Belfast will be in the social media spotlight later this year as more than 50 of the world’s top travel influencers and tourism industry leaders gather in the city for a two-day summit focused on travel marketing.
Following the award-winning success of the 2016 conference held in Inverness, the Social Travel Summit will return to the UK in September.
Britain’s national tourism organisation VisitBritain is sponsoring the summit, to promote the UK internationally, along with support from Tourism Northern Ireland.
Now in its fifth year, the Social Travel Summit is one of the leading global conferences for professional travel influencers.
Organised by travel influencer network iambassador, the summit gives world-class travel influencers and tourism industry leaders the opportunity to brainstorm innovative approaches to digital marketing, as well to learn about the latest trends and insights in digital marketing and its influence on travel.
The two-day conference includes keynotes by industry experts, panel and roundtable discussions, and ample networking opportunities.
Emma Mead, head of global PR at VisitBritain, said: “We know the powerful role that social media plays in promoting the UK to overseas visitors so we’re thrilled to be working in partnership with iambassador again to build on the success of the 2016 conference.
“We are looking forward to shining the spotlight on the UK’s vibrant cities, breath-taking countryside, innovative food and drink scene and rich cultural heritage, to inspire influencers to share their stories globally and get more overseas visitors booking a trip to the UK.”
VisitBritain hosted the event in 2016, which saw more than 110 delegates from 25 countries attend the global summit in Inverness, Scotland.
The summit and post-conference trips across Britain resulted in more than 400 images, 135 blog posts and more than 3,500 social posts being shared online, reaching millions worldwide.
As part of the summit, the leading travel influencers will undertake trips across the UK to showcase the variety of experiences on offer.
Individual itineraries will be planned with destination partners to promote the UK to international visitors – with trips themed around the passions that motivate travel.
The tours will shine the spotlight on unexpected experiences and less-explored destinations, alongside globally renowned and iconic landmarks and attractions – aligning with VisitBritain’s new global campaign, I Travel For.
Social media is at the heart of VisitBritain’s global marketing campaign ‘I Travel For…’ based on its global research into motivations, passions and inspiration for travel including adventure, fun, relaxation, discovery, culture, food and drink and the unexpected.
Research by VisitBritain shows the influence social media has in positioning the UK as a destination of choice for international visitors, offering unparalleled opportunities to engage directly with potential visitors in a timely way, with the right messages, demonstrating an understanding of their world and motivations for travel.
UK travel and tourism businesses including tour operators, destination management organisations and digital marketers or travel industry representatives interested in attending the Social Travel Summit, which takes place on September 25th-26th in Belfast.
Find out more here.