We operate as a boutique within the walls of Ketchum
As a communications consultancy, we offer deep industry expertise across travel, hospitality and leisure, paired with specialty experience that understands how important these industries are in driving business and economic growth. We are not your typical publicists—we are brand marketers and communications specialists first, some of us with MBAs in marketing and finance or graduate degrees in communications. We are the most creatively-awarded consultancy in our industry, and our sector is responsible for Ketchum’s most awarded PR-led campaign. From representing destinations, airlines, attractions, hospitality brands, recreational activities, entertainment offerings and everything in between, clients rely on us to break through and shift perspectives to attract and retain the right audiences. No other communications agency or consultancy has the trifecta of Travel, Hospitality & Leisure as a core competency – understanding how each functions individually and together.
Rebound Roadmap
Our most popular tool. If you’re a destination or travel brand, where are you on our Rebound Roadmap? Responsible, strategic communications is a powerful vehicle that you should not be afraid to activate. The stops within the road are areas we’ve seen trend amid the pandemic. You can turn off paid, and many have, but earned media and social chatter do not turn off, which is why communications is more relevant than ever. It’s a cost-effective way to inform, educate, and entertain your important audiences during this time. Check out how we can help along the way here.
Ketchum Compass
Ketchum Compass is our new digestible Q&A series featuring insights from travel/hospitality/leisure and country brand/investment promotion experts across the globe to help guide others within the industry in the right direction or spark ideas. Featuring five rapid-fire questions, each Q&A offers an industry leader perspective to help you get to know a little about the experts who are driving their rebound.
• A Conversation with Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago
• A Conversation with Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC
• A Conversation with Ron Price, president and CEO of Visit Phoenix
• A Conversation with Cleo Battle, President and CEO of Louisville Tourism
• A Conversation with Julie Coker, President & CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA)
• A Conversation with Martinique Lewis, Award Winning Diversity in Travel Consultant
• A Conversation with Natalia Bayona, Director of Innovation, Education and Investments at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• A Conversation with Chris Heywood, EVP/Global Communications at NYC & Company
• A Conversation with Diana Plazas, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer – Marriott International, Caribbean and Latin America
• A Conversation with Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico
• A Conversation with Flavia Santoro Trujillo, President of ProColombia
• A Conversation with Kristin Fitzgerald, Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Six Flags Great Adventure
• A Conversation with Jaime Miller, Executive Director, Uruguay XXI
• A Conversation with Carla James, Director, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA)
• A Conversation with Ms. Rachel Loh, Regional Director, Americas, Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
Insights from our Travel, Hospitality & Leisure Experts
Check out our collection of POVs and recommendations from our travel experts for destinations and travel brands on how to navigate COVID-19:
• Black Resistance: Embracing the Spirit of Disruption During Black History Month & Beyond (February 1, 2023)
• “Jet-Setting” – A Trend of Opportunity (January 23, 2023)
• Travel Spending in A Fragile Economy (October 17, 2022)
• Tourism, The Way It Should Be (October 12, 2022)
• How the Ketchum Travel, Hospitality & Leisure Team Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month (September 30, 2022)
• Tips Your Brand Can Use to Ease the Minds of Consumers Flying (August 11, 2022)
• Reunited and It Feels So Good: Back to In-Person Conferences, for Travel Marketing (July 7 2022)
• How Your Brand Can Be a True Ally (June 3, 2022)
• The #FutureofTravel – An Outlook on the Industry from Travel Professionals (May 10, 2022)
• Travel is the Key to Promoting Mental Wellness (April 15, 2022)
• Why DE&I Is Central To Our Mission As Travel Marketers (April 8, 2022)
• Think Like the Locals: Why an Inside-Out MarComms Approach Reigns Supreme (April 1, 2022)
• Changing the Travel Industry to Have an “Always On” Multicultural Lens (March 25, 2022)
