The time is now ripe to tap more on the local tourists since it is a robust recovery roadmap.

Attracting local guests at your hotel not only helps you secure your business, but also you can have enough cash flow for mortgages and bring back your furloughed employees.

Hotels should now promote the concept of staycations so that more locals are enticed to visit the property to have a good time.

They must remember:

“Local culture may not always be glamorous, but it’s always meaningful.”

Nyssa P. Chopra, The Cultureur

But in case you are thinking about why and how to attract locals to your hotel, I have covered it all in this blog. Give it a read and you shall know the basics.

Let’s get rolling now!

Why Attract Local Guests to Your Hotel? 

If you are thinking about how local guests can become a steady source of income, then let me explain to you further.

Tapping into the local travellers offers you a steady source of income even when the business is a bit slower from other parts of the country or the globe.

Local guests can be a great source of advertising. Must be wondering how! 

• Delighted local guests can spread the word of mouth like wildfire. Thus people around you get to know and wish to explore more 
• Local guests can be a great source of indirect marketing 
• Locals who have a happy experience are most likely to leave positive feedback on the review sites.
• With more local travelers at your hotel, the stayover guests can interact with them, leading to cultural interchange 
• The presence of locals in your hotel lends authenticity to the property

How to Attract Local Guests to Your Hotel?

It is beneficial to bring in more local guests to your property but for that, you must have a full-proof plan. In this blog, I will pen down some of the most significant ways that will help you attract local travellers. You need to implement these strategies and soon you will see local guests flocking at your reception.

1. Do not take off seasons for granted

If you’re keen to draw locals to your property you shouldn’t ignore the off-season months. Remember the off-season months usually remain a little slack for the community around you. During this time you can attract local guests to your hotel with special packages and deals. 

It will help them unwind at a place not so far from home. Selling last-minute deals including vouchers and staycation coupons is a good idea. It’s an effective way to play with the psychology of your guests wherein they get a chance to feel lucky. 

You can offer free nights. It helps in brand building, publicity, and of course buck-building. 

2. Promote the concept of stay and play

The concept of a staycation is back and it is here to stay. To explore opportunities for staycations you can work around the location of your hotel. 

If you are located in the midst of the city, you can target guests who are reluctant to drive a long distance. 

You might put up a quick ad on your social media platform saying, 

‘Pamper yourself with great food, wine, and un-ending luxury without driving too far. Hotel ABC has brought in tailor-made packages for your tired mind and body. An opportunity to rejuvenate yourself before the long weekend is over.”

Similarly, if you are located a little further away from the city, you already have the locational advantage, you just need to promote the theme of stay and play so that it touches the right chord.

You could try saying:

“Just a few miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Hotel XYZ has crafted packages for you to unwind over the weekend with authentic local cuisine, vintage wine, and endless entertainment opportunities. Grab a bag and check into one of our cozy rooms and the rest we take care. That’s a promise we make.”

Besides, you could collaborate with local vendors like breweries and restaurants to design packages that make the staycation experience more appealing.

3. Let your marketing tone resonate with the locals

Did you know your marketing language can either make or break your business? The hotel industry is no exception. The language you use in your website or social handles determines your guests’ persona. If you are looking at attracting more local guests to your hotel, try to find out the factors that interest them the most. 

For example, if you are located between two popular attractions of the city you could entice guests by saying that a halt at your hotel will ease out their experience. They can explore places, and additionally, they have the opportunity to experience luxury away from the daily humdrum of life at most pocket-friendly prices.

You could also say that you are offering a free city ride if they stay in your hotel. Another great idea is to promote local food. 

For example:

If it is the strawberry season in your area you could run promotions by saying that you are offering a complimentary tour to the biggest strawberry plantation of the town or you could promote some lip-smacking dishes that have strawberry as the main ingredient.

When using the right marketing lingo the opportunities are endless, you just need to be a little thoughtful and go a little creative.

