Travel Industry is possibly one of the most affected industries in the world today. The COVID-19 Pandemic has shaken the operation aspects of travel businesses of all sizes. The global tourism industry where revenue decreased by 42.1%. But, this blog is not about the dreary situation. It is about how bounce back as a travel business post pandemic.
The year 2021 comes with better hopes. With the vaccines on the horizon, it is becoming safer to indulge in other activities. The government regulations are also loosening their strings on various travel allowances.
But you’re worried if you can get back on your feet after the heavy blow of 2020. Well, let me remind you that time and again the tourism industry has proved to be quite resilient. Whether it’s pandemic, political instability, natural disaster, or war, the tourism industry is no stranger to the economic downturn and adversity of these events.
And to be very honest, people out there are dying to travel after being locked up for a year. With the right strategy and Covid-19 safety protocols, you can expect a huge comeback of customers at your doorstep.
Let us check out some of the major traveling trends of the post-Covid-19 situation-
People are still not ready to take public transportation and therefore are preferring locally available destinations. They are focussing on places that are within 300 miles and are at drivable locations. Airbnb and such enterprises are in high demand since 2020 as more tourists are indulging in a staycation.
Ron Yariv, a hospitality consultant, predicts that “local tourism will continue to be important more than ever [in 2021].”
Safety and hygiene is the major concern at this moment. Customers are ready to pay up and focus on Covid-19 safety measures being taken. The fear of contamination has led travellers to conveniently drive to the destination instead of choosing any other mode.
According to a survey by Booking.com, it is noted that 70% of the customers will select the place to stay on the basis of the safety measures that are provided by the organizations.
After spending a pretty hectic schedule at home for a year, people are now on the lookout for someplace to relax. Hence, destinations that are providing luxurious accommodation along with various relaxation gateways are in high demand.
With the fear of Covid, tourists are opting for less outdoor or sightseeing activity, and more on spa and wellness activities.
This is a major takeaway from the pandemic. It has changed the way people used to travel. Customers are preferring to either travel solo or with only their close-knit family. Maintaining social distance and avoiding contact with other people are the main criteria that the tourist of 2021 is abiding by.
An overseas travel company recently acknowledged that people are traveling solo so much that the demand for singles’ vacancy has increased by 76% from 2019.
In this blog, we are going to reflect on how you should resume your enthusiasm and start with the business. We have a few ideas and techniques that can help you to achieve your goal.
This is the time to focus on the representation of your company on the online platform. To ease your way, it is better if you start by centralizing all the data you have.
Because when all your data is in one place it becomes easier to plan and strategize your moves. And with the given time, it is also very important to hold on to whatever you have had.
Storing your database in the cloud per se will keep you from losing them. You can use a CRM for the whole business purpose, that will help you in unimaginable ways. Here’s a video showing how the Travel Agency CRM caters to all your need.
Here’s video on how Travel Agency CRM works:
Re-evaluate your website and create market-friendly content. Highlight the Covid-19 safety measures undertaken by your company and reassure a safe journey.
Create new itineraries with detailed information about how you are managing your trips, keeping in mind the present situation. And provide drivable locations as much as possible.
New off-beat places are now in more demand than touristy spots. So do thorough research on that part and come up with great places to enjoy.
Digitization of customer service can be an important move, as more and more people are searching online. Be prompt with feedback and assure any kind of assistance when needed.
Nothing can beat the touch of personal assistance to a customer. Call them up or send an email and let them know that you are back in business. Offers and discounts go a long way. You can offer something special for your old associates.
Create a customer-centric marketing strategy and get good results out of it. Allow customization of your packages according to their needs and focus on how you are maintaining all the safety protocols.
You can use a CRM that will give you all the details of your customers along with their travel preferences. You can review all the information and present a personalized travel opportunity for them.
The Travel Agency CRM comes in handy in this part, where you can get all data under one roof, which does not require an application, and can be accessed from any electronic gadget.
With our Travel Agency CRM, you can centralize your data, follow leads and strategize accordingly.
Here’s how you can manage all your follow-ups with the Travel Agency CRM:
You must have heard the saying, out of sight….out of mind. Well, people do have the habit of erasing most of it which is out of their sight.
Therefore it is important to ensure that the customers remember your brand. And the best way to engage them is by creating scheduled newsletters on a monthly or weekly basis. You can also send automated follow-up emails according to the customers’ behaviour.
You can segregate your customers based on their travel preferences and reach out accordingly. For example, if a customer has traveled mostly to mountains and forests or to secluded destinations, he/she won’t be that excited to see your newsletter which may have, a popular destination trip to the great deserts.
To keep you from losing your valuable customers over the choice of travel, it is better to streamline your newsletters.
E-mail marketing campaigns can be made much easier with the help of Zoho Campaigns which come with various customization and automation techniques that’ll help you to provide according to the set of customers.
Here’s how Travel Agency CRM integrated with Zoho Campaigns helps you create awesome email campaigns:
With the Covid-19 pandemic still in our neck, travellers are in the search for exotic and off-beat places. Fewer people and the lesser crowd are what motivates people to travel to unpopular destinations.
Take your time and do your research thoroughly. Come up with great places for travel. Develop a proper itinerary and present a nice plan for your customers.
But remember, nowadays nobody is willing to switch off their mobile phones, lay back and enjoy the place. People are preferring to stay connected, and remain updated on the day-to-day situation. So make sure that the place has a steady connection.
People are hooked on social media now more than ever. Utilize this opportunity and make way for an efficient social media marketing strategy.
Wherever we make a plan, we immediately start visualizing the place. So, you can create a nice video of the places that are a part of your upcoming itinerary and upload it on your page.
You can use attractive video thumbnails from this beautiful platform of DocHipo, where you can get some amazing visuals and thumbnails for all your creative purposes.
Here are some YouTube Thumbnails Templates from DocHipo tailored for Travel Businesses:
You can also start promoting your upcoming tours using interesting infographics. Working with proper and exciting visuals is an important part of Social Media marketing. Because images have a deeper effect on a person’s mind.
Entice your customers by sending out flyers and response sheets of upcoming local events to see how they react. Keep your Travel Agency page exciting and engaging through all the social media platforms.
You’ve come a long way through this difficult road and being worried about the future of your business is a natural instinct. But the year 2021 is full of possibilities and so you need to buckle up and start preparing for it.
With the vaccines being regularized, people are expecting a silver lining amidst all the rigidity. So, now is the time to gather up all your resources and utilize most of what you’ve got.
Planning and marketing are the key ingredients to start with. And now that people are so involved online, it is important to make a presentable online gesture. Use DocHipo to create awesome visuals for your emails and website.
And the Travel Agency CRM comes very handy at this point when you need to rise above and beyond.
So keep calm and kickstart your Travel Agency business with a bang.