Well, actually it has been since February, but suddenly we were called to the order of the day very suddenly and very hard. We haven’t had a chance to make it official ever since. But here goes. KonsulTra will be promoting Tenerife on the Belgian and Luxembourg market for at least one year in collaboration with our partner Interface Tourism Netherlands. They will take care of the Netherlands within our Benelux representation for the Tourism Board of Tenerife.

In the coming months we will focus on the relaunch of tourism, but at the same time we will also look at the possibilities in the longer term. We want to work on the image of the destination. For example, we will focus on rejuvenating the profile of tourists coming from our region and demonstrate that the destination is much more than the popular South.

You can expect numerous online and B2C campaigns, video marketing and targeted promotions. We also analyze all options on the market, make adjustments where necessary and zoom in on specific product developments when see any opportunities. It will clearly be an intense collaboration.

In recent months, many Belgians have rediscovered their own region. We walked or cycled through our country and discovered local products and nice places along the way. This summer there are new opportunities to convince Belgians to travel in their own country. 4 Relais & Châteaux hotels decided to join forces. They will take you on Route du Bonheur. A tour of historical centers, cultural cities, surprising boutiques, sunny terraces and beautiful nature reserves. A name that delivers on its promises. Because Belgium has everything for an unforgettable summer holiday.

KonsulTra was allowed to help shape the concept and communication. We present the four beautiful hotels but also zoom in on the strengths of the regions where they are located. A holidaymaker does not only choose where he or she stays overnight. The whole picture must be correct. The holiday experience must be right.

Based on a microsite in Dutch and French, tailor-made newsletters and a targeted social media campaign, we will encourage travelers to go on Route du Bonheur in the coming months. A luxurious tour through Belgium at exceptional rates.

We found this to be a great example on how you can join forces as accommodation suppliers and come up with new packages and a strong promotional campaign.

Curious? Would you also like to go on Route du Bonheur from Bruges to Lanaken? Or from Antwerp to Rochefort? Visit the website www.routedubonheur.be and discover all about it.

Most Belgians plan to go on holiday again after the corona crisis. It seems we did not loose our appetite to travel. When it comes to 2020, we have become a bit more cautious and will mainly leave in August or during autumn. In general, we look ahead to 2021, but we do plan to depart.

4 times a year, ABTO and the consultancy agency GFK examines the travel intentions of the Belgians for the next 24 months. The results of the latest report give us interesting insights in the travel plans after the Covid-19 crisis.

We present you the main conclusions.

Are we going on vacation this year?

• 71% of Belgians plan to leave on holiday in the next 12 months, compared to 82% before corona. 1 in 3 prefers to wait until 2021.
• Those who want to depart in 2020 will mainly do so at the end of August and during autumn. In this way, the peak during the summer holidays shifts somewhat from July to a little later during the summer.
• Those who do not have travel plans for the next 12 months state the corona virus (33%) as the main reason.
• For the summer we do not see an immediate increase in the number of last minute bookings (30 days before departure). But there is potential. 14% still want to book last minutes and 22% still have doubts but might consider departing during summer. 

At home or abroad?

• 14% of Belgians would like to stay in their own country for their next holiday. This shows that outbound travel are still preferred on a holiday in Belgium. Before the crisis, 10% indicated to remain in their own country. There is a shift towards more holidays inside our own country, but it is still quite limited.
• Which destinations do we prefer?
  •  European destinations on the rise (72% compared to 67% before the crisis)
  • The Netherlands is the strongest climber in the top 3 with 8.09%. France is still in first place with 11.83%. Spain follows in second place with 9.59%.

How do we go on holiday?

• In general, both bus and air travel are losing ground to car holidays. Even though 39% still opt for the plane, you can see that there is more focus on smaller and regional airports to avoid the masses.
• 1 in 2 Belgians chooses the hotel, but we also see a shift to campsites or renting a villa, apartment or chalet.
• We wait a little longer before departing on holiday, but we clearly want to spend more on it. The budget for holidays increases by 11.5% per person as during lockdown a part of the people was able to save more money.
• Active holidays are on the rise with a lot of walking, running and cycling.

Would you like additional insights from this study or would you like to receive more market information? Do not hesitate to contact us via info@konsultra.be

Currently, travel is prohibited and the travel sector is going through a very uncertain period. However, you should certainly not stop communicating now. After all, consumers are more open to advertisements, they continue to dream about traveling and are also easier to reach. We gave an overview of some insights and why you should definitely continue to reach out to consumers. 

But what can you do now? How can you best approach the traveler? We list some examples of communications we made for clients or some good cases that we saw in recent weeks.

