News

Leading Spanish agency and Pangaea Network member The Blueroom Project, as the official representative of Visit Estonia in Spain, has formalised strategic alliances with leading partners in the tourism sector this spring/summer 2023. Prominent tourism organisations including Viajes Nautalia, Catai and Viajes EV (Eurovacances), among others, will be launching new itineraries and diverse programmes aimed at attracting a broad range of traveller.

In addition, communication B2C campaigns have just been launched in prestigious media such as El Periódico and Viajar magazine, to consolidate the image of this small but powerful country, where culture, medieval cities, beautiful landscapes, rich cuisine and fascinating Nordic history will be highlighted to showcase the country as one of the most interesting Baltic countries in Europe.

In the prestigious Rosewood Villamagna hotel in Madrid, Essential Costa Rica presented it’s tourism offering of “Well-being, Sport and Adventure in the Heart of Nature” to the Spanish press.

Organised by Pangaea Network member The Blueroom Project based in Madrid and in associated with The Sportsman’s Club, the event was hosted by Essential Costa Rica alongside celebrity soccer players and attended by prominent members of the Spanish press. Signing shirts and speaking in person were renowned soccer players Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) and Roberto Jiménez (Valladolid) as well as virtual contributions by Jesús Vallejo (Real Madrid) who was on vacation in Costa Rica and Keylor Navas (goalkeeper of the Costa Rica national team).

Costa Rica has become an increasingly accessible destination from Spain thanks to the improved Iberia and Iberojet air connections and to the increased representation work the destination has received as a client of The Blueroom Project.

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has opened a commerical office in Denmark with the support of Pangaea Network member United Spirit Nordic. This office will serve the Nordic region as part of STA’s strategy to engage the tourism trade in key source markets and raise awareness of Saudi, the authentic home of Arabia as travelers around the world dream of exploring exotic destinations once more.

The Nordics office with the help of United Spirit Nordic will be responsible for trade and consumer marketing activities, expanding the reach and relevance of Saudi’s tourism offer and working with tour operators, travel agents and outher industry stakeholders to build awareness and drive conversion in line with SAT’s strategy and mission.

Since opening it’s borders in September 2019 to international tourism, Saudi has rapidly established itself as the fastest growing tourism destination in the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Spanish agency The Blueroom Project, has been selected as the preferred partner by Madeira Tourism in the Spanish market. This unique Atlantic destination is keen to attract Spanish visitors and The Blueroom Project will be instrumental in implementing marketing activities with the travel trade.

The charms of Madeira will be easily accessible this summer from Spain, with direct flights available from Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Santiago, Bilbao and Santiago. A comprehensive marketing plan is already in place designed to boost awareness of Madeira’s attractions including nature, food and luxury, with the clear aim to increase arrivals from Spain.

Adaaran Resorts in the Maldives, part of the Aitken Spence conglomerate, turns attention to the Nordics by appointing United Spirit Nordic (USN) as its sales, marketing and PR agency in the Nordic region. USN have worked with many luxury resort clients over the years and they bring their creativity, professionalism and expertise to Adaaran Resorts Maldives, through a range of projects planned for the coming year. 

In the Maldives, the chain boasts six products spread across four islands. A tailormade experience is available for every need, from luxury, to a down-to-earth barefoot vacation, with an authentic feel and atmosphere. With improved air access from Nordic airports, the potential for increased visitor numbers from the region is certain. All Covid-19 protocols are followed carefully at all resorts.

For more information see: https://www.adaaran.com/

Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa has selected The Blueroom Project as their communication and public relations agency in Spain. The hotel, which has just opened its doors in Tangier, is the third Hilton hotel in Morocco.

The new complex, located in a protected national park with direct access to a  white sandy beach stretching five kilometres, has 304 luxurious rooms and suites, as well as a wide range of leisure facilities. In addition, Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa is an oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation due to its 850-square-meter spa.

The Hilton Tangier Al Houara Resort & Spa is also the perfect location for any meeting, event or wedding, and the hotel has 4,500 square meters of flexible event space with a capacity for 1,400 guests. The hotel offers 15 meeting rooms, as well as two ballrooms.

Pangaea are pleased to announce the addition of Martinengo & Partners Communications, to the network. Based in Milan, Martinengo is an integrated marketing communication agency offering public relations, event organisation, social media and digital PR, representation, marketing, sales promotion, advertising and crisis communication.

With many years experience and a proven track record of working with top brand around the world, Martinengo have developed a global point of view along with extensive knowledge of the local Italian market.

As a leading agency in Italy, the Martinengo team bring strategic thinking, innovation, extensive contacts and expertise to Pangaea.

USN are proud to announce 2 new accounts in the Maldives and Italy. They will be working with the luxurious one-island, one-resort Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives, on their sales and marketing strategy in Nordic markets, and will also undertake ad-hoc PR activity for this breathtaking destination.

In addition, Tuscany Again have chosen USN for PR in Nordic markets. Tuscany Again is a non-profit organisation with Tuscany at its heart. They have a network of hotel partners and promote high quality, luxury products for year round travel in the region. Their mission is to take visitors on a journey of discovery by creating powerful, evocative itineraries supported by strong strategic partnerships.

A recent white paper by Hotels and Resorts Middle East, on The Future of Hotel Design in the Middle East, found that with over 154,000 hotel rooms under construction, the Middle East is currently one of the most dynamic and innovative regions in the world in terms of shaping the future of hotel design. Led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, the next generation of Middle East hotels will deliver optimal experiences at a reduced environmental and financial cost.

This abundance of development does however face challenges where solutions must be found. These include improving the sustainability of hotels, delivering personalised guest experiences, appealing to Milllenials, achieving green design and operations, effective digital management systems and room technologies, and embracing emerging technologies.

Some outstanding development projects have already been achieved, surpassing challenges and displaying spectacular design. The Abraj Kudai in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with an investment of US$3.5 million has achieved a fusion of contemporary and traditional design, non-intrusive security and surveillance systems, amenities suited to the 4/5 star guest, good transport links and access to the Grand Mosque. The Bulgari Resort and Residences in Dubai, is another example of exceptional design. Once opened, it will achieve new heights of luxury in a city already brimming with spectacular hospitality. Incorporating a man-made island in the shape of a sea-horse, and exteriors and interiors designed by a renowned Italian architect, it will demand the most expensive room rates in Dubai.

With increased demand expected for Expo 2020 and other mega events in the region, hotel brands must look beyond their existing models and create stand out designs to get ahead of the competition. As all eyes turn to the region, hoteliers are already rising to the challenge. To find out more on the future of hotel design and the effects on tourism, get in touch.

In the last six months, The Blueroom Project (TBP) has won four important accounts to consolidate their position as the leading boutique consultancy in Spain, specialising in communication and marketing for the tourism and lifestyle sector.

Early in the year TBP was selected to manage communications and PR for Qatar Airways in Spain and Portugal. The main aim is to increase awareness of this 5-Star airline along with its products and services on board. In April, TBP took over responsibility for communications and PR of the first Japan Tourism Office in Spain. In this role they will manage media relations and promote tourism, develop the honeymoon segment, and establish close links with tourism professionals. In May, TBP was selected by Transmediterranea, a leading shipping company in Spain, to strengthen their leadership and image, and establish them as a reference point for all transport of freight and passengers in Spain. The final prestigious account to be won was for South Africa Tourism (South Europe) where TBP will strengthen media relations, increase knowledge of this wonderful destination and create strong ties with the tourism sector. This prominent account is shared with fellow Pangaea Network members AIGO in Italy and Indigo in France.

A recent white paper by Trendwatching examined how precious a customer’s time is, and how best a brand can seize or save it. Despite a world of digital empowerment many feel time-starved. Customers value their time and attention, if it has been wasted you won’t be forgiven.

Saving attention during the customer journey is often invisible. Methods may be noticed the first time and then become routine. This attitude has been driven by on-demand expectations, virtual intelligence and the perception of a higher status the busier you are.

Tools to save attention include:

Outsource the thinking process – use hidden intelligence to make decisions for the customer such as a sensor and mobile app that tracks tire data.

Shorten the customer journey – improve the experience at each step such as groceries delivered straight to your fridge.

Eradicate pain points which waste attention.

Seizing attention is getting harder. To get consumers to engage, brands have to break loose and pop up in surprising places and delight new customers.

Tools to seize attention include:

Shock and awe – surprise your customer, redefine expectations.

Self-improvement – hard to impress clientele seek colourful stories to share with peers.

Experience factor – brand driven venues for work, coffee or performance can bring people together and seize attention.

The fundamental question is, are you seizing or saving your customer’s attention? It won’t be possible to be a saver or seizer throughout the customer’s journey, methods may vary at each step and from one customer to another but it is vital that you ask yourself the question on how best you can achieve this.

To find out more about how your tourism brand can seize or save attention at every single encounter with travellers, get in touch.

