Netzwerke International
BayTM in New York City: Bavaria Tourism in North America
Ein englischer Erfahrungsbericht über die Marktbetreuung Nordamerikas unserer Kollegin Diana González in New York. Our colleague Diana González about herself and what she does to promote Bavaria …
Welcome to the small hub of BayTM in New York City. My name is Diana and I manage all the sales, marketing and PR initiatives for Bavaria Tourism in North America. I share office space with my colleagues from the U.S. branch of the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) in mid-town Manhattan. I am a born and raised proud New Yorker with a passion for travel and discovering new cultures. As the only representative for BayTM abroad, my main goal is to inspire and motivate Americans to travel to Bavaria and experience all that the beautiful region has to offer. I accomplish this via my strong relationships in the travel industry across B2B, B2C and PR networks that include a variety of tour operators, travel advisors, journalists, social media influencers and partners across the travel space in North America catering to American travelers. In addition, my close collaboration on special projects with my team in Munich and in-market provides me with the relevant tools and trends to promote Bavaria efficiently and effectively. For BayTM, the U.S. market is the number one international target market outside Europe. The U.S. has been the top source market for Bavaria for many years and in 2019 generated over 2 million overnight stays.
Bavaria Connection USA
With this in mind, I maintain a very close relationship with all our Bavarian partners in Bavaria interested in marketing to the U.S. market with the creation of our “Bavarian Connection USA” network, which aims to help destinations and tourism products enter and remain visible in the U.S. market. We offer robust marketing campaigns, product development opportunities and frequent market insights and trends updates to our partners to convey to them the value and potential of the leisure travel business generated from the United States.
Bavarian Product: B2B Activities
My day to day is not always the same because it depends on the projects I am working at the given time, for example, there are days that our B2B projects takes up a little bit more time with activities such as attending digital and in-person conferences (or even hosting our workshops for our Bavarian partners), creating and reviewing marketing content, hosting trainings, webinars and brainstorming what new ideas and projects we want to work on the following year. For instance, I am currently working on our next digital marketing initiative with Avanti Destinations, a FIT tour operator, which we have had a strong relationship for many years and continue to develop new Bavarian product and tours for its American clients. With Bavaria’s special and unique offerings that range from fairytales castles and natural landscape to traditional festivals, Bavaria continues to be a highly-desired destination within Germany for the travel trade in North America.
Bavaria as Inspiration: PR and B2C Initiatives
In my day-to-day work, I also incorporate and execute our PR and influencer plan, currently in cooperation with the GNTO. I typically host digital press conferences, write up story angles for press releases and quarterly press newsletters. We hope to host in-person PR events soon to provide journalists and influencers with a better taste of Bavaria. On our B2C activity, I am currently working on a campaign with United Airlines and Munich Airport. With this campaign, we aim to promote, inspire and raise awareness of Bavaria as the ideal travel destination post the global COVID-19 crisis. We are estimated to reach a significant number of American travelers and hope to “plant a seed” and inspire them to visit Bavaria!
Networking is Key
Above all my tasks, networking is an essential part of my job which is why cultivating and making new contacts is crucial. Besides the important relationships within the tourism industry in the U.S. and Bavaria, I build a network with the U.S. offices of German and Bavarian-minded institutions such as the German American Chamber of Commerce and Bayern International. As we all recover from the devasting impact of COVID-19, it will be indispensable to maintain open communication with all our partners and work together to bring Bavaria back to the number one destination in Germany. I know 2021 and beyond is going to bring a new travel world for all of us but the travel dream remains high for our fellow American travelers and I am certain we will see them more prepared and ready to discover Bavaria than ever before. Travel bookings are on the rise and enthusiasm is at an all time high; so there is no questioning the prompt restart of international travel that we must be prepared to welcome.
Evolving Perceptions of Bavaria
For Americans, the perception of Bavaria, or for that matter, of Germany as a whole typically consists of “Oktoberfest”, “beer” and “lederhosen”. As Bavaria Tourism, these are notions we embrace but also strive to improve and educate on with our trainings, events, sales calls and digital marketing, communicating that Bavaria offers much more than meets the eye. Nonetheless, the North American travel trade and media are always so curious and receptive to our updates and find our many distinct local Bavarian ambassadors so compelling and intriguing, many are surprised about the unique stories and skills Bavaria excels in such as winemaking and the abundant wellness and spa options available. For sure, they always want to know about the picturesque Romantic Road, river cruising, German car experiences, Neuschwanstein Castle and special insider tips on where to try the famous Bavarian beers and even advice on the best tent to book at the famous Oktoberfest. For me, it is a challenging, yet inspiring task to captivate the industry with Bavaria’s diverse features.
Why I Love Bavaria
My favorite part of working with BayTM is representing a destination full of diversity, strong history, culture, idyllic landscapes and friendly locals. I also enjoy exchanging ideas and discussing various travel and tourism topics with my open-minded BayTM colleagues in Munich and the knowledgeable and passionate Bavarian partners throughout the regions of Bavaria. After many visits to Bavaria for both special personal and business reasons, I can say my favorite place is Lake Eibsee, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen for its calm and soothing ambiance. It is a magical walk for those of us that live the fast-pace life of New York City.
Greetings from New York City!
Diana