Tourism & Hospitality: Readying For The Recovery Ramp Up.

Now that the corner has started to turn, what do we do?

How can we breathe life back into our businesses, especially when we are in the Tourism, Hospitality and Travel industry?

Remember, this is an industry that has taken hit after hit since December last year, and every time it thought it could take a step back to a sense of ‘normality’, it was quickly shown that wasn’t the case.

But here we are, on the slowly but surely flattening curve, and at the moment, there is a glimmer of hope.

Hope means opportunity.

So getting your business out there has NEVER been more important. Yes, in capitals.

And here is why:

This. These are statistics from the University of Queensland, dated 24 April, about domestic tourism:

1. Over 50% of Australians want to travel domestically after the restrictions have lifted
2. We want to do this mostly because we want to support tourism in Australia
3. People want to travel to regional areas mostly, rather than the cities
4. Over half said they will drive
5. They will be vigilant about hygiene standards.

People are looking and researching for their next domestic holiday, and they can’t wait to pack up the family car and get on the road.

Make it YOUR place to which they’re heading.

Here are 10 ways to do just that:

1.      Tell Australia, or at least your local market, that you are open.  If someone goes to your social accounts or your website, hit them with that fact – you are open, and waiting for them to visit.

2.      Tell people about how you are incorporating procedures that support government regulations regarding Covid-19. If they have a choice between someone who they know does the right thing, and some one who MIGHT do the right thing, but they’re not sure….well, I guess you know which one YOU would pick, right?

3.      Craft your messaging just so. This is a big one – and it’s across all industries – so don’t think you are special. Every business we come across feels way more comfortable listing their services as opposed to talking about the customer experience. Think about what sort of feeling your customer would like to have when they are at your place, or what other people have said about your experience, and go from there. (PS here’s a tip – look at your reviews, they always have great wording)

4.      Content. Content. Content. Content. Content.

5.      Content.

6.      Did I mention content? Post lots and lots and lots of pictures and video of your venue or operation – back of house, preparing for the recovery ramp up, things that happened pre-covid, tours of your operation… and here’s why. People are researching. They are looking for something emotional with which to connect. They want to be excited about this next holiday – so give them lots of visual information, and they will have something to look forward to when they book with you.

7.      Pay to get your content out to your target area – start local, then move up to a drive market. Now, this doesn’t mean running a full funnel – it’s too soon for that. Just tell your story with video or images, and run either Video Views, Traffic or Reach campaigns – it’s the most cost effective way of advertising on Facebook and Instagram, and you can collect the data about those who have engaged with those ads, for retargeting down the track.

8.      Use your email list. In this industry, email open rates are much higher than dryer subjects, so incorporate your content strategy (which is LOTS of it, right?) into EDMs. Tell your story that way. Or tell stories about local heroes, people that have helped others in your area, plus how to help those who need a bit more care.

9.      Run a competition with the prize as something that can be redeemed in the future. As a people, the stats show that we want to support small business as much as we can – and this includes you! So package up a prize that is relevant to your business, and put it out there on your socials.

10.  When you can start to operate, take baby steps. Start with smaller experiences, shorter stays, day trips – obviously it depends on your business – but be prepared to gradually open up to drive market and wider as restrictions continue to lift.

As a tourism or hospitality operator, it’s up to you to get people ready to travel again. Our tastes will not have changed, but the checklist we apply to our holiday choices has. Big time.

While we are all champing at the bit to get out of dodge, we need to know that our first few forays out will be safe, and worth it.

So give Australia peace of mind about your place. Destination, restaurant, experience, whatever.

For any more info, just reach out.