6 months, 12 trips, 24 talented writers and a little fair share of happiness. What we have managed to experience and promote through our writing & feelings may well qualify to be of the extraordinary. Take Terry & Sarah Lee from England for example, who have nibbled off the longest apricot cake in the world and whose travel vine video even made it to the San Francisco Chronicles – congrats, dear Sarah! Or Nienke from the Netherlands, whose creative “Geniesserzimmer” presentation from Lower Austria made a real impact on us. Or how about Janett from Germany, who has taken to many a gourmet and creative holiday herself and who always likes (and longs) to come back to Austria?
And the Austrians themselves? Gudrun loves it to bake fresh bread, Andreas to visit fairy-tale like castles & fortresses. Martin has become an artist recently. Together … my colleagues and I have succeeded in convincing a whole number of people that travel bloggers really stand their ground in terms of online travel writing. Look only at what readers have to say: Countless travel intention messages, realtime feedback and queries have been received by Austrian destinations such as Burgenland, Lower Austria, the city of Graz or Salzburg.
Social Media is the key. And slowly but surely changes our perception of the (travel) world. In what way is what I would like to tell you here, summarising this year’s expertise about “blogger relations” here in Austria.
Creative holidays in Austria hands-on: Last June, Janett Schindler of Teilzeitreisender.de, Susi Maier of BlackDotsWhiteSpots.com as well as Johannes Zagermann of JustTravelous.com and me took an exciting and quite exceptional blog trip to Wohlfühlhotel Tannenhof near Zell am See. All stories are worth being told – over and over again!
Happy girls: Gudrun and I baking bread at the natura.kreativ Altenmarkt creative holidays in Salzburg.
In July 2013, we have travelled along the Danube river in Lower Austria and been truly impressed with the region’s culinary variety.
Highlight of this year’s gourmet events with travel bloggers: Sitting alongside the “GenussHauptstadt Graz” table for 700 people right in the middle of the city, being treated to high-class meals with a view over the old town … Wow!
Mostviertel, Mozart city & a muse for creativity: Travel Bloggers in Lower Austria, brewing beer in the city of Salzburg and discovering artistic talents in the creative destination of Altenmarkt-Zauchensee
“My kitchen is full of tasty memories from Austria”, Monika who is a writer, editor & creative business woman at her digital travel magazine TravelWorldOnline smiles at us when we visit her home. She and her husband Petar have especially fallen for the Mostviertel; I guess I am right in saying that they would love to come back to the gourmet destinations in Austria they have visited this year any time. Regarding the upcoming year, we are already busy making plans and taking into consideration some of the quality criteria for organising successful trips with travel bloggers.
From left to right: Andreas Susana (“Travelwriticus”), Monika Fuchs (TravelWorldOnline), Stefan Gabritsch (Managing Director Wienerwald Tourismus GmbH) as well as Petar Fuchs discussing blogger relations during the gourmet event of the “Genussmeile” in Wienerwald in the summer of 2013.
At the beginning of this year’s travel blogger season, we have been welcomed by the Mostviertel full of blossoming pear trees and warm-hearted locals, known for its tasteful and internationally acclaimed fruit ciders.
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In this context, another noteworthy destination I would like to mention here is the city of Salzburg and especially Birgit Weszelka, whose name I want to highlight here. “New Media Marketing” is really what she is into; our creative trip into the beer brewing capital city Salzburg was a true (international) success. I was really happy for instance to meet Susi Maier (Black Dots White Spots) as well as Johannes Zagermann of JustTravelous. On the second day of this trip, I still remember Johannes saying: “Wow! The sunset picture of Salzburg has reached 200 Likes in one day alone. …” Glad you and your readers liked it that much here, Johannes!
Important: Enjoying beer. Johannes in Salzburg making his own artesanal beer.
Salzburg has really touched our hearts this year: The view from the fortress of Hohensalzburg was just too good to be true … and shared / liked by hundreds of follower from all over immediately.
My friend and creative travel writer Angelika Mandler, who is busy becoming an artist for the first time in the creative destination of Altenmarkt-Zauchensee in Salzburg.
“Genusshauptstadt” Gourmet capital city Graz, “Geniesserzimmer” Lower Austria & “Gans Burgenland” gourmet destination: Travel bloggers become an integral part of digital communication for destinations in Austria.
