Tourism marketing: take flight with indigitall
Tourism, that unstoppable engine of experiences and emotions, has found its best co-driver in technology. Today more than ever, tourism marketing is a determining factor in the viability of your business, as it is essential to stand out in a sector that is not only competitive, but also changing.
From inspiration before the trip to loyalty after returning, every stage counts. Today we are going to see how you can take flight of your tourism strategy and take it to the heights with innovative and effective solutions such as those of indigitall.
What is tourism marketing?
Tourism marketing encompasses all strategies aimed at promoting destinations, services or experiences related to leisure and travel. It is not just about selling flights or hotel nights, but about connecting with the traveler’s emotions, inspiring, guiding and accompanying them at every step of their journey.
Now, most users no longer go to an agency to see a brochure and have everything explained to them. We are in a digitalized environment. Thus, this type of marketing requires precision, personalization and omnichannel. From inspiration to loyalty, every message and every channel needs to be in sync to create a memorable experience.
Which companies in the sector you understand
Tourism marketing is transversal and encompasses a wide variety of actors:
- Hotels, resorts and tourist accommodation
- Airlines and transport companies
- Online and traditional travel agencies
- Tourist destinations and tourist offices
- Cruises and tour operators
- Experience and leisure platforms (tours and activities)
- Car rental companies
In all these cases, the objective is common: to attract, convert and build loyalty. And to achieve this, having adapted digital solutions such as those offered by indigitall makes the difference.
What key factors determine a user’s choice in travel marketing
When a person chooses a destination or a tourist experience, they do not do it randomly. In reality, you make a decision influenced by a combination of emotions, social references, perceptions of value, and expectations.
This choice is full of nuances and usually begins long before the physical journey begins: it starts in the traveler’s mind.
Emotional inspiration
Every trip is born from an emotion. The desire to disconnect, discover something new, celebrate, meet again or simply break with the routine. Tourism decisions are fueled by emotions, images and stories that awaken something internal in the traveler.
That’s why engaging visual content, such as inspirational videos, authentic testimonials, or images that evoke real feelings, has a huge weight in the decision. Brands need to tell stories, not just show products.
Using automation tools like indigitall‘s, you can send highly visual and personalized content to users at the moment they’re looking for inspiration, whether it’s through web push, in-app notifications, or social media messaging.
Recommendations and social opinions
The opinions of other travelers weigh as much as – or even more than – the advertising itself. Before booking, the user will look for reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, social networks or specialized forums.
Seeing positive reviews or experiences shared by similar people can tip the scales in favor of one brand or another. This generates a phenomenon of social proof that legitimizes the decision.
You can automate the request for reviews right after the experience and, with tools like indigitall, ask the customer to leave their review on the right channel, thus increasing your online reputation and showing a proactive attitude.
Personalization and relevance
Today’s traveler doesn’t want generic deals. Look for proposals aligned with your tastes, your budget, the type of trip you want to do (family, romantic, adventure…) and with the time you have.
An experience that fits perfectly with what you are looking for is perceived as more valuable. That relevance becomes a direct trigger for the action. With intelligent segmentation and user behavior analysis, indigitall allows you to offer personalized recommendations, contextual reminders and promotions adjusted to the profile and stage of the customer journey.
Ease of booking and confidence
A complicated, confusing, or insecure booking process can frustrate the user and make them abandon. On the other hand, if the brand offers a fluid environment, with clear and fast assistance, and transmits reliability, the user will feel accompanied and move forward safely.
In addition, travellers greatly appreciate immediate attention to any questions, whether about cancellation policies, documentation or available services. With multilingual chatbots, push notifications, and scheduled messages via WhatsApp, brands can resolve concerns instantly, without friction. Not only does this improve the experience, but it reduces abandonment rates and increases conversion.
Price, perceived value and promotions
Price is important, but what really matters is the perception of value. What does it include? What does it guarantee me? What differentiates this experience from other similar ones?
An offer that conveys added value, whether for exclusive benefits, location, personalized treatment or additional services, will be more attractive, even if it is not the most economical.
Tourism marketing must focus on what makes your proposal unique. With geo-located campaigns, dynamic content, and automated promotions, you can highlight your offer’s strengths at the right time and to the right profile.
Time, availability and temporality
Seasonality, the duration of the trip, availability on specific dates or even the weather directly influence the purchase decision. Many users are looking for last-minute getaways, while others plan months in advance.
