It is not only the world of arts where humans are the key factor behind the scenes – or behind the canvas, in that context.

In terms of customer satisfaction, the key attributes ‘personality’ and ‘individuality’ are known to be crucial. Especially in the tourism industry it is vital to build upon these attributes, as the majority of experts and employees within the industry will confirm. Now, taking this thought into the field of online marketing, we will begin a very exciting journey towards new and authentic marketing possibilities.

But let’s start with an engaging example which takes us thousands of kilometers further west, across the Atlantic Ocean, into the world of Latin arts. To be a bit more precise: we’ll dive into the virtual art world “Medalia Arts” – a platform, which enables art trade in Brazil and the Caribbean.

Paras Chopra, the founder of VWO (2020) recognized an astonishing development concerning the sale of art: within a few days, the platform Medalia Arts managed to almost double their conversion rate. But how did they do it?

Looking into the taken measures it almost seems too easy to believe. No major reorganization or adaptations of the business model was necessary. No new marketing channels, offers or budgets needed. The only thing they changed was a simple thing: they added personal information and profiles of the artists behind the paintings. And this marginal step eventually led to an increase of the conversion rate of incredible 95%!

Start showing the faces that define a unique holiday offering – personality wins!

First this might seem like an ambitious exaggeration, but when actually thinking about the concept of trust and authenticity in online marketing, Medalia’s adaptation makes a lot of sense. Things with a high value such as unique pieces of art become even more authentic, more trustworthy when knowing the artist behind the object. Transferred to the hotel business, a long-awaited vacation which can be equally high valued by consumers can be communicated many times more personal, more meaningful when enabling contact to hotel staff and hosts before the visit.

What would Van Gogh be without Van Gogh? Ferrari without Schumacher? Tesla without Elon Musk? Or - a hotel without PEOPLE? Without the host, a hotel is of course still a great place to stay. But to face the truth: so are all the other properties in a touristic destination.

What actually makes us special at the end of the day are our values, our interests, our passions. In short: our unique host-personality is what we need to share with the world.

The touristic world that you as a host own and live in is a colorful, diverse, and individual one. Accordingly, every hotel owner has the ability to share this world with his guests. But to only reflect one’s unique personality via amenities, furnishing and location is not the end of the road. Digitalization is opening new opportunities to connect guests, hosts and staff on a whole new level. It opens opportunities to go beyond just selling beds: to inspire!

So, what is the first step on this journey? Stop hiding behind your hotel façade and perfectly equipped rooms. Show your guests, what kind of authentic experiences await curious visitors. Use online marketing to visualize what is truly important to you.

Now we invite you as a host or tourist marketer to join us in a free, 30-minute experience workshop. Find out, which potentials lie behind your canvas!

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