Infosessie Verenigde Staten

VISIT FLANDERS

Promo&ng Flanders-‐Brussels to the US & Canadian leisure market.

25 October 2011

1. OUR MARKET

Some sta&s&cs and informa&on about our market

1. American travel to Flanders – Brussels in 2010

265,000 arrivals 561.000 overnights

Americans stay on average 2.1 nights

Source: Tourism Flanders – Tourism in figures 2010


The US is ranked as the 6th most important market aJer the neighbouring countries

and Spain


# 6



42%

58% Flemish region

Brussels region

The American overnights by region 2010


The American overnights in Flanders 2010


___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ NRIT Trendsymposium NRIT Trendsymposium

Kust

Kunststeden

Vlaamse regio’s

Wallonië

1%

13%86%

Flanders

historic cities coast Flemish countryside Walloon Region


The American overnights in the historic ciNes 2010


45.147

78.975

321.245

24.86710.245 2.873

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

Antwerp Bruges Brussels Ghent Leuven Mechelen


Trend of the American overnights in Flanders-‐Brussels 1994-‐2010


0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

‘94-‐’10: +11%

2010:+10%


Trend of the American overnights in Brussels 2006-‐2010


0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010


Trend of the American overnights in the other historic ciNes 2006-‐2010


0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

50.000

60.000

70.000

80.000

90.000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Antwerp Ghent Leuven Mechelen Bruges


Trend of the American overnights in the flemish regions 2006-‐2010


0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

50.000

60.000

70.000

80.000

90.000

100.000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

60% in ‘Groene Gordel’


The American overnights by moNve of stay


45%

42%

13%

Leisure Congress, conference and seminar Other business


The American overnights by type of accommodaNon


95%

1%0%

4%

Hotel Camp site Holiday park Acc. for groups


Seasonality -‐ American overnights in the Flemish and Brussel Region


0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecFlemish region Brussels region


Seasonality – American overnights in Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, Mechelen


0

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

14.000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecAntwerp Bruges Ghent Leuven Mechelen


Benchmark – trend American arrivals in Flanders compared to compeNtors 2005-‐2015

Source: Tourism Decision Metrics

-10,0%

-5,0%

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15

Western Europe sum competitors Flanders


Benchmark – trend American arrivals in Flanders compared to compeNtors 2005-‐2015


-20,0%

-15,0%

-10,0%

-5,0%

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15

Flanders Netherlands UK France Germany Spain Italy Czech Republic


The American market shows great growth rates in 2011: = biggest absolute growth compared to other markets in 2011


jan feb mrt apr may jun volume 6 months 2010

volume 6 months 2011

Trend '10-'11 6 months

+12,5% +9,1% +22,3% +22,5% +18,0% +11,5% 265.629 308.987 +16,3%


The American market shows great growth rates in 2011:


1. American travel to Flanders

It’s the economy, stupid.


Carrier New York

Washington Chicago Atlanta Philadelphia Montreal (Canada)

Toronto (Canada)

American Airlines (AA) JFK ORD

United / Con&nental (UA/CO)

EWR IAD ORD

Jet Airways (9W)

JFK/ EWR YYZ

Delta (DL) JFK (bigger plane)

ATL

US Airways (US) PHL

Air Canada (AC) YUL YYZ

Brussels Airlines (2012) JFK

New !

12 (+1) daily direct flights from North America


1. The American traveler to Flanders

GEOGRAPHICALLY WE FOCUS ON: Americans who travel to Europe live mostly in the Middle AtlanNc states (30%), the South Atlan&c states (25%) and Pacific states (14%). New York is the largest source of visitors to Europe (17%), followed by California (10.7%).

1. The American traveler to Flanders

GEOGRAPHICALLY WE FOCUS ON:

ddd FOCUS for now on DIRECT FLIGHTS ONLY From Montreal & Toronto BUT ALSO: Tap into HUGE POTENTIAL of WWI Centenary


CONSUMER TRENDS & DEMOGRAPHICS United States demographics are changing: the number of people whose ancestral affilia&ons lie in Europe is declining as a propor&on of the United States popula&on, while others – and par&cularly those with Hispanic roots –

are growing.

•  U.S. adult popula&on 226 million –  Age 18-‐24 31% –  Age 25-‐34 56% –  Age 35-‐50 38% –  Age 50+ 41%

•  Hispanic popula&on on the rise !!!

•  Passport holders 36%


TRAVEL TRENDS & PROSPECTS for the US

•  J Interna&onal travel con&nues to rebound •  J strong growth in arrivals from the US + 16% •  J slightly beier Euro-‐dollar exchange rate •  L average length of stay is declining > indicates mulN-‐leg European trips with

shorter stays in each desNnaNon •  L weak economy, slow US growth (jobs and housing markets) •  L high airfaires •  Cruises are an important segment of the American travel market and cruises remain

popular, though in decline since some years ago.

•  River cruises are the next big hit on the travel market!

1. Canadian travel to Flanders – Brussels in 2010

CONSUMER TRENDS & DEMOGRAPHICS for CANADA

•  Canadian popula&on: 33.6 million – just three people per km2. •  Popula&on is increasing, but is ageing fast. •  55+ popula&on will increase by 16%, while 15-‐44 will decline slightly. •  Strong net immigra&on (over 200,000/year) •  More than 80% of Canada’s popula&on live in towns and ci&es within

250km of the US border. •  45% live in the largest metropolitan areas

Source: MRI Fall 2009

1. Canadian travel to Flanders – Brussels in 2010

TRAVEL TRENDS & PROSPECTS for CANADA •  J Canadians are more European centric than Americans and more

culturally educated. •  J Strong currency has caused outbound travel to rise strongly in recent

years. •  J One third of overseas trips were to Europe! •  J Even with the crisis, travel to overseas des&na&ons has con&nued to rise. •  Passport holders 50% and rising.

Source: European Travel Commission: European Tourism 2010 -‐ Trends & Prospects Q3/2010

2. OUR CUSTOMER

Who’s our target? And what makes them &ck?

2. Traveler profile & mo&va&ons

Image of Europe 1.  Europe’s history and historical airac&ons.

2.   Culture. Europe offers not only a culturally rich experience but also a diversity of cultures in close geographic proximity.

3.   Gastronomy was another common theme. Europe’s great food, good wine, and fine dining.

4.  Offering experiences that cannot be found in the US: Europe is different, but not too different—a comfortable desRnaRon for Americans.

5.   Ancestral Nes and America’s shared values and history with Europe.

Name 5 words that describe Europe to you:

Source:VisitEurope User Survey 2011, TEAM/Yellow Railroad/TNS-‐RI ……….but expensive!

EmoNonal associaNons with Europe:

Source:VisitEurope User Survey 2011, TEAM/Yellow Railroad/TNS-‐RI


Today, travelers are seeking…. •  Experien&al travel – I am where I have been •  « Bragging rights » •  Authen&c experiences – cultural auten&ity and

interac&on with locals – « honorary local » •  New experiences – off-‐the-‐beaten track, insider &ps,

money can’t buy

Europe scores high on these aspects.


Barriers for visiNng Europe •  Cost – though financially resilient •  Time •  Complexity / Fear of missing out •  Safety •  Compe&&on – growing popularity of Central and South

America


Image of Europe •  Europe is a resilient des&na&on in the USA. •  Europe is the region most selected by Americans travelling abroad (41% of

total overseas travel). •  Europe is an aspiraNonal “must-‐see” des&na&on. This enables Europe to

bounce back auer economic shocks. •  Europe’s appeal lies mainly in its history, followed by its diverse cultures,

scenery and gastronomy, as well as its friendly people, with whom Americans can communicate (largely in English).

•  Europe is both sophisNcated and accessible. Europe offers a lot in a small geographical space; and it is rela&vely safe.

•  Europe’s image is dominated by ciNes, par&cularly iconic ci&es in the most visited countries (e.g. London, Paris, Rome, Athens).


INFORMATION SOURCES AND BOOKING TRENDS

•  Family and friends (52%) •  Travel guidebooks (46%) •  internet search engines (39%) – over 105 million Americans use the

internet to plan travel

… Also influenced by: •  “Must-‐see world renowned des&na&ons” •  Travel agency recommenda&on •  Appealing adver&sing

as preferred sources of "ideas and inspiraNon" when planning leisure travel.


INFORMATION SOURCES AND BOOKING TRENDS

•  Most group travel, most cruises, many complicated i&neraries and even the majority of hotels are s&ll booked through a travel agent.

