Why tourism businesses need to utilise social media

The media have been talking to Fab about how Aussie businesses can better their social media.

Only one third of Australian tourism businesses have websites optimised for search engines, according to Google’s ‘The 2013 Traveller’, even though 84 per cent of them are online. In this day and age when technology has spawned a vast array of social networking sites and ushered in a growing online presence for businesses across the globe, entrepreneurs need a healthy, user-friendly website to share their brand and message with customers who are out and about and on the move.

But Australian tourism businesses hesitate to utilise the benefits of social media in tourism, particularly those in regional Australia. Forty per cent of tourism businesses do not have mobile friendly websites, even though 58 per cent of travellers rely on online sources to evaluate local activities, according to ‘The 2013 Traveller’. And while 80 per cent of tourists use the web for travel planning, only half of Australian tourism websites offer online bookings.

Fabienne Wintle, director of project ‘This is Our Australia’ – a tourism initiative to inspire Australians to travel – is an award-winning tourism digital marketer and an expert in Australian online marketing research. She is committed to helping regional and remote communities embrace the web and social networking sites to better promote themselves to the travelling public

Fabienne is currently embarking on a two year long adventure with her husband and two young girls around regional Australia to discover new experiences and hidden Australian beauty. She has made it her mission to teach Australian tourism businesses in each of the towns they visit how to use the internet, websites and social media in tourism, to better connect with potential customers and become globally competitive.

All This is Our Australia activities are showcased on ThisIsOurAustralia.com and associated social media channels. She says, “We will uncover and share the authentic and peculiar stories that make our country such an amazing place using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.”

Last month, This is Our Australia shared on Facebook: “Today we discovered Etty Bay, a stunning beach just south of Innisfail, North Queensland. We had no clue what to expect as it isn’t too popular on the tourist map but Warrick had Google earthed it and it was a goer. It was stunning! There wasn’t a croc beware sign in sight so Fabie was relieved and we all went for a swim! Warrick had a SUP surf and in true Wintle style we had a picnic for lunch. There is also a general store (which makes a very decent coffee) and a caravan park (packed to the rafters) right on the beach. We also saw skydivers land right on the beach. You must put Etty Bay on your North Queensland itinerary.”

Discover how This is Our Australia can show tourism businesses how to utilise social media in tourism at www.thisisouraustralia.com.