For the uninformed there are various platforms both locally and internationally (if you have a brand which you would like people from other countries to become aware of). That is besides all the new social media avenues open to one today.
Let’s talk local though – how do you promote a tourism product locally?
You need to first identify who you want to market this product to i.e. is it directly to the man in the street and if so then what is the criteria. If you are wanting to attract the international traveler then what is the criteria there?
I for example represent very upmarket 5star product so therefore it would be pointless marketing it to the average Joe. Great for them to know but they will never be able to afford it. They might however aspire to being able to afford it one day – you never know….
Tourism marketing is all about relationships and telling a story which has others wanting to buy into what you are selling. It takes time to nurture those relationships and have people actually trust you. It is way different from buying a can of beans.
In the tourism marketing business we are playing with people’s dreams – how would they like to spend their holiday and what is important to them?
My focus is on the local Tour Operator and Travel Agent who have the type of client who can afford to buy my product. They however have to first trust me and trust my story and then my product before they will promote it to their client whom they in turn have nurtured and do not want to disappoint. Imagine them selling a product to their clients and all it is, is a big let-down. They would probably lose their client and would therefore not be interested in speaking to me again as I have let them down… I would then also lose a client.
I would honestly go so far as to say that building the relationship with your client is the most important link in the chain. Gone are those days of not knowing what you are buying – there is way too much out there for people to choose from. People are looking for honesty and not the old salesman who sold ice to eskimos.
That’s all for today. Take care and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.