•  62% of consumers rated their travel agents as very influenNal over their choice of vaca&on.

•  The home based channel is emerging as a force in travel distribu&on

•  Americans want ‘to do Europe properly’. Less a last-‐minute deal decision. Though we see later booking…


FOUR MAJOR CHANNELS DOMINATE THE US TRAVEL MARKET

Two online channels: •  supplier-‐direct websites 23% •  online travel agencies (OTAs) 16%

Two offline channels: •  central reservaNon/walk-‐in 30% •  travel agencies/travel management companies(TMCs) 31%


Cruises remain popular

•  All-‐in package •  Degree of luxury and indulgence •  Gezng a taste of Europe – covering different loca&ons and regions


Americans travel to:


Our compeNtors

9  Counter the growing compeNton from desNnaNons in the East ! 9  And also: piggyback on other European (neighbouring) desNnaNons, such

as Amsterdam, London and Paris !

THE USUAL SUSPECTS •  UK / London •  France / Paris •  Italy / Rome, Milan •  Germany / Berlin, Frankfurt,

Hamburg •  Spain / Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla •  Ireland / Dublin

•  + Turkey!!

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK •  Russia / Moscow •  Ukraine / Kiev •  Hungary / Budapest •  Scandinavia / Stockholm, Helsinki,

Kopenhagen •  Czech Republic / Prague •  Bal&c countries: Estonia / Talinn


Who travels to Europe? Top ten emerging overseas desNnaNons, 2011 Rank DesNnaNon 1.  Shanghai 2.  Taipei 3.  Beijing 4.  Tokyo 5.  Ho Chi Minh City 6.  Moscow 7.  Kiev 8.  Kuala Lumpur 9.  Singapore 10. Hong Kong


Who travels to Europe? Most popular internaNonal desNnaNons of Virtuoso’s clients, 2011 1.  Italy 2.  France 3.  South Africa 4.  Australia 5.  Mexico 6.  England 7.  Costa Rica 8.  Turkey 9.  Egypt 10. Argen&na


Who travels to Europe? •  Most Americans travel as couples, they tend to be middle-‐aged –

older, wealthier and beier-‐educated than the average.

•  There is some evidence of a growth in mulN-‐generaNonal travel (i.e. grandparents, parents, children).


P o 95% of all Americans stay in a hotel

Americans have high expectaNon of rooms and service levels !


SPENDING BEHAVIOUR

Americans spend 140 dollar/day on a European trip


Important for American travelers: •  Americans want to feel safe, but they also want to travel off the

beaten track – SAFE ADVENTURE

•  They seek value, which translates as cost-‐consciousness (not the same as cost reduc&on), but mostly they seek ADDED VALUE.

•  CONVENIENCE is important – take the complexity and the hassle out of travel eg. Cruises


Focus on 2 target groups, each with their own needs/moNvaNons:

1.  Babyboomers

2.  Young travellers / students (on a secondary level)


Babyboomers: 50+ (possibly extending towards 45+ )

“In the esRmaRon of U.S. travel trade representaRves, baby boomers are oVen repeat visitors to Europe and as such want to experience Europe in more depth by geWng off the beaten track and experiencing more sophisRcated acRviRes. Experiences such as wine tasRng, fine dining, and spa visits are perceived as being appealing to this age segment.”


Babyboomers: 45-‐50+

•  They are big spenders. •  They are ac&ve, highly educated and are looking for des&na&on with a lot of culture. •  They have no living-‐in children. •  They have more Nme to travel and are most likely to travel long-‐haul. •  They have already some European travel experience, and are willing to try something

new/different.

(  They are sophis&cated travelers looking for AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES

(  Catch their interest with themed i&neraries & exclusive and/or luxury offers


Students / young travelers

“In the eyes of the travel trade, younger American travelers want a more dynamic European experience, focused on nightclubs, acRviRes, and interacRons with other young people. Respondents also noted that younger travelers are inclined to visit mulRple countries on a single trip and tend to choose less expensive travel opRons.”


Students / young travelers

•  They are the travelers of tomorrow. •  They have Nme to travel (pre-‐first job) but have less money. •  Low cost/VFM is a good selling point. •  They want to discover Europe. •  They are highly mobile, visit mul&ple countries ! •  University students travel to Europe for a rela&vely long stay + travel around by public

transport (they are very mobile). •  They are probably first Nme travelers to Europe.