4. Focus on organizing events

Go creative when you have to organize events on your property. When the mercury is soaring you can organize a beer festival along with a night’s stay. With such tempting offers, you can attract the young population with ease. 

There are other interesting ways as well. For example, a baking workshop, a small fair that showcases the local artisans, or a live music concert. 

But the golden rule is to always club all your events with a night’s stay. This way you will get guests who are looking for a mini gateway along with some exciting events.

5. Work on building local tie-ups

Despite having talked about this factor earlier in the blog, I would like to draw special attention to the importance of local tie-ups. 

I would say get your feet dirty. Get onto the field and find out some of the quaint little places with whom you can tie up to give your guests that unique local flavour. 

Is it that bakery in a faraway neighbourhood that whips up artisan baked goodies? Or that group of organic farmers who has been producing fresh and chemical-free vegetables for quite some time now? You can promote both of them together or choose one at a time. But the key point here is to promote your tie-ups well. 

Craft a message that resonates with the demand of your guests. Listen to the ‘Demand of your Guests’. For that, you may engage with them on various social handles or talk to friends, families, and extended families. Motivate your staff to gather such information and always remember no information is redundant.

6. Highlight your facilities

Leonard A Cole had once said, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” It is true for the hotel business. To attract local guests to your hotel, it is important that you highlight some of your state-of-the-art facilities. 

You can craft a message which says:

“A home away from home with all the comforts and additional amenities like an excellent gym with most advanced equipment, a spa run by experts, accompanied by great food prepared by the best food connoisseurs in town. Come and give your tired body the pampering it deserves.”

It is indeed a great way to entice guests since they get to know about the plethora of facilities that you can offer them.

7. Use local influencers as an advertising strategy

Hotels can seek the help of local influencers to promote their facilities to local guests. When you approach the local influencers remember that even they have been affected by the pandemic, so you can create a win-win situation for both. 

When words come out from well-known people in society they have a higher impact on people. Look for authentic influencers to make the most of the situation.

8. Promote your brand through social media

Social media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.

Brian Solis

Social Media has a crucial role in brand promotion. Hotels can let their target guests know about the various facilities that they offer such as discounts, freebies, and so on. 

Also, taking into account the current scenario hotels should also mention their safety protocols to ensure a virus-free environment. Leverage the power of social media, get into the psyche of people, and feed them with the content they are looking for.

9. Perform local SEO on your website

Attracting local tourists isn’t an easy feat. There are several things that you need to consider. And one of them is local SEO.

When the target audience of your business changes, you should update your website as well. The web pages should be designed keeping in mind the taste of local guests. You could add more about local attractions or you can add a word or two about your expertise with local cuisine. 

Give a clear message to your guests that you are ready to offer them a memorable experience. The content should be more vocal for the locals. 

Also, don’t forget local SEO, all your web pages should be optimized from the local SEO perspective so that your hotel ranks up higher when people are searching with keywords like, ‘weekend getaways near me’ or ‘hotels near me with spa facilities’. 

These are some of the indicative search terms that I have talked about there could be many more. You could get in touch with an SEO expert for the task.

For an old couple, you can have items like nature walks, meditation sessions by eminent personalities, and so on. 

But, for a young couple, who has newly shifted to your city, you can craft a completely different package. Try to give them a sneak peek into the city’s heritage, its food, and culture. You can include a complimentary foot spa or give them a choice between a foot spa and visiting local artisans.

The post 9 Things You Can Do to Bring More Local Guests to Your Hotel appeared first on eZee Absolute.

Lately, staycations have become a well-liked travel trend. And to make the most out of it, hotels must consider stepping into this turf.

In this blog, we are going to look at all the ways hotels can prepare for staycations and boost business. But before that, let’s look at the changes that 2020 has brought in terms of travel behaviour.

2020 Has Changed Travel & Tourism

We all have seen it happen! The COVID-19 has disrupted our lives in ways that were unimaginable. It’s been more than a year now, and people are still worried about the fact the virus is out there.

