Florian Blois recently sat down with Carlota Pico to discuss his role as regional destination marketing manager for EMEA at the world’s largest B2B travel distributor, Hotelbeds. He explained what it’s like to work in destination marketing, and addressed the challenges (both pre- and post-COVID) of working in the exciting and fast-paced world of travel.

Florian talked about navigating cultural nuances, including complications brought about by the lack of face-to-face interactions due to this year’s challenging circumstances. However, he also offered hope for the future, highlighting the initiatives that countries like Thailand are now launching to kickstart tourism in the future.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on YouTube, and listen to the podcast on Apple or Spotify.

Rapid-fire recs

  • Sources of inspiration:
    • Brian Tracy. “He’s great at public speaking and offering insights into self-development. He’s one of my favorites.”
    • Barack Obama. “I had the chance to see him speak last year at a conference in Seville, and that was so inspiring.”
    • “My boss and my family. I think it’s important to feel inspired not only by famous people, but also by those that you surround yourself with every day.”
  • Publication or resource: Skift Magazine. “I read it every morning. It’s a great source of news and insights into what’s happening in the industry, as well as new campaigns.”
  • Favorite app: Tableau. “This is a great app for data visualization, and one that I often rely on both inside and outside the office. You never know when you might run into someone who you need to reference data with, and this has been a lifesaver.”

You can hire the best developers, engineers and data scientists in the world, but if they don’t have the right interpersonal skills, it’s going to be a problem in the end.

Connect with Florian and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge, a marketing assistant based in Madrid.

For more insights into destination marketing, check out:

Make room for growth – Santiago Garcia Solimei, global social media director at Meliá

Social media is changing every day – Skyscanner’s Ayoub El Mamoun on the future of travel

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below.