Holidaying post lockdown. How can the tourism industry play an appropriate role in supporting consumer’s needs?

Here we analyse the data surrounding people’s attitudes towards life after lockdown and explore key ways brands can tailor communications and marketing to bounce back quicker. Included is an adaptable campaign concept, designed by the team to support British tourism, local attractions and services.  

Brands should avoid situation ‘blindness’

In a recent survey carried out by our sister agency JGM (1), more than half of the respondents (58.8%) said that they’re considering holidaying in the UK now more than they did pre COVID. 40.3% said that they won’t be planning a holiday overseas for the foreseeable future which is also mirrored in a survey carried out by Dynata (2).

This is good news for the British economy. Holidaying in the UK is on the up with more people turning to discover what the UK has to offer. Brands have the opportunity to differentiate themselves through honing in on the importance of what is unique in the offering to stay relevant to the national mood. With this in mind, the ‘Summer. Somewhere Special’ marketing concept was created. See yourself here.

Nostalgia is one way to remind consumers of ‘happier’ times

It’s important to be authentic in your approach to brand communications but have fun whilst doing so. 38% of the UK’s population (2) like to see ads that remind them of times before the pandemic. This has been applied to the ‘Summer. Somewhere Special’ concept – the stylistic approach is inspired by the British Railway posters for UK travel destinations in the 1950’s. See more here.

Although the travel and tourism industry is one of the industries that has been hit hardest by the pandemic, there’s opportunity for brands to get back on track with strong emotive creative.

Communication is now more important than ever

The responses from the survey (1) show that bookings for travel overseas is likely to bounce back within the first 6-12 months of restrictions being lifted, with around a third (29.6%) of people looking to book within the given time period. The more people know about what they need to do to be safe when they travel, the more confident they will be to travel. Consumers need ultimate transparency when it comes to showing what measures are in place to ensure their safety. This is shown in the results from the survey (1) when consumers are asked what provisions they’d like to see in place when considering travelling, with the top 3 answers being:

1. Appropriate cleaning stations (55.9)

2. Reduced flight capacity (53.5%)

3. Distancing markers on planes and in airports (51.3%

Now is the right time to position your brand as a safe and responsible option by giving clear visual cues that emphasise the steps you’re taking to ensure customer safety and communicate clearly what the customer experience will look like and what services they can expect.

Get in touch if you’d like to hear more about how we can help. hello@shoot-the-moon.co.uk

Findings gathered from:

• JGM Agency. For a full copy of the findings email www.jgmagency.co.uk/contact/
• Dynata ‘Advertising in the New Normal  – Walking a Fine Line: Brand Messaging During the Crisis’