In general, it is important that you adjust your message. Less focused on conversion. Always showing understanding for the situation in which the traveler finds himself. Also always positive and as authentic as possible. Virtual experiences, ways to bring the destination to people’s homes, using locals, sharing holiday memories and social media play a crucial role. We have seen a lot of creativity. 

Tenerife video campaign

#WIJKOMENTERUG
#NOUSREVIENDRONS
#WELLBEBACK

A message of hope. Focused on the future. This is what the Tourist Office is doing. We spread that message through a social media campaign, a collaboration with bloggers and invite travel agents to use the video to inspire their customers.

You can immediately see from the engagement with the video that travelers feel connected. The number of fans and followers on social media is growing. You see the traffic towards the website increasing. Moreover, in this way we build up a database that we will be able to access again when you can return to the island. Communicate now, convert later.

Bring Thailand to your home

You cannot currently go to Thailand. Then bring Thailand to your home. Try a Phad Thai recipe, get started with Thai ingredients, watch films shot at the destination and imagine yourself in Thailand for a moment or go to the best Thai Restaurants with take-away service.

We set up a collaboration with travel media such as june.be, engaged bloggers and were able to count on our partner Gault & Millau to spread the story.

A couple of examples:

• Vakantie bij je thuis, een recept voor Pad Thai
• 6 Thaise adressen voor de beste take-away
• Haal een stukje Thailand in huis

Virtual walks in Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant Tourism launched virtual walks based on the concept of slow tv. Sound generally plays an important role. Listening to the rippling of a stream or how the wind blows during a walk. Tourism Flemish Brabant responds well to this and films the walk with a go-pro, completely as it is. You can follow the virtual walks via their Facebook page.

Webinars and online trainings

Iberostar continues to work on their partnership with travel agents. Every week they set up webinars in which they share information about the destinations where they have hotels and in this way also provide product information. And that formula is successful. With Tenerife we were part of one of these webinars followed by more than 150 travel professionals.

Portugal has now launched an online training via Travel360. It turns out to be a good timing. A day after its launch, 40 travel agents had already completed the training. So communicating now is the message. Continue to focus on knowledge sharing and inspiration.

There are many such examples. You see a lot of creativity today. We are happy to share inspiration with you or help to make travelers dream about your travel brand or destination. Don’t stop communicating. Do you need help? Then contact us.

Together with our regular partner Sound of C, we have developed a number of packages and solutions that you can use right away. Travel360 has also provided some interesting options to remain active in a cash flow difficult period.

As a travel brand or holiday destination, it is an uncertain period. The perspective on recovery or its timing is often lacking. However, it is important that you do not stop communicating. Travelers continue to search for inspiration and dream about future trips. Consumers are generally even more open to advertisements. If you keep communicating, you will build a bond with your customers or visitors allowing you to have a head start on your competitors when the situation starts to normalize. 

In a latest consumer survey by the study firm GFK you see that people are afraid of the economic impact of the corona crisis, but that they often have a less gloomy view of their own financial situation. They continue to spend. 30% of them now spend even more than before. Of those who spend less, saving for a next trip is in the first place in terms of concrete future purchases (11%).

In general, consumers are also easier to reach. They spend up to 60% more time on the internet or on television. And when they do, they are even more receptive to commercial messages. 23% now look at advertisements more often, as long as the message is adapted to the situation. Push less towards conversion in your travel marketing, but show understanding of the situation, build stronger relationships with your customers or visitors and establish a database that you can use later on for remarketing purposes. 

Also, don’t forget the travel professionals. They played a crucial role in the repatriation of their clients and showed their added value as a travel agent or tour operator. It is going to be a difficult period for them. In time, however, they have additional opportunities to re-bind travelers.

Communicate as a travel brand or destination with those travel professionals. Organize webinars or set up online trainings allowing them to delve into your product during this period and soon generate extra sales. Also help them with inspiration, videos, photos, recipes or other things they can use to help their customers dream about vacations and keep their communication channels up and running. 

The latter is generally very important. Everybody in the industry must continue to radiate that special holiday feeling and show confidence in the relaunch of tourism. 

But how do you get started? How can you continue your communication efforts with an adapted content and reach the traveler efficiently? After all, you don’t want to spend big marketing budgets as long as the situation remains uncertain. We have listed a number of good examples and cases for you.