The best thing is to have everything in written. Who does what, where, to which extent and how is he or she best supported by the strategy of the local tourism destinations or city marketing organisations, so that every stakeholder concerned is able to reach the much sought-after win-win-situation? We have really learned a lot this year, about working together. It might sound simple, but there are some important things to consider that I would like to share with you here using several examples from around Austria.
* In the gourmet capital city Graz for instance, we were able to prelude our highlight, the participation in the “Lange Tafel der Genusshauptstadt” with a much suited cooking class as well as a culinary walk through the old town. It was a real experience, and the many emotional articles, photos and Social Media messages shared by Andreas, Janett, Monique, Martin, Monika & Petar are proof to that: Thank you all so much for participating!
At the roof terrace of the new shopping centre Kastner & Öhler, we enjoy a magnificent view over the old town of this World Heritage city.
* The so-called “Geniesserzimmer” top Lower Austria accommodation association have called for a total of six “gourmet trips” in Mostviertel, Waldviertel, Weinviertel, the Vienna Forest district, the Vienna Alps as well as along the Danube in Lower Austria, highlighting top events for travel bloggers. Our team of German and Austrian bloggers were enhanced by the likes of Anita Brechbühl from Switzerland, Nienke Krook from the Netherlands, Laurel Robbins from the United States as well as Terry & Sarah Lee from England. The results? Countless videos, photos, Social Media reports & travel articles that have been published have truly impressed the organisers with a desire to repeat this innovative strategy next year.
From left to right, happy travel bloggers in Lower Austria: Nienke Krook (TheTravelTester.com), Janett Schindler (Teilzeitreisender.de) as well as Anita Brechbühl (Travelita.ch) on Segways in the Wachau valley during summer.
The so-called “Tafeln im Weinviertel” are another top gourmet highlight event in Lower Austria, whereby we were invited to take place at a gourmet table set right inside the local vineyards!
* “Gans Burgenland” finally is all about the culinary travel delights in the province of Burgenland, organising four different blog trips in the wine districts of the “Blaufränkischland”, the culinary-creative Southern Burgenland, an adventure trip around the annual surfers’ event of the Surfworldcup in Podersdorf as well as the “Gans Burgenland” culinary event highlight during autumn. Our groups of travel bloggers were able to gather exactly the kind of stories they wanted. Looking behind the scenes of brewing beer in an artesanal brewery in Gols, for instance.
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Knowing where one of the modernest wine shops of Europe invites you for a tasting. What kind of stories are held by the local people, such as at the Hacienda del Piero in Southern Burgenland, the amber city of Bernstein or the gourmet destination of the “Südburgenländische Weidegans”. The Burgenland plays a leading role in establishing successful blogger relations in Austria, having recognised and furthered this trend already in 2011. I am therefore all the happier to hear that more activities are to be scheduled. Stay curious!
Responsible for travel bloggers in Burgenland is charming Ursula Waba, who even owes the launch of her very own travel blog to the successful series of working together with others in the field: On www.toursula.com, she talks about Burgenland and the entire world she travels!
Travelling the Burgenland in 2013: Gudrun also known as “Reisebloggerin”, me as “Creativelena”, Ursula’s clever organisational talents as “Toursula” and Gesa of “Lilies Diary” from Germany, who first had to get accustomed to the happy accent in this part of Austria … !
I like taking tasty blog trips like this one, preparing our own traditional goose meal in the kitchen of the “Altes Brauhaus” restaurant in Burgenland.
What remains? A lot of (re-)sharing. Sustainable “Seeding” of high quality content about the destinations travelled in the World Wide Web. And a desire of both destinations and travel writers to continue working together.
Each and every blogger is and works differently. We are all individuals and besides being online journalists, we are also our own photo editors, video producers, website editors, marketers & search engine specialists. What is logical to one might not even be obvious to the other – also or especially within the community.
Hence, it is my conclusion here that as part of a cooperation with online travel writers, that each and everybody should be addressed individually knowing what it is each one can (and wants!) to do: What is the added value for travel bloggers besides being invited on a trip? Are there maybe future projects such as video productions, photo research or affiliate marketing opportunities? What is it each blogger needs, especially when being part of an organised group trip? What about the timing and the necessity to stay online and connected? How can each one of us receive support in order to reach their full potential?
Many questions there are … some answers we have found and worked on this year, others remain to be seen. I REALLY! look forward to the future and especially with regards to building it together with YOU!
Yours, Elena 😀