The Villa Delisle earlier this week hosted the seminar of the Regional Platform Booking of the IRT, short for Reunion Tourism. A hundred partners (tourism providers and tourism service providers) were present at this annual event. After a breakfast offered by the Lodgings of France Reunion, did Serveaux Patrick, President of the IRT, and François Boyer, President of the Marketing Club of ESRD, deliver a welcoming speech to the participants’ attention.
The seminar opened with taking stock of the various activities in 2015, presented at the meeting by Ms. Isabelle Nativel, head of the Division Information & Marketing and Marketing Interim to ESRD. Particular attention was paid to the various products across the accommodation range. Today, hiking houses subscribed to the platform offer 758 beds in 35 units. Hiking cottages are mostly frequented by metropolitan customers (49%). An increase in French and German customers was recorded last year with a growth of 8% and 31% respectively.
Focus
Two campsites are now available for reservation in the network of the Regional Booking Platform: Le Bois Joli Heart in Sainte-Anne and the Entre-Deux Dreams in Entre-Deux.
As for the guest rooms, there are 148 beds (135 rooms) adherents to the platform and divided into 49 units. Last year saw a rise of 8.49% in overnight stays between 2014 and 2015 and an increase in turnover of 15.75%. The metropolitan clientele which is the first in terms of attendance, is up with a 58% increase.
There are 1,782 beds distributed across 27 hostels all of which can be booked in real time via all channels of the booking platform. Hotels recorded a growth of 17.46% in the number of overnight stays from 2014 to 2015 and a growth of 13.74% in sales volume.
Excluding accommodation products represent 74 units including 46 bookable in real time and 28 on request. In 2015, the number of clients experienced increased 44.59% with an increase in turnover of 110.99%.
The App set up by the Regional Booking Platform in August 2013 is highly appreciated by visitors to the siteresa.reunion.fr with a satisfaction rate of 96% in 2015.
The seminar also took stock of the event Alon Bat ‘Karé® 2015. Upgraded in 2014, the new brochure pf IRT for Alon Bat’ Karé® was created in an effort to provide quality support to consulting approach provided by the advisers of the reservation system. Today, Alon Bat ‘Karé® is positioned as a local brand, created by the IRT, in an effort to identify the reservation system of the IRT (IRT Regional Booking Platform, Tourist Offices, incoming agencies) to value the services on offer which meet the expectations of local and affinity clients. The event aims to highlight the entertainment offered by the IRT’s reservation network with a highlighted territory, creating a wonderfully good time to discover the on-site activities, and to revitalize the business professionals with creating a regular appointment and recurring ahead of school holidays.
Today we see that the investment of institutional partners on Alon Bat ‘Karé® helped generate equivalent benefits for the private partners. In 2015, it was over 7,000 accumulated visitors who responded to visit all the island territories!
A hundred partner professionals attended the seminar
Karine Cadet, responsible for France and Europe markets presented at the meeting the action plan provided on the external markets in 2016.
On the French market, the IRT represent the destination at consumer shows like the Paris Fair or Exhibition of Gastronomy of the Overseas Territories. Some partnerships are also planned, including with Voyagesncf.com or with Selectour Afat network through a poster campaign. The IRT will focus on the solar eclipse which will be visible from Reunion Island on September 1st, plus a series of workshops to be held in March next year.
On the German market, the IRT is present on trade shows for the general public as Ferienmesse Wien, CMT Stuttgart or Düsseldorf Tour Natur, not to forget the ITB Berlin which is the largest meeting place of the international tourism industry. In terms of communication, a campaign is planned in cinemas across 24 German cities for 11 weeks as well as a poster campaign in cooperation with weg.de. An inset eight pages to be inserted in various media German or 200,000 copies distributed between February and April 2016. The German travel agents can learn about the destination thanks to e-learning which is divided into eight classes.
In South Africa, the IRT will promote Reunion on Cape Town Cyclo Tour The Wedding Expo Joburg, the WTM Africa show as well as during a roadshow in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Emphasis will also be placed on social networks dedicated to the market. A contest will be organized on the Internet, as well as two game shows on SABC and DSTV February to June, 2016.
On the Chinese market, a press trip has already been organized in January with the CCTV 6 chain, whose audience reaches 20 million viewers. An e-learning will be launched with Travel Link Daily of February to the month of May. In May 2016, the IRT will use its presence at the exhibition World Travel Fair in Shanghai to organize a roadshow which will pass through Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. Professional Nine accompanied ESRD on this occasion. A review will be made at the blogs and social networks Weibo and WeChat.
The International Volunteers for Entrepreneurship (VIE) continue promoting the destination on the Indian market: formation of Indian travel agents and sales blitz, insertion press for both professionals and the general public, newsletter B2B.
A poster campaign is planned in Mauritius, in addition to the presence of the destination Meeting on living Ready to Go.
The IRT will be meeting in Korea during Kotfa living in Seoul in June 2016 of educational tours and press trips are scheduled for April. Throughout the year, representatives of ESRD in Korea will organize seminars and training to Korean tour operators and travel agents. Of press advertisements in media dedicated to professionals and the general public will be published.
The results of the challenge providers in 2015 were also announced:
Class accommodation
Hiking cottages:
Most Improved: Vivette Thiburce – Gite de Roche Plate
Best CA: Alain DIJOUX & Luc MOREL – Refuge Piton des Neiges
Guest rooms:
Most Improved: Jean Déodat – D & D Guest Case
Best CA: Clément ALICALAPA-STUD
Vacation:
Most Improved: Maryse TSANG LUN CHIANG – zoiseaux paradise
Best CA: Cécile VON PINE – Gite my rest
Hotels:
Most Improved: Eric NONE – Hotel Saint-Alexis
Best CA: Alice DELIGEY – The Garden of Heva
Excluding accommodation category
Activities – Transport:
Most Improved: Christophe Pottier – Coral Diving
CA Best Activity Full Nature: Paragliding Addict
Best CA Transport: Helilagon
Events – Heritage:
Most Improved: Kélonia
Best CA: OTI North for the product Far Far Kréol
Special Award – Most Promising:
Isabelle PARIS – Between 2 Camping dreams
Recreation Manager:
Pascal LEFUR – Nature and Volcano
By early afternoon, three interactive workshops were open to professionals:
• Development of structures with the combined offers:
Road to benefit “all inclusive”
Hosted by Catherine GLAVNIK and Aurore LAURENT
• Boost reservation network Alon Bat Karé ®:
The ideas that you never dared to propose
Moderated by Isabelle NATIVEL and Geraldine HUET
• The questions you never dared to ask about Citybreak
Hosted by Shannaz BEDANI and Blandine JERSEY
After a summary of the workshops and plenary few exchanges, the working day was closed by the Chair of the Marketing Club of ESRD François Boyer.
