Richart Ruddie, a digital marketing entrepreneur, is helping countries restore their reputation in the travel industry.
Over the last year, countries worldwide have faced unprecedented challenges due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As governments implemented lockdown measures to contain the pandemic, their economy has greatly suffered. Hotels and resorts have closed due to a lack of visitors. Airlines have ground to a halt as international travel has been upended, and countries dependent on tourism have considerably seen their vital numbers tank.
Tourism boards and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have brainstormed creative ways to make up for lost tax revenue. One of those solutions is from Richart Ruddie, a digital marketing entrepreneur and disruptor. Over the last decade, he’s dedicated his life to improving how businesses and individuals are perceived online. In an internet age where a scandalous blog post or single story of bad news coverage could ruin your reputation, Richart specializes in online public relations and brand management to promote good reputations and using these tactics to benefit major countries exploring different strategies to bring visitors to their country.
In an interconnected world, a bad reputation is a devastating tag to carry around. Conversely, a good reputation translates to positive reviews, higher sales, more revenue, and a higher ROI. So why are major countries turning to Richart Ruddie now for help?
Does a Country's Reputation Matter?
In the interconnected world we are living in today, a country's reputation matters a great deal. The press coverage of civil unrest in America this summer decimated businesses in Minneapolis, and the current coup in Myanmar will hurt tourism that was looking for a strong rebound. Fueled by this understanding, Ruddie has signed up major countries to undertake their public relations campaigns and ensure that the public knows that it’s safe to travel to the host country. As well as using high-level digital marketing tactics to attract more attention and eyeballs, to the great things that his client's countries have to offer through Google, Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok searches.
Ruddie has taken more countries under his portfolio to help them regain their footing, as travel is expected to pick up significantly by the end of 2021, barring no new pandemics or deadly Covid strains arise. The investment has been easy enough to get approved, as tax revenue lost from tourism has put a serious dent in the government's bottom line. An investment in bringing tourists back is one of the many steps governments are taking as they work to rebound from the global pandemic.
Over the last year, some of the most well-known Ministries of Foreign Affairs across the world have hired Richart Ruddie to manage their reputations online. The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted and continues to disrupt safe travel across the world. In a global economy that is heavily reliant on seamless connectivity, the pandemic has brought devastating, life-threatening and financial consequences to many. As a result, many economies are hurting from the recession, or are still deep in one and those who respond by letting the public know it’s safe to visit will be rewarded versus those who don’t.
Is your country a safe travel destination?
It depends on who you ask. Ordinarily, visitors use the internet to check up where to visit and when. If your search results portray a country in a bad light, the visitor's numbers could be disappointing. If the situation remains the same for long, it could mean a complete obliteration to the tourism and hospitality sectors. With Ruddie’s help countries that are acting in good faith, following proper health protocols, and are utilizing his services are able to market their country in creative ways and showcase to potential visitors that they are a safe place to visit.
A good reputation to the outside world helps attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and is the lifeblood of many countries in the world today, particularly the third world. Investors from the U.S and other developed countries take millions of dollars in new investment every year to foreign countries, and this translates to much-needed job creation and poverty alleviation.
With an Instagram staged world, destinations are being visited based and photos being shared of places that were once hidden secrets. No matter the amount of FDI a country is drawing, there is always room for more. Ruddie’s company and their services put a great deal of effort into improving their client’s countries outlook to investors. The reason is simple; no investor will put their money in a country that has a bad reputation. Regardless, all countries have a dark episode in their history, but it’s how they portray to the public that they have changed for the better. By working with Ruddie, governments are starting to realize the great value of a good reputation in the eyes of the outside world looking in.
Good Reputation & Online Exposure Reveals Hidden Gems
Every country has something to offer, beautiful landscapes, wild safaris, fascinating culture, and so much more. Do you wonder how the same places get all the rave reviews in all publications? Blame the power of the internet and proper reputation management. There are great places out there, but the bad news is that not all of them are found by online search engines. The consequence is that some countries receive thousands of visitors every year at the expense of others. That is why major countries are turning to Richart Ruddie in a bid to unravel the hidden gems in their backyards. By enhancing their visibility online, these countries have the potential of turning these hidden gems into world-beaters in an instant. Attracting thousands of visitors from across the world means more money to the hospitality industry, more taxes to the government, and more jobs for the people.
Richart Ruddie, digital marketing entrepreneur.
A good reputation translates to a competitive advantage for the tourism boards and MOFA’s who are marketing their country vs. those who are simply just complacent or trying to survive the current situation. The global marketplace is highly competitive, which implies that catching the eyes of others requires deliberate effort. A good reputation can't just happen by accident. It is the result of strategic thinking, conscious planning, and targeted action. Richart Ruddie knows this all too well, and this is why major countries are looking up to him to turn their fortunes around.
Redefining what countries have to offer and promoting their virtual spaces is becoming the new normal. It is a proactive and continuous approach that can also be used to mitigate the adverse effects of a country's reputation. Who knows, the next vacation you go on could be subliminally influenced by Ruddie’s tactics.
