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Art and Instagram to Promote Tourism
During my travels around Asia I have visited many iconic buildings, but my favorite is Taipei 101. The building was officially classified as the world’s tallest from its opening in 2004 until the 2010 completion of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
In 2017, during my visit to Taipei 101, I took an elevator from the lobby to the observation deck to witness the spectacular views of Taipei. The view from the top was breathtaking and I realized just how many people live in this vibrant city. As I left the observation deck and returned to the elevator my first thought was what area of the city should I explore next? I searched the lobby for recommendations or pictures of the local area, but all I could find was jewelry shops, no mention of what to do in Taipei.
As a tourist, and a business owner, I see a major missed opportunity here by Taipei 101, and Taiwan. What they failed to do was use the popularity of 101 to promote local businesses and attractions in the city, and tourist locations in other parts of the country. Tourism in Taiwan is increasing every year, with it’s biggest year in 2018 with 11 million visitors. There are a number of ways to capitalize on these missed opportunities but today I’m going to discuss two, art and Instagram.
- Art to Promote your Country
Every tourists travels differently. Some plan their trip months in advance, while others land at the airport, pick a city, and book a hostel. However, they all have one thing in common. Everyone will go to the capital city for a night or two and visit the main attractions. In the case of Taiwan, their biggest tourist attraction is Taipei 101. Artwork is a great way to promote the city and other areas of the country. While some people prefer just staying in the city, a lot of tourists like to venture out into other parts of the country. By displaying colorful artwork in Taipei 101, either in the lobby, observation deck, or elevator, you can guide and inform people on their journey. Show them what else your country has to offer in terms of national parks, older cities, cultural traditions. It’s a memorable way to make sure they have a great experience on their adventure through your country.
- Do it for the “gram”
Use Instagram to promote your country. Tourists will flock to your city just to get that one picture that will make all their friends back home jealous. In Taipei 101 displaying artwork and hashtags on the observation deck and throughout the building is a great way to engage with visitors and encourage them to take pictures and share them on social media. Also let travelers know of locations in the city where they can get the best pictures with the building in the background, i.e. attractions, parks, restaurants. Use the pictures people post as free promotion to attract more visitors.
Strategy in Action:
We partnered with King Power Mahanakhon Skywalk in Bangkok to promote their new observation deck. The building is iconic, and the only observation deck in the city. Their goal was to increase travelers to the building by leveraging social media, particularly Instagram, to promote and expand their brand online. The observation deck consists of 4 floors (Levels 74-78) connected via staircase. King Power wanted to tell a story, and create a journey for visitors walking between the multiple deck floors. We agreed to create a Bangkok theme that displays the city’s food, culture, and architecture.
(Our work with King Power Mahanakhon Skywalk)
Along with the spectacular views of Bangkok from the observation deck, we created a visual, and interactive experience for visitors. With the help of social media, particularly Instagram, the building has been able to expand it’s online reach and continues to see an increase in visitors to the building every year.