#TogetherInTravel: A Global Call to Arms to Keep the Spark of Travel Alive

On April 17, 2020, MMGY Hills Balfour launched #TogetherInTravel in conjunction with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to inspire the global tourism community. Since its launch, the campaign has generated 22.8 million (NetBase) impressions, thousands of inspiring stories have been shared, and over 100 earned media placements across 30 world regions have been published with a total reach (OTS) of 500 million. The campaign has undoubtedly galvanized the global travel and tourism sector, with visitors to the TogetherInTravel.com microsite coming from over 150 countries. Countless tourism organizations have supported and shared the campaign, including Brand USA, NYC & Company, Kenya Tourism Board, LATA, Expedia Group, Virgin Atlantic, Destinations International, Visit Mexico, Ethiopian Airlines and Ctrip, among others. 

WTTC recently called the campaign a “viral” success, and less than a month after its debut the team behind the concept reflects on its far-reaching impact. 

Amanda Hills, President of MMGY Hills Balfour:

“Above all else, #TogetherInTravel was designed to be a call to arms for the global travel community to acknowledge the importance of tourism. Having grown up in Bermuda and then Saudi Arabia, travel is in my DNA, so it was important to me to help curate a unifying moment that brought, and continues to bring, the travel industry together during a time when it’s hurting the most. Alongside the exceptional team at WTTC, we hoped to empower a worldwide increase in heartfelt travel content. Having reached millions, I think we did just that. #TogetherInTravel was all about filling feeds with stories about the world, from around the world. 

“Our philosophy is ‘inspiring people to go places’ and the notion for the #TogetherInTravel campaign was borne out of a desire to rally together everyone who, like us, is passionate about travel. The sector is uniquely exposed right now, and whilst we appreciate that governments are doing the most extraordinary job of managing the crisis, there is more that can be done to support the businesses that will enable the industry to recover faster. In this moment, it is of utmost importance that everyone plays their part in protecting those on the front line and to save lives. In the not too distant future, when bans are lifted and restrictions removed, people will look to travel once again. Therefore, it’s incumbent on us all to collectively ensure that we have an industry to come back to. #TogetherInTravel continues to be a wonderful opportunity for all who love travel to keep its spark alive.”

Caroline Moultrie, Managing Director of Hills Balfour: 

“Travel & Tourism is a sector which touches everyone. It has the power to build communities, reduce poverty in the world and improve the social impact of everyday lives, but given the current global circumstances, the sector needed a boost. As a result of the unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19, more than 100 million jobs could be at risk. #TogetherInTravel brought together our clients, WTTC members, influencers, airlines, tour operators, hoteliers and travel industry employees to ensure that the industry we treasure emerges from this crisis as strong as it can be. Travel and tourism accounts for 1 in 4 of all new jobs worldwide and contributes 10.3% to GDP, so it was important that we donated time to help safeguard our industry. #TogetherInTravel is a vital tool in helping equip public and private sector bodies with a brand-agnostic campaign that amplifies the huge value that Travel and tourism brings. 

“This campaign is designed to give both businesses and the public the space, encouragement and justification to share their travel memories. It gives people a common call to action and a means of communicating without appearing boastful but instead part of a greater cause. Travel is one of the most important things in the world to me – a complete force for good as I see it. It has not only given me some of the more incredible moments in my life to date, but it has also provided me with the most amazing community of people to work with. The global economic and social impact that travel has on economies and communities around the world is something to be safeguarded for future generations.”  

Nick Evans, Social & Digital Director of MMGY Hills Balfour: 

“Dreaming is part of our zest for life and #TogetherInTravel encourages thoughts of brighter days ahead. Our message is that everyone can still stay inspired with future travel ideas and bookings – and in the meantime be part of a social space for sharing, connecting and inspiring. #TogetherInTravel was developed for the travel industry and the community it has created. From staycations to round-the-world trips, travel has given us, and will continue to give us, so many stories that will help us connect, or even reconnect, with each other while we’re apart – amazing anecdotes that help us reminisce and will hopefully provide little pockets of joy and escapism at a time when they’re greatly needed. The thought of future travel provides a huge amount of comfort, excitement and hope – distraction in these unprecedented times – and what better way to expand our bucket lists than to learn about other people’s experiences. 

“The best social strategies marry up an understanding of people, how they are feeling and behaving online, with knowledge of the technology and social platforms in the playing field. Through #TogetherInTravel, we wanted to give people the power to keep inspired and developed a ‘thunderclap moment’ to ensure, from a platform perspective, that our message went out as far and wide as possible. The community-driven tone of the campaign was a key factor in achieving our fundamental objectives of generating an influx of positive travel content and conversation, whilst bolstering solidarity within the industry.”

 

To join the cause, visit TogetherInTravel.com.