by our colleage and friend Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil, Bangkok
Travel Impact Newswire has launched what is claimed to be the first report conferring a star-rating on travel and tourism industry press releases. In a revolutionary effort to “disrupt” the generally low-quality content and structure of industry releases, and force improvements, Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has set the ball rolling by scrutinising the press releases posted by nearly 300 exhibitors at the Arabian Travel Market 2016, held in Dubai.
A total of 38 releases were selected as samples and given ratings ranging from five-star to one-star. The listing includes the releases of many prominent hotel brands, a number of city and country destinations, technology companies and others.
Only one media release won a five-star rating, by an exhibitor which will prove to be a total surprise.

Says Muqbil, “Travel & Tourism is arguably the world’s most fascinating, thought-provoking, intellectually-stimulating industry. But that lofty status is not reflected in the quality of its communications apparatus, especially the media releases.

“For decades, the travel & tourism industry has been putting out some of the most boring, brain-dead media releases. Their style, content and structure has barely changed. In fact, it resists change. Most communications executives and the management executives they report to live within the warm, fuzzy cocoons of their own comfort zones. They like it that way.

“The status quo is ripe for some heavy-duty disruption.”

Muqbil, one of the Asia-Pacific’s longest serving travel trade journalists who was an invited media to the 2016 ATM, noted that exhibitors are given an opportunity to post their press releases on the ATM website. This opens the door for them to get thousands of dollars worth of additional publicity.

“A total of 298 exhibitors posted releases on the 2016 ATM website. Only one really stood out. About 10% featured interesting content and story angles. The rest were exercises in mundane mediocrity.”

Muqbil expects that the star-rating for travel media releases will disrupt the system by publicly rewarding good practise and forcing a rethink amongst those who are complacent. Each rating is accompanied by a brief explanation which can be used by communicators to improve their future PR output.

He adds, “One thing for sure: Travel media communications will never be the same again.”

The ratings report is available at a cost of US$500. Payments can be made via the Paypal link below.
A special rate is being offered to small and medium sized enterprises in travel & tourism upon request.

Click here to order and pay:
www.travel-impact-newswire.com