PHG Consulting, a global leader in crafting creative marketing solutions for the travel and hospitality industries, has been honored with four Travel Weekly Gold Magellan Awards. The company’s work with the tourism boards of Uganda, El Salvador, Suzhou (China), and Qatar was recognized with the top designation in this annual competition that recognizes the best in travel and salutes the outstanding travel professionals behind it all.
“The PHG Consulting team has produced tremendous work for our clients in the past year, and we are thrilled to accept these awards on their behalf,” said Ken Mastrandrea, Chief Operating Officer of PHG Consulting and Preferred Hospitality Group. “We are passionate about helping our destination clients grow in the tourism sector, and it is our pleasure to share their compelling stories with the travel professionals, media, and social media personalities that generate consumer interest and ultimately encourage visitation. We look forward to creating even more best-in-class campaigns for our clients in the year ahead.”
“Magellan winners are those in the industry who communicate travel’s promise, through words, images and design, in ways that ring true and stand out,” said Arnie Weissmann, editor in chief of Travel Weekly. “They create the environments and craft the messages that spark travelers’ imaginations.”
The 2018-2019 “Spotlight on Suzhou” campaign aligned this Chinese destination known for its classical gardens with celebrity- and influencer-focused events including New York Fashion Week and the Academy Awards, while also generating high impact digital and social media exposure through platforms such as Travel + Leisure’s Instagram Stories, Foodbeast viral video, and The Planet D YouTube channel. Notable campaign results included:
- More than 530 million media impressions in more than 2,000 positive articles
- More than 25.5 social media impressions
- More than 189,000 new followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Destination exposure to top Hollywood stars including Viola Davis and cast members from Game of Thrones
- More than 89 North American tour operators are now selling more than 410 travel packages featuring Suzhou
The Uganda Tourism Board’s 2018-2019 integrated marketing campaign was designed to effectively position the country as a must-visit destination through inclusion on as many “Best Of” travel articles as possible. Notable results included:
- Inclusion in the latest version of The New York Times bestselling book “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” and its companion wall and desk calendars
- Designation as part of Fodor’s annual “Go List,” listing 52 places to travel in 2019
- Featured in the article “5 Places to Visit in 2019” syndicated in 13 Postmedia newspapers across Canada
- Named one of “28 Places Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2019” by Conde Nast Traveler
El Salvador Tourism’s “Great Like Our People” campaign was created to position the country as a safe and welcoming destination for intrepid travelers and, ultimately, drive arrivals, length of stay and spend from the North American market. A comprehensive familiarization program for travel trade professionals and media, targeted sports partnerships, immersive events, and a wellness-focused microinfluencer program were key components of the campaign, which achieve the following results:
- More than 2,500 media placements with a reach of more than 559 million
- Inclusion on Fodor’s 2018 “Go List” of the top destinations to visit
- 120 travel agents reached through educational events
- More than 75 arrivals generated through new wellness program
PHG Consulting’s China-based team executed Qatar Tourism’s “Welcome Chinese” program in 2018 to establish a strong position for the destination in this key inbound market, while educating and training Qatar on the needs and preferences of the Chinese traveler. Achievements included:
- Media coverage with a total circulation of more than 19 billion
- More than 8.3 million social media impressions
- 1,902 travel professionals registered for e-learning sessions
- 89 trade, media and social media professionals hosted on FAM trips
- Arrivals from China increased by 47% from January 2018 to October 2018
