France is the world's leading tourist destination, and yet most accommodation providers buy the same content they did ten years ago: pretty images of the facade and the breakfast. What decides a booking is something else.

What travellers really want to see

The real room, without a wide angle lens

The number one doubt is size, particularly in France where city centre hotel rooms are small. A video walking from the door to the window answers more than twenty photos.

The real distance to transport

"Ten minutes from the centre" means nothing. A video of the walk does.

The stairs and accessibility

In older buildings, the absence of a lift is crucial information many keep quiet, and it generates bad reviews.

The noise

Opening the window and letting the street be heard. It sounds risky and creates immediate trust.

The testimonial from the guest who hesitated

"I thought it would be too touristy." Starting from the objection converts better than starting from the view.

Which creators to hire

The one who resembles your guest, not the one with the best camera.

A family with children, a couple, a business traveller, a group of friends: each sells to a different audience.

And the most profitable decision in France: hire creators who film in the languages of your source markets. A hotel receiving British, American and German guests needs native content in those languages. Almost nobody does it.

How to buy content that lasts

Always ask for two versions: one with the promotion and one clean, with no dates or prices. The second serves you for three years.

And define the licence per property. A group of five hotels does not pay the price of one.

The brief that produces good material

Include: which room is filmed, which journey to show, what is included, three hooks, the disclosure wording and a list of what cannot be promised.

That last point prevents bad reviews, which in tourism cost more than any campaign.

The French calendar

Buy the content between January and March, before the season. The peaks are school holidays, the May bank holidays, summer and the end of year festivities. In the mountains, the calendar is inverted and is prepared in September.

Where to go next

In travel, honest information books more than the facade. Our complete UGC guide for brands explains the rest of the process.