4 Simple Ways to Capitalise on Tourism
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With the 1927 alcohol ban lifted on Good Friday, a rise in budget airlines and more British tourists looking to escape for a local mini-break, the Irish tourism sector is booming. Now is a great time to take advantage of the heavier footfall. Read on for some quick tips on how you can research, understand and prepare for the tourism surge.
1. Apply Tourism Research to Your Business
To give your tourists the best possible experience whilst visiting our country, first you need to know what they want. Research your customer demographic trends and wants out of their trip. This could include average spending budgets or shopping habits. Start with professional insight reports from tourism bodies including Board Bia and Tourism Ireland.
Understand how they book their holidays, which devices they use, and when is most popular to book. These details will help shape your marketing plan and budget it. It is worth assessing how your current marketing strategy measures up against this and what changes you need to make. Look into what they want for their money and how you can meet those demands with tweaks to your business.
Other tourism research you can apply includes competitor promotions. Do your offers match or beat current deals? Particularly for walk-ins, tempting them with a deal may be the reason they spend their hard money with you over a competitor. All-inclusive advanced bookings for large groups are also likely to help clinch a sale.
2. Working with Travel Partners
A large part of the tourism sector is travel, so partnering up with travel providers is a wise move to target tourists before they're even in the country. The likes of Eurostar, Ryanair and National Express are popular transit choices to travel from England to Ireland. Partner up with money-off vouchers or brand advertising to attract overseas guests to your business.
3. Get Listed on Third Party Booking Sites
The majority of overseas bookers use online reservation to manage their mini-breaks. So for your business, this means ensuring your digital profile is listed, managed and monitored on popular third-party booking sites such as Trip Advisor and Google My Business. It also means making sure your website is fully optimised for search engines so your company can be found by potential tourists.
Make sure your listings are completely filled out, providing as much information as possible to stop the customer from having to phone you up and find out. Offer menu options, including allergen-alternative products to show considerate hospitality. It's helpful for tourists to know points such as if your business is pet-friendly and any amenities offered to overnight guests before they book.
4. Seasonal Offers
The 90-year long ban on Good Friday alcohol sales is over, making Ireland an even more affordable, appealing prospect for a seasonal mini break. Now is a great time to get your business ready for next year's tourists. Offer special deals around extended weekends and public holidays when tourists are most likely to want to get away. Families plan trips well in advance of school holidays, so to get their custom you'll want to be ready with the best deals available.
Particularly if tourist holidays are Irish inspired, such as St.Patrick's Day, tourists are more likely to want to visit. You can boost sales during these holidays by selling themed souvenirs. Think St. Patrick's Day beer glasses, branded bottle openers or wine bottle stoppers and printed t-shirts. Not forgetting food, serve up some traditional Irish classics, from soda bread and soup to start with, to an Irish coffee to round off a hearty meal.
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