What Matters Most in Tourism Marketing

Just a few weeks ago, I was honored to have been asked to speak during a General Session at the VA-1 Tourism Conference in Richmond, VA. One of the greatest challenges I faced was generating the content that I felt would be relevant to the wide array of tourism professionals from across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In having a background in tourism marketing for 20 years, I asked myself, “what is the one question I would ask others to learn more about their marketing strategy and tactics?” To me, it was What Matters Most?

In marketing, we often step into the crutch-fall of trying to be something we aren’t or trying to be everything to everyone. In fact, most marketing success, as well as a rewarding return on investment results from being who you ARE and operating in the confines of what your customer enjoys about you.

Having said that, I feel there are some basic truths of marketing that are critical for marketing success.  A few are critically key for tourism marketing success:

BE WHO YOU ARE: Discover what is original to your destination and attraction. For example, if you are located along the coastline or beach, it is very unlikely you’ll be successful marketing yourself as a mountain escape.

CONTENT – Showcase your greatest assets in a way that’s easy for your visitor to consume it. With mobile technology growing more and more as the medium for digital content browsing, realizing this fact and adapting this delivery method is critical for the success of any marketing initiative.

PERSONALIZATION – Visitors often look for experiences that they feel are personalized to them and their lifestyle. Basically, let your visitors’ selfies do the talking and share those experiences for others to see and engage.

ORIGINALITY – two very important questions must be asked that are reflections of your destination and product:

  1. What makes you different?
  2. Are you willing to be original?

If you want to have a conversation with Matt and possibly discover what matters most in your marketing initiatives, send him an email at matt@thehighroadagency.com

Written by Matt Bolas

Written by Matt Bolas

Partner Success Manager & Tourism Development Specialist Contact Matt

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