In the travel industry, you have to constantly search for new and creative marketing approaches, regardless of how long you’ve been in the business. In this article, we’ve put together a list of some of the most innovative marketing strategies and trip recommendations that will bring in more business and bookings for your travel agency!
1. Concierge Services
Luxury hotels and resorts lead the way in providing concierge services to help guests make the most of their vacations or getaways. Some provide luxury concierge services such as airport welcomes, transportation arrangements, and retail assistance. You can also use this strategy to make the guest’s overall experience memorable by making similar recommendations.
Take the time to find out about your guests’ travel plans and offer to help them with the rest of their trip by making local recommendations. Consider providing a “destination cheat sheet” or free trip planning support as a value-added benefit for clients who work with your travel company. You also can connect clients with one of your travel specialists via phone.
2. Offer “Be A Local” Packages
Travelers of today value authentic, meaningful experiences. For them, simply “seeing” a destination is no longer enough. Instead, they want to immerse themselves completely in the local culture and grasp the essence of living in a new place. For travel companies, this trend embodies a fantastic marketing opportunity!
Instead of focusing on popular tourist destinations such as Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Tokyo’s religious temples, or San Francisco’s old tram ride, consider less-popular but equally captivating points of interest. Design your tours to provide visitors with authentic experiences, such as tasting classic dishes or taking part in local traditions.
3. Sustainable Experiences
As climate change becomes more real, more and more travelers focus on sustainable practices when planning their travel plans. They not only want the travel agency they work with to work in a sustainable way but also want to enjoy eco-friendly transportation and accommodation options. This is backed up by a recent study from Arival.
Eco-friendly tour options allow tourists to enjoy their vacation while learning about a location’s sustainability and environmental concerns. Some even allow people to make a tangible contribution, such as helping others to plant trees or bring back natural habitats. Many travelers also look for “small footprint” travel options.
4. Use Google Things to Do
Being visible on Google is essential since it improves a company’s discoverability. Google Things to Do allows you to show your service under nearby attraction and activity categories. Get your travel experience listed on the first search engine result page by submitting accurate details about your service, including company name, operational hours, and activity description.
High-quality videos and images can help make your tour experience more appealing and trustworthy. Make sure they highlight the most intriguing part of the journey, whether it’s the breathtaking scenery, the thrilling ride, or the heartwarming locals. You can even upload your promotional poster along with them. Use travel poster templates to make more engaging visuals.
5. Train Travel Packages
From the “Flying Scotsman” to the “Orient Express,” many things romanticize railway travel. This mode of transportation continues to intersect with other trends as it gains popularity as an environmentally conscious alternative to driving and flying. It gains even more popularity because it allows travelers to travel at a slower pace.
Many countries even provide passes that allow travelers to visit multiple destinations in one trip without leaving the train. The scenic views, relaxing rides with spacious seats, sleeping quarters for longer trips, and the opportunity to interact with other passengers are all additional reasons to include train travel in your offerings. Imagine how excited your guests will be to learn that they are receiving an unexpected service from you!
6. Include Family Experiences
Multi-generational travel is an emerging trend in which family members of various ages travel together. Not only are parents and children participating, but grandparents are also forging more intimate relationships in unconventional settings. This trend has enormous potential, as seniors want to make treasured recollections with their grandchildren.
As a tour operator, you should take advantage of this opportunity to design experiences that appeal to the whole family. This involves selecting excursions that are both child-friendly and appealing to adults. While putting together such packages can be tricky, tapping into the multigenerational segment assures a growing audience for the next few years.
The Takeaway
The travel season has arrived, and if you want to increase your travel company’s booking rates, you’ll need effective strategies for attracting potential customers. All of the techniques mentioned above are designed to make the trips you offer appear irresistible, drawing in more customers. Try them out and see what kind of difference they make for you!