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Tips for creating a Digital Marketing Plan in the tourism industry

12 May 2023. 12:43
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  • SME maturity
    Middle
    Topic
    1. Marketing digital y redes sociales
    Scope to digitize
    1. Relationship with clients

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Do you work in the tourism industry? If you want to improve your position in the market and provide value to your customers, don't miss these tips for creating your digital marketing plan.

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According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), international tourism is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels in Europe this year. However, SMEs and freelancers will face challenges such as economic instability and continuous geopolitical uncertainty.

Taking advantage of the boom in international tourism, companies in the tourism sector must develop marketing strategies that allow them to promote their services properly to reach the target audience. Below, we explain the types of tourism marketing that exist, and the step-by-step process to develop an effective plan.

Types of tourism marketing

The first step in developing your marketing plan is to know the different sectors within tourism marketing. The main ones are the following:

  1. Destination marketing: it focuses on promoting and marketing destinations. Advertisers highlight the location as a travel destination and do not focus only on an incentive or accommodation. For example, campaigns to encourage tourism in Spain.

 

  1. Activity-based marketing: just as a destination can be attractive for its location, it can also be attractive for the activities that travelers can do there. This type of tourism marketing accommodates all types of activities, from sports to recreation.

 

  1. Sustainable marketing: it focuses on promoting destinations, activities, and services that are sustainable.

 

  1. Gastronomic marketing: aims to promote the idea that food is synonymous with culture. It not only focuses on the gastronomic part but also on related activities: vineyards, tasting sessions, market visits, among others.

 

  1. Experience-based marketing: it focuses on offering immersive experiences where travelers experience and engage as much as possible in a destination. For example, from knowing its history to its culture and environment.

 

  1. Wellness marketing: promotes destinations, activities, and services that promote health and wellness. For example, physical, psychological, or spiritual activities that improve the quality of life.

 

Knowing the different types of tourism marketing will help you understand industry trends and address consumer behaviours effectively. Below, we explain a series of tips to develop your marketing plan.

 

Step-by-step to develop your digital marketing plan

When it comes to designing a marketing strategy for the tourism sector, it is essential to remember that we are selling an intangible service. Therefore, it is crucial to turn the experience into something memorable for our consumers.

These are some of the key points that you should not forget when designing your plan:

  • Phase 1. Preliminary analysis: it is essential to conduct both an internal and external analysis. For the internal analysis, you can conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). For the external analysis, it is convenient to analyze both your competition and potential customers. This way, you can offer a better service.
  • Phase 2. Strategic definition: in this phase, you should establish strategies and set objectives, taking into account factors such as sales share and profitability, among others.
  • Phase 3. Tactics planning: once the analysis and objectives have been defined, it is time to make operational decisions related to the 4 Ps of marketing (product, price, distribution, and promotion).
  • Phase 4. Budget: based on the tactical decisions, you must prepare a budget that covers all areas involved in business development (human capital, machinery, technological resources, supplies, among others).
  • Phase 5. Implementation and control: finally, it is essential to establish a control phase to verify that our strategy is working. Situation reports and parameters such as ROI (Return on Investment) will help us measure how our strategy is developing.

Having a consolidated marketing strategy will allow you to promote your services adequately. Develop a marketing plan to take your tourism business to the next level!

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