• A Nod to Women Who Go the Distance (March 9, 2022)
• Travel Trends to Tackle in 2022 (March 7, 2022)
• How To Sell Travel Without Directly Selling Travel (February 1, 2022)
• 2022 Influencer Marketing Trends (January 31, 2022)
• Going at It Alone – Marketing To The Solo Traveler (September 27, 2021)
• Why Customer Loyalty is More Important than Ever as the Delta Variant Threatens the Big Travel Rebound (August 17, 2021)
• Green Re-do: How Destinations and Travel Companies Can Highlight Sustainability and Ecotourism (July 1, 2021)
• Remote Work is Here to Stay: Here’s How Companies Can Reach Digital Nomads (June 22, 2021)
• The Three Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Traveling Post-COVID (June 11, 2021)
• From weekend to weeklong trips (June 9, 2021)
• Multi-Gen and Skip-Gen Travel Is Picking Up: Why It’s Important and How to Leverage the Trend (May 14, 2021)
• In Honor of NTTW, 5 Tips to Consider in Travel & Hospitality Recovery Plans (May 5, 2021)
• Beyond Black History Month: It Matters All Year Long (March 10, 2021)
• COVID-19 Vaccines Are Here: What This Means for Travel (February 11, 2021)
• Four Top Tips for Mitigating the Risks in Your Communication Strategy as You Plan for Recovery (December 2, 2020)
• The Role of Responsible Marketing as Business Travel Begins to Revive (November 12, 2020)
• Holiday Travel Will Look Different This Year – Here’s How Travel Brands and Destinations Can Meet Travelers Where They Are (November 2, 2020)
• Show Me the Money: What Destinations Can Do to Attract Business Investment (October 20, 2020)
• Lack of Travel Got You Down? Here’s How to Reconnect (September 17, 2020)
• The Resurgence of Roadtrippers and How Your Drive-By Destination Can Leverage These Nomadic Wanderlusters (September 2, 2020)
• The New Type of “Business” Travel is a White Space for Destinations and Hotels (August 18, 2020)
Connect to more travel reading in Ketchum’s blog archive.
Ketchum Travel, Hospitality & Leisure in the News
• We led a panel during SXSW’s first-ever Travel & Tourism Track on “How Values-Based Marketing Fuels Travel.” Listen to it here!
• The Travel Vertical: Nathalie Vanhooser Archives
• The Travel Vertical: Veronica De Los Rios Archives
• The Washington Post: This Is How Traveler Loyalty Has Changed During The Pandemic
• The Travel Vertical: Busy Week: 21 People, 75 Jobs, 3 RFPs, 2 #eTS21 Webinars
• The Boston Globe: Travel Destinations Start Strategizing How to Get Consumers to Come Back
• New York Times: Shhh! We’re Heading Off on Vacation (also featured in the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune and Sun Sentinel)
• PR Daily: Microsoft Eyes TikTok Purchase, Men’s Wearhouse to Declare Bankruptcy, and Nordstrom Partners with Influencers on COVID-19 Message
• Media Post: Americans Follow Other Travelers, Not Companies, Given COVID Concerns
• Hotels.com: COVID-19: Sternlicht Talks Future Demand | The Transformation of Loyalty
• Luxury Daily: Focus on Hospitality Element Vs. Simply Sanitation Measures for Travel to Rebound
• Travel Agent Central: Stats: 80 Percent Of Americans Would Pay More For Privacy During Travel
• PR News: United Abolishes Change Fees in Airline PR Grab
Diversity and Inclusion within Travel, Hospitality & Leisure
We’re proud and humbled to donate communications expertise to our chosen pro bono partner, Black Travel Alliance, in support of our joint mission of ensuring equal representation of POC within the global tourism industry. Together, we can help destinations and travel brands achieve inclusivity goals while strengthening external and internal diversity efforts. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Get in Touch
If interested in sitting down (virtually!) to discuss how our team can be of service to you – we’re here to help!
Bettina Garibaldi is an Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Ketchum’s Travel, Hospitality & Leisure sector. She brings years of experience leading integrated marketing communications campaigns and is an expert at building and elevating travel, hospitality and leisure brands through corporate communications, media relations, consumer engagement, and strategic partnerships and events. She has a Masters from NYU in corporate communications and has received numerous best-in-class awards for campaigns she’s spearheaded — including Ketchum’s most awarded PR-led campaign for one of her destination clients. She’s originally from Argentina and fluent in Spanish. Bettina is a PRWeek 40 Under 40 2020 recipient and a 2021 HSMAI Top 25 most extraordinary marketing leader recipient. Her motto is: Collect special moments, not things.
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