Does Travel Marketing = Last Minute Price Cuts?
More than ever, the travel and tourism industries are experiencing major marketing challenges. According to Ivo Raza, marketing veteran and author of Heads in Beds: Hospitality and Tourism Marketing (Prentice Hall), this is largely due to an ongoing trend of commoditizing with last minute offers in a very price sensitive market. “But it’s not just about getting heads in beds under any circumstance or price,” says Raza. “It’s understandable that hospitality marketers can’t afford to wait years to show results, particularly when their entire inventory expires every 24 hours. However, there are other ways besides discounting to affect immediate sales.” Here are eleven alternatives that can be put to immediate use: 1. A special “limited” package can be a good way to generate immediate sales hikes. They should be kept short, sweet and limited to create a sense of urgency. It shouldn’t be a price discount, but rather a value added offer that makes the package more attractive. 2. Sales blitz
