Conversation with : Celia Tichadelle, associate Director Travel Insight
Bénédicte Courné
In Blog, Blogger travel, Caribbean experience, Cultural experience, Digital communication, Diving experience, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Luxe, Nature experience, Slow travel, Sustainable tourism, Tourism Posted March 05, 2021
Nice to meet you : conversation with Celia Tichadelle, associate Director Travel Insight
BC: Hello Celia,
You are the associate director of Travel Insight, a leading digital communication agency in France, specializing in tourism and international hospitality. How did you meet Viva Wyndham Resorts and how was the digital communication collaboration born on the French market for the hotel group?
I met the Viva Wyndham hotel group during a B2B workshop on Mexico in Paris. Bénédicte was there to represent the brand and won me over straight away. For my part, it was the beginnings of Travel-Insight, so I participated in many events to jump back and further develop my knowledge. Life is made up of meetings and I believe in the destiny which puts in your path people with whom you will go a long way. This is the case with Bénédicte and our meeting during this Parisian evening.
And proof that nothing happens by chance, I had a vacation in the Dominican Republic scheduled and at the turn of a conversation, Benedicte suggested that I go and discover the region of Samana where the last hotel of the Viva Wyndham group came from to open. A few weeks later, I went to Santo Domingo and the hotel group was looking for a digital agency on the French market. After meeting the group’s marketing department, I returned to France with this great contract which fell perfectly into the early days of my agency.
BC: You have now worked for more than 5 years with the hotel group Viva Wyndham Resorts. What actions are you setting in place for the Viva Wyndham Resorts hotel group and what are the specificities of the French market for an international hotel group?
We have been managing Viva Wyndham’s social media communication for all French-speaking markets and for 2 years for Germany as well. We are in charge of the creation of editorial and audiovisual content (photos and videos), the animation of social networks, the management of all advertising campaigns on them as well as influencer relations. We are also in charge of their press relations and the organization of contests with different objectives (recruiting leads, developing the community, and brand awareness, etc.).
The French market is very picky, and you should know that in France tourism is one of the most popular topics on social networks. A digital communication strategy adapted to this market is therefore essential.
BC: The trips of French bloggers are a great success for the hotel group in its 3 Caribbean destinations. Can you give us some advice on preparing for such an operation and selecting the blogger’s choice?
Since the beginning of our collaboration with Viva Wyndham Resorts 5 years ago, we have organized 5 blogger trips in the Dominican Republic, 2 in the Bahamas and 2 in Mexico. The realization of each of the operations would not be possible without our partners (tourist offices,hotels, airlines and receptives). A good knowledge of hotels and each of the destinations is essential, but what really makes the trip successful is the casting of influencers and the program. At Travel-Insight we have a perfect knowledge of French influencers and their tastes and expectations, so we make sure to organize trips that will correspond to their values and especially their communities. Each trip is different, each operation has a specific theme and objective and we are working in this direction in the choice of influencers so as not to be disappointed as much on the partner side as on the influencer side.
BC: Can you tell us about an unforgettable travel experience and the visibility provided for the hotel group?
Choosing one would be impossible … I have had the chance to accompany groups on several occasions in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Bahamas. In this kind of operation, human relations are very strong and we all together create memories that are forever engraved: a barbecue on a wild and paradisiacal beach in the Dominican Republic, a dive with sharks in the Bahamas, a Mayan ceremony in Mexico … Some people become friends as the trip and the emotions shared together have been strong. It’s in these moments that I realize how lucky I am to do this job that fascinates me.
For the hotel group, each trip犀利士
is a boon in terms of visibility, notoriety and conversion. You should know that in 2016 when we started our collaboration with Viva Wyndham Resorts, the hotel group was well known in the French B2B market but little in B2C. We therefore worked through these operations to promote the brand and its all-inclusive concept in the Caribbean. Through these various operations, we also produced a great deal of content (photos and videos) to feed social networks and many direct bookings on the Viva site were made following these trips thanks to the influencers.
BC: According to you, what are the advantages/ interests for a hotel group or independent hotel to select/ cooperate with a digital communication agency in 2021?
The advantages are numerous, the first being outsourcing and its cost much less than that of an in-house employee. Travel-Insight is positioned as the digital arm of Viva Wyndham Resorts on the French market and on the German market. We know these markets perfectly, the people with whom to work (influencers, journalists, tourism partners …) and we are above all experts in digital and tourism and guarantee the hotel group results quickly and over the long term.
BC Thank you dear Célia,
Hotels & Collection International Consulting and Viva Wyndham Resorts are happy to collaborate with TRAVEL INSIGHT since over 5 years.
Blogger trip Bahamas Grand Bahama Island – Travel Insight – Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach- Tourism office Bahamas France 2019