Utah Office of Tourism RFP – Travel Trade Marketing & PR

Open 12/13/2024 3:00 PM MST

Close 1/6/2025 4:00 PM MST

Contact: Glenna Nelson gnelson@utah.gov

Submissions must be submitted electronically via Utah Public Procurement Place

1. Purpose of this Contract

To provide the Utah Office of Tourism (under the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity)

services related to travel trade marketing, PR, and consumer marketing for the Delta

Incheon/Seoul to Salt Lake City direct flight. (Announced September 26, 2024, and launching

June 10, 2025)

1.1 Contract Terms

The resulting contract is two years following the contract execution date. A contract beyond the

two years will be evaluated pending budget and market analysis at that time with a new RFP.

1.2 Background

The Utah Office of Tourism’s (UOT) mission is to elevate life in Utah through responsible tourism

stewardship. We do this through marketing, stewardship, and development.

• Marketing: UOT curates messaging that inspires visitation, supports local businesses, and builds the Utah economy.
• Stewardship: UOT manages visitation statewide and supports the responsible discovery of Utah.
• Development: UOT partners with local communities to enhance and develop their visitor economies to benefit residents and visitors.

1.3 FY25 Strategic Priorities

The Utah Office of Tourism (UOT), guided by and as identified in the Red Emerald Strategic Plan, will

execute sales missions and marketing objectives supporting the Forever Mighty® Initiative as enacted by

the UOT and the Board of Tourism Development.

1. Increase Utah’s Share of Focused Global Markets. (Prioritize Visitation, Distribute Visitation)
2. Increase awareness & consideration of Utah as an exceptional outdoor vacation destination. (Continue Powerful Branding).
3. Educate visitors on responsible and prepared travel practices. (Prioritize Quality Visitation, Distribute Visitation)

1.4 Scope of Work

The Utah Office of Tourism solicits vendor services to position Utah as a preferred destination amongst travel agents and tour operators, and via consumer marketing efforts and media in South Korea. We are requesting services to accomplish these efforts with the below tactics:

1. Travel Trade: (50% of marketing budget)
2. Support key travel trade partners in creating more product and selling Utah itineraries, packages, and tours.

1. Prioritizing cooperative marketing campaigns and education with travel trade partners who sell Delta Air Lines/Korean Air and have the b2b networks to expand on these sales.
   1. Utah product promotion will include Delta Air Lines/Korean Air as an exclusive CTA Partner.
2. Creation of proposed travel trade plan and marketing timeline for the first year and addressed in advance of each year for which vendor is contracted thereafter.
3. An annual work plan will include:

1. Timelines for executing proposed and planned campaigns and other efforts with trade partners. (Marketing timeline and/or dates compiled with target milestones identified).
2. Identifying the top 10 targeted travel trade partners, qualified by visitors to Utah, product quality, ability to develop Red Emerald trips, willingness for collaboration with the Utah Office of Tourism, uplift and value-add opportunities.
3. An initial inventory and product audit will be conducted to assess growth opportunities.
4. Considerations: Integration of invested partners across the state, including Visit Salt Lake, Visit Ogden, Ski Utah, Greater Zion, Explore Utah Valley, Visit Park City and Heber Valley.
   1. Consider the impact of other states, including Idaho and Wyoming, and integrate them as a promotional selling point when appropriate.

5. Deliverables:
   1. A minimum of 3 travel trade trainings per quarter (inclusive of the noted partners)
   2. Two travel trade cooperative marketing campaigns per year
6. Collect RFPs for all trade partnerships to identify quality partnership opportunities that achieve UOT’s goals and maximize ROI (i.e., top 10 qualified list, product offering, value add, matching marketing efforts, etc.)
7. Include room nights/conversions in all reporting
8. One group Trade FAM per year

1. Travel expenses for FAM are included in the budget (Delta tickets and support to be negotiated/dates TBD)
2. Adhere to FAM Playbook KPIs and UOT FAM best practices.
3. Collect and return to the Global Content & Tour Specialist a signed assumption of risk waiver from every FAM participant before they arrive in Utah.
4. Collect FAM participant information and follow

Standard Operating Procedures.

1. As needed, attend and host the FAM to support any language barriers.
2. Utah Mission to Korea (one per year, or one over the two years/dates TBD)
3. Travel trade training for the UOT and its partners: Tour Operator profiles for sales missions. U.S. Commercial Service, Visit USA, and other collaborations for partner education are to be considered.

1. Mission efforts include: Providing translation services, securing event/meeting space, liaising with key industry stakeholders on our behalf, and organizing meetings.
2. Post-mission reporting and follow-up.
3. Support one domestic (receptive tour operator/inbound operator) mission in LA and Las Vegas.

1. Insights and recommendations
2. Logistical support as needed

2. Consumer Awareness: (50% of marketing budget)
3. Create awareness of Utah via consumer marketing campaigns, activations, and partnerships.

1. Integrate a PR strategy.
2. Considerations: Integration of all partners. Note the invested partners across the state: Visit Saltlake, Visit Ogden, Ski UT, Greater Zion, Explore Utah Valley, Visit Park City, and Heber Valley.
3. Consider the impact of other states, including Idaho and Wyoming, and integrate them as a promotional selling point when appropriate.
4. Identify the top ten (10) Consumer PR publications/media outlets via target demographic, readership/circulation, and/or, where applicable, niche/affinity target audience reach.

1. Quarterly press releases and newsletters
2. Feature stories/editorial placements
3. One group press trip per year OR two individual media trips per year

1. Travel expenses for FAM are included in the budget (Delta tickets and support to be negotiated/dates TBD)
2. Adhere to FAM Playbook KPIs and UOT FAM best practices.
3. Collect and return to UOT and return to Global Content & Tour Specialist a signed assumption of risk waiver from every FAM participant before they arrive in Utah. Collect FAM participant information and follow Standard Operating Procedures.

5. Digital Marketing

1. Paid social efforts with Delta and other trade partners
2. Delta joint campaign (budget via a Delta direct budget/TBD)
3. 1 group content creator/influencer FAM per year (Delta tickets and support to be negotiated/dates TBD)
4. Measurement:

• PR: EAV, circulation, PR value, number of placements (Barcelona Scoring)
• Digital: Engagement metrics (reactions, comments, shares, mentions, clicks), Reach metrics (impressions, reach, followers/subscribers), Conversion metrics (CTR, conversion/bounce rates), Brand awareness metrics (brand mentions, share of voice, hashtag performance)

1.5 General Responsibilities

Other general responsibilities include:

1. Provide any translations (localization) for UOT as requested for Brand USA programs and general office use; hard costs for extensive translation work above and beyond the scope, including international visitor guides, website, and landing pages, will come from the UOT head office/translation budget.

2. Proof any copy as needed for UOT international outreach initiatives.

3. Assistance with communicating with local vendors as needed for any UOT/Brand USA initiatives.

4. Manage Google budget sheet assigned by the UOT; approval of budget line item reallocation & campaign execution from market managers.

5. The market manager will review third-party contracts, cooperative marketing campaign agreements, insertion orders, and other signatory needs.

6. Quarterly reports are provided per UOT template/recommendations, reviewed with market managers, and followed by partner-scheduled calls.

7. Meet/connect bi-weekly virtually (via Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) or via phone with the market manager to touch base on projects/market updates and ensure the UOT head office provides the necessary resources.

Funding 

This contract is funded by one-time Operations funds to support airline development. (It is estimated at $255,000 per fiscal year for two years, including any agency fees and/or direct marketing dollars to the airline, which are still to be negotiated.) The budget for contracted services will be determined for two years and specified within each year’s work order (scope).