It is safe to say that the pandemic-that-shall-not-be-named made a big impact on the world. As we all know, travel and tourism has been one of the sectors most impacted over the course of the past 20 months.
The good news is as the vaccine becomes more easily accessible globally and available to children (for now, ages 5 – 17), travelers are ready to hit the road, air, and sea.
The bad news? Your marketing efforts waned a bit over the course of the pandemic due to border closures, travel restrictions, and a bonafide lack of demand.
But to quote Bob Dylan, these times they are a-changing.
So, here are a few ways that you can beef up your marketing strategy as travel restrictions lift.
1. Align your Marketing and Revenue Management Strategy: When developing a strong marketing strategy, it is vital to align every aspect of the business. This means that direct booking perks, new offers, benefits and packages, and flexible cancellation policies should be known and out there for the world to find.
2. Prepare Your Website: Your website should serve as a peek into what’s happening with the hotel and allow potential guests to find information they need to easily (key word there) book online.
Take the guesswork out of the experience for potential clients and repeat guests. Example: the hotel is open and accepting reservations, our restaurant is currently closed during this time, the spa is taking limited reservations, etc.
In addition, make sure you highlight that the hotel is still taking proper precautions (and list those precautions as they evolve) to ensure the overall safety of everyone.
Lastly, it never hurt to have a blog that you continually update to highlight any new amenities, rooms, menu changes, etc.
- Implement a Flexible Cancellation Policy: This added peace of mind for guests can be just what they need to commit to booking with you. Life happens, as we’ve seen these COVID years; the assurance that they could rearrange their schedule or cancel without penalty puts less pressure on the guests.
- Amp up your posting, blogging, and email marketing: if you slowed your pace, now is a great time to pick it back up again. Start showing what’s going on, start opening a more continuous dialogue with guests and travelers.
And, as always, continue to stay on top of any potential changes in travel restrictions. As the times are still delicate and flexing, it’s best to be informed so that you can better assist guests as they make their own plans.
Good luck!