Open Call: National Social Media Expert

Background

 

While the term “sustainable tourism” is still not widely known and used in the region, terms such as “nature tourism”, “responsible tourism”, and “green tourism” are increasingly being used, indicating the growing awareness of the need to switch to tourism models that will have less negative impacts on the environment, natural resources and local communities’ livelihoods.

 

With this project, Helvetas, together with our partners Stichting European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism – Netherlands (ECEAT), the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators (KATO) and the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association Hospitality Kyrgyzstan (KCBTA), responds to the objectives of the Kyrgyz government to advance a more sustainable tourism, involving communities, and diversifying tourism products in order to attract new target groups and clients.

Through an integrated business-led approach, the Greentour project mobilizes and mentors Kyrgyz tour operators and their suppliers to adapt and promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices throughout their supply chains and business processes. This includes using local suppliers, purchasing environmentally friendly products, plastic reduction, conserving natural resources and applying socially responsible ways of interacting with local communities. Furthermore, the capacity of travel associations to provide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advisory services will be improved to spread the sustainable tourism practices. For the targeted Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Helvetas fosters the creation of new financial schemes and promotes access to green financing.

To achieve its goal, the project also focuses on triggering market demand for sustainable tourism by marketing Kyrgyzstan as a green destination and by raising consumer awareness on sustainable tourism MSMEs among tourists and international travel agents.

This project will ultimately reward tourism SMEs and supplier MSMEs adapting sustainable practices with a competitive advantage, resulting in increased income and employment opportunities. With KCBTA and KATO as local industry representatives, the project contributes to create an enabling policy environment through sustainable local structures supporting national SCP practices in the tourism sector.

The project is funded by the European Union's SWITCH-Asia program.

Among other efforts, this intervention aims at promoting sustainable tourism practices to domestic and foreign tourists, and the general public. The objective is to contribute to raising the awareness on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices, responsible travel and good practices among the users of social media popular in the region and visitors of tourism pages.

Objective

HELVETAS Intercooperation GmbH in the Kyrgyz Republic implementing the EU-funded SWITCH-Asia GreenTour: Promoting Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyzstan Project is seeking an experienced social media consultant (firm or individual) to work with the project team and beneficiaries.

The specific areas of focus shall be: (1) promotion of the tourism sustainability practices integrated by project beneficiaries; (2) raising the awareness on responsible and sustainable travel through publications and shares; (3) SMM capacity development.

Main Tasks and Activities

The Successful Bidder is expected to perform the following tasks:

1.     Review the project materials and reports relevant to the assignment;

2.     Propose a follow-on concept of promoting Kyrgyzstan as a destination committed to sustainable tourism promotion on national, regional and international levels;

3.     Perform basic sustainable tourism related key word research (in English, Russian and Kyrgyz) to support the search and overall effectiveness of the existing tourism web sites.

4.     Review sustainable tourism related social media activity, messaging, and procedures, such as hash tagging, available websites, tagging and traffic, media activity and messaging, print materials and advertising in English, Russian and Kyrgyz; review top internet references to Kyrgyzstan as a tourism destination committed to sustainable development.

5.     Based on the findings, prepare an action plan for SMM outreach targeting the English, Russian and Kyrgyz speaking audience with specific, successful marketing tactics to promote Kyrgyzstan as a destination committed to sustainable tourism promotion.  

6.     Recommend other effective strategies, beyond this ToR.

Work with the beneficiaries:

7.     Review the websites and social media pages of the tour operators supported by GreenTour and provide recommendations for improving the social media presence, messaging and promotion.

8.     Review the websites and social media pages of the tour product owners (participants of the food and handicraft integration in tourism project component) and provide recommendations for improved marketing and online sales.

9.     Provide training and tools to the project beneficiaries: tour operators, tour product providers/owners   on search engine optimization best practices, keyword research techniques and models, social media content development and management, online result monitoring, use of analytics and other SMM tools.

 

The Successful Bidder is expected to work closely with the GreenTour team, project partners, tour operators, tour product owners and providers.

 Expected Results & Deliverables

The Successful Bidder is required to prepare and submit the following deliverables:

• A comprehensive and detailed report on project implementation and achievements, including:
• Results of the research conducted based on the above listed tasks
• Recommendations on improving sustainable tourism related social media presence of the project beneficiaries and partners;
• Workshop materials and results of the delivery of the workshops for project partners, beneficiaries and stakeholders;
• Coverage of all activities completed under this assignment.

 

Expected Period of Performance  

December 2022-June 2023. The SMM expert is expected to work on intermittent basis throughout this period.  The expected number of consultant days throughout this period will not exceed 60 days. The exact implementation period and level of effort will be agreed at contract negotiation stage.  

Reporting

Biweekly informal updates to the project manager.  

Guidelines for writing a tender proposal:

1. Technical Proposal Content

Technical Approach - no more than three (3) pages. Please describe the approach, methodologies and tools you would apply for successful implementation of the tasks listed in the ToR above. 

The following criteria will be used to evaluate the bidding organizations and their tender proposals:

·        Clarity and comprehensiveness of the proposal (approach, tools).

·        Proven experience in the SMM promotion, training, improvement; SEO tools application; online promotion strategy development, and other related activities.

·        Organizational capacity to perform the tasks listed above (for bidders participating as a firm).  

2. Team composition (for bidders participating as a firm)

An interested bidder is expected to propose the team of knowledgeable experts/trainers with relevant experience in SMM training and promotion. Please provide a CV for each proposed expert/trainer.

3. Cost Proposal

The cost proposal should be presented in Kyrgyz Soms. Please estimate logistics cost for 2 training workshops to be held in Bishkek and Karakol.

4.  Past Performance

Please provide at least 2 examples of past performance activities that are similar in nature to the efforts identified in these Terms of Reference and that indicate your organization’s and the recommended experts’ experience to perform this task.  Please also provide name(s), e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of the customer(s) to whom the services were provided, dates and periods during which the indicated services were provided.  

4.     How to apply   

Interested candidates should send their CVs and cover letters to kyrgyzstan@helvetas.org with a copy to aselia.bakirova@helvetas.org by COB November 24, 2022.