The travel industry is one of the oldest industries that has gone to the digital world. The main reason has been the wide coverage of the travel industry. For instance, somebody who is probably traveling to India is looking at India and planning the trip from America at least 4 to 5 months before the journey. This means, that not only do a lot of people search for genuine information about the location they are traveling to or interesting facts about any places in Google, but they also directly book online.
As per research done recently, almost 32% of the tourists book a stay in India while they are still in their home country. Most of the bookings are done almost 25 days before the planned arrival date. Other remaining percentage of tourist are also engaged in active research before their arrival date, thus promoting content marketing. So, it is obvious that the travel industry can benefit greatly from digital marketing.
Travel agencies, hotel owners, transportation providers, guides, and a lot of other professionals should be using digital media to make a bigger presence in the market. And here's how that can done.
1. A functional website
Every travel business should start with making a website, and that's the basics. But it's not just about making a website but maintaining it in the long term. From updating useful content to optimizing your site to rank highest on Google, this is a continuous job. Also integrating e-shops in your website and allowing quick translation of money is a very efficient way to grow your business.
2. Use third party
For the small business, especially local ones, it's hard to attract international visitors. Thankfully, there are a lot of third-party sites that will promote your site and get the booking quickly. For example, Having your hotel on a website such as booking.com can get you bookings in just a few days. Recommendations from third-party websites such as Trustpilot and Tripadvisor will increase your online presence and allow you to make quick business. Millions of travelers trust these 3rd party websites for booking their hotels or trip packages. Also, focus on maintaining good quality and quality of review, will definitely change their business game Forever
3. Try helping the tourist
Brand image is important for a lot of the travel industry. Personal recommendations can make a lot of business in the Long run. So, make sure that you take really good care of your customers in the shop. Keep a separate WhatsApp number or email for inquiries. Make customized trips based on personal requests, provide free amenities, and do whatever makes your customers happy. This will help you in the long run. For instance, the Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal, booked with a foreign agency can cost about $1500 but the local company is offering them for as low as $900. Even so, most travelers prefer to book with a popular expensive agency just because they have good reviews and the trust of the people. Trust matters more than money. So don't only assist the people who are potential customers, but everyone willing to make an inquiry.
4. Social Media
Social media Is a good place for free advertisement, to increase the visibility of your site. This is the appropriate solution to increase your social presence, depending on the type of customer you have. For example, if you have a fancy restaurant then TikTok and YouTube shorts might be a good place for advertisement. You can post all the food and events here. For travel agencies, Instagram and YouTube are good places for marketing. If you have a small library, use Twitter or Reddit. it doesn't mean that you use social media out there, but using some of them is a good idea.
2. Make an app
This is the other option after your business starts to grow. Developing and maintaining an app at the earliest days of your business can be quite expensive in comparison to maintaining a website. But once you start to get regular bookings, having an app makes the experience of users very smooth. Providing regular notifications and updates on your business is also easier with the app. Making an interesting app with good user interference will assist your business in further growth.
COMTEX_451214752/2850/2024-04-22T04:04:53