Suzhou Tourism
Situation
Suzhou, the "Venice of China," is known for its elegant stone bridges, canals, flowing water, and noteworthy architecture. PHG Consulting was tapped to help generate consumer interest in Suzhou’s UNESCO World Heritage classical gardens, rich culture, and ancient architecture through trade relations, media outreach, industry and consumer events, and a robust social media program.
Approach
- Position Suzhou to the North American audience as a must-see destination in China to:
- Increase consumer awareness
- Generate positive media coverage
- Drive North American arrivals
- Increase length of stay and money spent in market
- Grow social media audiences and stimulate follower engagement
- Remain among the top-followed Chinese destinations on English-speaking social media channels
- Highlight one-of-a-kind aspects of Suzhou including local crafts such as silk making, embroidery, and tea harvesting; performing arts such as the Kunqu opera; and natural wonders like the UNESCO World Heritage designated classical gardens, meandering canals, peaceful water towns, and more
Our Solution
- Developed and managed traveltosuzhou.com as the official website for North American travelers
- Engage with likeminded lifestyle brands through social media sweepstakes
- Introduced Suzhou Tourism to North American travel agents and operators that specialize in selling Asia
- Represented Suzhou at major North American travel events including the USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace and New York Times Travel Show
- Worked with the local receptive operators in Suzhou to develop and upgrade tourism product for the North American market
- Align Suzhou with upscale and attractive celebrities, events, and locations through a series of events across North America
- Coordinated and host travel trade, top media, influencers/KOLs, and content creators on immersive Suzhou FAM trips
- Social media community development and management via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
- Issued a bi-monthly newsletter to the travel trade
- Exceed audience growth rates by establishing a sustainable and engaging social media program across multiple platforms
Results
- North American leisure arrivals to Suzhou have increased, along with length of stay and spend, since the destination engaged PHG Consulting
- Secured more than 2,000 positive articles in North America about Suzhou, resulting in more than 530 million media impressions from July 2018 to May 2019
- Travel + Leisure named Suzhou one of the “50 Best Places to Travel in 2017”
- Achieved over 30 million web impressions through the paid advertising campaign in 2018
Visit Suzhou Website
Our Work
Services Provided to Suzhou
Travel Trade Representation & Outreach
We help our clients build relationships with tour operators, travel agents, travel trade, and other business-to-business groups that increase awareness of their destination and drive more arrivals.
Tourism Product Development
We analyze and evaluate existing tourism product, identify appropriate and profitable segments, and respond to market challenges by recommending enhancements to improve the customers’ experience before, during, and after their trip.
Web Development
We create engaging, responsive websites that inspire and educate visitors.
PR & Media Relations
Public Relations and media outreach are essential to increasing awareness and influencing actions that will ultimately result in increased business. We leverage our rich, long-term media relationships with key contacts across the globe to secure high-impact editorial exposure on local, national, and international levels, ultimately driving sales and brand awareness.
Social Media
Our integrated, multi-faceted social media approach creates awareness, engagement, and loyalty for your destination or hotel while building a virtual community across platforms.
Training Solutions
Our accredited training team offers professional development services in hospitality and destination management, hotel revenue and distribution, and group sales. We create and deliver custom workshops, classes, and extended courses for a broad range of audiences and topics.
Marketing Campaigns & Advertising
An integrated marketing campaign that incorporates both traditional and digital channels will keep your company or organization in focus. We design strategic marketing and advertising plans, gather and create image and content components, and implement and track placements to ensure success.
Digital Marketing
Today’s consumers look to real-time video and inspirational images more than ever as they are making their purchasing decisions. We will help you capture their attention by providing a complete suite of digital marketing services including campaign design, website development, search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing (SEM), regional programs, and promotions.
Events
Our team creates innovative trade, media, and consumer events, handling all of the details from start to finish.