If you’re in the business of travel and tourism, you’ll know the importance fresh, vibrant content plays in attracting people to your destinations. And video is way more preferential to stills, because customers get a real feel for the place, the people, and the atmosphere.

Thing is, capturing video of every live event, from every angle, can be a production nightmare. Or at least, it used to be. With User-Directed Content (UDC) you can turn to the very people you want to attract to film it for you. They’ll be psyched to get the footage, and you’ll be thrilled with the results.

Take the recent video Odyssey produced as part of a campaign for the Visit Dallas promotion of the Margarita Mile. This stretch of cocktail heaven at the heart of the Big D sprang up after Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine back in 1971. Now, people all across the nation flood here to sample the best margaritas in the city, and it’s a story Odyssey was tasked with telling.

The UDC revolution is here

Rather than go the traditional route, Odyssey opted for the UDC approach. No scripts. No talent. No expensive production. To achieve this, it started with spreading the word to influencers to download the Cinebody app and get the shots they were tasked with.

“Once our shot list was created, we handed the keys over to a group of influencers that would eventually help us launch to the public,” said Odyssey’s Vince Tatarian. “We asked our influencers to submit their experiences, normally documented on popular apps like Instagram and YouTube, to us directly.”

While users were more than happy to share their experiences for free, they were also drawn in by the chance to win VIP concert tickets, hotel stays, Cowboys tickets, and more.

And the result was a video that captured the genuine spirit and real people of the Margarita Mile experience. The promotion was not only a huge success, but it was done fast, felt right, and shone a uniquely-authentic spotlight on this heralded Dallas attraction.

How can you take advantage of UDC?

Whatever your business, be it travel, tourism, hotels, resorts, or cruises, think of the possibilities UDC creates for you. You get to tell stories from anywhere on Earth, filmed by real people who are happy to share it. All they need is a smartphone. And with UDC, you guide the content in real time, ensuring you get every shot on your list. The future of tourism video is in the hands of you and your consumers, and the possibilities are endless.