People all over the world who want to talk about the best places to see in Monmouthshire can now become a ‘fan’ of the Wye Valley and Vale of Usk on Facebook.
Monmouthshire County Council’s tourism section has joined the social networking website as part of its campaign to promote the Wye Valley and Vale of Usk to visitors.
A page dedicated to the area has been set up to allow people to join discussions about where to visit and what to see, to upload details of upcoming events and photos of their travels in the area.
It also allows fans to recommend the destination to their own friends, thereby spreading the word about the Wye Valley and Vale of Usk far and wide.
Since last year the council has been using other social media, like Twitter, to discuss Monmouthshire issues. [www.twitter.com/monmouthshirecc].
Mark Jones, Monmouthshire County Council’s Tourism Marketing Officer, said: “Tourism officers have traditionally used printed visitor guides and websites to promote places to visit, but MCC’s tourism staff felt that the time was right to explore the online technology that was available.
“A particular incentive was the chance to have a two-way conversation with visitors, for whereas the tourism website [www.visitwyevalley.com] presents an official view of the destination, the content of the Facebook page will be largely driven and produced by the general public.
“We’re very excited about this opportunity to connect with people in a really direct way.
“As a tourism service we’re always looking for feedback on the visitor experience and how we promote it, and we can only improve the overall offer through direct feedback from visitors. And of course we’ll be using the page to promote events and places to visit, stay and eat throughout the area.”
Future plans include the integration of updates on the Facebook page with a feed on Twitter, another social networking site, thus increasing the readership even further. If it is a success, the tourism section plans to promote its presence on Facebook through all of its activities to promote Monmouthshire and Newport to visitors.
“Many of our competitors (other tourist destinations) are already using Facebook, to greater or lesser effect,” added Mark. “Ultimately, we will get out of it what we put in, and we’re determined to make the most of this opportunity to interact with a potentially huge new audience.”
To become a fan of the Wye Valley & Vale of Usk Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com and search for ‘Wye Valley & Vale of Usk.’
To join in the conversation about Monmouthshire on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/monmouthshirecc.
