YellowDoorMedia: Online presence and marketing crucial for tourism

Online presence and marketing crucial for tourism – de Marco

Online marketing and bookings are proving to be crucial as they highlight the strategic relevance of the Internet, which has completely revolutionised the travel and tourism industry Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said on Friday.

Moreover, he added, in an international scenario of late bookings and more independent travellers, an online presence for Malta’s tourism operators was all the more fundamental.

Dr de Marco was speaking on Friday at the Hotel Juliani in St Julian’s after the establishment was awarded the prestigious “Select Insider Award” by the travel website Expedia.

Dr de Marco pointed out that Expedia is one of the largest online booking engines in the world, with some 85,000 global hotels on its register. Therefore, it is of great credit to the Maltese hotel industry that five Maltese hotels have made it to the prestigious Select Insider list, which features only one per cent, or 850, of the hotels listed.

He added that the fact that Hotel Juliani has been ranked in 29th place worldwide, and 11th in Europe, is of great merit for the owners, management and staff of the hotel.

Dr de Marco said that in view of the ever-increasing relevance of the Internet in the travel and tourism industry, this year the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) will be spending almost e800,000 in online marketing and advertising alone.

Such initiatives include banners and search engine specialised listings, as well as offers developed in conjunction with various airlines, tour operators and hotels.

Dr de Marco urged tourism operators to make more use of the Internet and the huge opportunities it has brought about, adding that both the government and the MTA have come up with support schemes specifically targeted for such initiatives by private enterprise.