Have you heard of Hochsteiermark? Probably not. Should it be you next destination? Absolutely!

Hochsteiermark Press Presentation at the ‘Hike & Bike Fair’

Introduction

‘Where is Hochsteiermark?’ you might ask. Don’t worry we didn’t know either before we got contacted by the Tourism Board of Hochsteiermark . They contacted us about the Fiets & Wandelbeurs in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. ‘Is this event interesting for our organisation?’. Once we did our research on the region we answered with an enthousiastic: ‘Yes!’. The region is perfect for tourists that like to be active and enjoy being in nature.

Objective

Promote The Austrian region of Hochsteiermark to the Dutch market as a great (active) holiday destination. The focus was on the cycling and hiking possibilities on in the mountains and forests. The region is currently not very well known. And that is an absolute shame in our opinion. So we aim to change that.

Strategy

In order to promote the possibilities regarding cycling and hiking on Hochsteiermark, we represented our client by means of a press presentation at the Dutch ‘Fiets and Wandelbeurs’ (Hike & Bike fair in English). This fair – with a focus on cycling and hiking trends worldwide – is held annually at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.

  • Presence at the ‘Fiets en Wandelbeurs’. By being present, visitors might in the future link their cycling and hiking holidays to Hochsteiermark as a possible destination.
  • Inform journalists and visitors about the possibilities that Hochsteiermark offers regarding cycling and hiking. By having conversations with the press and potential visitors, we were able to connect with them and inform them about possibilities in an in-depth manor, explaining them from a personal perspective and got an idea of how they feel about the destination.
  • Answering questions regarding the destination itself or specific cycling and hiking activities. Being present at a fair such as the Fiets and Wandelbeurs, allows (potential) visitors to get in contact with the destination. Any questions or remarks they might have are dealt with on the spot and with a personal touch. Being present creates a sense of trust.
  • Motivating visitors to visit Hochsteiermark. Many visitors were still in the orientation phase of their holiday. By being present, providing information and answering questions, the general image of the destination can be improved and the visitor might get motivated to book his or her next holiday to Hochsteiermark.
  • Benchmarking with the competition. Being present at a trade fair was a good way to establish Hochsteiermark amongst the compeition. While visitors had the opportunity to compare destinations from their perspective, Hochsteiermark had the possibility to measure itself with the competition

Results

The Fiets en Wandelbeurs is the largest fair in The Netherlands with a focus on cycling and hiking possibilities. In addition, it is the second largest holiday fair in the country after de Vakantiebeurs. This year there were 43.000 visitors that came to the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the location of the fair, during the weekend of March 1, 2 and 3.

Visitor questions regarding the destination where mostly about general information and orientation. Questions such as ‘Where in Austria is Hochsteiermark?’, ‘What is the best time of the year the visit the region?’, ‘Are the hiking and bicycle trails indicated well?’ and ‘How to I get to Hochsteiermark from Holland?’