United Spirit Nordic as Visit Jordan’s representative, was given the challenge to increase and retain visitor numbers from Scandinavia to Aqaba in Jordan, a popular holiday area with Scandinavian tourists. Jordan Tourism Board, with Royal Wings, decided to add three direct flights to Aqaba, from Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen. United Spirit Nordic managed to allocate all seat allotments with tour operators, monitored seat allocations and followed up with coop marketing funds for all three markets, in only 4 months. Together with the flights, United Spirit Nordic designed an awareness campaign which included outdoor branding, online presence and social media advertising and presence. The campaign was designed to fill the direct flights and increase visitor numbers. The campaign achieved increases in visitor numbers of 18.1% from Sweden, 103.2% from Copenhagen and123.2% from Finland (as of Feb 2017).

According to Euromonitor International, Authenticity is one of the latest Top 10 Consumer Trends.
Authencity has been identified as the key word helping sell items on eBay in 2016, by researchers Andrew Kehoe and Matt Gee from Birmingham City University’s School of English, when looking at the most lucrative words used by sellers. Company efforts to ensure authenticity are part of this reach for the real.

Real-world holidaying
In a backlash against digital dependency and the difficulty of uninterrupted reflection,several tour operators, cruise lines and resorts are promoting their unplugged vacations to help consumers get away from “synthetic” digital life.

Another authentic-leaning travel trend is the social impact holiday.
Companies target professionals aged 29–36 working in areas like tech, the media and other creative fields who holiday to mentor underprivileged fellow citizens, sharing their business acumen. Cruise lines aim to respond to customer hunger for purpose inviting passengers  to on-board self-improvement seminars and impact activities on land such as making water filters.

The international scene of high-end travel is undergoing a radical transformation: digital and hyper-connectivity are permanently changing the market and at the same time consumers and their values have evolved which has changed the traditional meaning of “luxury”. We can talk about the new direction of luxury travel and the new travel experience associated with it and this has real value when it is personal and shared.

Organised by AIGO, a leading Italian tourism marketing agency, and presented by Conde Nast Traveller Editor in chief Arch. Ettore Mocchetti, the conference  “The New Way of Luxury” – was aimed to explore the trends and various aspects of luxury travel.  The panel was composed of Joakim Everstin (Head of Innovation and Tech Evangelist, Sabre), Antonella Bertossi (Marketing Manager, Global Blue), Maurizio Saccani (Global Director of Operations, Rocco Forte Hotels), Mimma Posca (CEO, Vranken Pommery).
During the event the research “Post-Luxury Travel: The Changing Expectations of Luxury Travelers”conducted by Wouter Geerts, Euromonitor Senior Travel Analyst, was also previewed.

To download the presentations pls visit this page

The medical tourism industry is valued at $439 billion in a new report by VISA and Oxford Economics, which also found that 11 million individuals travel abroad each year in search of medical services. It is expected that medical tourism will grow by 25% annually over the next 10 years as an estimated 3% – 4% of the world’s population travel abroad to receive medical services. This in turn could lead to an increase in value of $3 trillion per year by 2025.

Using VISA transaction dates, the report studied cross-border spending in more than 176 countries. It found the most common reasons people leave their home country for health care include a higher quality of care and service, reduced costs, obtaining treatment and medication not available in their home country and the desire to combine medical procedures with attractive destinations and traditional tourism activities like sightseeing.

The growth in medical tourism is believed to driven by an aging global population, rising health-care costs and a boom in international transportation infrastructure development, such as the estimated 340 new international airports opening worldwide over the next decade.

The VISA and Oxford Economics report also incorporates data from a new report by the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) that lists the top 41 destinations for medical tourism in terms of quality and value. That report found Canada to be the top overall destination in the world for medical services, followed by the U.K., Israel, Singapore and India. Canada was also the leading country in terms of country environment and medical tourism costs, while Costa Rica was the most attractive destination and Israel had the best facilities and services.

Asia drives global outbound growth while Spain takes the lead for inbound tourism
Asia remains the number one source market region for growth in international travel with an overall increase of 9 per cent compared to the previous year, followed by South America with 5 percent. Outbound trips from North America and Europe both grew by 3 per cent. In absolute terms however, Europe prevails as the number one source market with more than half of the outbound travel volume worldwide. Yet when it comes to inbound tourism, Spain outperformed the US as the number one travel destination in 2016. Germany remains in third place while Italy and France follow in fourth and fifth place.
Source: IPK International @ITB Berlin

Pangaea Network is pleased to share the findings of our latest research dedicated to Travel Distribution.

A panel of  167 tourism professionals from Italy, France, UK, Germany and Spain took the survey.

After the first edition in 2011, the survey was carried out a second time, in the last quarter of 2015, to understand how the professionals perceptions had changed over 4 years.

How much does mobile technology influence travel distribution today?
What key factor could overcome future market challenges?
What online tool performs best as a support to sales?
What role will intermediation play in tourism?

Below you can download both the synthesis and the full report.

Future of Travel Distribution 2016

Enjoy the reading!