Good LSM: Tourism Marketing

 In Be Locally Relevant, Build Awareness, Drive Traffic, Drive Trial, Good-Bad LSM, Marketing Plan, New Store, Planning

Is your business located in a city that attracts a lot of tourists? Whether they be summer vacationers, historical sightseers or international travelers, tourists can bring money (and yes, crowds) into all different types of communities.

While you may look forward to tourist season for the increase in foot traffic, have you ever created a marketing strategy specifically for the tourists in your life?

While vacationing in the beach town of Duck, North Carolina, we noticed this smart and locally relevant way that one wine shop is making their presence known. They’re advertising not directly to the tourists themselves, but rather, to the owners of vacation rentals in the area.

tourism marketing

Bacchus Wine & Cheese offers a wide range of gift baskets (at a variety of price points) for rental owners to choose from. Whether it’s BBQ-themed, dog-friendly, or a sunset packages, they cater to all types of owners and tourists! These gift baskets make life easier for the owners (they don’t have to worry about coming up with a welcome basket on their own) and are an impossible-to-ignore advertisement for the tourists! If I received a nice basket from Bacchus upon checking into my rental, I’d be sure to go down and check out what else they have to offer while I’m in town!

This type of “two-for-one” marketing strategy is clearly a success in seasonal tourist areas – but the same ideas could also apply for businesses that are near:

  • Colleges/Universities
  • Boarding Schools
  • Historical Monuments
  • Furnished Long-Term Rentals
  • Regional or National Annual Athletic Tournaments
  • Major League Sports Teams
  • National Annual Conferences

Does your business cater to the tourism business? What tactics do you employ to catch their eye?

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