S3 Bonus 07: Working with Tourism Boards

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[00:00:00] Welcome to the genius women podcast. I'm your host, Yulia, Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer and writer with work in some incredible publications like National Geographic, Afar Magazine, and more. And this year you see my name in places like Conde Nast Traveler. I'm on a mission to help other women who want to grow their trouble, storytelling, careers, go after their dreams while feeling supported, worthy, and bold. If you're ready to ditch your fear and doubts to the side, step into your brilliance and take action on your dreams. You're in the right place. Let's go. All throughout this month, we're sharing with you conversations and workshops. We regularly have in the circle. Our membership for women, interested in growing their creative careers in the travel media space. At the beginning of each month, I set a theme we'll be focusing on in the circle. And one of our recent monthly themes was working with tourism boards during our workshop.

[00:01:03] We discussed what we should pay attention to before, during, and after a press trip. And on today's episode, I'm sharing with you that before. Part of this conversation. And by the way, when you join the circle, you get access to all of our call recordings, both in the video format and in the format of a private podcast feed.

[00:01:24] So if you're interested in getting the, during an officer parts of this conversation, too, they're right there for you. When you join the service. Enrollments of the circle is currently closed. As we're getting ready for a one-year anniversary, the sex sober. If you want to know, when we opened the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist to get on the list.

[00:01:47] All right, let's jump into today's episode. every month we set a theme for, you know, what we're going to be talking about, in the circle and this month's theme is working with tourism boards, both because I just came from an assignment where I was working with the tourism board.

[00:02:05] But also because I know you guys have a lot of questions about it. Um,You posted about it in our suggestions space, which again, Barbie, this is more for you maybe for Kim and for Sam, there is a space in the circle code suggestions where you guys can, suggest the topics that you want to discuss, in our future future chats.

[00:02:26] Okay. So working with tourism boards, what I'm going to do today is I'm going to sort of walk you through the before, during and after process and some thoughts that I have on this. and then, you know, as ask your questions, about this whole process, and then after that, I actually have a homework for you guys.

[00:02:44] So this time, this time we're going to have some homework for our monthly focus workshop. We don't always have it, but it's a day we will. All right, so basically,Like I shared with you guys before in the class. and in the circle conversations too, one of the best ways in which we can do this job is when we work with tourism boards, when we go on to Simon, because first it helps us with the expenses.

[00:03:10] Of course, we don't have to pay out of pocket when we go. but also because the best of them are truly. A great source of knowledge and, things that you wouldn't necessarily find on your own. When you go. So when you have a great partnership like that, it makes your story and it makes your work stronger, as a result.

[00:03:27] So I just returned from, an assignment in California with, one of the smaller tourism boards over there. Yeah. it's called highway one discovery route. 

[00:03:36] So sort of the way, uh, tourism boards are organized in general, there is the big tourism board, which is the country one, right? So there is visit USA.

[00:03:44] Let's say then there is a tourism board for each of the states. So visit California. And then there is the tourism boards sometimes for city, sometimes for regions, you know, the smaller ones. And as you sort of go through this, here are. The budgets that they have decreased, right? So this is USA have, has the most budget.

[00:04:03] The states have a bit smaller budget, you know, with some variations and then the smallest tourism boards usually have the least budget. So that's sort of something to keep in mind when you're reaching out to tourism boards and you want to work with them because sometimes the smaller, the tourism board, the, the more strict they will be.

[00:04:19] and the more stringent they will be, which was sort of the case now with me, because I was working with a very small tourism board, very small regional tourism board. They don't have a lot of money. And particularly after COVID a lot of tourism boards don't have a lot of money. So they were telling me all kinds of things.

[00:04:35] Like I had to get an assignment letter from a publication, which was the first time, that I needed to provide it. You know, I've been, I've been on assignments before and never. was always sort of this implicit agreement that yes, I will get this article published. They didn't need to see proof.

[00:04:51] I had a fine, but this time they did, because, you know, they have very little budgets, so they just really want to make sure that, that it happens. And then even things like I was, working my flights, and the tourism board was asking me, well, do you mind taking a red eye, which is cheaper? I'm like, no, I'm not going to take a red eye because that means I'm so tired when I get in at eight in the morning and I have to go straight to the shoot.

[00:05:11] My work quality is going to degrade. So I stood my ground. I'm like, no, I'm not taking the red eye. You know, sometimes it can be like that even when they have less money. So it's sort of up to you when you're approaching different tourism boards, you know, just sort of know this lay of the land that if you're working with a country like Saudi Arabia, They're going to fly you there first class, and they're not going to worry about money.

[00:05:33] But if you're working with small, small folks like that, then it's going to be a different story. so that's sort of how, in general, how it works 

[00:05:40] now, somebody was asking me this question, like, how do we even approach tourism boards? Like where do we seek them out? How do we start these relationships?

[00:05:49] And, uh, there are sort of two ways to do that one way, which is more. more common is through a conference, right. And I've shared this with you guys before, but there are several great conferences, in the states and also around the world, like IMM travel media, like with switch S I think you, you were a part of.

[00:06:10] So all of these different conferences are a really, really great way to start those relationships, because what happens in those conferences is that you might not necessarily get a press trip out of it, but you will get added to different PR agencies, uh, email lists. And that's almost as good if not better, because now you're in the system, you're in the circle.

[00:06:30] Right. And you start getting all these emails, you start getting PR releases. Yeah. Oftentimes, we started getting invitations to different press trips as well. So, but first time you make that connection is in a conference where, you know, again, you, you present yourself, you, you talk about who you are, what you do, how you can help, how you can partner together.

[00:06:51] so. There are conferences all over the world, right. And there are conferences in England, in Canada, in us everywhere. so even going beyond the ones that I've shared with you, which are like IMM, like teabags and a few others, just a simple search, even right travel conference in my area or whatever you can see, see what's happening and they don't have to be big global ones.

