Home Holidays How Holiday Companies Can Make The Most Out Of A Bad Situation

How Holiday Companies Can Make The Most Out Of A Bad Situation

by Holiday Yellowpages
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Being as we are currently in the midst of a monumental global recession, people the world over are starting to cut back now more than ever before on the facets of their life which might (on the surface) seem unnecessary and superfluous. Sadly it seems that holidays and days out surely fall somewhere towards the top of that particular pile for obvious reasons. A holiday is not technically something we ‘need’ to survive and as such has been largely culled from the collective budgets of many lower and middle class citizens over the past few years. For the UK travel industry however, the recession has provided something of a mixed blessing. If people can’t afford extravagant holidays abroad anymore, the first place they are likely to look is in their own backyard (not literally mind, unless you’re a real fan of BBQ’s). However, UK holiday doesn’t have to be a wet and dreary drag as there are a variety of options at your disposal, from historical excursions to bespoke ‘just for adults’ resorts and even some of Europe’s most enchanting coastlines.

If you’re a UK based company with a potential holiday goldmine waiting to be excavated, then there are a number of options to consider that could drastically expand your clientele and improve your business in the long-run. These include expanding your advertising budget to allow for televised adds, looking into bus or coach hire (both economical and luxury) to net a wider ranging client base and putting your company through a re-branding scheme to raise its public profile.

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Photo Credit: Flickr Bruce Drum

Re-Branding

Although it might seem like a drastic move on the surface, especially if you already have a strong brand image, a re-brand can reinvigorate a company to help boost sales, especially one that deals in UK holidays. The main factor to consider when re-branding your company or product is ‘who are you trying to reach?’ If you’re looking to attract an older and perhaps more dignified market, then going with brash, aggressive colours and over enthusiastic slogans might do more harm than good and conversely, if you’re intending to tap into the 18-30’s market, using ridiculous hyperbole and ‘elegant fonts’ are hardly going to result in increased business. The re-branding should stretch to all facets of your company, so if you own multiple sites then it might mean spending a fair amount of money making sure the brand is consistent throughout.

Coach Hire

There are hundreds of bespoke coach hire firms scattered across the country, who will all have their own fleets of luxury and standard coaches. By working in tandem with these firms, you can arrange a mutually beneficial deal, wherein coaches can be hired out specifically to ferry guests to your sites. Working closely with these firms, you’ll be able to expand your potential clientele to include those holiday makers from further afield, who wouldn’t necessarily consider driving so far for a UK based holiday and also those who don’t drive at-all (the elderly for example). In order to take full advantage  of all the benefits coach hire can afford your business you’ll want to hire a specific sales manager who has the luxury of a sole purpose within your organisation, namely to create liaisons and deals with coach operators.

Advertisement

In the travel business, advertising is an absolutely crucial component for success. Of course advertisement can take on numerous forms. If you have the budget, then you might be able to afford the luxury of a nationwide TV spot, hire column space in a national paper or coach a street team to go out and spread the company word on the country’s high streets. However, even for those companies working within slightly narrower margins, there are cost-effective options. First off, as with the re-branding, it is important to recognise your target market and to make sure that you’re using advertisement opportunities that appeal directly to them. If (for example) you’re a firm that offers adventure holidays designed specifically for teenagers and young adults then taking out an advertisement in a broadsheet newspaper is probably not advisable; instead you’d want to look at the tabloids and the local rags. There are also cheaper options to consider such as billboard advertisements and online banners but whatever road you choose, remember to keep your advertisements consistent with your companies brand; otherwise you’ll just confuse potential customers.

There is no reason why if you use this advice as a launch pad that you can’t make your UK holiday destination a roaring success. So go forth and show the UK that you don’t have to leave the country to have a great holiday!

Calvin Ford is a writer who understands the impact that the financial downturn has had upon the holiday market. However, he recommends rebranding your product to improve sales by introducing extras like optional luxury coach hire to the destination whilst also launching a new advertising campaign.

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