Travel Marketing in the Off-Season

Being in the Midwest, travel isn't always a popular thing, especially when the weather starts to change. Marketing efforts may seem useless, but actually this is a great time to work on your marketing plan!

So how should marketers handle their marketing strategies during the off-season of travel? To answer this question, it really first depends on how your tourist destination operates. For example, if you are an outdoor water park that closes during the colder months, your goals may be to maintain brand awareness during the winter. If your an indoor water park, travel may be lower during the summer because people would rather be outside so your goals may be to offer special travel deals to attract more customers. Maybe your destination is a museum that mainly gets local travelers during certain times of the year. No matter what your situation may be, digital marketing can help you reach your goals.

Maintaining Brand Awareness

Unless travelers are already planning to visit your travel destination in the future, it's very likely that most people aren't consciously thinking about your business.  Having a strong online presence during the off-season will help keep your business in the minds of consumers. I recently wrote an article about how you can measure your current presence. The internet allows travel destinations to reach thousands of people compared to traditional marketing and advertising which may not be as successful. You can create conversations online through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also share photos of your destination and include photos of new updates and features you have added. You should also consider placing online advertisements that include the dates and times you will be open.

Communicate New Features
Adding new features and additions to your travel business is very common for some destinations. During the off-season, you can promote what types of things you are working on. Not only will this build excitement but again, will help you maintain the brand awareness. Adding pictures of your progress of a project is a great way to gain attention.

Travel Deals
Everyone loves deals and specials, especially when it comes to travel. It's not uncommon for destinations to offer deals during the off-season. Offering online exclusive deals has become a popular trend because it requires consumers to spend money now. Most destinations offer discounts on admission prices or offer buy one get one deals. Your business could also offer a special discounted package which could include a variety of different things. If you make special deals available for a limited time, it will motivate consumers to take advantage of the deal right away because they don't want to miss out on it. You can offer deals on your own website or take advantage of special deal sites like groupon.com or livingsocial.com. You can also post deals on local websites as well.

Local Travelers
Your destination may get more local travelers during the off-season simply because people still want to get out of the house and have things to do but don't want to drive very far. Knowing how to reach your local travel market will encourage residents to visit your business. Check out my post on marketing to local travelers from more tips!

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