(  They look for VALUE (  Make it affordable for them to come to Flanders as the crossroads of

Europe.


SOME QUOTES

•  “I think there’s a constant herewith Europe as one of the

more a[racRve places to go in the world. What you have is safety, comfort and value.”

Europe is and will remain a popular desRnaRon


SOME QUOTES

•  Americans like to go to places they already ‘know’, not

necessarily having travelled there before. We also love having the security of an iRnerary that lists out Rome, Florence and Venice, because we have heard of those places and the icons associated with it. The real highlights of that tour will probably be Sienna and those li[le places that people have never heard of – places to discover. But they will never buy a whole tour of places to discover. You do have to sell the icons.”

Flanders is not an iconic desRnaRon (yet).


SOME QUOTES

•  “The average traveller, for instance to the Caribbean, is

going to say: ‘I want to go to the Caribbean’, and my staff will say, ‘What is the experience you are looking for? Are you looking for swimming, beach, culture?’ Finding everything out about the client and then saying, ‘Ok, St.Barts or St. MarRn would be perfect for you. In Europe, usually, people usually come in and say, ‘I’m interested in a Tuscan vacaRon’,or ‘I’m interested in the Amalfi coast,or I’m interested in going to Provence.”

Experience and themaRc approach is a prerequisite (specific needs)


SOME QUOTES

•  “The most incredible thing to me, and several of us – the €

vs. the $. You would think the traveller to Europe would lessen year aVer year. We are not seeing that at all. If we had 100 more villas in Italy, we could sell them.”

Financially resilient travellers


SOME QUOTES

•  “It’s the experience that Europe can bring. It really

inspires you. I’ve been and it was very interesRng. Like the cooking class in Italy. In Luca I found a wine cellar that was 200 yrs old. Walking down you saw wines from the 1800s. That is stuff that people look at and go wow! It’s about the experience that the European market can create for the American traveller. It’s almost second to none.”

Make it real!


SOME QUOTES

“One thing that some of the people in the package business have talked about: the tradiRonal bus tour is not strong as it

was, where you do 3,4,5 countries in 2 weeks. What is surprising is, what is successful is river cruising. And it’s the river bus tour. You’re taken care of, you unpack once, there’s a program. No stress. It too is compeRRvely priced. So that’s a shiV in what people are looking for. There is a trend to

shorter trips, like a 1-‐week trip to Europe.”

River cruising on the rise


SOME QUOTES

“We don’t teach geography very well. The idea of place, distance and relaRonship. When you have something like Chernobyl, people tend to think it was in the suburbs of

Berlin.”

Explain where Flanders is.


SOME QUOTES

“I read recently that across the US, Americans had, on average, 18

vacaRon days in 2010 and took 14. Most of what we do now is less than 14 days. 14 of 18 – in tough Rmes people don’t wanna be away from the

office for too long. They don’t want to be not needed!”

“Even 15 years ago, selling an 8-‐day tour to Europe was somewhat unheard of. Now, 8 or 9 days is not just the norm, but one of the be[er

selling things. The grand excursion is off the books.”

1 week package to Europe (5-‐7 nights)

3. DESTINATION FLANDERS

What do we focus on to sell Flanders-‐Brussels?

3. Des&na&on Flanders

The American traveler is geographically – and someRmes culturally -‐ challenged.



Flanders… isn’t that in England, Germany,

Holland…?

I have been to Bruges. But I have never been to Flanders.

I know Belgian chocolate. But I

have never heard of Flanders.

I’m thinking of going to Bruges or Brussels. Let’s have a look on www.visi|landers.us

I had a great &me in Flanders, superb food, and such beau&ful

ci&es !

Flanders is the region in the North

of Belgium.