When it comes to hotels, they are doing everything possible to recover from this crisis. But to get back on track, hotels must cultivate a sense of confidence in their guests, assure them they are going to experience a great level of hospitality that aligns with all the safety measures.

Whereas, travelers will take on the role of concerned citizens and travel responsibly. Their preferences have changed because of both internal motivations and external enforced measures.

They are now not only concerned about hotel and flight rates, but also health and safety precautions, and that influences the type of places they are willing to travel to. 

All this chaos will inevitably come to an end, but till then, travellers are less likely to take long trips. The road to complete revival for travel & tourism is slightly bumpy. When people will get comfortable travelling domestic, they are more likely to go farther and farther away from home.

What is Staycation?

The word “staycation” was originally coined by Canadian comedian Brent Butt in 2005. And since then, it has become really popular in the travel & tourism sector.

If we go by the literal meaning, a staycation is a stay-at-home vacation. However, over the years, it has become more about a holiday or vacation one spends in a nearby destination and doesn’t involve much travel.

Or, you can also call it local/domestic tourism that involves activities for travellers not far from home. 

Now when we say tourist-based activities, what does it exactly mean?

It could be attending an event or visiting a local nature spot or hike the hill next to your town or maybe a hotel where you just want to relax and enjoy all the amenities.

But why are staycations becoming so well-liked this year? Let us now dig into that aspect.

Why are Staycations Becoming Popular These Days?

Staycations tend to go in and out of trend. But this year, there is a surge in staycations. Both travellers and hotels are understanding why a staycation is important. And there are several reasons for it.

• Keeping safe from COVID: As we have already mentioned above, people are still worried about getting infected by the ill-famed coronavirus. So, they would rather prefer to spend a vacation in a place which doesn’t involve a lot of travel and is safe.  
• External circumstances: Many countries are still rolling out the patchwork of restrictions on social distancing. Meaning, many places are still not open to tourists. 
• Not everyone’s cup of tea anymore: Planning a holiday turns out to be a difficult thing at times. Looking at all the expenditure and all the things to consider, people tend to get overwhelmed. On top of that, there are chances that things can go wrong on any occasion.
• Financial crunch: Many have gone through a major financial crunch in 2020. So, people are now looking to save, rather than spend. Even if they plan to travel, it would be to a place nearby where they can relax and spend quality time with their loved ones.

This is where staycation comes into the picture. It not only saves a lot of money on travel and stay but also helps you achieve that pocket-friendly vacation.

Hotels Must Bet High on Staycations 

Hotels are experiencing a business crunch amid the pandemic. As people are also avoiding far destination travels and corporate travel has been limited by many companies, focusing on domestic (or even micro-domestic) leisure markets will be a key to recovery for hotels.

Elizabeth Monahan, spokesperson for Tripadvisor.com said:

“Tourism recovery typically begins locally. Travelers tend to first venture out closer to home, and visit their local eateries, stay local for a weekend getaway or travel domestically before a robust demand for international travel returns.”

Nick Wyatt, Head of R&A, Travel & Tourism at GlobalData said: 

“People will still want to go on holiday – they do not want to give up their holidays altogether. However, they are going to start to revert to ‘safety first’. They’re going to say ‘where am I comfortable taking my family? Where do I feel it is safe?’ There is a very good chance that they might actually land in their own country as the answer to that question.”

If your hotel has also experienced a downturn and is trying to recover, then you might want to do some tweaks and adjustments at your property. Shifting your focus from foreign tourists and travellers to welcoming local tourists and preparing your hotel for staycation could be a great idea.

Simply put, hotels must understand why staycation is important at this point in time.

What to Consider Before Promoting Your Staycation?

Preparing hotels for the staycation season isn’t really a tough task. However, promoting it is quite different because people are not only looking for a stay but also looking for things to do, places to visit, and other amenities.

This is what you should consider or assess before you prepare your hotel for staycation:

1. What all services/amenities do you provide?
2. What other services/amenities can you add?
3. Does your hotel have any tourist attractions nearby?
4. Is your hotel easily accessible?
5. Do you have a transport facility?
6. What kind of activities can you provide at your hotel?

