With YouTube now the world’s second largest search engine, film-maker Nick Ray is finding that his skills in film-making are coming in handy in getting Hanuman Travel, Cambodia, discovered on the web.

Ray, who also writes for Lonely Planet, has so far produced 50 videos forHanuman TravelTV which he says “have definitely raised our profile”.

“The videos tell stories about the destination and experiences – such as cooking class with a chef. They make our tours come alive,” said Ray. “As a small company, videos have made it possible and easier for customers to find us because we cannot afford expensive search engine marketing.”

While visits to the Hanuman Travel website have increased, Ray cannot tell though whether they have led to more conversions. This could also be a result of the fact that the website is not booking-friendly at the moment, something the company will be working on this year.

“I know nothing about technology, and I am feeling my way round it – but one thing I know, videos are much more effective than text in telling a travel story.”

Hanuman Travel is a family-owned company operating in the Mekong region and Ray works with his wife Kulikar Sotho in the business which has gained a following and reputation for offering experiences such as Temple Safaris in Siem Reap, site of the Angkor temples.

Tour operators like Hanuman Travel though face a challenge in trying to get direct website business. It has to balance its interests between the overseas tour operators who send customers to them and building a direct pipeline to customers.

“We still want to focus on the tour operators,” said Ray. “We have invested in the partnerships.”

It is however testing the web direct channel with one of its hotels in Siem Reap, the Hanuman Alaya, which has installed The Booking Button by SiteMinder.

Ray

“We will see how effective that is,” said Ray.

Ray, who is also a Lonely Planet writer, is well aware of the need for content to differentiate companies on the web. Working on the next Laos book for Lonely Planet, Ray and a partner are experimenting with the new Canon EOS C300 which Sony is positioning as a camera for film-makers.

“The idea is to create high-level multi-media content – why should guide books just be on PDF?”

While he recognizes that guide books are being challenged by the web, brands like Lonely Planet still have authority and credibility.

“With a few exceptions,” he said, obviously referring to the recent incident when Lonely Planet had to temporarily shut down its Thorn Tree forum “over paedophilia posts”, “guide books written by experts are still relevant and credible.”

He added, “If you think about it, the Thorn Tree forum was the first TripAdvisor, giving users a chance to share about their travels.”

Last year was a record for Hanuman Travel, which handled 5,000 clients, said Ray. “Despite the recession, we saw an increase in customers from the US and Europe – perhaps the higher end, older and retired, market was less affected.”

It is investing and opening new markets in Russia and Eastern Europe and looking at the meetings and incentives sector.

With airlines like LOT and Turkish Airlines operating to Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, and Qatar launching a Doha-Phnom Penh service in March, more connections can be made to Europe.

It still has challenges selling into the more budget-conscious, short-stay Asian market. “We also find travellers from Asia are smart and savvy and they know how to find their way around and there’s not much scope for the travel agent.”