BRUSSELS

BRUGES, ANTWERP & GHENT

LEUVEN & MECHELEN

1

2

3


Our new brand posiNoning…

gastronomy

beer

chocolate

heritage

art

fashion

CUTTING EDGE CRAFTSMANSHIP


biking


ImplicaNons for product development: Ò

1.   Offer authenNc experiences – make it real

2.   Claim what we do best – we own it because we say so

3.   Think out of the box – make it exciNng

4. STRUCTURE OF THE TRAVEL MARKET

An overview of our trade strategy & ac&vi&es

4. Structure of the US travel market

WE FOCUS ON:

1.  Tour operators

2.  On-‐Line Tour Operators

3.  Travel Agents (& Consor&a)

4.  Affinity (special interest) Groups


1. TOUR OPERATORS

•  Tour operators are the DECISION MAKERS. •  Essen&ally, they are the ones we want to target. •  Building and expanding our trade book

•  STRATEGY •  Target TO’s with Flanders in their por|olios > encourage to increase offer. •  TO’s already offering Europe > persuade them of the value of offering

Flanders. Some of the key TOUR OPERATORS include…



2.   ON-‐LINE TOUR OPERATORS •  Used for researching des&na&on and booking •  Growing popularity of on-‐line •  Though many people s&ll prefer to use the services of a travel agent

•  BIGGEST ON-‐LINE TOUR OPERATORS include:


WorldWide Unique Visitors (000)

43.7m 9.4m

4.8m 3.9

7.1

0.9 4.5


3. TRAVEL AGENTS (CONSORTIA) •  Travel agents are the INFLUENCERS. •  They are also easier to target. •  Travel agents’ sales represent 41% of the total travel market ! •  Travel agents book:

–  77% of all cruises –  73% of all packaged travel –  55% of all airline &ckets

•  Use of Travel Agents is up among affluent users –  54% used an agent to select a des&na&on –  33% counted on their travel agent to help select a tour company/

vaca&on

•  Also: strong home-‐based travel agent channel


3. TRAVEL AGENTS (CONSORTIA)

A consorNum is a middleman who creates economies of scale for travel retailers and suppliers. In exchange for the consolidated sales volume of the group’s membership, suppliers offer a more lucra&ve commission structure. –  VIRTUOSO (members 350 agencies with 600 loca&ons in 22 countries) –  Signature (members 190) –  Ensemble Travel Group (members 850 in US and Canada) –  Vaca&on.com (members 5000) –  NEST (members 600)


4. AFFINITY GROUPS & SPECIAL INTEREST •  Tap into niche segments – forces us to be specific about our product •  Special interest tour operators are LOW HANGING FRUIT. •  They represent very interested – and cultured – travelers. •  Focus on ‘special’ experiences, lecturers, entrance, behind the scenes…

•  Travel programs of museums: –  Metropolian Museum of Art –  The Natural History Museum –  The WWI Museum –  …

•  Academic Arrangements Abroad

2012 Trade Ac&vi&es

Some examples of trips

5. THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE

An overview of our press strategy and ac&vi&es

5. The Media Landscape -‐ TRADE

5. The Media Landscape -‐ CONSUMER

5. The Media Landscape -‐ SPECIALIST CONSUMER

5. The Media Landscape -‐ ON-‐LINE

Too many to menNon…. Tripadvisor etc… We need to stay abreast with the move from print to on-‐line

1.  PRINTED PRESS > bloggers (clipping report!)

2.  MEDIA & CAMPAIGNS> websites, social media, communi&es eg. Beer Advocate, AFAR community, but also Google and Facebook ads

3.  C2C: our own Facebook page, website and Twiier

6. CAMPAIGN 2011

Looking BACK…

NEW WEBSITE WWW.VISITFLANDERS.US

CAMPAIGN 2011

WWW.FACEBOOK/VISIT FLANDERS

CAMPAIGN 2011

FABULOUS FLANDERS BROCHURE

A new brochure will be printed in 2012-‐2013. For adverNsing rates: See Partnership brochure

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

108

CAMPAIGN 2011

109

CAMPAIGN 2011

110

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN 2011

Some highlights of Belgian Restaurant Week

CAMPAIGN 2011

Press Trips : In search of the Holy Ale

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

CAMPAIGN 2011

CAMPAIGN VISUALS

CAMPAIGN 2011

3.9

7.1

0.9 4.5

CAMPAIGN 2011

3.9

7.1

0.9 4.5

7. CAMPAIGN 2012

Looking FORWARD…

PROJECTS 2012 and BEYOND…

Gastronomy Beer Art & history

CUTTING EDGE CRAFTSMANSHIP

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!