A marketing and consulting firm with more than 20 years of experience, River Global is the gateway for businesses looking to tap into the Latin American market. Travel South’s ongoing collaboration with River Global has resulted in thousands of pieces of content and countless views, impressions and engagements, establishing the American South as a hot travel destination for Brazilians eyeing their next trip.
Allan Colen, Travel & Tourism Executive with River Global and Travel South USA, maintains an extensive network of journalists, influencers and industry contacts, both in Brazil and internationally, who he taps for various content projects to bring off-the-beaten path destinations into the limelight. He also provides ongoing training sessions for tour operators, educating them on each state’s unique experiences and attractions.
“Normally I prefer to do the training in-person, but with the pandemic, everything went online,” Colen says. “Our first thought was to bring everything direct from the destination.” On behalf of Louisiana, he facilitated an online cooking class with a prominent New Orleans chef, who taught the remote audience how to make a signature King Cake and shared fun facts and quirky secrets about the destination—such as her restaurant being “haunted.” For the Mississippi market, Colen pre-recorded sets with cities that wanted to participate, and he translated the bits to Portuguese (Brazil’s native language) and added subtitles as if they were broadcasting live. From live music performances to culinary demonstrations, these recorded productions delivered in-person experiences to media in Brazil and around the world, all while sharing the culture and history of the American South—packaged and translated specifically to cater to the Brazilian market.
He also pitches media on the excitement and authentic culture of the South and why outlets should bring their crews to see it for themselves. Recently, he reached out to the director of Globo, the biggest TV station in Brazil, and sold him on the idea. “I did my presentation that I do for travel agents to inspire them for the destination,” he says. “It was supposed to be like a five-minute insertion on their Sunday night program, and it finished with a one-hour program.” The segment resulted in an approximate audience of 377 million—an estimated value of $3.82 million secured for Travel South.
Colen also facilitates media familiarization (FAM) trips. In May 2022, he is hosting three Brazilians for a girls’ trip. “For Brazilians, [girls’ trips are] not such a common thing, so they’re trying to show a different type of trip,” he explains. The three journalists appeal to various market segments, illustrating that the South is an ideal destination for all types of travelers. “They are completely different personalities. Their sites are completely different markets.” The girls’ trip is a multi-destination itinerary, including Atlanta, Nashville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and ending in New Orleans. “They are ending this right before IPW, so they will come to IPW and it’s really a great opportunity.”
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic winding down and journalists finally able to travel in-person, the virtual sessions continue to be both valuable and engaging for media and tour operators.
“I’m still doing the travel trade online trainings,” says Colen. “Every month, we cover different topics. I still have my 64 attendees for the online trainings every month. They are very eager to see because they know they are going to learn something new they can sell to clients and that it’s going to be fun.”
Allan Colen, Travel & Tourism Executive with River Global and Travel South USA, maintains an extensive network of journalists, influencers and industry contacts, both in Brazil and internationally, who he taps for various content projects to bring off-the-beaten path destinations into the limelight. He also provides ongoing training sessions for tour operators, educating them on each state’s unique experiences and attractions.
“Normally I prefer to do the training in-person, but with the pandemic, everything went online,” Colen says. “Our first thought was to bring everything direct from the destination.” On behalf of Louisiana, he facilitated an online cooking class with a prominent New Orleans chef, who taught the remote audience how to make a signature King Cake and shared fun facts and quirky secrets about the destination—such as her restaurant being “haunted.” For the Mississippi market, Colen pre-recorded sets with cities that wanted to participate, and he translated the bits to Portuguese (Brazil’s native language) and added subtitles as if they were broadcasting live. From live music performances to culinary demonstrations, these recorded productions delivered in-person experiences to media in Brazil and around the world, all while sharing the culture and history of the American South—packaged and translated specifically to cater to the Brazilian market.
He also pitches media on the excitement and authentic culture of the South and why outlets should bring their crews to see it for themselves. Recently, he reached out to the director of Globo, the biggest TV station in Brazil, and sold him on the idea. “I did my presentation that I do for travel agents to inspire them for the destination,” he says. “It was supposed to be like a five-minute insertion on their Sunday night program, and it finished with a one-hour program.” The segment resulted in an approximate audience of 377 million—an estimated value of $3.82 million secured for Travel South.
Colen also facilitates media familiarization (FAM) trips. In May 2022, he is hosting three Brazilians for a girls’ trip. “For Brazilians, [girls’ trips are] not such a common thing, so they’re trying to show a different type of trip,” he explains. The three journalists appeal to various market segments, illustrating that the South is an ideal destination for all types of travelers. “They are completely different personalities. Their sites are completely different markets.” The girls’ trip is a multi-destination itinerary, including Atlanta, Nashville, Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile and ending in New Orleans. “They are ending this right before IPW, so they will come to IPW and it’s really a great opportunity.”
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic winding down and journalists finally able to travel in-person, the virtual sessions continue to be both valuable and engaging for media and tour operators.
“I’m still doing the travel trade online trainings,” says Colen. “Every month, we cover different topics. I still have my 64 attendees for the online trainings every month. They are very eager to see because they know they are going to learn something new they can sell to clients and that it’s going to be fun.”