. They were quite upset about the weather because happened more than a few times in the season that was snowing during the week-end, when would have been better to snow in the middle of the week and then be sunny when tourists were coming. Well, everybody knows you can't have always what you want, but you have to try to get the best out of what you have. You can't control the weather and that's what makes having a business in a skiing area a pure bet. You invest money but if for a couple of years the weather is not good enough you might get in trouble. And here comes the need of diversify the offer of a mountain area. If during the winter you have skiing tourism, you have to find something else for the rest of the year: second houses for elderly could not be enough, considering the low propensity to consume of that segment. Trekking, horse riding, mountain biking and all sorts of natural sports and leisure for families with kids and people of 30-40 year olds. The Parpaiun Association could help this keeping the same effort they are doing during winter for the summer. Even more, considering how attractive is the winter for skiing compared to the summer. And, who knows, perhaps one day the summer will become the touristic pick of the year.

Alright, I don't like too much Facebook. But it is true that is one of the most important vehicle of information and it's easier to keep conversations on it than Twitter (not than FriendFeed, but is not so diffused). And so it's easier to stimulate UGC among tourists and residents. This morning I was watching different tourism organizations doing their "job" on Facebook: Wales (from Visit Wales), Spain (from Spain.info), Italia (perhaps from the tourism ministry, but absolutely not sure, there are no links what so ever) and Riviera delle Palme (from the Tourism promotion service of Savona). First difference that comes to the eye is the language: English for Wales ("of course!" somebody would say, but is not so obvious), English and Spanish for Spain (!), English and a bit of Italian for Italia, and just Italian for Riviera dell Palme that of course have a smaller organization, but not less important I would say. There's not much Welsh in the Wales page, there's a lot of Spanish but almost everything is in both languages in Spain and there's not much English in the Italia page, where seems that the most important thing is to catch fans and post pictures. And here comes another difference, definitely more interesting: contents. Wales and Spain try to communicate with their "fans" (tourists, residents, lovers) not just telling them how nice is the country or what to do, but trying to generate contributes: a two ways communication, where the tourism organization listens to the stake holders and share their contribution. I really like it. I can see a nice picture and think "oh, I really want to go there" just like we all  do when we see a travel agency window, or I can read  what people say and think "I really like people from that country" and there, I think, I will go. Residents are one of the attractive factors for a touristic destination. There can be lots of shows, events fairs, but people make of a destination attractive. On both pages most of the pictures are from other people who not just comment but mainly contribute. Italia  has lots of pictures on its page, and as far as I've checked, there's no request of pictures, news, "what to do" to the followers, just "please add us as fan, and share it with your friends!", that sounds really "spammy". Riviera delle palme is a small reality. The area that it represents is small compared to the others. But still is an area that could generate good flows of tourists and has lost attractiveness with foreign tourism. So publishing in english could be a good thing and definitely needs to focus more on the communication among tourists, more than advertise a single event like a new web site or the participation to a tourism fair. Last difference that I'd like to mention is the connection trough the Facebook page and who manage it: Wales posts many links to their VisitWales blog or a specific VisitWales web page. Spain mainly to their website. Riviera delle palme sends its visitors to friends website, most of them related to events. I couldn't find any link in the Italia page. Now: I know we have the most beautiful country in the world (as it's written 10 thousands times in the Facebook page) but what if nobody comes to visit it?! Just repeating it doesn't make attractive. Pictures are nice, but not lived. They don't show how nice can be to spend some time in Italy. Who has done it can. Concluding: I really like Visit Wales work (not a big news!). I do like how Spain approaches the tourism web marketing. Riviera delle Palme needs to improve, but seems on the good way. Italia needs to show first who manages the Facebook page, then we can say what could be done.