Food has become a magnetic force that steers people’s travels and often dictates what hotel they choose. Boutique travel PR firms assert that it is more critical than ever to publicize the cuisine at your hotel using traditional and social media to reach the burgeoning “foodies” market. With the exploding culinary craze, travelers are making decisions on what destinations to visit based on the cuisine they see covered in the media. Preferences, such as farm-to-table, locally sourced produce, and the innovative creations of chefs, are what your property should be publicizing through feature stories in important media outlets and social media channels.
Your goal should be to generate media coverage in such vital outlets as Saveur, Food and Wine, and Bon Appetit. The New York Times and The Wall Street journal also cover cuisine. Use these publications to show future guests how your hotel can tantalize their appetites for new culinary experiences. Emphasize your use of regional ingredients and show visuals of the local markets they can explore. In both magazines and social media, images are paramount to entice food enthusiasts so make sure you have a comprehensive image bank.
Images Speak Volumes
Stunning pictures and videos are the most influential way to grab the attention of future guests. You have to make your enticing menu items and juicy produce come alive through images. While for Instagram, someone who’s adept with their phone can take artful pictures, a professional photographer who can produce high resolution images is necessary for such sought after publications as Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast. Post frequently and with variety to your social media pages.
We have found that Instagram is the most valuable tool to use to convey messages on the topic of cuisine. It is a platform that moves at lightning speed. Brands of all kinds and every day consumers are constantly posting, which is why your hotel should invest time in creating a social media strategy here. On a daily basis, maintain your social media pages and make sure you use short, punchy, and compelling text.
Highlight Food Festivals
Food festivals bring visitors from all over to destinations and are an effective way to attract new revenue to your hotel, as well as boost the economy of the overall community. People come to wine and food festivals both to enjoy themselves as well as to experience the local culture. Heritage plays a pivotal role here, which is why your hotel should consider incorporating beautiful regional dishes and bringing local musicians in as a way to show off your destination. While food is the star for these foodie travelers, giving them a full cultural experience will set your hotel apart.
While there should be a focus specifically on the cuisine at your hotel, remember to emphasize your immediate destination as a whole in your public relations campaign. Whether your property is positioned in a trendy city like San Francisco or further from the hustle and bustle on a Caribbean Island, look for events that can allure the foodie community and create buzz about them to make your area their next vacation priority. From Mardi Gras in New Orleans to the Maine Lobster Fest, events that show off the local culture as well as the cuisine should be included in your public relations strategy.
Feature Farm-To-Table
Farm-to-table is a huge trend within the culinary community right now. It revolves completely around sustainability and food traceability. People seek places where the ingredients in their food are organic and locally grown.
Forward thinking luxury hotels have taken it a step further by establishing their own vegetable and herb gardens, as well as getting other ingredients from local farms. Creating a sustainable and lush garden for your hotel’s restaurant will elevate the farm-to-table experience for your guests that much more. People love to wander in the gardens and it enhances their appreciation of what you serve.
Make sure to put your garden somewhere where guests can enjoy it, such as a lavish rooftop where one can find sweeping views of calming vineyards or impressive skyscrapers. Farm-to-table is all about knowing where your food came from, so highlight the sources of your hotel restaurant’s ingredients on your menu.
There is endless potential for the impact that creative culinary efforts and strategic public relations campaigns can have on your hotel. The food craze is continuously growing and has the ability to yield an impressive influx of reservations. Give your chef license to explore his or her imagination with new creations. People are looking for hotels that can give them unusual experiences with food and also illustrate different cultures than they’re been exposed to in the past. If you use social media and the widely read food and travel publications wisely to convey the culinary treasures in and around your hotel, you will be amazed at the success of such a PR program.