5 Ways to Prepare for the Increase in Local US Travel

With America being one of the most traveled countries in the world, we need to ask the question – What are the movements of U.S citizens now that COVID-19 restrictions are finally starting to ease? According to Skift U.S. Travel Tracker, ‘The number of Americans who traveled jumped to 42.3% in May’ which is higher than February 2020 and means the U.S. is set for a strong summer ahead. Very few of these trips were abroad with travelers sticking with local destinations.

Some of the key states where U.S. travel restrictions are softening have so far been Nevada, Hawaii, Mississippi, Michigan, Alabama and Louisiana, with many others heading in the right direction.

This is some great news for both tour and activity operators and their customers, who are desperate to travel and experience what they have to offer.

With activities ramping up, it’s now time to blow off the cobwebs and start preparing yourself, starting locally. While covid 19 travel restrictions may be unpredictable for a while, what experienced operators can do is plan by having a flexible local marketing strategy that can be activated at any time.

Below are 5 ways to help you prepare for the local U.S. travel increase while adding a little fun for your guests who are looking for a bit of light relief.     

1. Create bespoke experiences

Offer something that’s attractive to local neighbors and reach out to your community. For example, with their help you could design a more intimate and personalized tour that visits the history of your local area. By carrying out local marketing and creating a “locals” day or night can help get your name back out there. Remember, when tourists start visiting your country again, word will spread and it’ll be the locals doing some marketing for you. 

2. Revisit your experience

Think about ways to attract your past customers back into your business by providing new offers, different to what they experienced before. A quick email to your contact list with an offer can help you reach your goal capacity, and having a platform that allows you to automate your guest communications will allow you to keep everything all in one place. Instead of going straight down the discount route, why not think about “value-adding” – this could be anything from a complimentary meal, courtesy pick-up, merchandise or a mystery extension of your tour… get creative. If the customer enjoyed their time with you last time, adding a little something for next time will be a nice touch for the guest experience. 

3. Post Covid family get-togethers

Reflecting on the past year, it hasn’t been easy for many families. Bringing families back together (while following local guidelines for Covid-19) to enjoy a stress-free and exciting activity, will help them reconnect in a positive and fun way. After such a tough year, local families may be looking at ways to have fun again and finally enjoy some well-needed time together. Emphasizing family packages at this time of year will be a great way to attract larger groups.    

4. Promo codes

Promo codes are a great way to make people feel special. According to Claremont University, offering a promo code to your customers will make them feel heightened levels of oxytocin, which creates a feeling of happiness – meaning they’re more likely to go through with a purchase. It also helps you build customer loyalty, while guiding them towards specific products and letting you more easily track your sales, which will be especially relevant during this recovery. Rezdy lets you easily create and manage promo codes within the platform – read more here.      

5. Make sure your Google profile is up to date

Having a  Google profile is a great way to communicate with your customers. This is also a great opportunity to let everyone know about your COVID-19 safety requirements, and make customers feel at ease before they come to your attraction. Keeping your profile current by updating photos, replying to reviews and creating posts will also give your online presence a more professional look.