Previously, nothing was stopping consumers from hopping on a plane and traveling the world. Unfortunately, this freedom ultimately came to a complete stop with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe. From 217 countries enforcing travel bans to local communities suggesting residents stay safe by remaining at home, more than ever, people are itching to get away as restrictions begin to ease.
As one of the businesses hit hardest due to the crisis, the travel industry after COVID-19 will need to put in a dedicated marketing effort to promote their services and capabilities regarding the majority of travelers’ behavior at a time where they are at their most reticent.
The Coronavirus’ Effect On The Travel Industry
Airlines alone have lost around $314 billion in revenue from the effects of the Coronavirus, totaling 55% less than 2019’s ROI. From this loss, over 100 million employees in the industry are at risk of losing their jobs, if that has not happened already.
The travel industry after COVID-19 undoubtedly will have to go through a great deal of planning, restructuring, and better utilization of SEO and SEM strategies to get back to where it once was. Despite the need for this shifting effort, businesses can be reassured that people remain interested in the travel industry and are still keen to get back out there.
Benefits Of Marketing In Tourism With AirBNB
One of the main trends witnessing an increase at the minute is short-stay vacationing, through which AirBNB has been a great platform that people have been using since the start of COVID-19 outbreak. People who may have been nervous about staying in a hotel for a prolonged period of time have found comfort in the individualized experience AirBNB offers. With short-term stays, guests, for the most part, don’t need to worry about the spread of germs or the continuous turnover of hotel beds.
As well as this, as cities began to shut down globally, people fled to countryside escapes for a bit of normalcy from an unpleasant urban quarantine. AirBNB offering homes to people tucked away in the mountains, beachside, or simply in the suburbs has ultimately become the cheapest route to a new living experience or getaway during a time most needed.
5 Tips For A Successful Travel Marketing Strategy
Businesses need to remember all the benefits of marketing in the tourism sector that can help support an organization. Even with the pandemic having a huge effect on consumer behavior, it never stopped the fact that people wanted to travel. Now, crafting your own travel marketing strategy, you’ll need to adjust to what consumers are looking for in a vacation, whether it’s promoting safe transportation, physical activities, or unique locations. Using relevant content with SEO key terms is likely to bring traffic and potential bookings to your own business.
1. Green Travel: Many people are still in fear of infection from the pandemic, therefore consumer growth for “green travel” is predicted to rise. Out of all travel agency marketing ideas, promoting nature-based, outdoor vacations, and destinations using SEO keywords will be a savvy way to attract customers even with restrictions dropping. People are looking for trips that they feel safe on, so vacations that allow travelers to bring their own supplies and snacks are a likely popular pick for consumers and create a good ranking for your site.
2. Off-The-Beaten-Path: Advertising your business as a vacation that seems off-the-beaten-path, in comparison to other destinations or traveling experiences is a great way to attract travelers. People do not want to be traveling to overpopulated areas right now, so it’s important to make your trip seem like a unique experience for guests that not everyone will be doing. It’s been recorded that 54% of consumers are willing to travel to a less known destination for safety and cost benefits that have a similar feel to desired vacations.
3. Safety First: It’s never been so important for your travel marketing strategy to prioritize the need for cleanliness and safety precautions in reference to the pandemic. Even with people choosing to travel, this does not mean they want to hinder their safety in any way. United Airlines has recently teamed up with Clorox creating UnitedClean Plus, where the brands show how they have been working hard to keep up with cleaning and disinfection protocols. Through a video, online about pages, and an automated text line set up to answer consumer questions, the duo has educated its audience on how they’re handling the crisis, in turn, showing that they are trustworthy companies with customer safety in mind.
4. Offer Different Forms of Travel: With consumers still wary of flights being their main source of travel, your brand advertising different forms of transportation such as boats or cruises will likely entice people to check out your offerings. As 2020 continues, it’s been reported that over 50% of travelers are open to trying older forms of travel because of the underlying tone of flight shaming since the start of COVID-19. Taking on a travel marketing strategy highlighting older, sustainable forms of travel can potentially lead to increased traffic and potential bookings.
5. Motion-Based Activity: Incorporating motion-based activities in your marketing plan to attract tourists will really help bring in sales throughout the second half of the year. Again, people wanting to embrace the fresh air and keep safe, promoting cycling, kayaking, swimming, or any type of physical activity are likely to attack consumers. Vacations in the Bahamas have recently started promoting swimming tours where tourists can explain the ocean and beaches all through a safe physical activity.
What your business can take away from these tips is the trend towards outdoor and active vacations and how it should be incorporated into your content via keywords and terms. While people still want to visit museums and travel to new cities, for the most part, the priority is for consumers and families to feel safe amidst COVID-19. Along with research on more post-Coronavirus trends, your business is setting itself up for success.
Takeaways
The travel industry after COVID-19 will undoubtedly need to work hard to market accordingly, but there is hope that the field will make a quick comeback once the crisis has fully ended.
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