In China, where 70% of tourists are young people under 30 years old, KOLs have a significant impact on their travel decisions, according to a report by Rottoh Conan Search in the tourism industry. The importance of KOLs in marketing strategy has also been highlighted by industry experts. So, what about KOLs in the tourism industry around the world and how important are they in marketing strategy? Let’s find out in the article below.
1. What are KOLs in tourism?
KOLs, or Key Opinion Leaders, are the trendsetters. According to studies, the concept of KOLs was first recognized by media researcher Paul Lazarifeld who realized that people change their buying decisions and preferences when they are influenced by individuals they consider reliable.
In tourism, KOLs can be famous travelers who experience tourism products and services, and use their significant influence to spread their reviews strongly. Their experiences of tourism products and services influence their reviews. Even though the sharing trend based on experience is new, tourism KOLs have already strongly influenced the decision-making process of tourists through their objective and highly specialized expertise.
In tourism marketing, KOLs who have a strong influence on social media are often invited to participate in tourism communication campaigns to spread the value that the brand brings.
2. The importance of KOLs in marketing
Brand Ambassador
When a KOL becomes a brand ambassador for a travel business, the brand becomes more relatable to the target audience. They form a connection and create new values for exploring and experiencing travel, which can create a new tourism trend. With their influential voices, KOLs increase the reach of the brand and its accessibility to the target audience. As a result, the perception of the travel product or service will become more reputable, leading to better brand recognition.
For example, the golf legend Greg Norman served as the tourism ambassador for Vietnam, promoting the country worldwide from October 2018 to October 2021. Also, the director of “Kong: Skull Island,” Jordan Vogt-Roberts, was the tourism ambassador for Vietnam in the UK and US from March 2017 to March 2020.
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts with Tom Hiddleston in Ninh Binh (Source: travelandleisure.com).
Spreading messages to users
A KOL doesn’t necessarily have to be a brand ambassador for an extended period. A brand’s separate media campaign can use various KOLs that fit the message the project wants to convey.
Especially with the increasing popularity and rapid spread of Youtube and TikTok, using these micro-influencers will reach many target audiences, depending on the brand and project’s nature. The coverage that travel KOLs bring to social media channels cannot be denied.
For example, Le Ha Truc is not only a travel blogger but also a lifestyle blogger and the owner of well-invested, well-organized, and content-rich photo sets. The Papiu resort – the most luxurious resort in Ha Giang – chose her as a KOL for their travel product. Through Le Ha Truc, Papiu resort wants to promote positive living, traveling to explore and love oneself in the beautiful green space of Ha Giang.
Papiu resort chooses Travel/ Lifestyle blogger Le Ha Truc to spread messages (Source: Facebook P’apiu).
Increase credibility with customers
A health expert talks about eating habits and treating illnesses; a fashion expert talks about dressing for the workplace…they are more persuasive than those outside the field. Similarly, travel KOLs are considered experts, appearing frequently on social media or TV screens, with a “clean” background. They may have traveled extensively and have enough experience to understand the standards, or the novelty of the destination, hotel, or tour. They provide valuable in-depth information about the location, trends, and services. Therefore, the travel brands they suggest or mention will be valued higher and closer to readers, target customers of the travel brand.
3. Some case studies using KOLs in tourism marketing campaigns
Airbnb
In 2017, Airbnb invested heavily in the Chinese market, rebranding its name to “Aibiying” (meaning “welcome with love”), tripling its local resources, integrating local payment methods, and providing 24/7 support. The target audience is young travelers who increasingly desire independent travel. To reach this audience, Airbnb ran an Influencer Marketing campaign, combining with many influencers and celebrities such as @Bags包先生, @我的旅行小马甲, @小墨MO, @Fil小白, @Ming奚梦瑶, @jolie罗晓韵, and @安东尼. Airbnb invited them to stay in various homes and experience foreign life around the world.
The Aibiying campaign combined KOLs of Airbnb (Source: Parklu).
The campaign was very successful, and the hashtag #爱彼迎旅行体验 (Airbnb travel experience) generated 132 million participants, over 6,000 comments on Weibo. Airbnb was mentioned 2.04 million times on WeChat on the first day of the campaign, increasing by 2000%.
In 2020, to attract Chinese Millennial tourists, Airbnb launched a traditional Chinese New Year marketing campaign focused on family travel experiences. The “Celebrate it my way” campaign collaborates with six Chinese celebrities and KOLs, taking their parents on a trip abroad.
