| The first step in attracting and maintaining | | | | lower cost." A knowledgeable tourism company |
| potential travelers is to review your travel | | | | can help you achieve that goal. |
| advertising budget to make sure you're | | | | |
| investing enough time and money crafting | | | | Always Room for More |
| quality ads that are designed to attract | | | | |
| needed tourist dollars. Most people depend on | | | | If your company has grown or added a new |
| quality travel advertising to guide their | | | | service, don't forget to promote any changes |
| choice for a vacation location. They want | | | | with a feature article, which can be |
| advertisements, brochures and other travel | | | | distributed to local newspapers and magazines |
| literature to provide accurate, up-to-date | | | | as well as national publications. Extra space |
| information on total costs, what their | | | | for additional details gives your travel |
| accommodations will include, and what sights | | | | advertising that extra edge! |
| are located nearby. | | | | |
| | | | Dependability |
| If you feel that your travel advertising | | | | |
| budget needs some revisions, if you think you | | | | Look for a publication or tourism agency that |
| need more "bang for your buck" in order to | | | | has been in business for a while, offering |
| attract more people to your business, | | | | quality service to members of the tourism |
| consider working with a full-service tourism | | | | profession. A professional firm will always |
| company. | | | | be happy to offer references. Working with a |
| | | | well-established company will allow you to |
| By investing your money with an experience | | | | establish a long-term relationship with |
| business that keeps an eye on tourism trends, | | | | talented professionals who understand your |
| travel agencies, hotels and other | | | | needs, and who will help you achieve all of |
| tourism-related businesses can derive maximum | | | | your travel advertising goals. |
| benefit from their travel advertising | | | | |
| dollars. Some examples of the types of travel | | | | People have enjoyed vacationing since the |
| advertising services that they offer should | | | | days of the ancient Roman Empire. In 19th |
| include: | | | | century England, every upper-income person |
| | | | knew it was necessary to take the "Grand |
| A Multi-Media Package | | | | Tour" of Europe to learn more about the |
| | | | history and culture of different nations. Not |
| Why just use print if you can develop a | | | | long after the United States was born, |
| presence on the Internet? Consider your | | | | tourists were traveling to seaside resorts or |
| options carefully: in some cases, a | | | | mountain spas where they could relax and |
| full-color, glossy travel magazine | | | | unwind. |
| distributed annually to the right audience | | | | |
| may be exactly what you need to advertise | | | | In addition to having enough time and |
| your business. However, it might not hurt to | | | | disposal income, the majority of today's |
| search a little further to see if you can | | | | travelers is often better-educated and visits |
| find a company that can offer you an Internet | | | | a destination with a particular objective in |
| web page, access to an e-mail newsletter and | | | | mind, whether it's outdoor sports or cultural |
| other similar amenities to reach potential | | | | events. For a growing number, there is often |
| vacationers. A personalized web site will | | | | sufficient time to add a second, "mini" |
| allow interested visitors a chance to see | | | | vacation to their schedule, further |
| exactly what accommodations your hotel can | | | | increasing demands on the tourism industry |
| offer, or list the types of services your | | | | infrastructure. |
| company can provide. Look for a business that | | | | |
| employs experienced writers and artists, who | | | | In recent years, more than 27 million |
| can help you craft an advertisement into an | | | | Americans traveled abroad to fulfill their |
| attractive package that is bound to draw new | | | | vacation fantasies, which ranged from touring |
| business. Since advertising is usually the | | | | ancient ruins, or trekking through lush |
| first contact customers will have with your | | | | forests, to just lounging on a broad sandy |
| company, make a good impression! Lure | | | | beach under a bright summer sun. Although |
| potential business with a well-designed and | | | | portions of the world may be in turmoil, |
| well-placed ad, which features quality | | | | there are still a lot of places to see and |
| artwork. | | | | millions of people happy to spend part of |
| | | | their annual income on a memorable vacation. |
| Budget-Friendly Costs | | | | |
| | | | In exchange, millions of travelers from |
| Whether your business is new or | | | | foreign countries spent more than $93 billion |
| well-established, you want to make sure that | | | | in the United States in 2004, according to |
| your travel advertising dollars are spent on | | | | the Travel Industry Association of America. A |
| an advertising campaign that is well within | | | | growing number of them are from emerging |
| your means. Does the company you choose to | | | | markets such as China, which will probably |
| advertise with offer any incentives, such as | | | | see more than 100 million vacationers |
| full color on your ads for no extra charge? | | | | traveling abroad to destinations like America |
| To make sure your getting your money's worth, | | | | by the year 2020. The World Tourism |
| the print medium you select should run your | | | | Organization predicts that international |
| travel advertising at the right time of the | | | | tourism will continue to grow annually |
| year to allow visitors to select the right | | | | overall by four percent. |
| vacation spot for them, no matter what the | | | | |
| season. | | | | However, it is important to remember that |
| | | | tourism has been affected by two primary |
| Know Your Market | | | | factors in recent years. First, the tragedy |
| | | | of September 11, 2001, which has caused some |
| In Power Marketing for Small Business, author | | | | travelers to reconsider their choice of a |
| Jody Hornor noted: "Targeting your market | | | | vacation destination. Second, access to the |
| with the use of demographic data helps you | | | | Internet has provided them with the |
| get the most out of your sales and | | | | opportunity to book their own trips, |
| advertising efforts." So, if you know that | | | | sometimes at a cheaper rate than they can |
| your travel advertising campaign will appeal | | | | find from local travel agencies. As a result, |
| to a higher-income audience then "by | | | | it's up to you to find new ways to attract |
| targeting your promotional materials to those | | | | their attention and show them the benefits of |
| prospects more likely to buy your product, | | | | bringing their business to you-the tourism |
| you will obtain a higher response rate at a | | | | professional. |