The changing face of tourism digital marketing

There was a time when the digital strategy for Tourism industry started and stopped with price comparisons. Flights and Hotels largely led this. The lowest common denominator was identified and ‘booking engines’ emerged to help visitors to websites secure just that. If some marketers pushed the envelope a bit, they only did so to the extent of using re-marketing, whether on PPC or on display. That was it.

The emergence of social media on the scene thankfully changed all that. While a considerable portion of travelers still look for the cheapest option on their vacation experiences, growing niches are changing the dynamics of tourism digital marketing. There are all sorts of tourists out there – and they are demanding all sorts of customized experiences. From off-the-beaten-track getaways, to solo travelling; from adventure travel to bespoke luxury travel; from women-only groups to the resurrection of religious travel! The industry is changing as rapidly as the needs of the customers are.

The important factor is the changing behavior of the consumers. Access to smarter devices, the second screen syndrome and always on accessibility have changed how they consume and actively seek content. Content hence continues to remain a key criterion for marketers. The smart ones recognize that irrespective of how occupied people are with their devices, it is only a means to an end. The actual hook continues to remain quality content.

However brands and marketers are also waking up to another dimension. Savvy consumers are now asking brands questions like, “I have X number of vacation days this year. What options can you offer me?” (Not in so many words of course, but you get the idea!) Only brands that are geared to respond with suitable options will be able to engage with consumers. Irrespective of where and when it happens, this is the one compelling differentiator that will segregate the survivors from the also-rans!

In a multi-channel, multi-device world, this is only getting more difficult. Not only does the marketer have to deliver the freshest (often predictive) content to consumers, they have to do so in a coherent manner across touch-points. The customer is looking for similar information – irrespective of the channel they use to get it. But trying to replicate content on all channels may not help present it in the best possible way.

The way out is what has come to be known as cascading content. A larger piece of useful content for a channel that attracts more time and attention, to snappier versions for more quick-interaction channels like mobile and social media. This way customers get what they want, the brand doesn’t repeat itself across channels and the industry as a whole matures and evolves. Till the next big disruption arrives on the horizon!