Xenophobia , PPC & Politics

Do political crises affect PPC traffic (or any online traffic that matter)? I would say they definitely do. Despite the access to data we receive from running online campaigns, I am even guilty sometimes of assuming that the online world exits outside of the usual factors that effect markets.

The recent Xenophobia chaos in South Africa has definitely had an effect on online travel traffic. Certain countries are also more prone to take such negative media into account when choosing their travel destinations.

I think the key is to remember that all markets have their ups and downs and are affected by unforeseen circumstances and events that are beyond our control. Take the Tsunami a few years ago. You can be sure that all PPC and other online traffic for “beach holidays in Thailand” came to an abrupt holt for some months before the hype around this natural tragedy subsided.

So if your visitor numbers have been affected by the tragic violence in South Africa, don’t get too gloomy about it. The ebb and flow of life and the often random curve balls that don’t fit in with our projections are just part of the challenge of the travel business. The circumstances change back to normal as swiftly as they arrived. Use it as reminder to constantly explore new markets, to expand your reach and minimise your risk.