Experience Marketing and How to Use it to Get More Bookings

The nature of travel is changing, as the desires and preferences of travelers continue to evolve. In years past, travelers would choose a destination based on the weather in that location and their ability to relax. They might find a place that had famous attractions that they could visit and mark off their bucket list. However, many travelers today are looking to get more out of their trips abroad. Experiential travel is increasing in popularity, as more people hope to connect to a particular destination by immersing themselves in the cultures, traditions and history of the local people. This makes an experience marketing strategy an important way to reach consumers looking to take part in this emerging trend.

What is Experience Marketing? 

Experience marketing is a type of promotional campaign that requires you to appeal to the travelers’ senses and showcase what they will experience when they visit your destination. It’s a tactic often used by destination marketing organizations, which work to promote an entire region or destination. By partnering with your destination marketing organization, you can incorporate your brand into the identity of the entire destination. You can help the organization promote the experiences that are available when they visit your corner of the world.

How Can Your Tour Company Use It to Generate Bookings?

In order to use experience marketing to increase your bookings, you will want to identify several specific moments in the traveler’s online booking journey and capitalize on them. The most defining moments include:

• Dreaming Moments — Social media has sparked an influx in dreaming moments, as users look to their friends and family members for inspiration. Add social media PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads in order to capture the attention of travelers who are just starting to dream about their next adventure.
• Planning and Research Moments — Travelers who are beginning to decide what to do and when to do it on their trip will head to TripAdvisor and other online review sites in order to learn more about their options. Increase your presence on TripAdvisor and encourage your past customers to leave feedback in order to capture visitors at this pivotal moment in their journey.
• Booking Moments — Once a traveler finalizes their decision, they won’t waste any time booking their tour or activity. By offering online booking, including mobile booking options, and by using a mobile booking system, you can be ready for your travelers once they want to make their selection. If they can’t book online with you, you might risk losing their booking to the competition.

When promoting your tours and activities, you will want to attract a wide variety of travelers. From those who want to enjoy adventure to those who prefer to snap photos while sightseeing, you will want to create opportunities for them to experience your destination in the way that they want. As you develop your marketing and promotional campaigns, you can also expand your distribution network by appealing to a vast range of agents who are willing to resell your tours and activities. To learn more about how experience marketing can impact your distribution strategy, download the Rezdy online distribution ebook today.