Due to the pandemic, marketing in the tourism sector all over the world is facing numerous challenges. According to the predictions, national borders will soon be open again, with the tourist resorts being allowed to open their doors as well. This is why now is the perfect time for the tourist sector to remember contact with consumers who will soon be able to choose from among the many options available on the market.

Consumer relations are key

Marketing experts in the tourism sector believe that, despite the current circumstances, trademarks should not completely suspend their marketing activities. Maintaining or reviving communication with consumers is currently crucial, while companies in the field of tourism offer a genuine, sympathetic type of communication with the customers.

Think outside the box

Now is the time for establishing an authentic connection with the consumers. One of the methods is sending e-mail messages. The survey carried out by BounceX has shown that, globally speaking, the degree of opened messages increased by 40 per cent between March and April.

Royal Caribbean International has approached the current situation in a rather innovative manner. They have created so-called virtual cruise nights, thus enabling their faithful customers to travel virtually while preparing themselves for an actual vacation. The company has said that this has been an excellent way to inform their customers about the possible cruise packages that will soon become relevant again. In this case, the company will definitely have an advantage over other companies that have completely suspended communication with their consumers. Technology offers numerous possibilities, and it’s only a matter of time before certain companies learn how to take advantage of them before their competitors.

It’s important to stay in the game

Even under these changed conditions, it is important to stay in the game and attract consumers’ attention. Stress and boredom provoked by social distancing will probably motivate consumers to think about taking a break, and marketing experts in the field of tourism must be ready to meet this demand. When the time comes, consumers will choose the providers who have left a lasting impression by making sure that the right messages reach the right consumers, on the right device and at the right time. Here at iPROM, we make this possible through hi-tech software enabling us to benefit from the most efficient targeting methods available on the market. We reach the right target group through multiple targeting, behavioural targeting, and prediction-based targeting, which enables us to deliver ads to the target groups that are actually interested in the content, and that are most susceptible to them at any given moment. For the advertiser, this is an excellent opportunity to make optimal use of the media resources.

Certain measures are already being loosened, and the winners of this period will definitely be the ones with the fastest response to the situation, which will also enable them to bite off the largest portion of the “advertising cake”.

In the months to come, all countries will probably fight to retain domestic guests and will focus on foreigners once the borders open. I believe that the Internet will soon bear witness to a flourishing tourist offer and a high number of tourism-related ads. It is extremely important, now more than ever, that trademarks stand out from this multitude of messages and display ads to the right people, at the right time, and on the right device. The resources intended to boost tourism that are also provided by the State through the STO (Slovenian Tourist Organisation) are limited, which is why they must be used in a prudent manner,” says Miloš Suša, Head of Online Media Specialists in iPROM.