Pinterest gains traction 
in travel industry

Courtesy Bucks County CVB

CVBs will usually first pin images from their websites in order to drive traffic to their site. Many will also post photos from their partners, such as local attractions or restaurants. When those wells run dry, CVBs can upload photos they have taken firsthand directly onto Pinterest.

“We’re always trying to venture out to eat and shop at local places, so I’m taking photos of those anyways,” said Mikell of Visit Gainesville. “Now I can share those photos with visitors by uploading them to Pinterest. They can find out what one meal at a local restaurant looks like or what kinds of things they could buy at a local vintage shop.”

Recently, CVBs from broader geographic regions have begun to create shared pin boards, an idea especially helpful to group travel planners. This community board allows you to see an entire region’s attractions rather than just the sites within one CVB’s jurisdiction.

“We have recently started collaborating with Philadelphia and other partners to create a regional board,” said Bencivengo of Visit Bucks County. “People planning motorcoach tours could put together a multiday itinerary just by looking at this collaborative board.”

Some CVBs have begun operating Pinterest contests as well, inviting users to repin their posts for a chance to win various prizes. Visit Savannah recently ran a “Savannah No Boys Allowed” contest that gave one winner a girlfriend getaway vacation package. The CVB gained 1,500 new users throughout the contest.

“Pinterest is becoming more important because it is generating a great deal of website traffic for us and our members,” said Brock of Visit Savannah. “It is definitely a key piece of the puzzle for our overall social media strategy. It is a good tool for engaging people visually.”

The Group Travel Leader is on Pinterest!
Decadent travel recipes, fun activities and captivating landscapes – our Pinterest site hunts down the best travel images and ideas. Come see if there is anything you’d like to repin!

pinterest.com/grouptravelpub

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