Three Brand Strategies as the Travel Industry Ramps Up
While most states are lifting their stay-at-home orders, many travelers are still wary when it comes to travel plans. Although air travel has slightly picked up, TSA reports that it is still 20 percent less than average during this time in June 2019. On the other hand, hotel occupancy has been slowly increasing upward since Fourth of July weekend, yet nearly 6 out of 10 open hotel rooms were empty across the country per STR.
Those with a sense of wanderlust are carefully re-considering. Local travel will be key to the recovery of hotels and other travel experiences. Letting customers know how you’re adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and what procedures you’re putting in place to keep everyone safe is crucial.
Reopening is no recovery, and this is just the beginning of the travel industry’s new normal. In the interim, here are three strategies to engage with potential travelers and guests. By engaging with potential guests online, you’re already increasing your chances of a strong ROI.
Show, Not Tell
Showcase amenities and contactless offerings on social channels and your site. Do you have an amazing view? Prized artwork? Share it! Utilize the parts of your space that make you stand out from the crowd to bring people into your space virtually on Facebook or Instagram.
Consider private Zoom video calls with a future guest that has already made a reservation to walk them through what to expect. Since contactless check-in will be popular, provide some step by step guidance on what guests should expect.
Travel brands like Airbnb rolled out virtual programming that went viral. Cities and small brands were able to pivot by offering experiences like courses or museum tours via YouTube and Zoom. Virtual Reality travel experiences were also highly discussed early on during self-quarantine. Whether it’s cooking courses, bartending tips, or wellness tutorials—online programming is here to stay.
Evaluate Your Cleaning Habits
As hotel brands roll out their “clean programs,” it’s imperative to make those guidelines accessible to the public. Take questions from your audience and loyal customers on social media platforms that are right for your brand. Make sure that those updates are accessible on your website and not just thrown into someone’s inbox. Infographics and videos are popular on social media platforms to make tedious information digestible.
If you’re a hotel brand with culinary programming, now is the time to get creative with your food and beverage offerings. Some guests will be weary when it comes to dining in a hotel. Room service will be a completely different experience moving forward. Consider utilizing tablets that already have your brand’s app. Digital menus make ordering easier and more hygienic.
Do-it-yourself “DIY” beverage and meal kits are also popular, fun, and hygienic ways to provide your brand’s experience to your guests in a safe and convenient manner. Include recipes that can be made with these kits accessible through your app.
Embrace Social Distanced Programming
Once guests are confident that their health and safety are taken care of in your space, lock them in with creative package programs. Get creative with how you can meet guests’ needs. Business travelers, families, and local tourists all need a change of scenery – so think about how you can be there for those groups. What experiences will they feel safe doing?
As travelers will be spending more time outdoors to embrace social distancing, so will hotels. Lean into local businesses and partner up where you can to execute outdoor yoga, pet-friendly activities, picnic-like meals, tastings, or walking tours. Do engaging platform takeovers to increase exposure for both brands like hosting a free yoga lesson on your Instagram page or promoting a ticketed experience with local artisans.
Don’t forget to encourage guests that stay with you to use your branded hashtag! Brands began to implement words that encouraged staying home and virtual impressions. These not only aid in SEO, but it aggregates more user-generated content for the general public to see and engages with potential visitors and guests.
Written for LRA PR