Nowadays, travelers are not what they used to be. The development of digital marketing have exploded in the past decade and have made crucial differences in all industries, including tourism. As a result of this, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding what the future will look like for industry players today. 

Tourism companies are often threatened by external factors, completely out of their control. Fortunately, they have digital marketing on hand, not only for protecting their business, but also for converting risks into opportunities. Here are 6 way how digital marketing can be beneficial for the tourism industry:

Mobile apps

Mobile applications with a wide reach are a constant reference for the tourist along their journey to deciding on an experience, thanks to their mobile availability. There is a huge variety of tourism apps on the market, but only the well-known and useful ones will survive on the user’s mobile phone for more than a few days.

Part of what makes a great mobile app is its interface as well as what it includes. How do you pick the most important ones, you ask? Think about what apps you’re always hearing about and do some searching around on the Internet. You’ll be able to find some articles on the best review platforms in your niche industry quite quickly, guaranteed.

Tip: Encourage reviews on your chosen travel apps, respond to your reviews (both good and bad), and keep your listings up to date across all platforms.

Google and its features

Google has firmly established itself as an Internet authority on all things. Not only does it have complex algorithms for how it calculates your site’s SEO value, it has also recently begun participating in the travel market by offering reservations for hotels, flights, weather forecasts, and other suggestions for numerous destinations. This makes Google even more of a major player in getting your business in the public eye and convincing travelers to book with you.

Google features can make sure that you’re updating your content regularly and effectively. Keep your Google My Business updated and accurate to facilitate users coming to you directly from Google My Business.

Data in the tourism sector for marketing decision making

Analyzing the available data on consumer trends allows travel companies to compensate appropriately for tourist needs. By using data, we can make more accurate decisions that help us in our actions to attract users and improve their experience.

Tip: Explore your own data by taking a look at your Google Analytics and other social media platforms, like Instagram Insights, for example — this can help you find out who is interested in your company and allow you to make adjustments as needed, whether that be adding new tours or different information onto your website.

Online sales 

With such advanced technology, we now have the power to search for holiday options based on our special interests or requirements. Interact with them with visuals that show them why you are the best choice by showing them the unique experiences of your region, the culture, the fauna, the flora, the food, and more.

Tip: Showing your audience the experiences you offer can go a long way — think video content, podcasts, blog posts, and more. By using storytelling, tourists will know what to expect from you and your company, therefore allowing them to decide if you’re the best.

Inbound marketing and content

One tried and tested strategy that tourism companies use to attract buyers is well-written content, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Content is always going to be a huge part of your digital marketing strategy, but think beyond your website.

Tip: Blogs are a great way to have new content on a regular basis. In order to keep your target audience intrigued, make sure to vary your content to some degree with photos and video content, shorter and longer blog posts.

Social networks

Social networks play an important role in tourism since they are used before, during, and after the trip. Everyone has their own platform preferences, so consider this segment of your target audience so you can decide where to focus your social media efforts.

Tip: It’s not worthwhile to be on every platform out there, so we recommend that you pick between 3 and 4 and keep those regularly updated. There is nothing more discouraging for a social media user than to find that the last update was posted 2 years ago! During the tour, encourage your customers to share their photos by creating a tour hashtag. This is a great way to appeal to social media algorithms and back up your reviews.