The “Create it my way” campaign of Airbnb (Source: AdChina io).
The campaign was mainly implemented on Airbnb’s official WeChat channel and achieved certain successes, leaving a significant impression on young tourists in China. Airbnb then continued to use KOLs for some other campaigns, using KOLs ranging from bloggers, artists, DJs, etc. because they want to impact young people in China in every aspect of their lives, using a young Influencer population of Millennials to depict who they really are.
HostelWorld – Mariah Carey
The agency Hotwire Global’s campaign “Even divas are believers” for the HostelWorld brand won the Travel Marketing Award in 2019 for the Best International Tourism Marketing Campaign.
With the desire to refresh their image as well as introduce interesting facts while staying in hostels, HostelWorld teamed up with diva Mariah Carey. They created a scenario where Mariah Carey would go to accommodations that she wouldn’t normally choose, to create curiosity not only for the media but also for nearly 39 million views in just one week. Thanks to that, they shattered the stereotype of affordable accommodations by highlighting the luxurious and rarely mentioned amenities at hostels.
Video Mariah Carey: https://www.facebook com/watch/?v=10156260493287766
They entered the UK and Australian markets by using “bait” information, including news about diva Mariah Carey, to generate interest and spark debates among the media. Meanwhile, the US and German markets focused on strengthening their media partnerships “right from the launch.” Each market has its own barriers and “culture,” which require marketers to be mindful when using the media to disseminate information.
For example, the US media had to adjust the tone of their headlines to be more in line with the authenticity of American media. This is a small detail, but it helped Hotwire Global and HostelWorld to appear on the globally broadcast FOX and ABG television channels in the US. By now, hundreds of targeted media channels have broadcasted the same message to millions of potential tourists: “hostels are not what you think.”
This PR campaign reached 1,500 articles, 100+ television news segments, including Mail Online, Lorraine, Good Morning Britain, VICE, People, Cosmopolitan, Elle, News.com.au, and half of which included backlinks to the campaign’s homepage. There were 3 million views in the first week alone, and to date, there have been 13 million views on YouTube.
HostelWorld saw a 49% increase in website traffic compared to the previous year during the campaign week.
South Korea – “master” of promoting tourism
As a sector with a high proportion in South Korea’s national GDP, tourism is invested in and has many strategic developments each year.
Starting from the Hallyu wave at the beginning of the 21st century, Korean culture has won the hearts of many young Millennials throughout Asia in fashion, music, cuisine, and lifestyle.
Capturing the “curiosity” insight into the world of Kpop stars and Korean actors, young people in Asia are gradually interested in culture, cuisine, and have a desire to set foot in the “land of Kimchi.” And from the government itself, as well as tourism brands, they push forward images of singers and actors in tourism promotion MVs.
Foreign tourists love Korea through Gangnam Style (Source: Pinterest)
Travel to South Korea abundantly and become widely known among friends around the world with the horse dance of the famous “Gangnam Style” MV by singer PSY, which has accumulated 4 billion views to date. In Gangnam district (Seoul) alone, the website traffic for finding tours here has increased by 30-40% every day. Up to 70% of people surveyed in Los Angeles said they want to visit Korea after watching this MV.
BTS promoting Seoul tourism (Source: habKorea.net)
Since then, South Korea has also invested in videos featuring KOLs such as “Have you ever” by the EXO or “Your Story.70s” by actor Lee Min Ho, or tourism ambassador Song Joong Ki with the Creative Korea campaign. The image of the Korean country is invested in meticulously and communicated skillfully, shining brilliantly in every frame.
Have you ever? EXO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO9aLVN5gHw
Creative Korea – Song Joong Ki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn5BlL-nN7M
Not only does Imagine Your Korean channel, developed by the Korea Tourism Organization (KT0), have nearly 400,000 followers, but the Korean tourism industry is also very adept at using other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. South Korea receives hundreds of thousands of international students every year, which are a valuable source of “raw materials” that the Korean government selects and invests in by paying them to promote tourism through their Facebook and Instagram accounts in their native languages.
Promoting the image of tourism through “exporting” of culture via entertainment media such as music and film is an extremely effective and forward-thinking branding strategy. South Korea is truly a master of tourism communication, utilizing talented celebrities to promote their country.