The last couple of weeks, KonsulTra has been closely monitoring the Belgian travel market on behalve of its clients. At the beginning of the year, we were still talking about the growth of the Belgian market. In recent years, we have seen the wanderlust among Belgians grow and the forecasts for 2020 were promising. Now the travel industry is in the middle of the storm. The challenges are enormous, but in time there are also opportunities in the development of a tourism 2.0.

The situation is changing rapidly. When communicating about the current situation, measures and the crisis situation, one is quickly overtaken by reality. If you would like to have insights in the current market situation for your travel brand or destination, you can always contact us. We are happy to help.

We like to constantly look for opportunities in the market. Not only for ways to continue communicating now, but also for trends for the future. Trends that are likely to be accelerated by the current covid-19 crisis. We already saw a changing travel behavior towards other forms of holidays, traveling with more purpose, more awareness with more value for yourself and respect for your environment.

Trends that will undoubtedly accelerate

• Traveling with more purpose and personal value

Consumers are looking at other ways to travel, with more enriching experiences. It doesn’t always have to be sun, sea and beach anymore. Travelers discover new destinations, new ways to discover a country, with a sense of authentic experiences. Travel is evolving away from mainstream towards experiences with more personal value. That is why you see niches in the travel market becoming increasingly important. Travel more tailored to interests, hobbies and life philosophy. The way we travel and the choices we make are changing.

• Growing awareness for sustainable travel

Shame of flying, shame of traveling, these are reflections that you hear more and more often in the media. Indeed, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the world. As a travel brand or destination you must take into account the growing awareness of sustainability. Tourism in balance with local communities and with the world we live in.

• Wellness, health and active holidays

Wellness trips, fitness holidays, yoga trips, meditation. People are becoming more aware of their heath and their own body. They want time for themselves. Time to work on mental and physical health. A trend that is also reflected in travel, whether by couples, singles or small groups. Also active holidays in the outdoors are picking up on importance.

• Multi-generation holidays

In our hectic life, the chances of really being together are very limited. The same applies to different generations in families. Grandparents going on holiday with their children and grandchildren are no longer an exception. Now that we have had to miss each other a lot, these multi-generation holidays will be planned even more often.

Are there any chances of a tourism 2.0?

Today your priority is in relaunching tourism. But after that comes an opportunity for your destination or travel brand to think about a tourism 2.0.

Hopefully we will all see the real value of travel again. Because traveling is a unique opportunity to enjoy life, but also to learn and grow. In contact with local people from all over the world, but also with respect for their living environment. A more sustainable way of traveling where you can safely take a closer look at the margins for the travel industry and the return for all stakeholders.

So it is probably time to look at trends, holiday experiences and holiday products.

KonsulTra often zooms in on trends and travel niches. Together with our customers, we analyze the opportunities in the market, we look at how we can process them and we set up a targeted action or communication plan in order to further develop the market. 

In recent years, Kanaal-Z / Canal-Z has evolved from a financial-economic to a broad business tv-channel. In addition, community news and Z-Ambassadors were created. Various series such as Z-Entrepreneurship, Z-Energy, Z-Innovation and Z-HR were launched.

Thanks to the broadening through the various communities, the number of viewers also grew. Today, around 334.985 Belgians follow the renewed business channel every day. Some 1.349.901 viewers are reached on a weekly basis. (source: CIM TV / by Transfer / Arianna January 2018)

With this targeted expansion in the recent years, it is now time to create communities that are of interest to the general public of entrepreneurs and managers. This year, business trips and MICE tourism will be added to the content of the business channel. Leisure or bleisure tourism can also be included.

With its TripTelling brand, KonsulTra has built up considerable expertise in video and (online) storytelling in recent years. Based on that expertise and with a broad background in the travel industry, the new collaboration with Kanaal-Z / Canal-Z arose. The first contacts with potential partners have already been started and shortly we will no doubt bring the first mini-series linked to relevant travel and meeting themes.

Alex Coene, netmanager Kanaal-Z / Canal-Z: Kanaal Z (NL) – Canal Z (FR), the only business channels in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, stands for reliable financial-economic reporting with a clear view on business, economy and money. The open channels provide clarity and inspiration. Z-Business Travel and Z-Meetings fit in perfectly with the varied and specialized offer and will ensure a further diversification of our program offer.

As a travel company, you can now profile yourself as an expert in the field of business travel or meetings and incentives on the basis of substantive cooperation. Your company or destination will be woven into a mini series of 5 or 10 minutes or will be given a place within thematic broadcasts. The collaboration also transcends TV broadcasts. For example, we also place the realized videos online for a year on the website of Kanaal-Z.be and Canal-Z.be, they can be used within an online marketing campaign and they are also supplied to the partners free of rights for your own use.

