The Problem

Tourists now expect more information than traditional DMO’s can provide. When it comes time to start planning for that vacation, the sheer volume of options can be daunting for even the most sophisticated traveler.

Travelers who do not possesses a fair amount of local knowledge of a certain region could miss viable vacation opportunities which may be perfect for them. Many travel destinations in the South are viewed by the consumer as a general identifiable area (i.e. – The Grand Strand, The Emerald Coast, Tampa Bay, SW Florida, etc.). Travel consumers with little destination knowledge may not realize there are multiple cities and/or counties comprising the larger “popular” destination - each with their own tourism marketing organization with a goal of gaining the largest share of the market and generating the most visitor traffic to their community.

Unless the traveler is aware of this situation and the local cities, towns and counties which

comprise a popular destination area, they could miss vacation opportunities – literally just

“next-door” to the area in which they are looking due to a lack of “local knowledge”.

At Market Edge Communications, we see destinations as consumers do - from a bird’s eye view. We recognize parochialism and respect the local TDC’s and DMO’s mission for their respective community stakeholders. However, we also recognize the consumer’s desire for a comprehensive destination resource for the best vacation opportunities throughout an entire destination area.

The Solution

Great Southern Destinations is a total destination travel website developed with lodging partners and travelers in mind. Our goal is simple – under a central "Great Southern Destinations" theme - we have developed focused, micro-sites around popular destinations designed to generate revenue for lodging partners via a travel website which attracts consumers through the use of highly refined content marketing strategies to attract and retain a qualified audience. Additionally, a coordinated broadcast email program and social media programs allows for direct and consistent dialogue with an audience of demonstrated loyal consumers.

With a total destination viewpoint, we “step over” local parochial lines and cultivate a destination-engaged travel audience by offering the best opportunity for a quality vacation experience within the respective popular “destination”. From a consumer’s point of view, Great Southern Destinations provides instant access to valuable vacation discounts and opportunities throughout the broader destination area. It is designed to be a quality, “go-to” resource to research and leisure travel planning. Effectively, Great Southern Destinations is truly a one-stop shopping experience for travel consumers.

The Value To Our Lodging Partners

From a travel partner’s point of view, Great Southern Destinations provides access to active travelers who have demonstrated an interest in a general destination.

The value to lodging partners includes:

• Qualified, targeted traffic with demonstrated interest in the broad destination.

• Access to travelers in which they may not have normally reached due to sub-area marketing "parochialism".

• A marketing channel with the goal of booking vacation accommodations for program partners instead of TDC/DMO programs which are typically focused first on generating visitors.

• Access to travel consumers in an exclusive direct-booking model, thus eliminating commissions through third-party (OTA) channels.

• Through aggressive SEO/SEM strategies, we have the experience to realize better SERP’s results compared to broad TDC/DMO sites.

• Exclusively available to property management companies and hotel/resort properties. No competition from VRBO’s – who, unknowingly, help deflate market rental rates.

• A “Lean Business” model … thus, allowing flexibility to quickly adapt and respond to market changes. No board or governmental approval processes.

Contact Us for the Great Southern Destinations Media Kit (PDF)