Despite the airline industry's current financial woes - United Airlines and US Airways both filed for bankruptcy in 2002 - the travel industry continues to
recover from the industry depression following the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the SARS scare in 2003. Tourism's current strength, combined with its potential for more growth as the
economy continues to rebound, makes travel PR a worthy frontier for exploration and diversification within established practices.
"Travel PR is a way to generate revenue and build infrastructure," says Virginia Sheridan, president of New York City-based M. Silver Associates, who was named to head
the travel and tourism practice that Worldcom Public Relations Group (New York City) launched August 10. "There are many audiences that the tourism product needs to reach,
and public relations can target them" by understanding the business, the client's investments and how to interpret their product to customers.
One burgeoning area of travel PR: niche customers. More and more travelers now identify themselves as "adventure seekers" interested in, say, taking an African safari or
going on a honeymoon to Phuket, Thailand. Indeed, the variety of travel interests continues to grow, and the PR profession must be able to keep up with the Joneses. But, Sheridan
warns, "don't try to be all things to all people" because diversification and attention to highly specialized niches must be handled with a balance of power Hans Morgenthau would
celebrate.
Tourism also plays an important economic role in any public sector - from business to government - and its ebb and flow can have significant impact on the economy's health.
Thus, the industry's inevitable volatility must be balanced with strong practice groups in other areas as well.
"[PR pros] need to be able to have a diversity of clients to hedge against the vulnerability," Sheridan says. "Hard times are when you up the marketing, not walk away from
it."
Contact: Virginia Sheridan, 212.754.6500, virginia@msilver-pr.com