Various interesting formulas were worked on, making it also feasible for smaller companies to participate. Are you curious about the different options and possibilities and do you also want to reach this extremely interesting audience of managers and entrepreneurs? Do not hesitate to contact us via info@konsultra.be or call 0032 468 17 28 46.

Just like 10 Flemish celebrities, you can now share your favorite moment at one of the large photo frames placed in ten seaside towns of the Belgian coast. A lot of people cherish beautiful memories of their holidays by the sea. All great stories. With this campaign, Westtoer (Tourism Office of the Province of West Flanders) wants to encourage everyone to share those cherished moments. Wooden frames were installed, each with a quote from coastal enthusiasts and with a beautiful view of the sea, beach or dunes. A series of celebrities with a special bond with our Belgian coast teamed up with Westtoer to spread the word. Visitors will be invited to take their pictures and selfies and share their special moment using the hashtag #iedereenkust. 

KonsulTra will showcase the stories of the celebrities and their special bond with the coast via a series of videos. David Dehenauw, Ozark Henry, Christel Van Dyck, Kamagurka and Kurt Van Eeghem already shared their love for the Coast. A total of 10 video stories of 1 minute each will show you how the sea during all seasons provides you with the necessary vitamins for body and soul. An online marketing campaign will bring the love of these celebrities to the holiday makers in 2020.

Have a look at the video with David Dehenauw and his love for Blankenberge

Gastronomic holidays in the Netherlands? You can count on it. The time that some condescendingly talked about the culinary experiences in the Netherlands has already passed. With 110 starred restaurants you have a lot of kitchen talent. Gault & Millau also has an extensive guide with lots of Haute-Cuisine in les Pays-Bas. It is high time to highlight this among Belgian holiday makers. The objective? To create a new travel segment with focus on repeat visits.

The Dutch Office for Tourism and Congresses will work closely with KonsulTra on this during a campaign that will run until the beginning of 2021. From research, to product development, strengthening the quality image of the destination and launching an extensive communication campaign. In the coming 12 months this will be a spearhead in the promotion of our northern neighbors in Flanders.

The elements of this campaign are ready to be rolled out:

• Research and data enrichment
• Product development at the level of the local offer and at the level of the Belgian travel market
• Sharing knowledge about the Belgian quality traveler with the Dutch travel companies
• Traditional PR with press trips and press releases, but also extensive collaboration with bloggers
• B2B and B2C newsletters
• Video stories and a broad online marketing campaign, from prospecting to retargeting

Central to this campaign is the collaboration with Gault & Millau who will present the new guide in November 2020 with the Netherlands as a host region including all the strengths of the country in the culinary and tourist field.

In the coming year, Belgian holiday makers will be plunged into a land full of flavors.

Various studies confirm it. The Belgian travel market has grown in the past 2 years. And if you look at the next travel intentions, it also looks good for 2020. More and more Belgians are going on holiday. Those holidays are generally shorter but more frequent throughout the year. Some of the biggest increases are noted during various school holidays weeks outside of the summer break. Escaping to the sun for Christmas, a city trip during one of the long weekends in the spring, winter sports during carnival week or a long haul trip at Easter. These are just a few examples of reasons to travel.

Not all studies are clear when it comes to the right numbers, but the trend is the same everywhere. For Belgian families, holidays are a valuable part of life.

Belgian government study agency, StatBel

The total number of trips by the Belgian population increased by 1.8 million (10%) between 2017 and 2018. The research of the Belgian statistics bureau concludes that in 2018 Belgians made a total of 20.5 million trips of at least one night. 12.5 million trips were more than 4 nights. In those cases, 5% of the trips were for professional reasons. When it comes to trips of a shorter duration, about 11% of them were work related. 

Growth continued in 2019

On January 8, ABTO (the Belgian Federation of Tour Operators) presented the figures of their travel research in collaboration with the GFK study agency. That survey questions 750 Belgians every month about their travel behavior and booked vacations.

During the summer of 2019, Belgians departed on 14.3 million holidays. That is a growth of 9% compared to 2018.

And it looks like we will continue to quench our travel thirst in 2020. This is clearly reflected a new study by ABTO in which the travel intentions for the coming 12 months will be assessed 4 times a year. 83% of the respondents already expressed their intention to go on holiday. 42% will take the plane, 37% the car, 7% the bus and 6% the train.

The 6% for the train does not seem much, but there is a clear growth in the market. Growing climate awareness and the arrival of new initiatives such as the night train to Vienna will undoubtedly make traveling by train more popular in the coming years.