The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reported that the travel and tourism industry took a huge hit in 2020 with a decline of 49.1% from the 2019 level of $9.2 trillion in global GDP. However, as we have adapted to the new normal, travel and tourism has increased significantly. According to a study conducted in 2021, the WTTC expected travel and tourism to recover by 30.7% and another 31.7% in 2022.
Although we haven't returned to the travel levels of 2019, in almost every country in the world people are back to making plans for their next trip. In fact, sites like hellotickets.com.mx are very successful in offering tours and excursions to cities around the world, which can be easily booked with just a few clicks.
Travel recovery means it’s time to help tourists choose their destination, amid renewed enthusiasm for discovering the post-pandemic world. According to Statista, in 2019 travel and tourism marketers spent $6.09 billion on digital advertising. That dropped to $2.99 billion in 2020.
However, by 2023, spending is estimated to rise to $4.05 billion. While still not at the pace of 2019, digital marketing for the travel and tourism industry is making a comeback.
How can tourism businesses take advantage of the resurgence of travel? In this article, we share several digital marketing tactics that will help boost the strategy.
Essential digital marketing tactics for tourism companies
1. Encourage reviews on mobile travel apps
Wide-reaching mobile apps, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, are a constant reference for tourists on their way to deciding on an experience, thanks to their mobile availability. There is a wide variety of tourism apps on the market, but only the well-known and useful ones tend to survive on the user's mobile for more than a few days.
Part of what makes a great mobile app is its interface (think: is it easy to use? Is information easily accessible? Does it load quickly?) as well as what it includes (think: can I book directly in it? does it show me accurate maps? can I easily see reviews?).
How do you choose the top ones? You might ask. Think of the apps you always hear about, like the ones we just mentioned, and do a little searching on the internet. You should be able to find articles on the best review platforms in your industry niche fairly quickly. The key to having a formal presence on these apps is to encourage user reviews. This helps other users get an idea of your tourism services and even rank you within the App.
Tip: Respond to all the reviews you receive (both good and bad) as this will show users that you are genuinely interested in being a quality company.
2. Take advantage of Google's impact on tourism marketing
Google has firmly established itself as an Internet authority on all things. Not only does it have complex algorithms on how it calculates your website’s SEO value, but it has also started to get involved in the travel market by offering hotel bookings, flights, weather forecasts, and other suggestions for numerous destinations. This makes Google an even more important player when it comes to making your business visible to the public and convincing travelers to book with your tourism company.
An updated website and blog can do wonders for travelers using Google, keeping your site ranking well. So it's a good idea to update your content regularly and with the traveler in mind. Keep your Google My Business listing up-to-date and accurate to make it easy for users to reach your business directly from Google.
3. Use data in the tourism sector to make marketing decisions
Analyzing available data on consumer trends gambling data indonesia allows tourism companies to adequately compensate for the needs of tourists. By using data, we can make better decisions that help us in our actions to attract users and improve their experience.
Tip: Explore your own data by taking a look at Google Analytics and other social media platforms, such as Instagram Insights, for example – this can help you discover who is interested in your business and allow you to make necessary adjustments, whether that’s adding new tours or different information on your website.
4. Online sale of tours and experiences
With such advanced technology, we now have the power to search for holiday options based on our interests or special requirements. Engage with them with images that show why you are the best choice by showing them your city or region's unique experiences, culture, fauna, flora, food and more.
Showing your audience the experiences you offer can be very helpful – think video content, podcasts, blog posts and more. By using storytelling, tourists will know what to expect from you and your company, allowing them to decide if you are the best among many.
5. Inbound marketing and content
One proven strategy that travel businesses use to attract buyers is well-written content, and that's not likely to change in the coming years. Content will always be an important part of your digital marketing strategy (because you have a strategy, right?), but think beyond your website.
Blogs are a great way to have fresh content on a regular basis. To keep your target audience intrigued, make sure to vary your content to some extent with photos and videos, shorter and longer blog posts. It's always a good idea to break up the monotony.
6. Actively share on social media
Social media plays a major role in tourism as it is used before, during and after the trip. Everyone has their own platform preferences, so consider this segment of your target audience so you can decide where to focus your social media efforts.
These days, not all platforms are worth being on, so you can choose 3-4 and update them regularly. There is nothing more disheartening for a social media user than finding out that the last update was posted 2 years ago! During their travels, encourage your clients to share their photos by creating a hashtag of the tour. This is a great way to appeal to social media algorithms and support your reviews.
7. Incorporate Facebook Messenger and chatbots
The growing need for a quick response on social media is met by the use of handy tools like Facebook Messenger or chatbots. Many people will book tours through the first company with clear information about the tour. This means it's important to have comprehensive information available on your website, as well as a way for people to quickly and easily reach out if they have questions.
Tip: Consider using a chat service that allows your site visitors to receive instant responses around the clock, even if you're not sitting in front of your computer—or smartphone—all the time.
8. Take advantage of influencer marketing
Enlisting the help of influencers can be an effective marketing strategy when used correctly. The ever-popular photo-based Instagram is the perfect platform to inspire your guests to travel with your tourism company, and influencers are well positioned to recommend tours and services. Using influencer marketing can be somewhat complex, so check out this article if you want to learn more about this.
Now it's your turn.
By understanding your audience and how they consume technology, you can create a better digital marketing strategy. Finding out what platforms your target audience uses and what’s relevant to them (whether through data analysis or forming relationships with influencers) allows you to get inside the head of your ideal traveler and organize your tactics to work and add value when making a booking.
Jesus Maceira
Jesus Maceira
