As the crisp, fall air moves in, tourism companies around the world are planning for holiday season. And they very well should be!
The stats are clear – travel spending is down this year. In times like these, it’s important to remember your loyal home team.
The thought of local-focused targeting brings anxiety to many, but keep in mind, there are plenty of ways to sell tickets without dropping your prices. By creatively adjusting your offerings and targeting strategies, you can attract residents and make your winter activity a seasonal hit. Locals can be a loyal, lucrative, and long-term customer base.
So think about leveraging the winter season’s charm, and creating enticing packages that stand out.
And if that in itself gives you a brain freeze, have no fear! Your trusty #TeamVonMack is here with a few tips to help you offer exclusive, seasonal options that appeal to local customers without compromising your prices.
Begin with Prepping Seasonal Specific Content
As you probably know, each season should bring its own content marketing strategy to keep your brand relevant and top of mind.
Think about recycling seasonal images from tours of winters past to help your audience perceive your offerings as a winter activity. Give your top-performing posts from previous winter months a quick repost, giving new audiences a chance to dive into customer photos showcasing your tour with holiday lights or winter wreaths at play. Load up this content now so you have plenty of material to draw from, future forward.
Tastefully Incorporate Seasonal Decor
Changing up your physical presence and decor is an easy way to lean into the holiday spirit – just remember to do it on brand and within reason. This is your chance to turn your storefront or select entry points into their own little winter wonderland! Twinkling lights, fake snow, bonfires, a mini Christmas market, and candles can all go a long way toward romanticizing the winter season, and making your tour feel seasonal and special.
So bring in that festive fun. And while your guests are waiting, remember to play some holiday tunes – maybe with a localized spin to mix things up.
All of these steps can create the perfect backdrop for Instagram snapshots, creating buzz and drawing in more locals looking for unique ways to enjoy the season.
Inspire Word-of-Mouth Recommendations
We all know that in tourism, personal recommendations are everything.
So encourage your customers to leave a review, tag your business, and be sure you pay special attention to your best selfie backdrops. User-generated content (UGC) and personal anecdotes are everything these days – and possibly the best way to reach more locals.
Holiday-Themed Excursions
Quick reminder! You can revamp your existing tours, giving them a holiday-themed spin.
Get creative with a new focus on holiday-themed historical stories, guided walks showcasing local holiday decorations, or storytelling tours that highlight seasonal folklore.
Make sure you also roll out some new copy that includes seasonal keywords, which gives you full reign to capitalize on all of those holiday-related Google searches. It’s a great winter-time SEO strategy, and it gives you room to build an entire marketing campaign around it.
Targeted Campaigns
When it comes to selling tickets in winter months, digital marketing campaigns are often the primary lead in strategic targeting.
Here’s how to get hyper-local with your campaigns:
- Themes that appeal to locals: Spice up your digital marketing assets with some witty phrases and unique visuals that nod to local themes and culture. Play off of the “If you know, you know” vibe, rather than the more obvious gator and swamp references that appeal to tourists.
- Advertise your proximity: Highlight your proximity to local neighborhoods or other holiday hotspots in your advertising. Emphasize convenience and ease of access. This way, you’re helping your audience include you in their holiday itinerary.
- Radius location targeting: Use Google and Facebook ad campaigns to target a specific radius, and tailor your ads to them.
Partnership Marketing
Forming alliances with other local businesses can be mutually beneficial during slower tourist seasons.
Here’s how to leverage partnerships:
- Create ads for local events: Create a presence at holiday fairs and winter festivals. You could even consider co-sponsoring an event with other local businesses.
- Participate yourself: In tourism, it’s not strictly business; it’s also about showing up and being a part of the festivities. Your presence not only promotes your things to do, but also shows locals that you’re supporting the community, helping you make personal connections.
- Cross-promote with other businesses: This is a great way to expand your reach. Connect with other local tourism or hospitality companies, and offer to do a package deal or promote them on your own channels. They’ll likely reciprocate, and you both win! Building relationships with other local businesses can open up new avenues for customer acquisition and partnerships. It’s an opportunity to tap into existing local networks and create a broader base of support.
Try a Family Focus
With the holidays approaching, many will be planning holiday dinners and quality time with their families. Experiences are a great way for families to do an activity together and try something new. Consider marketing campaigns that feature folks of all ages, and mention how you can accommodate large and small groups.
Bring on the Winter Vibes
Winter does not have to mean a deep freeze on revenue. And dropping temps don’t have to lead to dropping ticket prices.
By embracing the season’s charm and creating a festive, cozy experience, you can draw in locals who are eager to enjoy winter in their own city.
Seasonal events, holiday-themed tours, and cozy boat experiences can all contribute to a successful winter campaign strategy.
So, let’s raise our hot toddies and cheers to that, and remember – there’s a tourism marketing agency in the wings to help with all of the heavy lifting.
