Digital Marketing for Travel & Tourism Industry
Did you know, The Foreign tourists arrival in India has already crossed the 10 million mark in 2017 and it’s been on an increase ever since? I am sure the figure itself is enough to let you know the boom that is the Travel and Tourism Industry, especially in India. Actually it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you if you are into this business.
So, if you are a Travel & Tourism Industry, and if you wish to influence people to travel today (to destinations you offer) in 2020, the medium available to you is the Digital medium. Digital Marketing for Tourism Industry has become a need which cannot be denied.
The Progression of Digital Marketing within the Travel and Tourism Industry: ‘Digital marketing’ is a rather simple concept – Make use of digital channels to promote your products and services. With launch of Google in 1998, internet became the most ‘go to’. People started consulting internet before visiting place. They wanted to know in advance how their travel destination, food, people, culture, accommodation, etc. would be. The people asked the internet and Travel businesses started answering them by establishing their own websites. These websites started providing beautiful images and videos of the destinations, detailed information about the destinations, testimonials of their previous satisfied customers, etc.
Later on Social Media came about and people got closer to each other and the whole world through various Social Media Platforms. Inadvertently Travel and tourism industry too started using this medium to increase its reach to more and more people through posts, tweets, advertisements, etc.
Initially, people used digital devices such as desktops and laptops to access internet and social media, but then more people started using mobile phones. Clever businesses immediately took these factors into consideration and launched the 1st ever mobile marketing campaign in 2001. Post this campaign there has been increasing businesses venturing to target mobile phones for advertising. No wonder, businesses today are developing Travel and tourism based mobile applications. People love the convenience, ease and speed these apps provide. If you doubt the need of Mobile apps for your travel and tourism business, I suggest you take a look at our blog on Why Travel & Tourism Industry Need To Have Mobile App.
Digital Marketing for Tourism Industry has undoubtedly facilitated the Travel and tourism industry greatly. Let’s take a look at the why and how –
● Satiating the customer’s hunger for experience: Use of social media and mobile applications, has enabled customers to leave reviews of their experience with your business. More about 95% customers will take to read reviews and then only book online. The calculation is simple more good reviews, more customers booking, and the more booked customers will later on leave more reviews (provided you live up to the expectations of the customers). Other than reviews, Vlogs, blogs, and even live-streaming by clients of the experiences during your business’s tours is a great way to satiate customers and bring them to you to experience the same.
● SEO and SMO makes you visible: Let’s be honest, any business (including tourism industry) strives for SEO and SMO. Reason – you can be found on the internet and on social media by everyone
● A Global outreach: Digital Marketing as opposed to other means of marketing enables a global reach out. Travel and tourism industry which includes domestic as well as international tourism need a client base from all over the world and digital marketing wonderfully facilitates them.
● It is interactive: Digital Marketing enables customers to ask queries, which can be answered by your business’s customer service representatives or even previously satisfied clients. Other than that your satisfied customers can share their personalized experiences with your business and the tours offered by you. Thus, there is immediate feedback too. In short, it allows for communication from all and is more interactive as opposed to a unidirectional printed or TV ad.
It’s 2020 and the number of internet users in India has already crossed 500 million in 2019. As a travel and tourism industry, you just can’t not go digital marketing. There are various aspects to Digital Marketing, and if you are venturing into it you need to look out for the best of the professionals in this field. We at Techasoft are a Digital Marketing Company providing various Digital Marketing services such as SEO, SMO, Website development and management, Mobile application development and management, and much more.