[00:07:14] Sometimes, particularly when you start over, it's a better strategy to start with a regional smaller conference. And that's going to be part of our homework today, which tell you more about later. but one strategy could be, you know, instead of as a beginning beginner who doesn't have a big portfolio, instead of trying to reach out to Saudi Arabia and say, Hey, fly me business class to Saudi Arabia.

[00:07:36] Reach out to your local tourism board and say, Hey, I'm based in Ottawa. I'm a local travel writer and photographer. How can we work together? What do you guys have going on? Right. and the likelihood of them working with you will be much higher because they don't have to fly you anywhere. They maybe can host a hotel, stay or host a dinner, which is again, less expenses for them than flying you somewhere.

[00:07:57] So, you know, start small grow from there. That's always a good strategy. like I was also sharing before, when I started out, my first trips were never tourism board sponsored, because again, it's hard for them to sponsor you when you don't have a track record yet. Right. Because their end, it's, it's a risk that they're taking and they've taken plenty of risks where they've taken people around, they fade for all these expenses and then nothing came out of it.

[00:08:23] So, you know, they've also burned. so they're also cautious. So as you build your portfolio, those opportunities are going to come more often more easier for you. But again, if you're just starting out and you're just building your portfolio, that could be a great way to do it work with your local tourism board, right.

[00:08:39] They always need coverage. They're always looking for people to work with, so that, can be a really. Okay. So that's first way conferences and events. 

[00:08:46] The second way of finding those relationships, is actually through reaching out to them directly, right. Reaching out to them directly.

[00:08:56] And I'm going to share with you sort of the process to use there. It's very straightforward share with you a couple of examples, but that also works. I was in the conversation, on clubhouse recently. Where somebody was sharing a story and it was a concentrator. It wasn't the journalist, but they were sharing a story that they just started being a constant creator.

[00:09:16] They had zero portfolio, they had zero like client work and they reached out to their local tourism boards. I think it was against Florida, somewhere in Florida, a small tourism board in Florida. And they're like, We're a concentration studio. We're based here. If you need anything, you know, let us know. And they hired them and they produced a serious of videos or whatever for social media pay the money, you know, not a lot, but they paid them and now they had a client to put on their portfolio.

[00:09:45] Right. And as you like, sometimes you only need that first one. To start opening all kinds of doors. I thought that was a great example, because again, they had no portfolio, they had nothing, they reached out to the local tourism board and they said, Hey, you know, do you need anything?

[00:09:58] Um, and that relationship started. So still staying in the, before the trip buckets. key here is to understand that this relationship is all about the dialogue between you and the tourism board partner. Right? Because at the end of the day, what you're trying to do is you're trying to find a cross between your interests, the kinds of stories you want to do.

[00:10:23] The kind of publications that, you know, you can potentially pitch these stories and what's happening in that tourism board. Right. What types of stories can you find there? And when you're talking to them, whether it's during conferences or whether it's, you know, via email, that's what you're trying to do.

[00:10:39] You're trying to find, is there a fit between us, right? Because the more fit you'll have. The higher, the likelihood that after the trip, when you gather all your material and you'll pitch it, somebody will accepted it will be a success. And if there isn't the fed, If you're going somewhere where you won't find the stories that you usually do, that, you know, publications you work with will be interested with, then it's not a fit.

[00:11:04] You're going to go to that trip. You're not going to find the story that you need. You're going to come back. Going to try to pitch something it's not going to work and everybody will be disappointed. Right. So in order for that, not to happen, the more of these conversations you can have ahead of time before the trip, the better, 

[00:11:19] because both of you are trying to find again, that cross between what you want and what they have to offer. and then, 

[00:11:27] It sounds glamorous that you're working with the tourism board and you're doing this, but it's not, always. Black and white. And what I mean by that is that all the pluses of working with tourism boards, there's also a lot of minuses of working with tourism boards.

[00:11:44] For example, especially if you're going on a group trip, which most of the arrangements will be like that it will be a group trip because it's cheaper for the tourism board to do that. Then you're sort of taken across the itinerary that is standardized for everyone. And the more standardized it is the less unique it will be for you.

[00:12:03] So everybody will be exposed to all the five for 10 writers who are on the trip will be exposed to the same thing. And then I'm going to try to pitch the same thing, sort of, you know, two publications. A lot less flexibility than if you're going on your own you have all the time, you have all the sort of freedom to do whatever you want.

[00:12:23] When you go on your own here, you don't right. You have a very short amount of time, a very structured itinerary, bam, bam, bam. They want to show you everything in that three or four days or whatever. It's exhausting. So all of those are also the minuses of working with tourism boards. And I'm sharing this with you.

[00:12:39] It's the same. You know, when you go into this, you have to go into it with eyes wide open, right? Maybe sometimes when you're sort of would that decision, should I go, or should I not go? Maybe sometimes the answer is I shouldn't go, particularly if you want to do a story. Very well-researched very in that, you know, where you need to spend a lot of time with communities that you're working with or what have you sometimes press trip is not the best idea, right.

[00:13:05] It doesn't always fit. So that's also something to consider. Okay. So that's what I wanted to say about the before. Part of it's, I'm going to pause here and see if you guys have any questions

[00:13:15] Thanks again for listening to this bonus episode today, I hope you found the workshop was shared with you useful and informative. If you're looking for support opportunities and community in the trouble. Face consider joining us in the circle and enrollment is currently closed as we're getting ready for a one year anniversary, the sex sober.

[00:13:38] If you want to know, when we open the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist to get on the list. Thanks again for listening and stay tuned for another bonus episode coming your way on Wednesday.