Put Your Advertising Dollars Where It Counts

Talking,  reading  and listening to the  tourism industry every day you get to learn the  ins and outs, positives and negatives of how tourism thinks in each province and territory in Canada.  Since a new year is around the corner many tourism businesses will be re-evaluating  their marketing efforts.  The big question many will ask is..  “How are we going to spend our advertising dollars for the upcoming year?

Going into the new year, when money is tight,  it is important – now more than ever – to focus your advertising on target markets which are growing!

In the years of  excess bulk and misguided tourism marketing worked because many people were making big money and spending more on vacations.  In the lean years of the economy where we find ourselves now – less people are traveling and spending money on vacations. Markets are shrinking .. except one.

There are many thoughts in the industry on tourism marketing… much of it guided by associations and government.  Much of it very skewed for big business. Think of it as a  game of  Tourismopoly.

Here are my thoughts. Keep it simple. There are two markets in tourism

(1) The Road Traveler – The unexpected visitor.  The “Will play it by ear” traveler.  The ” I am just passing through” traveler. A Tourism Information Centre guaranteed visitor.   Might stay for a few days, spend a bit of money.

(2) The Internet Traveler – Plans ahead online for longer stays as they want guaranteed accommodations and tours. Spends more money in the community. Sometimes plan in large groups.

The internet is the key for tourism now and will be. No one in their right mind in todays world will be spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on travel without looking it up on the Internet. And if they happen to not be very savvy on the internet –  they will ask someone to look it up for them and print it out.

Rack Cards.. they are going the way of the dodo bird.  Check out the garbage cans nearby – they are always full of discarded rack cards.

If you want to grow your tourism base.. you grow your business website – Bottom Line.  The traveler online is the only growing market in town.  They spend more money and they stay  longer in the community.  What else do you want?

For next year do yourself a favour and make sure your tourism website looks good and it is marketing itself  on the same tourism websites that the online tourist plan, research and book with.  Do not follow a crowd when deciding where to advertise.. follow your research.  And if you do.. we will see you real soon here at the FROG POND.

In British Columbia, “Website Referral Reports” indicate there is only one British Columbia website  network worth advertising on .. and that is the www.BCeh.com Travel Planning Network.

What would our  BLOG be without a plug..LOL.