Twitter has evolved over the last few years, maturing and going mainstream. Instead of having appeal just to the cool kids, now even parents tweet (the social barometer of measurement for when something becomes officially not cool any more).
This of course has its drawbacks – there tends to be a lot more irrelevant white-noise – but on the upside, it means that there’s a lot more information available and many more people to interact with across the Twitterverse – even if some of those people are your parents.
there’s a lot more information available and many more people to interact
Savvy, connected travellers rely increasingly on Twitter for their travel needs. Whether it be to tweet about the amazing nasi goreng they’ve discovered in Seminyak, contact the airline about lost luggage or ask the local tourism board about what’s happening. Twitter is something that every traveller should remember to pack in their suitcase before they leave home.
Twitter switches from a shameless act of self-promotion and indulgent self-serving “shouting into the Internet”, when it becomes a tool for two-way conversations. As a traveller, you can leverage this to your advantage and turn it into a resource; if you interact with the right users, it’s like having thousands of people to answer every question imaginable about a destination.
Using Twitter as a travel tool is not about having thousands of followers; it’s about connecting with the right people to get relevant answers to your questions. The universal rule applies: trust the people who have already spent their money, not the people who are trying to lure you into spending yours.
It’s not about having thousands of followers; it’s about connecting with the right people to get relevant answers to your questions.
In fact, you don’t even need to have one single follower to get the answers you desire. If you’re looking for good food in Dubai, for example; simply type “Dubai” and “food” into Twitter and watch the results pour in. If one tweet particularly sticks out, tweet the person who wrote it and ask them for more details – this in itself will garner more followers. The same technique can be applied to a search for hot attractions, hotels, bars, tours and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Travellers aren’t the only ones using Twitter to their advantage. Airlines, tourism authorities, insurance companies and cruise operators have all taken to Twitter to find there If you’re looking for examples of organisations that use Twitter to serve the needs of travellers, check out our “must follow” list below.
@SwissAirLines
If you’re travelling with Swiss Air Lines, make it a point to subscribe to their outstanding twitter service. The Twitter-monkeys at Swiss “get it” and have a solid understanding of the importance of prompt replies. They reply to queries ranging from lost baggage, seat allocation, flight times, meals and more. They eschew Northern European stereotypes of cold indifference with their warm embrace of every query, no matter how inane or seemingly trivial.
@VisitJordan
If there’s one government that knows the value of a well-oiled PR machine, it’s the Jordanian establishment. The Jordanian Tourism Board is happy to answer questions about where to go, what to do and what’s happening around Jordan at the time of your visit. They win points for craftily inverting the standard PR hyperbolic drivel and adopting a casual, helpful and human tone across their Twitter channel.
@WFInsurance
World First Travel Insurance is the only travel insurance company in the world that offers support to its policyholders via Twitter. The company is UK based, but though partnership alliances, offers coverage for non-UK residents. We tested their Twitter channel with a query of a snatched wallet on the Dubai Metro and were impressed at their prompt and concerned response. We had a personal representative contact us (@WFTristan) as well as the main Twitter channel. When we didn’t reply to the first tweet, they were persistent; proof of their dedication and understanding.
@visitlondonweb
Run by the official promotion agency for London, this Twitter channel is a trove of information and all yours for the mining. Aside from the stock-standard PR speak you’d expect from ‘proper’ British sensibility, the people behind Visit London are here to answer your personal questions about what’s happening across the city, as well as point you in the right direction of what’s worth checking out.
@CarnivalCruise
Despite my opinion on white leather deck shoes and women named Zsa Zsa gorging themselves at a buffet, I must pay respect where it is due. Carnival does a tremendous job of engaging their followers via twitter, with updates and responses to personal questions. They even have a dedicated support channel (@CCLsupport) where they field complaints about the weather, answer questions about paperwork and enthusiastically solve problems for individuals. The tone of interactions, across both Twitter channels, is human, authentic and warm.
Do you know other organisations that use Twitter with finesse? Leave a comment below and we’ll follow up with part two of this article.
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