INTERNATIONAL BLOGGERS HELP REUNION TO BECOME MORE VISIBLE
(Posted 31st October 2014)
Cognizant of the fact that blogs, especially travel blogs, have become hugely influential media outlets, unheard of until a few years ago but leapfrogging the various development stages and now claiming to be at the very centre of how tech savvy travelers decide which destination to visit.
Reunion embraced the idea fullheartedly earlier in the year when bringing the first group of bloggers on to the island after launching a smashing hashtag campaign #GoToReunion which has become the arch-typical connected destination.
IRT, short for Ile de la Reunion Tourisme, continues its digital offensive. Having established a special relationship with the world on social networks, IRT has developed it a few months ago, in collaboration with the agency Destinate, a blog initially dedicated to the South African market, an initiative coupled with a trip blog which allowed nine professional travel bloggers to launch a digital marketing campaign to exploring the island.
The question has often been asked, who are those select nine?
Five South African travel specialists and online media bloggers, as well as four international bloggers of international repute from the United States, Brazil and the Netherlands had been selected to participate in this adventure.
Keith Jenkins (Netherlands)
Karsten Matthew (USA)
Priscilla Reis Magalhaes (Brazil)
Matty Brown (USA)
Meruschka Govendor (South Africa)
Kati Auld (South Africa)
Selene Brophy (South Africa)
Natalie Roos (South Africa)
Yann chew (South Africa)
The nine invited bloggers discovered Reunion Island, in the context of a blog trip around the themes of family, romance, adventure and sports, gastronomy and culture, nature and well-being. To think outside the box, they visited Reunion independently. This is a personal and authentic island experience they could share with a whole new community, including through the federated hashtag #GoToReunion.
Through the blog posts of articles, photos and videos were their respective followers able to keep tabs on the bloggers and equally discover the many attractions of the island. As the bloggers met with people and saw places so were their followers able to meet with the local population, activities, landscapes, gastronomy or anecdotes. Within just days had the blog received nearly 2.000 hits.
Half of the visitors came from South Africa but the blog has also received visits from people from La Reunion, France, the United States and the United Kingdom and many more who had learned of the campaign!
Directly connected to social networks the blog provides a better ranking of the destination on the web, and thus contributes long term, to develop awareness of the destination on the South African market but also internationally. After the success of the operation, the IRT offers travel lovers to rediscover the great many attractions of the destination, thanks to a video made ??by bloggers during their visit. For more details click on http://blog.welcometoreunionisland.com/ or visit www.reunion.fr