This is where the brand’s ability to adapt to the traveler’s mental calendar comes into play. Thanks to the automation of campaigns according to the stage of the customer journey, you can anticipate searches, send last-minute alerts or launch specific promotions at key times of the year, optimizing the return of each action.
As you can see, the decision to choose a trip or experience is not purely rational nor does it respond only to advertising stimuli. It’s a combination of emotion, confidence, relevance, and opportunity.
Characteristics of tourism marketing
If the user’s decisions in the sector have so many particularities, and also quite emotional, tourism marketing has to adapt to them, making it unique in turn. What is tourism marketing like?
- Intangible by nature: Tourist services cannot be seen or tasted before purchased. Emotions, expectations and promises of future experiences are sold.
- Highly emotional: The decision to travel is deeply linked to feelings such as curiosity, disconnection, celebration, or the desire to explore. Marketing must appeal to these emotions to truly connect with the customer.
- Visually inspiring: Engaging visuals, immersive videos, and authentic narratives are critical to capturing attention. The visual not only informs, but seduces.
- Focused on customer experience: The goal is not just to sell a service, but to build positive memories. Every interaction with the brand must contribute to a satisfactory overall experience.
- Seasonally conditioned: Campaigns must be adapted to high seasons, holidays or cultural events. Tourism demand fluctuates, and strategies must keep up with that pace.
- Highly personalized: Every traveler has different motivations. Segmentation and personalization are essential to delivering relevant and effective proposals.
- Simultaneous in production and consumption: The tourist service is offered and consumed at the same time. Therefore, the experience in the real moment acquires a critical value.
- Collaborative by nature: The promotion of a destination involves cooperation between various actors: hotels, agencies, airlines, public entities… An integrated view enhances the impact of actions.
- Marked by high competition: The sector is saturated with offers. Differentiating yourself through unique proposals, memorable experiences and effective communication is key to stand out.
Types of tourism marketing
The tourism sector is vast and diverse, and therefore, there is no single way to promote products or services. Each market segment requires a specific approach, tailored to the traveler’s motivations and the type of experience they are looking for.
Destination Marketing
This approach positions a place —a city, a region, or a country— as the hub of the experience. The campaign revolves around their visual, cultural, historical or natural identity. It is about inspiring the traveler through its landscapes, its heritage or the local lifestyle, making the destination a brand in itself.
Accommodation Marketing
Focused on hotels, resorts, hostels or campsites, this type of marketing seeks to highlight the value proposition of the establishment: its location, its differentiating services, the guest experience or the design of its facilities. Loyalty and recurrence are key objectives here.
Food Marketing
The local cuisine is one of the most powerful engines of tourist attraction. Promoting typical dishes, local products or culinary experiences (such as tastings, markets or workshops) allows visitors to connect with the culture of the place in a sensory and authentic way.
Experience and activity marketing
This modality focuses on the experiential: hiking routes, adventure sports, cultural visits, festivals or thematic excursions. It appeals to emotion, to the search for unique moments that respond to the specific interests of the traveler.
Sustainable Tourism Marketing
Respect for the environment, local communities and natural resources are at the heart of this approach. It is aimed at a conscious traveler, who values environmental and social responsibility in their consumption decisions. Here, highlighting sustainable practices or certifications can make all the difference.
Business Tourism Marketing (MICE)
Although it may not seem like it, this type of marketing has a lot to do with tourism. Designed for corporate events, congresses, meetings or incentive trips. Campaigns must highlight aspects such as connectivity, hotel capacity, technological infrastructure or complementary services aimed at professional efficiency.
Travel Agency Marketing & Planning
Agencies play a key role as trusted intermediaries. Their marketing focuses on showing ease, security and personalized attention in the organization of trips, highlighting packages, expert advice or tailor-made services.
Wellness and wellness marketing
Many users travel in search of health, rest and disconnection. It includes spas, yoga retreats, holistic treatments or quiet destinations with physical and mental well-being proposals. The communicative tone should be relaxing, enveloping, and inspiring.
Nature and rural tourism marketing
Ideal for promoting destinations off the beaten track: charming villages, natural parks, outdoor activities or rural accommodation. This type of marketing appeals to the desire to reconnect with the essentials, enjoy silence or live at a different pace.
