HomeMy WebLinkAbout11. Results of Travel Writers Press Trip Survey
October 10, 2016
TO: Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council
FROM: Melissa Delekta, MYPR
CC: Kelli McDonald, Town of Vail and Kristin Yantis, MYPR
RE: Results of Travel Writers Press Trip Survey
As you know, press trips and individual media visits are some of the best ways to garner media coverage.
MYPR consistently gets rated positively for its trips by writers in post-trip surveys, however, over the years
a number of simple elements of press trips continually get debated e.g. length of trips, bringing a guest, etc.
MYPR conducted a survey of key travel writers this fall to put these issues at rest. Most of the data
supports what we already know, but we also received helpful comments that have sparked new ideas that
can be incorporate into future trips.
Who:
We surveyed an extensive group of bloggers, freelance writers and in-house journalists who cover travel.
There were 140 responses, although some writers chose not to answer every question. Although we don’t
have the data to back it up, we estimate that most responses were from freelance writers.
The Questions:
§ How often do you receive story assignments prior to going on a press trip?
§ When are you more likely to attend a press trip?
§ Do you prefer group or solo trips?
§ How important is the option to bring a guest?
§ What is the ideal length of a domestic trip?
§ What is the ideal amount of information included on a press trip itinerary?
Key Findings:
§ Only 23 percent of writers have a story assignment prior to going on press trips. We discovered it is
much more common for writers to get story ideas while on the trip and then pitch their editors.
§ 56 percent of writers have no preference whether a press trip is over the weekend or mid-week.
§ 39 percent of media prefer a solo trip versus a group trip. Only 16 percent of media said they would
prefer to attend a group trip; the rest were indifferent.
§ 46 percent of writers say that the option to bring a guest is not important. However, we received
several comments from family travel writers that the ability to bring their child or spouse is crucial
for their stories.
§ 41 percent of media think that three nights is the ideal length for a domestic press trip.
§ We learned that media find it helpful to have a more robust itinerary with descriptions of activities,
restaurants, etc. as opposed to just a bare bones; date, time and place itinerary. Incorporating all of
the social media handles and hashtags that they may want to use while on the trip also is helpful.
Sample Comments:
We included a space for comments after a few of the questions and also left room for open ended
comments at the conclusion of the survey. Here is a sample of the verbatim comments.
Comments on the ideal trip length:
§ If full days are needed to sample a variety of activities, then I have to assess how long it'll take
me to get there. If I fly across country for a two-night trip, I'm really not getting to know the
destination. The important elements are: how far am I going, what time of day will I arrive, and
what am I attempting to do?
§ Depends upon where it is. Generally 3-4 nights gives enough time to familiarize yourself with a
destination and still have a little time to explore on your own. Once you know what a
destination offers in a general sense, you can drill down for the special stories.
§ Depends on how long of a flight and how much time is required to pursue the leads or angles
on interest. In general, 3 days/nights but if it's flying cross-country and a day is lost due to
travel, then 4.
Comments on what to include in an itinerary:
§ I value the descriptions in advance of the press trip, but then find flipping through pages is
difficult when on the ground. Perhaps 2 documents is the way to go---one that's short and
sweet for on the ground use and one that's longer for pre-trip prep.
§ One PR firm I go on trips with gives us not only descriptions, names/contacts of other media on
the trip, but also all names and contacts for every single place we visit - hotel, restaurant,
activity, etc. This becomes really helpful when writing the story, plus take the onus off you to
answer questions!
§ Nice to include: Anticipated weather, what to bring/pack, recommendations for optional things
to see/do in the area, etc. I tend to like more information than less. A quick overview of the
whole trip is nice to have if the itinerary is lengthy.
General comments:
§ The ideal group trip has only a handful of participants, and provides lots of time for pursuing
individual story lines. Those of us who take photos want free time during the golden morning
and evening hours. That's why I prefer individual trips with a limited itinerary where I can
pursue my own story line. I enjoy backstage tours and the opportunity to interview important
people, but I also need to experience the site as a normal traveler would.
§ The best press trips, in my opinion, are those focused on experiences real travelers can have
(not special behind-the-scenes experiences travelers can't replicate), those with a variety of
hotels and restaurants (not just one brand) ideally at different price points, and those that allow
for some free time to see a place on your own and follow an angle.
§ Packing is always an issue, so I like to get the itinerary 2-3 days prior to a trip, especially if we'll
be doing specific activities that require certain gear. Bottom line for me is: give me as much
information as you can! And, if it's a large press trip - nametags, please!
The findings from the survey confirmed most, if not all, of what we already are doing on behalf of our
clients. MYPR is continually getting feedback from writers about its press trip process – we’ve realized we
are doing some unique things that media have not experienced before e.g. we distribute an introductory
email to all group participants prior to the trip so they can connect with each other directly and via social
media before arriving. However, there’s always room for improvement! We were able to garner some
interesting ideas out of the comments sections. We definitely plan to implement some of the ideas into
future press trips. Some examples of new ideas include:
§ Screenshot and include the weather forecast on itineraries.
§ Create two itineraries, one bare bones itinerary and one with a high level of detail.
§ Provide fun facts in social media format prior to arrival for ease of use during the trip.
Please see the following addendum with the full survey results. A complete list of verbatim comments is
available upon request.
Upon review of this information, please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Addendum: Survey Results