The tourism and hospitality sectors have a symbiotic relationship. Before planning a vacation, every traveler will look for the perfect hotel, consider dining options, and make transport arrangements—each of which is an essential component of hospitality.
Understanding the connection between these two sectors is crucial for tourism companies looking to develop a solid press release marketing strategy.
Ultimately, a tourism PR campaign must, not just target travelers, but also touristic agencies and travel agents. And if there’s one public relations tool that has proven to be more effective than others in this regard, it is the press release.
A hotel press release could, for instance, be distributed to promote and create mutually beneficial partnerships with hospitality companies on one end, while a press release promoting a destination can be used to entice individual travelers on the other.
At the same time, a tourism company cannot underestimate the role of press releases in grabbing the attention of agencies and agents.
Confused about how all of this comes together?
In this blog, we’ll break down how a tourism company can make the most of the humble press release and appeal to all stakeholders. Let’s take a closer look.
Profiling Target Audiences
Before a tourism company starts creating a media content distribution strategy and crafting its own press releases, it must identify its target audience.
For travelers, this could involve forming groups based on interests and requirements. Some categories that could be considered here are:
Solo travelers
Families
Adventure-seekers
Foodies
Luxury tourists
Long-term travelers
And this is far from an exhaustive list. Every day, newer categories emerge — medical tourism, for instance, is a relatively recent development — making this segmentation even more crucial.
Furthermore, tourism companies must consider the dynamics of the agencies and agents it wants to appeal to.
Some agencies cater specifically to offbeat travelers, for instance, and may thus be more interested in unique destinations. Others could deal exclusively in budget travel and will look out for tourism companies that partner with affordable hotels.
Considering these target audiences is an excellent way to get insight into the latest trends among travelers and what travel agents look for when promoting a destination or a particular package.
This, in turn, can influence the contents of a travel and tourism press release.
Crafting Tailored Press Releases
Once the target audience is identified, the release must be tailored accordingly.
For instance, a tourism company that wants to promote a family-friendly destination could highlight elements of its offering that appeal to vacationing parents.
Similarly, a press release could be crafted to tell a story that appeals to any of the groupings outlined above.
Meanwhile, to grab the attention of relevant agencies, you could distribute a press release that:
Outline incentives, such as seasonal discounts or package offers, that a travel agent could sell to customers.
Announce your partnerships or collaborations with hospitality companies, transport agencies, or local communities.
These press releases can signal to an agency that you have expanded your portfolio of destinations and services. You can also tweak the release to highlight destinations and offerings that will fit the potential agency or agent’s area of expertise.
Showcasing Unique Travel Experiences and Offers
A press release is also a compelling destination marketing tool that can draw in more travelers to a particular location.
Through the right storytelling, your press release can highlight several USPs of a destination, including cultural experiences, unique attractions, and exclusive offerings. At the same time, it can promote a resort or package to an agency that deals with the relevant clientele. Best of all, you can do all of this with little to no investment.
Crafting a press release that inspires feelings of wanderlust, facilitates package sales, and appeals to travelers, agencies, and agents is, however, easier said than done.
For assistance, you can look out for examples of great press release writing. To make the most of this PR, you may wish to employ a team with experience and a proven track record in crafting compelling narratives.
Strategic Timing and Collaborative Promotions
Timing is another crucial aspect to consider when crafting a press release.
By getting this right, you can efficiently publicize any ongoing seasonal promotions, agent incentives, or agency collaborations.
For example, by marketing certain destinations and boosting public relations for hotels by promoting “off-season” travel. As a result, your release can be targeted toward budget travelers who look for cheaper hotel rooms and more affordable flights.
This is just one example of how travel industry PR makes the most of strategic timing.
Your press release could also promote destinations and packages during special local events — such as trips to Rio de Janeiro during its annual Carnival or vacations in Scandinavia during the months known for high Northern Lights activity.
At the same time, for your release to be effective, you will need to incorporate the latest travel trends.
In 2023, for instance, eco-travel is rising as more tourists are looking for ways to explore the world with a minimal carbon footprint.
Similarly, wellness tourism has been booming ever since the pandemic years depleted our collective immune systems and mental health.
A press release that announces collaborations with relevant hospitality companies and offers experiences that match these trends will likely be very effective at getting the message across and boosting a company’s credibility.
Building Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
Over half of the world’s population uses at least one social media platform. And companies in the tourism sector — much like every other industry — stand to benefit from this proliferation greatly.
More travelers than ever refer to popular travel blogs before planning their next vacation. At the same time, social media platforms like Instagram fit perfectly within the travel ecosystem, as they can provide a visual storytelling experience.
A tourism company can work with influencers and bloggers to create engaging and authentic content that showcases a destination as a desirable place to visit.
It can furthermore distribute a press release detailing these collaborations with influencers, travel bloggers, or even larger touristic conglomerates.
These partnerships result in a larger reach for a press release, more credibility within the community, and a more diverse portfolio for the company in question.
When releasing a press release on travel blogs, social media platforms, or relevant publications, it’s also critical that the company keeps track of certain topline metrics, as this can help it craft more effective communication in the future.
Canada Newswire allows companies to measure these indices by offering a complimentary Visibility Report with every release.
Conclusion
In summary, professionals in the tourism industry have a lot to gain from crafting and distributing a press release. Not only can a well-written release address all stakeholders — from the individual traveler to travel agencies — it can be tailored to suit a specific target audience and build alliances for sustained growth.
So, as you set out to explore the many benefits that the press release can offer, we’ll leave you with these three tips — adopt a comprehensive strategy, be more inclusive and collaborative, and cater to all industry stakeholders.
While you’re at it, don’t hesitate to contact Canada Newswire for any branding-related questions. As one of the country’s leading press release distribution companies, we work with numerous sectors to make the most of this essential public relations tool.