Leaning on Heritage Tourism Can Help You Recover From the Pandemic

Get Your Heritage Tourism News

You won’t want to miss out on the latest articles and resources for DMOs. Learn about how one destination is using heritage tourism to bounce back from the pandemic, how DMOs can cope with economic unrest, how to build a website that converts users into visitors and so much more. Keep reading!

Chester County Leans Into Historic Tourism to Help Rebound From the Pandemic

Chester County, Pennsylvania is reviving its historic tourism sector in effort to bounce back from the pandemic and help lead the greater area in celebrating the United States 250th commemoration. Working with county stakeholders, tourism officials hope to improve existing historical and cultural sites, build new information centers, cultivate connectivity between the areas and create a marketing strategy to increase the number of visitors.?

This is part of the region’s efforts to execute a comprehensive approach to tourism on the municipal level. Chester County will seek out stakeholders that will work with the contractors on this project, while also searching for a theme to group these sites and attractions together.

“The framework for our heritage efforts are outlined in our comprehensive plan, Landscapes3, and it’s got six goals and one is ‘appreciate.’ And that’s really about appreciating our history. This is helping implement that plan,” Brian O’Leary, the executive director of the Chester County Planning Commission, said.

DMOs should see Chester County as a real-life example of how a destination can turn to heritage to boost their tourism efforts. Chester County’s combination of a comprehensive approach and involvement of their stakeholders will set them up for long-term success. Read more.

The Three Rs for Thriving During a Recession

As inflation rises and people’s financial future looks less certain, tourism professionals have two options: see the bright side or see a glass half empty. Those who see a recession as writing on the wall are likely to curb their marketing efforts during low economic times, but this will hurt these marketers in the long run. Pulling back on your marketing efforts will just leave you further behind when the economy stabilizes again. This article from Travel Weekly highlights three strategies and examples that will help travel marketers stay positive and in a good position no matter what the economic conditions look like:

1. Rethink your messaging. What are you focused on? It’s important to get creative when it comes to marketing your destination. Consider promoting weekday visits or when larger stakeholders are featuring discounts. Despite economic downturns, people still have the desire to travel, it just means you’ll have to market it in a way that will catch their attention.
2. Remind yourself that branding is about making your destination unique, and that doesn’t change during difficult times. Being true to your destination’s most authentic self allows you to differentiate yourself from other destinations and give your audience a reason to stay loyal.
3. Reallocate where and how you invest. Increasing your investments in future shares will benefit your long-term efforts and the payoff can be significant. This can look like investing in local markets that will keep your area more stable if a recession should occur.

The pandemic and current financial situation are teaching destinations how to be adaptable and sustainable. Don’t be afraid to view difficult times with a half-full mentality! Read more.

Your Website Might Be Giving Visitors Trust Issues

When it comes to planning a vacation, an organized and informative website is vital in getting your website users to book a trip to your destination. When your website displays accurate information, quality photography and engaging content, it’s more likely they’ll decide to visit your destination. How do you make sure your site is trustworthy? There are several factors to consider.

Before committing to a new website project, it’s important to take the time to evaluate your website and ask yourself these questions:

• Does my website convey accurate and updated information?
• Is my website easy to navigate for potential visitors?
• How do I earn my visitors’ trust through my website?
• What are some must-haves a destination website needs?

Check out our webinar where our website and branding experts answer these questions and pave the way for a strategy that allows you to build trust with your visitors. This on-demand webinar will highlight the principles and functionality that make destination websites perform well and stand out. This will be a tactical webinar you won’t want to miss. For more information on how to make your website the best it can be, read this blog or this real-life case study.

10 Steps to Create an Amazing Paid Social Media Campaign

Paid social media is a vital building block in any destination awareness campaign, which means it’s important to know how to create winning ad sets. This article highlights a step-by-step guide for planning and executing your next social media ad campaign. Here are some steps to get you started:

• Know your audience: Targeting your campaigns toward everyone might win one or two leads, but by narrowing down your audience, you can put your destination in front of people who are looking for exactly what it has to offer.
• Pick the right social media platform: Each platform offers different benefits and features that will help boost your campaign, but not every platform is the best fit. It takes time to research what each one can offer and to decide which one is right for your campaign.
• Decide who you’re targeting: Research who in your audience you want to reach. What is their education level? What is their location? What are they interested in doing? Once you know more about your target audience, it allows you to create more effective ads.
• Choose the best ad format: Ads can look many different ways, so it’s important to know which format will resonate best with your audience.

No matter your social media ad goals, implementing these tips into your strategy will significantly increase the success of your campaigns. Read more.