The effect of Reality TV on the travel industry

Over the last year, "reality" television has seemingly come from nowhere and developed into one of the most popular and influential genres on the airwaves - particularly significant because of the record numbers of people tuning in each week. TV has certainly been responsible for creating popular trends. Thanks to Seinfeld, "Yadda Yadda Yadda" was thrown into the mainstream vernacular, as was "You Look Marvelous" [SNL]. What effect on popular travel trends will reality TV create?

One of the concepts most essential to effective advertising is branding, or name-recognition. As a general rule, people want to buy what they know. Does the same idea apply to the travel industry? Are people more likely to travel to a country if they've seen it on television, or will they continue to base their travel plans on personal referrals and advice from experts, as has been the common practice for years?

Two of the more popular reality programs are CBS's "Survivor" series (which leaves a group of competitors in a remote tropical location, and rewards the last contestant to be voted off by the others with a large cash prize), and Fox's "Temptation Island" (which brought a group of couples to a beautiful resort and tempted them with single members of the opposite sex, just to show the results on television). The backdrops of Belize, the location of "Temptation Island", and the Australian Outback, where "Survivor II" was filmed, have certainly affected the knowledge and ideas of millions of Americans.

The Fox program has undoubtedly shaken up the tourist industry in Belize. According to Kay Walten, a Travants travel agent with an expertise in travel to Belize, ""Temptation Island" increased awareness for the entire country of Belize. Many tourists did not even know where Belize was. Now the country's hotels and resorts are promoting 'Reefs and Rainforests' so visitors can experience some of the best water-sports activities and then head into the jungle to experience rain forests, ruins and more, all in one trip." All of these activities were popularized by the show. Renea George, another Travants Belize expert, claims to have seen a "definite increase" in the volume of travel since the airing of the show. The prevalence of this type of experience is reinforced by Alan Fliss, partner at the public relations firm Richartz, Fliss, Clark & Pope, which handles publicity for the Belize Tourism Board. According to Fliss, as soon as "Temptation Island" began airing, the Belize Tourism Board's website (www.travelbelize.org) began getting 50,000 additional visitors per day, without even advertising the web site. In addition, the resorts featured on the show are now booked solid for the foreseeable future. Perhaps most importantly, while the program was geared toward a fairly young demographic, the increase in tourism seen by Belize has been across all age groups. It appears that no matter who you are, sex, or the possibility of it, sells. For confirmation of that point, visit your local nightclub.

The effect of "Survivor II" on the Australian travel industry is a bit harder to gauge. According to Travants experts Mick Maurer and Mona Graham, Australia has steadfastly held its place for years as one of the more popular travel destinations for Americans venturing abroad, especially after the 2000 summer Olympic Games held in Sydney showcased Australia to the American TV viewers. Neither Maurer nor Graham believe that the additional exposure has in any way hurt the tourism industry in Australia; but because of all of the prior publicity and interest they cannot be sure how much it has helped..

Although locals may not be interested in or favor this type of television, according to Walten, who visited Belize in December, the locals seemed receptive to the publicity created by the television show. "The show has had a positive impact on tourism and awareness, across the board," claims Walten, boosting business throughout the country. Fliss agrees that "Temptation Island" has had a positive impact on Belize by infusing some money into the local economy, and facilitating recovery from the severe damage inflicted by Hurricane Keith. It has also increased awareness, among tourists, of Belize's undiscovered appeals: not just a romantic getaway for newlyweds, visitors can enjoy themselves scuba diving or water-skiing along the coast, or bird-watching in the tropical rainforest.

Sonia Vedov - another Travants Belize expert - is concerned, on the other hand, that the concept of "Temptation Island" will give people a bad impression of the country. To say that the show, which tested the fidelity of a group of couples, could be viewed as morally questionable, is an understatement; this is the basis of Vedov's concern. "The few [Belizeans] who have seen it were not impressed by the show and most would hope that the Americans do not have the wrong idea about their country," she says. Sorry guys.

As for "Survivor II", Maurer says that the show is seen as a joke by many Aussies, because "it does not depict the real Australia." Graham's experience has been quite different: "I was in Australia in April this year and the Aussies all talk about the "Survivor II" show; The ones I spoke with are hoping it will bring visitors to the country. They all said they watched the program, and even told me what channel and time I could watch it on. They love the focus on Australia."

What effect will these shows have on the countries they are filmed in, and on the tourism industry in the long run? Nobody can say for sure. The consensus seems to be that the shows will increase awareness of these destinations. One thing is for sure though: Reality TV is here to stay. It will generate immense amounts of publicity, for better or for worse. If the travel industry can harness this publicity, and turn it into a marketing tool, Reality TV could mean significant increases in business for travel agents, and boosts in revenue for countries that are willing to host a show.

People are reluctant to try new things- or to go to an "exotic" locale if they have not heard about it from a friend, a travel expert they trust or from seeing it featured in the media. Reality TV gives more ongoing exposure to a location - and as to whether publicity is negative at all- in the end, a picture is worth a thousand words and that is what people will remember most.