Getting a foothold in the market will enable you to not only snag those early bookers and also put you in a strong position to outmaneuver your competition for the last-minute traveler. Summer is a busy season for hotels, and it’s important to make the most of it. Here are some tips to help your hotel stand out and attract last-minute travelers.
Early Bookers vs. Late Bookers
Not so long ago, the bulk of leisure travelers booked their accommodations months in advance. The U.S. Travel Association estimates that as many as 44 percent of leisure travelers are now waiting until the last minute to book travel. The bulk of those are booking their trips within two weeks of their expected departure.
Why is that important? Because it enables you to be very specific about the advertising you would be running now as well as the advertising your run during the summer. Here are just a few key factors you should know about the last-minute traveler:
- 40 percent of last-minute travelers are under 35 years old
- 41 percent of last-minute travelers will be traveling with children
- 59 percent of last-minute travelers book their rooms within one week of their travel date
- 74 percent of last-minute travelers will rely on their vehicle rather than air travel to get to their destination
- 67 percent of last-minute travelers prefer to stay in hotels
Seasonal Campaigns
More than likely, your hotel is now running two different types of advertising campaigns for the traveler niche. You should be wrapping up your spring campaign and begin launching full-swing with your summer campaign. The goal of that campaign should be to draw in the early bookers and plant a seed in the head of your last-minute travelers.
The last-minute traveler is already shopping for deals and bookmarking pages. We already know they don’t have as much money as the “regular” traveler, so we want to maximize the perception of a deal, be it a lower price or an amenity that is used to make the deal more attractive. By doing this, the last-minute traveler is encouraged to book with your hotel when they revisit the page in a few weeks to once again check prices.
Family-Related Activities and Vacations
With almost half of last-minute travelers looking for hotels that are family-friendly, you should be putting an emphasis on this in your marketing.
Consider offering family-friendly packages, using families in your marketing visuals, promoting families on your social media campaigns, and including local entertainment venues for family activities. And, don’t forget, a family today often includes the family pet. So, if you are pet-friendly, make sure that message is very clear to the potential guest.
Reaching Out to Loyal Guests
Your property should have a guest loyalty program, which means you have a captive audience already available to you. Your marketing team should be emailing out offers to previous guests with special offers not available online. This gives the perception of rewarding loyalty. It will not only serve to improve bookings this summer, but it will also keep your property fresh in the guest’s mind for future bookings as well.
Promote Summer Holiday Activities
Take advantage of holiday marketing. Travelers want to know what is going on, especially if they have children with them. Is there a BBQ planned for Independence Day? Do you have fireworks or is there a fireworks show nearby? All this information should be readily available, even if you have to create an additional page on your website to do so.
Stand out
If there is one thing to know about leisure travelers, it is that they want unique experiences they can only enjoy in one specific area. Embrace the local flare and promote it within your hotel packages and offerings. Give them a reason to choose your hotel even over the hotel down the street.
As stated above, your marketing team should be already in the process of firing up these campaigns, but if your Director of Marketing is not even considering these approaches, it may be time to look for a new manager. Joseph David International is ranked as a top recruitment firm for good reason. Click here for more information about our services.