Three Sales Strategies Travel Professionals Should use as Travel Returns
Success for travel businesses as they exit the Covid-19 crisis, in large part will depend on their sales performances early on. The right sales strategy is therefore critical.
Americans are traveling again, yet international travel has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The main reason for this is that many countries are still having major challenges controlling Covid-19. However, the good news for travel professionals is that some countries in key regions are making progress, and are welcoming back travelers.
On June 18th the European Union added the United States to the list of Countries approved for entry. And in addition, the majority of the island destinations in the Caribbean are open for business, although some maintain a few restrictive protocols for incoming travelers.
Even with this bit of good news, it can be said that the United States’ growing desire for travel is outpacing the readiness of the rest of the world’s destinations to welcome travelers without restrictions. This current situation can nonetheless present opportunities to travel professionals like travel advisors, who want their businesses to rebound quickly.
In my recently published book, The Truth About Early Birds and Worms, I instruct and encourage travel industry entrepreneurs to adopt a general sales strategy which targets the attainment of early sales. The premise is that early sales are critical to businesses exiting a crisis the likes of Covid-19.
Given the current situation in the travel industry, the following strategies are ideal for generating early sales.
1. Increase promotion of vacations to those countries who have restrictions.. The restrictions for the most part result in scarcity. Scarcity instills a sense of urgency which in turn inspires decision making. In short, there is a good chance that your sales will increase quickly to the destinations who have restrictions if you promote them.
2. Target the fully vaccinated. Some Caribbean islands have relaxed their Covid-19 protocols for those who are fully vaccinated. These relaxations, if used appropriately in sales efforts, create exclusivity for fully vaccinated clients. Just be tactful in your sales approach, but know that exclusivity inspires buying.
3. Provide an incentive for early bookings.
Offering an incentive to your clients in return for booking a vacation at this time will entice them to book with you. It also does something else. It rewards your clients for being loyal to you and your travel business.
If this article helped you, I am glad to have been of assistance. If you have questions, I welcome you to contact me for further assistance.
