With inflation and rising gas prices, many travel destinations are out of budget for vacationers. But that doesn’t mean your travel business is out of the question. The attractions of hotels and destinations can still be profitable with other types of vacationers: stationers. When locals get bored of doing something fun with their vacation time, you need to be prepared to give them a vacation experience that they can only get at home. Check out these top marketing ideas to bring stationers to your doorstep year after year.
What is a location?
A station is a vacation in your home area, which means checking into a local hotel or just using your own home as your vacation base. This is a great way for people who need to save money to enjoy the holiday experience – to spend time and enjoy the sites – without having to travel far. This is a great way for a tourist to explore local activities and experiences in their area. The location can be as short as a single day or as long as any other holiday. The big difference to you? These people will be in your area all year round.
Marketing in the local family
If a population needs some serious position, it is family with children. Traveling with young children, with small children and “I don’t want to leave my friends” can be a serious pain for teens who want to stay away from work to do something fun as a family. These people will look for something local that can still carry that “wow” vacation factor but without the pressure of road travel and flight juggling. When viewing local activities, parents should look for:
- Child friendship: Do you have anywhere to breastfeed mothers? Change the table? Shady play area? Stroller-accessible areas?
- Family activities: What can families do as a group? Do you have anything for all ages? It can be annoying even for adults to focus too much on the kids.
- Food options: Do you have a good place to eat for the family, or do you have to move closer to a cooler if the family plans to stay longer? Remember, even most picky eaters prefer french fries.
- Family-friendly price: A ticket can be affordable for two, a family of five can be in favor of a more savings-friendly place. Consider offering discounts for families and for children under a certain age.
Local single marketing
Unmarried people may not have the same restrictions as their families, but they are less likely to take much time off from work for a long-term position. However, they are more likely to pay more for a short stay or event. They like to go places with friends and look for unique or exciting activities. Here are some reasons why single occupants are looking for:
- Feelings of luxury: Unmarried people want to live in the moment, so give them a chance to enjoy themselves with their spa services, waiting dining and much more.
- A sense of adventure: Unmarried people are more likely to have adrenaline junkie, so give them some exciting days! Exciting rides, spooky walkthroughs, outdoor meals and more.
- Worth to boast: Do you have a sense of exclusivity in your venue? Is there anything you can’t find anywhere else? Those singles give some bragging about their friends.
- Insta-worthy: Photo or not, unmarried people want a place to take great selfies to share online. Set up beautiful places for singles to get their best pictures
Pro Tip: When trying to strike a balance between stationers and vacationers, consider offering station specials in the off-season. This will pad your year-round profits and give stationers a chance to enjoy your venue once the holiday crowd is gone.
Coordinate with local business
When marketing to most tourists, it’s a good idea to promote your business on travel sites and magazines because that’s what vacationers see. But what about the occupants? Stationers will check coupons with their large store subscriptions, find deals with their employers, and use local activity subscriptions. This is where you want to put in a lot of special deals to benefit both you and the business you work with.
Coordinating with other businesses can also help you expand what you offer. For example, hotels may offer discounted tickets to their guests at local events, and restaurants may set up special dining services in local amusement parks. When you work with other businesses in your area, you increase your business potential.
Increase your return appeal
Locators are more than just your usual one and complete audience. Since they are close to your business, they can quickly become a returning customer if they think there is more to come back. For example, an escape room may be the most exciting escape room in a company area, but they won’t get much return business if they only have one escape scene. Find ways to keep things fresh by providing different experiences.
Marketing ideas for hotels
Need ideas for how to keep things fresh for locals? Here are some ways you can get things done and compete:
- Themed rooms: Even if you have a central theme for your hotel, you can play that theme to create unique experiences for different rooms. For example, a beach resort may have a house under the sea, a sand and sun house, a boat room, and so on.
- Seasonal dining: Use local and seasonal food to keep your indoor restaurant fresh all year round. If you don’t have one, coordinate with a local restaurant to give your guests an exclusive dining experience.
- Celebrate the holidays: Celebrate Independence Day, winter holidays, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and more in hot seasons with your decorations and food so that customers come back to enjoy something new with each holiday.
- Small Business Partners: Does anyone in your area offer to ride in a horse-drawn carriage? Yoga class? Custom bouquet? Expand what you offer by offering discounts and complementary services when customers order your “stationary package”.
Marketing ideas for destination
Want to be a destination to stay locally? Here are some tips to keep things fresh and turn your name into a family brand in your area:
- Host Field Trip: Schools are always looking for ways to add a little fun to their curriculum, so offer an annual discount for your future brand ambassadors! These kids will force their parents to take them over and over again and grow up with your business as part of their childhood nostalgia.
- Host Trick-or-Treating: Need to introduce your local family to your destination? Host a spooky but family-friendly strategy-or-medical event!
- Contribute to nightlife: When it gets dark and families go home, it’s time to party alone! Become a place for unmarried and couples to get out of the house and stay with their own deep night events at the best time of their lives.
- Embrace all seasons: Too cold for your water park? Set up an ice rink! No apples are picked in the spring? Set up some places for pictures and picnics. Find ways to use your venue throughout the year so that locals always come back.
Promote with swag
Both hotels and destinations can benefit by sharing their swag locally. Whether through promotional gifts, competitions, or just their own welcome sale at their own gift shop, locals still love to take souvenirs home and show them off. Here are some common stationery swag items you can promote:
Promotional T-shirts
Promotional t-shirts like the Hanes EcoSmart® 50/50 cotton / poly t-shirt are a great way to promote your brand in any community. Whether you are promoting a stationer or a vacationer, everyone can enjoy wearing a part of their experience at home in style.
Travel mug
Looking for ways to remind people about their great times? Whether it’s a complementary hotel gift or a fancy mug full of hot chocolate, this 14 oz travel mug. Stainless steel no camp mugs with lids are a great way to take your brand home to your locals.
Overnight bag
Accommodations are often smaller than those big cross-country trips, so make it easy for your guests to get to the hotel with trendy and convenient overnight bags like The Weekender Deluxe Duffel Bag. Branded with the logo of your hotel or destination, you can be sure that they will remember you on every trip.
Photo frame
Let your customers enjoy their own station family photos, sponsored by you! Sell your own brand photo frames like these 5 “x 7” photo frames so they never forget where their family memories came from.
Innovation pen
Want to share something small and easy? Fancy pens like these focus flashlight pens can be great fun for kids and parents while putting your name around the house.
While marketing is important to traditional vacationers, stationery is a much less used resource for many travel companies. Stackers are the people who will bring the most repeat business and are more likely to share their positive experiences with others who are in a position to become customers in the future. Take the time and evaluate how you can market and attract businesses throughout the year.