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6 key marketing strategies for small businesses in the travel industry

June 9, 2023

  • Travel businesses should study competitors closely, reviewing their website experience, SEO keyword strategy, advertising materials, reviews and social media engagement to spot opportunities.
  • Upselling and cross-selling higher-end experiences, forming partnerships with complementary travel businesses and upgrading booking and management software can all help drive new revenue.
  • Prioritising customer engagement, through referral programmes and by encouraging customers to share their travel experiences on social media, builds new business without increasing marketing spend.

The travel industry is competitive, and if you run a travel agency, tour company, or another business in this sector, you’re always looking for ways to stay ahead of the pack. Partnering with a specialized travel PR agency can help amplify your brand and connect with the right audience. With our guidance, you can optimize your marketing strategy to appeal to your target customers.

Here are a few essential marketing best practices for companies in the travel industry, including tips on communicating with vendors, researching your competitors, and more.

Efficient vendor communications

You might work with numerous vendors, from airlines and bus operators to hotels and tour guides. When you’re communicating with so many important vendors, you don’t want to risk important information getting lost in the shuffle, like invoices or key business documents.

If you’re working with a marketing professional, like a graphic designer or web designer, it’s a good idea to compress JPEG files so that you can easily email them back and forth. Unfortunately, compressing a JPEG file can reduce the image quality. Alternatively, you can preserve the image’s quality by using this JPEG to PDF conversion tool. You can even use this tool to convert several JPEG files into a single PDF so that you won’t have to email multiple images.

Conduct competitive analyses

Analyzing what your competitors are up to is a smart business move. To research your competitors, BigCommerce recommends browsing their website to evaluate their user experience and on-page SEO keyword strategies, checking out their advertising materials, reading reviews of their services, and assessing their customer engagement on social media.

Upsell and cross-sell experiences

In the travel industry, upselling and cross-selling products and experiences can drive significant new revenue. To accomplish this, Trekk Soft recommends identifying which higher-end experiences your customers might be interested in based on their initial inquiries and promoting complementary services, like extra time on scenic flight routes or additional adventure tours.

Establish business partnerships

Partnering with businesses that also operate in the travel industry can expand your customer base. For example, if you specialize in working with budget travellers, consider partnering with hostels to cross-promote each other’s offerings. On the other hand, if you target senior travellers seeking luxury experiences, you could form partnerships with highly-rated hotels or guides who offer exclusive private tours. In a marketing partnership, you and your partner can bundle services together in exciting travel packages or offer discounts on each other’s services.

Upgrade your software

If you’re running your business with outdated software, it’s time to budget for new programs. Onix Systems states that travel agencies and similar companies typically need online booking and central reservation systems that enable tour building, customer service chatbots, billing, invoicing, and accounting software, and a customer relationship and marketing management system. You may want to look for software specifically designed for travel agencies that bundle all of these features into one platform.

Prioritize customer engagement

In the travel industry, you can’t overlook the power of customer engagement. By setting up a customer referral program, you can encourage your customers to send new clients your way, which can help you drive new business without spending more money on marketing. You can also invite your customers to share the highlights of their travel experiences with you and share photos and quotes from their testimonials on your social media platforms.

The travel industry is always changing. But sticking with a few time-tested best practices can serve your business well in the long run. With these tips, you’ll be able to stay on top of vendor communications, partner with other businesses in the travel space, and master the arts of upselling and cross-selling.

Want to update your travel company’s marketing strategy? Fill out our contact form to tell us more about your project.

FAQs:

How can travel businesses use competitive analysis effectively?
By browsing competitor websites to assess user experience and SEO keyword strategy, reviewing their advertising materials, reading customer reviews and evaluating how they engage audiences on social media.

What software should travel agencies invest in?
Travel agencies typically need online booking and central reservation systems that support tour building, customer service chatbots, billing and invoicing, accounting software and a customer relationship and marketing management system.

What does upselling and cross-selling look like for a travel business?
It involves identifying higher-end experiences customers might want based on their initial enquiries, such as extra time on scenic routes or additional adventure tours, and promoting complementary services alongside the original booking.