In 2020, the marketing plans of tourism- related companies were ruined and they were forced to reinvent themselves. In INDIA, we saw an 80% drop in car rentals, flights and hotel reservations after the pandemic.
To this day, we still do not know what the tourism situation will be this summer of 2021, but we do have to be flexible and prepare for what is to come. Therefore, we are going to see some keys from the analysis “Tourism campaigns in times of pandemic” by Verizon Media.
The 5 keys to pandemic tourism strategies
According to Verizon Media’s own data, five key trends have been identified in European markets, including Spain:
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The short – term recovery during the months in which the (summer of 2020) relaxed restrictions. There was a lot of interest in commuting, especially among GenZ and millennials . This gives us good prospects for recovery for the sector when sanitary conditions allow it.
- The increase in national stays . Now, hotel reservations in Spain by national tourists represent 47%, when before they were only 5%. Therefore, we must rethink the type of marketing we do of these destinations, to orient it more towards the Spanish public.
- The rediscovery of local options . This trend to stay in national establishments has not stopped growing since May 2020. Travelers are rediscovering their own regions and countries, which represents a great opportunity to add these previously ignored destinations in our marketing plan.
- The decision at the last moment . If there is one word that has defined the situation in the last year, it is “uncertainty”. The situation does not stop changing, which creates many difficulties in planning. As a result, the decision to go on vacation is made only 40 days before the trip. This affects marketing plans because it forces us to adjust campaign times taking into account a much shorter decision period.
- The shorter and less health risks getaways . In general, travelers are prioritizing shorter trips and taking health risk into account when deciding. Therefore, we must take these needs into account in our campaigns and build trust.
In conclusion, adapting the marketing plan of the tourism sector to the pandemic requires above all flexibility . We must create plans A, B and C for different scenarios and be willing to make last minute modifications. We no longer only have to monitor the metrics of our campaigns, but also all the news in the health and legal landscape.
For consumers, the most important thing is to emphasize this flexibility in our campaigns, offering them different change and cancellation options in case they cannot make the trip they expected and showing them that we care about their health and safety above all.
