Tourism and Leisure industry is one of the hardest hit business sectors due the impact from the Coronavirus. From travel bans to cancelled events, the industry is facing a daunting challenge.
How to respond…?
Marketing and consulting group BMDM produced an action plan for tourism and leisure businesses. These principles are applicable to all business and everyone should take note and start taking action today
Health and Safety
Make sure that all your employees and visitors adhere to guidelines regarding Coronavirus. Remind people to regularly wash their hands.
Here are a few posters you can print and use as signs – Click on the link in the image to download the PDF
More Coronavirus resources here
Cash flow is King
For your business to survive it is imperative that you manage your cash flow as prudently as possible.
At a time like this…
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush “
There are a few measures you could implement
- Negotiate as much credit as you can with your bank and also with suppliers
- Collect outstanding invoices
- Discount / Promote any excess inventory to convert it into cash
- Create a discount / sales event
Go local
With fewer tourists, especially international tourists coming into your area it is important to capture your local market. These are some action steps you could take:
- Special offers to local tourists
- Create a local event
This is a great idea while local travel is still possible. Create a special evening if you have a restaurant, a visitor experience etc.
- Create tourist packages for locals, if you already have packages like these it is a good time to discount them
- Create “early bird” promotions for people that are booking something later in the year
- Invite local businesses and customers in your area to your establishment
- Have “free giveaways” to locals to get them to come and visit. A wine estate for example could offer a “free wine tasting” for a day or a certain period to encourage visits and sales
- Collaborate with other tourist businesses like tour operators or agents. Everyone is looking for more business right now
- Create a local club / customer group. Example: a wine club if you are in the wine business
Online Shopping
If you business has an online shop, this is the time to really promote your online shop and if you do not have one, then you should get into online shopping as a matter of priority.
Here are a few things your online shop could do to generate more sales
- Discount coupons
- An online pre-winter sale
- Offer free shipping
- Create special online packages
- Increase your online presence – Add your shop to all social platforms
- Collect email addresses when people visit your shop so that you can send them other offers
- If you have an email list, do an email promotion to your list
- Upsell… Give people the opportunity and incentives to buy more when they visit your online store
Get Social
Social Media should be an integral part of your action plan during this time. Here are a few ideas on how you can leverage Social Media to generate business:
- Social advertising to locals. Social Media platforms like Facebook offer the best way for you to target your local audience. Run a social advertising campaign targeted at your local market.
- Create content on all the prominent social platforms on a regular basis.
- Run a contest or a giveaway promotion. A great example is the “Ice Cream and Wine Experience Giveaway” by our friends, Visit the Winelands.
- Collaborate with Social Influencers – At times like these it is essential to work with others and social influencers in the tourism industry will also be having a hard time, so it is a good time to collaborate.
- Do a Social collaboration campaign with tour operators / suppliers / related business
- Create and execute a Social Media plan
- Download FREE 52 page GUIDE – Business Gets Social
Become a Media company
Every company should realize they are in the Media business” BMDM Digital
The statement above is now truer than ever and this is an opportune time for every tourism business to grab this opportunity. Tourism businesses are natural creators of content and this content could not only be used to promote the business but could also be monetized.
Here is our suggestion
Create your own show
We believe that one of the best ways for a tourism business to promote their business and to monetize their content is to create an online show. Think about all the celebrity chefs and how they evolved from cooks to media personalities, you can do the same with your business.
A good way to start is to start a podcast / chat show hosted by your business. Your show could interview customers. Suppliers, similar business etc. The opportunities are endless.
Here is an example of a recent show created by BMDM, Earth Chats. Earth Chats is a show about the environment and how we could make the planet we live on a better place. Starting with an idea, this show is now on Youtube, Spotify, Google Play, iTunes etc.
Download the Local is “Lekker” guide here
