Tourism marketing in the digital and offline era

In general, tourists tend to stay in Tenerife between 6 and 7 days during their holidays. Another important fact before planning our marketing strategy is that according to:

• According to the "Profile of the Tourist Visiting Tenerife" of 2022, approximately 42.8% of tourists visiting the island contract package tours that include various services.
• Many of them hire them from home at the time they are planning the trip. They book the hotel, destination experiences, restaurants and other activities. 
• Another percentage book their tourist activities at the destination upon arrival on the island. 

If we take into account that tourists will spend only 6-7 days in Tenerife or in any other tourist destination, we can establish the following in order to attract tourist-clients:

• Increasing the visibility of establishmentsUsing online and offline campaigns. Once the tourist arrives at the destination, he/she has only a few days to enjoy, therefore, it is important to make an impact through multiple media to maximise success. It is therefore essential to establish a plan of digital marketing and offline marketing. Using growth hacking tactics can help to increase awareness and impact.
• Creating memorable experiencesDesigning emotion-focused strategies. To this end, having specialists in growth hacking or guerrilla marketing can be key.
• Segmenting audiencesIdentifying and focusing on the most profitable groups of travellers. To do this, we must know who our potential customer is, who we want to sell to and above all, why they should buy from us and not from the competition.
• SEO positioning in destination and origin: Having a website in different languages of our potential customers is critical. In addition to a SEO expert positioning our website in each of the languages is the most important thing. In this way, we will be able to attract potential customers in the planning phase from their own country and in the booking phase once they arrive at the tourist destination. 

An example of this is our client Teide By Nightwhich is positioned in each of the languages worked on the web and in your destination countries. Filling your stargazing activity on every excursion.

Google my Business: Once the tourist arrives at the destination, it is important to master searches in different languages for the map card. Many customers pay attention to the reviewsThe first ones ranked for the keywords and from there, they phone or book the experience. For this tactic it is important to hire a Local SEO Agency. The SEO to attract tourists is an underestimated tool in the hotel sector.

What is digital tourism marketing?

The digital tourism marketing refers to the use of digital tools to promote services and products in the tourism sector. These can be hotels, holiday homes, shops in tourist areas, restaurants or experiences. Key elements include:

• SEOSearch engine optimisation, increasing online visibility. As we have explained, it is important to position your website at origin, while the client is planning the trip, as well as at destination, for improvised bookings. To do this, we must optimise our website by means of a tourism SEO strategy multi-language. 
• Social mediaSocial media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are ideal for inspiring travellers. Social media is key to winning brand awareness. Instagram is perfect for showing sensations for hotel businesses, restaurants or experiences. 
• PPC AdvertisingPay per click campaigns on search engines and social media. Online advertising is the perfect complement to our SEO, social media and offline advertising campaigns.
• Email marketingPersonalisation of offers and direct communication with customers. Creating a customer database is one of the oldest and best marketing tools. It is tremendously effective in reactivating customers and bringing potential customers into our sales funnel. 

What are the benefits of digital tourism marketing?

• Greater global reach.
• Tracking, real-time analysis of results and accurate data to make better decisions.
• Cost reduction compared to traditional strategies. Although we should not rule out offline marketing depending on the profile of our business. The more weapons we use, the better results we will obtain. 
• Increased brand awareness.
• Customer acquisition at origin in the planning phase and at destination. 

What does a tourism marketing expert do?

A tourism marketing expert designs and executes strategies to attract, convert and retain customers. Their main tasks include:

• Market analysisIdentify travellers' trends and behaviours. In addition to assessing what competitors are doing. 
• Campaign creationDesign initiatives that generate multi-channel and multi-language impact. It is important to combine digital and offline marketing if the client has sufficient budget. 
• Channel managementOverseeing communication on social media, websites and offline media.
• Experience optimisationImprove the customer journey from discovery to booking.

How to create a tourism marketing plan?

A tourism marketing plan is fundamental to the success of any strategy. Here are the key steps:

1. Define Objectives

Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals. Example: "Increase direct bookings by 20% in 12 months".

2. Knowing the Market

Conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and define your target audience.

3. Choosing Strategies

It combines digital and traditional techniques:

• DigitalSEO, network advertising, email marketing.
• OfflineAdvertising in magazines, collaborations with travel agencies, outdoor advertising.

4. Create Quality Content

Design messages that connect emotionally with travellers.

5. Measure and Optimise

Use tools such as Google Analytics to evaluate the performance of your strategies and adjust them.

What does tourism marketing study?

Tourism marketing studies consumer behaviour, market trends and the most effective strategies to promote tourism products. Some areas include:

• Consumer psychologyUnderstanding what motivates travellers.
• Technological trendsAdopting innovative tools.
• Market segmentationIdentify profitable niches.

What does the tourism market represent?

In tourism marketing, a market is the set of potential consumers interested in tourism-related products or services. It is divided into:

• Geographic marketLocal, national or international travellers.
• Demographic segmentsYoung people, families, couples, seniors.
• Psychographic segmentsAdventurous, leisure, luxury, relaxation or cultural travellers.

What is tourism marketing planning?

Tourism marketing planning consists of developing customised strategies to achieve specific objectives. It includes:

• Previous researchKnowing trends and competition.
• Detailed budgetEfficient allocation of financial and human resources.
• TimelinesEstablish deadlines for each action of the tourism marketing plan.

When did tourism marketing emerge?

The term "tourism marketing" and the expansion of tourism as a global phenomenon are closely related to the events that followed the end of the Second World War. World War II. The end of this conflict marked the beginning of social, economic and technological changes that boosted international tourism. With it, the need for specific strategies to promote destinations and services. Let's see how it happened. Since then, it has evolved significantly with digitalisation and changing consumer habits.

Although the World War II was not directly the cause of tourism's expansion, its end marked a turning point that enabled its massive development. This, in turn, created the need for specific tourism marketing strategies, which formally emerged in the 1950s to meet the growing demand for international travel and competition between destinations. Since then, tourism marketing has continued to adapt, reflecting technological advances and changes in traveller preferences.

Digital and offline strategies for hotels and tourism establishments

Digital strategies

1. 1. Presence in OTAs (Online Travel Agencies):
      • Platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia expand global visibility.
   2. Content Marketing:
      • Publishes blogs and videos that highlight the tourist experiences  you offer.
   3. Social Networking:
      • Use Instagram and TikTok to share engaging visual content.
   4. PPC Campaigns:
      • Attract customers with targeted ads on Google Ads.

• SEO positioning:

1. • Optimise your website in SEO to achieve a first page ranking on the first page of Google. keywords most important in your market.

Offline marketing strategies

1. 1. Tourism Fairs:
      • Participate in events such as FITUR to make connections.
   2. Printed Material:
      • Design brochures that highlight your services.
   3. Local Collaborations:
      • Work with local businesses to create joint offers.

• Outdoor advertising:

1. • Billboards, billboards and other media can be great allies to complement your promotional campaigns or brand awareness. 

Digital and offline marketing in the tourism sector are indispensable tools for hotels and establishments looking to stand out in a competitive market. A comprehensive strategy that combines innovative and traditional techniques can make the difference, attracting travellers and creating unforgettable experiences. 

Above all, it is important to expand your market, to sell more and to grow. Remember that there are only 3 ways to increase sales, no matter how much digital marketing evolves, they remain the same:

1. Increasing the average ticket
2. Increasing the number of customers
3. Increasing the frequency of purchases

All innovations only serve to increase any of the ratios above these lines. But we will explain this in more detail in another article.