Evaluate each and every aspect in-depth and if it requires some inclusion, go ahead and do that. Make sure you have your list checked to make your hotel staycation-ready.

How to Prepare Your Hotel for the Staycation Rush?

Now that you understand the current trend and are all set to offer staycations at your hotel, there are a few things you must do.

Let us show you how to do it right and make the most of this popular trend. 

Evaluate your target audience

It is really important to know your audience, guests, potential guests, etc. if you want to get more business for your staycation. When you evaluate your target audience, it will be easy for you to figure out your market tactics and get an edge on the competition.

One of the best ways is to create guest personas. When you have robust guest personas, you will be able to carry out targeted marketing rather than generalized marketing.

Competitor analysis

There’s no doubt, the hotel industry is highly competitive. And hotels carry out competitor analysis to understand how they can stay ahead.

The same thing also applies to staycation hotels! When you prepare your hotel for staycation, try to do some research on other players in your area — evaluate their services and products, strengths and weaknesses, etc. 

Competitor analysis is one of the overlooked tools in the hospitality business. But, if done right, it can be a secret weapon.

Display your health and social distancing guidelines

Amid this COVID-19 pandemic, dream destinations of people have changed. Now, people are looking for places where they feel safe, where they can relax without having to worry about the pandemic.

And that’s why you must let people know that your hotel is taking all the necessary safety measures through your website and social media pages.

Build partnerships and promote local tourism

Building local partnerships and promoting local tourism is one of the most effective strategies when you prepare your hotel for a staycation.

No to mention, there’s even a term called partnership marketing that has become significantly popular among hotels.

Forming partnerships will help you offer additional experiences to your guests. Not to mention, it shows that your hotel is not just about business, but is also committed to supporting the local community.

And guess what?  You can also reap the benefits of co-marketing. You introduce your guests to other local businesses and they introduce your hotel to their customers.

It’s a win-win!

Events and packages

Events are a great way to attract more and more staycationers to your property. You can also create packages around event tickets and stay. Try to be as innovative as possible.

Who wouldn’t want to come to your hotel when you give them 2 free tickets for the musical event when they book with you?

#ProTip: Complimentary drinks would do wonders.

You can also create packages when there are no events happening. 

People are opting for staycations to get rid of planning, so why don’t you do that for them? Curate different packages for different groups such as families, single travellers, couples, etc.

Offer a flexible cancellation policy

Canceled bookings hurt! But sometimes you have to make things easier for your guests to gain their trust. And offering a flexible cancellation policy can help you with that.

#ProTip: You can always ask your guests to postpone their trip to a different date. Work with them as a consultant. It’s a tricky task, but if done right, it’s nothing less than magic.

Leverage social media

Social media is where you must invest a significant amount of time and effort when you prepare your hotel for a staycation. People are constantly sharing experiences of their recent staycation. And you must make the most out of it.

Spread the word about your staycation through normal posts as well as paid ads. 

#ProTip: Social media ads are more likely to bring in guests as you can target your audience the way you want.

Also, there are several other tactics that you can use:

• Hashtag marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Online contests
• Giveaways

Word to the wise: Social media seems like an easy thing, but that’s not the case. So, make sure you take time to evaluate your social media strategy and ensure the posts are going in the right places.

Localized marketing

Localized marketing or you can say traditional marketing, is still not out. You can always use hoardings and banners to advertise in nearby cities and attract people to your property.

For example: Your property is somewhere in the outskirts of the city, by the lake or hill. And people would like staycations there. So, you can put up banners and hoarding in different corners of the nearby city.

Promote business facilities

People are working from home and there are times when they want to change their place. They might want to visit a nearby hotel to work peacefully and relax. This an opportunity you cannot miss out on.

Have all sorts of business facilities for your guests — be it high-speed internet or work desk or anything related to businesses.

That’s not all, you can also offer packages specifically for this group of staycationers.

FAQs

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