As we end week 1000 of this COVID crisis, I think many of us have settled into a new normal, and have some type of routine we are trying to follow. For those of you with kids at home, you deserve special badges of honor for trying to be teachers, parents, and employees. My Mom has moved in with me because her nursing home had an outbreak so we are navigating our new arrangement. Instead of going out for a 4 mile walk every morning, I break it up into 2 shorter walks during the day so I don’t leave her alone for too long. This break allows my brain to clear and think about how we will begin the recovery in our beloved tourism industry. Here are some of my thoughts:
Appeal to the women- mothers and caregivers.
Before we see visitors back in our destinations, we have to make them feel safe and confident. Because the shutdown has lasted a few weeks, I think people’s mindsets have shifted from this being an inconvenience to being vigilant and protective of their loved ones. We know women are the decision-makers for most family purchases so it will be important for us as destination and attraction marketers to use terms and create feelings that will make them think – ‘Yep, it’s time for us to go do something fun, and this will be safe for us to do’.
Spacious – a great term to use in 2020
We will all be happy when social isolation comes to an end, but I think it will be a while before people are comfortable being in crowds again. This is a benefit to rural destinations and smaller towns and cities. Using terms like ‘spacious’ when describing your attraction will help potential visitors feel at ease. How about ‘wide open’ ‘open- air’ or ‘lesser-known’.
Sedona has a perfect example: The Sedona Secret 7 program shares information about some of the ‘hidden gem’ hiking trails and scenic areas. I like that you feel like an insider or a local knowing about these spots, and I like that you probably won’t be with large groups of others. Do you have an element like that?
Statecation- not a Staycation.
I was on a virtual cocktail hour last week with some other tourism pros and we were discussing the possible resurgence of the term ‘Staycation’ ( Hello 2009!). Laura then said ” Statecation” which I thought was brilliant. Most if not all of our states have blown their budgets on health care needs, and at the same time have no tax revenue coming in. What better way to help ourselves than by promoting in-state travel? We get to get out of our houses and are doing a good deed by spending money that will employ our fellow residents, and put some tax dollars back in circulation. I know that state and regional tourism budget will be getting slashed so it would be a challenge to promote this idea, but not impossible.
Cleaning Standards at your tourism business
When this outbreak first started, I was working with a DMO on helping their hotel members with some sales training. At the time people were still traveling so I mentioned the idea of a letter from the GM in each room clearly stating their cleaning practices. We also talked about having hand sanitizer available to use during the check-in process. I think for the remainder of this year, that this is still a good idea. If you are an attraction, can you list your cleaning practices on your website and briefly at your admissions gate? I recently received an email from Delta airlines telling me that the new cleaning practices they are instituting will now become standard for every flight. That gives me peace of mind.
How about a fun family recipe?
Do you have plans for this holiday weekend? Did you even remember its a holiday? Many of you have emailed me to thank me for the recipes I have shared as I stress bake myself through spring 2020. I got this bagel recipe last year and didn’t think it could make bagels that would be any good. Turns out they are fantastic! And since they only need 2 ingredients, they are simple too. This would be a fun recipe for kids. I share this recipe a lot – in fact,the photo came from our friend Shirley Davis Conner from Graceland. They look great Shirley!
The best part of all – it is actually a Weight Watchers recipe so they aren’t even bad for you. Win-win-win!
P.S. – You can get Everything but the Bagel Seasoning at Trader Joes, Aldis, Wegmans and other regional grocery chains.
How can I help you this month?
Have you checked out Tourism Pro Academy? There are free resources, online courses and more. Take some time to learn something new during our National “Pause”. I am adding new courses this month so check it out! Click here to access the site for free.
Join the free 5 Day Linkedin Challenge for Tourism Pros For those of you who are out of work, this is the perfect time to update your profile and learn how to leverage this platform. For those of you working from home, this challenge will teach you how to find new clients. The challenge will be starting on April 13th. You can sign up here and join Linked in expert Louise Brogan and me!
DMO’s – Are you looking for ways to provide some value to your members during this time? I know many of you are struggling to find ways to support your partners. I am developing a series of 3 webinars called Take Action- Plan for Tomorrow that your organization can offer now. Reply to this email and we can set up a time to answer your questions about the Online Tourism Training Program.
New! Profile Sheet 911. We know that your profile sheet is your sales ambassador in the Group Tour market. Is yours doing it all it should? Is it effective in answering tour operator questions and making your business sound appealing? Get ready now for when group tours start picking back up. Get ready now for the upcoming trade show season! Sign up for the new Profile sheet 911 program. For only $69 you will get a customized review that is also recorded. Click here for more details. This will be fun!
Can I ask a favor?
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