Track 5 – Marketing: Emerging Marketing (5A) & Social Media (5B)
Track 5: Marketing & Sales
Promoting products and services has increasingly shifted online. While the channel mix has changed, the fundamentals of marketing remain the same. Understanding markets, demographics, and consumer behaviour is critical to success.
Manda de Laos, a MTF 2017 Host Venue
Session 5A: Emerging Markets
Facilitator: Jason Lusk, Clickable Vietnam
Experts: Sunny Yu, IHG / Sergey Kutuzov, Swissotel Phuket
Session 5A: Emerging Markets
China has become one of the most important source markets in the global tourism industry, and even more important for the GMS due its proximity. However the Chinese market is extremely complex, and requires commitment and a clear strategy in order to be successful. On the other hand, Russia’s outbound travel sector has been a growth story for many years. Tourism levels grew 48% between 2008 and 2014, and there is appetite for this to continue. But 2015 and 2016 were tough years, the Russian outbound tourism is expected to grow by 30-40%, or even more in the coming years.
Manda de Laos Restaurant – The property on which Manda de Laos sits has been in the same family for generations. Lao food traditions are actively preserved here in honour of the matriarch Phiew, who learned to cook traditional Lao dishes from her mother and passed her passion on to her five daughters. The restaurant, considered one of the finest in Luang Prabang, sits at the edge of three beautiful lotus ponds, which are also preserved; listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 1995.
Website: www.mandadelaos.com
Mekong River Cruises’ ‘Mekong Star’, a MTF 2017 Host Venue
Session 5B: Social Media & Digital Marketing
Facilitator: Jason Lusk, Clickable Vietnam
Experts: Matt Zatto, Tripadvisor / Gerrit Krueger, Mekong Moments
Digital, social, and mobile have become critical components in the marketing mix. This session will reveal some of the latest trends from the largest travel site in the world, Tripadvisor, and introduce the collaborative #MekongMoments campaign as a tool for even the smallest operator to promote their business at no cost. This how-to session is not to be missed by anybody interested in building their business while promoting the region as a whole.
Mekong River Cruises’ ‘Mekong Star’ – A Lao-German joint venture, Mekong River Cruises launched the first long-distance river cruise on the upper Mekong River in 2005 on the unique Mekong Sun. Mekong River Cruises offers different routes between Chiang Saen in Thailand, Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos, and the provinces of Thailand’s Issan region. The company’s newer vessel, the Mekong Star, with the bright, open indoor/outdoor spaces of its upper deck, will provide the perfect venue for the Forum session.
Website: www.cruisemekong.com