November 4, 2021
The holidays are fast approaching, which means it’s time for tour and activity operators such as yourself to start finalizing your promotional strategies. With the number of people preferring experiential gifts over material ones, you’re in a unique position to provide the perfect gifts for travelers (and those shopping for the travel lovers in their lives). If you’re looking to boost your sales this holiday season, here are a few holiday promotion ideas to try.
Research shows that promo codes and coupons can have a significant impact on buyer behavior. People are more likely to buy sooner or buy more just because they have a discount code. What’s more, people are more likely to purchase something from a business they’ve never shopped with before because they have that discount.
In other words, holiday promo codes can be highly effective enticing new buyers and re-engaging those who have purchased from you before. Choose a percentage off that works for your specific margins and create a holiday-themed code. For instance, you might generate something like HOLIDAYTRAVEL20 for 20% off WINTERFUN10 for 10% off.
No matter what your discount, make sure that you give it an expiration date. A limited-time offer can create a sense of urgency in those looking for gifts for travelers. They may be more apt to buy now, rather than risk waiting and not save a little money getting a gift they know their friend or family member will love.
All of that shopping for gifts for travelers could have buyers thinking about traveling themselves. As they’re searching for that perfect gift for the people they love most, they might start dreaming about their own perfect getaway. That dream might even include your services.
Give shoppers a little extra nudge toward adding the gift to their cart by offering them a discount on a future purchase. That way, they can give an experiential gift to their friend or family member now, and give themselves a present later.
Leverage your social media accounts or website and keep the fun going with contests or giveaways leading up to the holidays. One way to really incentivize people to participate is to make the grand prize a free experience with your tour or activity company.
The options for a holiday contest are practically limitless. For instance, you could ask your followers to like and comment on an official giveaway post on social media. You might also ask them to tag people they know for extra entries. Then you could draw a random winner.
If you’d rather host the contest on your website, you could create an official entry form for your participants to fill out. That form could be as simple as requesting their name and email address. Or, you might consider asking them to share something a little more personal, such as their favorite travel memory or their most unique excursion.
Other potential online contests to consider include:
More than half of adults in the US believe that giving experiential gifts is easier than giving material ones. Sometimes, however, people might not know quite what their travel-loving friend or family member wants.
Gift cards are one of the best ways to help ensure that recipients get an experience they’re sure to love. Consider giving your customers options. If they aren’t sure what their friend or family member might want, allow them to assign a dollar amount to a gift card. Or, you can allow them to choose a card for a specific tour or activity your company offers. Either way, give your customers the ability to print their gift cards out. That way, they can print them out and put them into a holiday card if they want.
Another option to consider is to partner up with other businesses in your area. For instance, you might work with another local tour or activity operator, hotel, restaurant, or other business to create an entire experience or vacation package. That way, your customers (whether they’re shopping for themselves or someone else) have much less to worry about during their trip. Rather than spending time researching potential places to go, they can spend more time enjoying their excursions.
Not only do your customers benefit from getting a whole experience for a discounted price, but you and your partners benefit from a nice revenue boost. Additionally, you build a strong network of local businesses that can help one another out with recommendations or cross-promotions throughout the entire year.
The holidays are about showing those we care most about how much they mean to us. One of the ways people do this is with gifts. Physical presents, however, might not always fit the bill. Instead, giving someone an experience could be the perfect solution.
With the increasing popularity of experiential gifts, tour and activity operators have a chance to shine. You can help shoppers looking for the perfect gifts for travelers give the gift of an experience the recipients are sure to remember for a long time to come.
