Search Travel Market Report

alg
ALG Sponsored
mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Briana Bonfiglio
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Jennifer Arango
    • Kelly Fontenelle
    • Keri-Anne Slevin
    • Louis Intreglia
    • Tom McCarthy
Sponsored By ALG
Sponsored By ALG

Celebrities Seek To Leverage Fame For Online Travel Bookings

by Richard D'Ambrosio / June 28, 2017
Celebrities Seek To Leverage Fame For Online Travel Bookings

Larry Fitzgerald is getting into the travel agency business. Photo: Cpl Jody Lee Smith


One new owner is famous for catching touchdowns, the other is considered a Hollywood “Renaissance Man.”  

Both are now promoting online travel agencies (OTA) and looking to leverage their celebrity. But if history is any forecast of the future, consumers are better off sticking with a tried and true live travel agent. 

This month, Hollywood superstar Tyrese Gibson joined forces with Priceline.com to launch Voltron Travel, an OTA that combines Priceline’s focus on low rates with leisure packages. Meanwhile, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is marketing his own personal wanderlust through Nomad Hill, offering curated vacations for millennials.

One story called Voltron Travel “a full-service online travel agency powered by Priceline,” but most of the website copy focuses on finding consumers low prices. For example, destination promotions on the homepage prominently promote “cheap flights,” while its prominently displayed “terms and conditions” offer legalese describing its guarantees for discounts. 

Gibson is a former fashion model, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, actor, author and television producer. He is so famous that fans, celebrity magazines and television shows mostly refer to him only by his first name. 

Fitzgerald launched Nomad Hill in July 2016, and marketing materials say it is "a Travel Design company dedicated to creating life-changing experiences for our guests."  

Fitzgerald, 33, has been traveling extensively during his football career, including visiting the Kremlin, surfing volcanoes in Nicaragua and spending 45 days on his own in Asia when he first joined the National Football League.  

In an article earlier this year, he told Condé Nast Traveler that he loves getting to know the people of countries he visits and “push myself outside of my comfort zone.” Consumer offerings through Nomad Hill, launched with fellow frequent traveler David Jones, will reflect Fitzgerald’s personal travel philosophy and experiences.

“The travel industry, especially in the high end, has left the millennial to themselves because they don’t know how to deal with them,” Jones said in the Condé Nast Traveler story. “It’s a diverse population. It’s not just about going on a tour; it’s about experiences. They want to be engaged in their experiences because they’ve been engaged in what they’ve done their whole life.” 

But will fame lead to fortune?
While Fitzgerald brings his own personal love for travel to Nomad Hill, the relationship between celebrities and travel agencies has mostly been about the marketing extension of their personal brands – especially their social media followings – rather than a distinctive service offering that can build a large and loyal following. 

This month, Gibson announced the launch of Voltron Travel on the celebrity television show, TMZ, which made a point to note that Gibson “called out” longtime Priceline spokesman and actor William Shatner. Gibson is captured on a video saying “Mr. William Shatner, I’m coming for your spot. You’re 90 years old. You’re the only celebrity in the travel space…and I’m coming for your spot!”

Gibson shared his TMZ interview with his nearly nine million Instagram followers, adding, “since I got your attention - Don't just look...BOOK!!!!!” So next time you’re thinking about packing your bags and enjoying a weekend getaway or a thought-out vacay, support Tyrese and check out Voltron Travel!” 

Other travel sites have attempted to do the same, though it is difficult to measure their relative success. CanaryHop co-founder Damon Spiegel said that having "Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg in a launch video helped boost exposure to more than a half million views. But CanaryHop never succeeded and closed.  

Similarly, ZOZI, “an adventure and experience marketplace,” leveraged “Man Vs Wild” TV star Bear Grylls for the launch of The ZOZI Guru Platform in 2007. 

At the time, ZOZI CEO and founder TJ Sassani told NBC News that his travel company increased new customers through promotions with Grylls – at that time famous for traveling around the world, and inspiring “millions of people with each adventure.” 

In March 2017, Zozi laid off 38% of its employees. Its assets were purchased by another company that intends to phase out the brand.  

  2
  0
ALG Sponsored

MOST VIEWED

  1. The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals for 2023
  2. The Ten 'Most Christmassy' Towns in the U.S.
  3. U.S. State Department Warns Travelers About GPS Dangers in South Africa
  4. The Worst Airports for Holiday Flight Delays
  5. What Will Be the Biggest Travel Trends of 2024?
  6. Royal Caribbean Monitoring Haiti Violence


  1. Here Are the New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2024
  2. Dondra Ritzenthaler to Join Azamara as CEO
  3. Iceland Travel Update: Southwest Earthquakes Heighten Risk of Volcanic Activity
  4. The World's Most Expensive Flights
  5. CBD Gummies Result in Lifetime Passenger Ban for Carnival Cruiser
  6. Southwest Pilots Set Up Regional Strike Center in Preparation for a Strike
TMR THIS WEEK
Presented by Windstar
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=31e281c0-9d92-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed&Width=350&Height&250

Consultative Selling for Travel Advisors: Why It is Important and How to Do It

With consultative selling, a travel professional is viewed as a trusted advisor (more akin to a lawyer, financial advisor, or other high-level consultant). 

Read More...
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Mazatlán – A Colonial City on the Beach
Mazatlán – A Colonial City on the Beach

If you pride yourself on recommending fabulous vacation destinations that aren’t the typical hotspots, consider Mazatlán, the Pearl of the Pacific. 

Read...
10 Things Travel Advisors Need to Do to Wrap Up This Year & Prepare for the Next (Part 1)
10 Things Travel Advisors Need to Do to Wrap Up This Year & Prepare for the Next (Part 1)

The first five of 10 things advisors told TMR they do to wrap up the year and position themselves for an amazing next year.

Read...
Willamette Valley Oregon to Serve as Host of Tourism Cares' 2024 Travel Summit
Willamette Valley Oregon to Serve as Host of Tourism Cares' 2024 Travel Summit

The 2024 fall Meaningful Travel Summit will be held in Eugene Oregon, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. 

Read...
Survey Reveals Americans Seek Mindful Travel in 2024
Survey Reveals Americans Seek Mindful Travel in 2024

Travelers are taking more factors into consideration for their 2024 trips.

Read...
Classic Vacations Partners with Freelance Marketplace Provider for Low-Cost Advisor Memberships
Classic Vacations Partners with Freelance Marketplace Provider for Low-Cost Advisor Memberships

Membership gives advisors access to a marketplace of pre-qualified administrative assistants, content writers, and more. 

Read...
The Battle Against Junk Fees: Big Business Defends Deceptive Practices
The Battle Against Junk Fees: Big Business Defends Deceptive Practices

The resistance to rules requiring advance disclosure of the total price of services is across the board from big businesses.

Read...
OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Trends in River Cruise, 2023
European Travel Trends 2023
Winning in The Tech Era: Essential Insights for Travel Advisors
View All
Advertiser's Voice
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=c0852062-a67c-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed
Swan Hellenic: Beyond Ordinary
ALG sponsored
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Packaged Travel |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Resources |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy