Our Marketing Manager, Lisa Kiesewetter, travels regularly through tourism regions and discusses with hotel and guesthouse owners about social trends and their impact on tourism. Here she shares a personal story:
“When I’m sitting on the couch in the evenings, with my laptop on my lap, the television in the background, and the phone in my hand, what must happen so that I look up from my devices and no longer just hear the television as background noise? What happened last time, to make me look up and concentrate on the advertisement showing on the television screen? I’ll tell you… The sound was gone! On the television was a silent advert. Because suddenly one of the usual background sounds was missing, and this caught my attention! An advert with no sound – under the flood of “normal” commercials was a real novelty and left me with something to remember.”
This does not mean, of course, that the other commercials are not entertaining or memorable, but they do not stand out from one another. And that’s exactly how it looks in many areas of life! Your guests also want to experience highlights.
Why you are better than all the others
You rent rooms, apartments or chalets? Then clearly ask yourself a question: Why am I better than the other businesses in my region? Why do guests book with me and not with my neighbor? How will I continue to inspire my guests in the future? For those of you who still have difficulty answering this question, here are some tips & tricks on how to create small but beautiful highlights for your guests, and thus: Remain in their memory.
Surprises for young and old
How long has it been since you renewed the breakfast buffet? Of course, in day-to-day activities one is glad when everything is in its place and the usual tasks get completed quickly. But even small changes can make a big difference. Swap the good old strawberry jam against the more exotic tangerine jam? Or do you offer your guests something that you do not treat yourself to at home, such as the more expensive cream yoghurts?
Would it be a nice surprise to welcome your guests to the breakfast buffet with smiling breakfast eggs? Decorate the boiled eggs with a smiley face – not only will it make for a positive start to the day, but also move your guests to enthusiastic social media postings, which in turn will benefit you.
Together with the first snow, your first winter tourists arrive: fully packed and highly motivated for winter activities! Of course, everything rarely has room in the car. Come and meet your guests and offer them, for example, the loan of a toboggan for leisure activities.
It’s raining? Then surprise your guests, and put a bad weather basket in front of their door with an umbrella, a fun boardgame for the family, or an exciting book to read to the children. With a nice little card with a personal note: Tomorrow it will be rainy, but I hope with this loan you can still enjoy your holiday!
Especially in winter the ski tourists are looking forward to warming drinks! Provide your guests with enough tea and set a different type of tea for the corresponding people in the room every day. Whether they enjoy it at breakfast, skiing on the slopes, or after vacation at home is up to the guests – what remains is definitely a positive aftertaste.
Pictures say more than a thousand words! Make street chalks available and let the creativity of your youngest guests run wild! A summer’s day, a few colorful pictures and happy children – a few snapshots of it are certainly well suited for further marketing via social media!
You already offer small highlights?
Then be proud of it and communicate it. Because often what the guest sees about you before booking can be a reason for booking! And if it’s already there: let guests know – for example, make them aware of a small card at the breakfast table with a handwritten reference to the local eggs from the farm next door. So your guest will enjoy even the smallest highlights and above all: cherish!
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