Top 10 Marketing Tips

The Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Hotel Association are currently promoting Belize at a series of trade shows in Europe, all with the aim of increasing and peaking the interest of European travelers to Belize.

At this time we have to be intensifying our efforts in our major markets - the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, but also working at opening new markets for travel to Belize.

Here are a few marketing tips you can use in all target markets!

TIPS

1. PR-Public Relations

   Press Releases and Updates - Announcing new services or accommodations to existing customers, travel agents and the press is important. In doing so, never forget the 4 "W"-What, Where, When, Why-in your information to ensure you cover the salient points.

   Local Media- Contact your local media and provide them with accommodations for two in exchange for a feature story in the news.

   Familiarization Trips - Offer a familiarization trip for a journalist or organize a photo call if you have a new addition to your business you want customers to know about.

2. Decide on your Unique Selling Point
   Some of the more successful businesses have decided to focus on a specialty that can really help them stand out from the crowd. In marketing jargon, this often refers to as the 'unique selling point' (USP).

   Some examples of USP's may be: providing special facilities or services for walkers or cyclists; a special welcome for customers with pets or family with young children; onsite spa services or; visits with a local cultural icon.

3. The Little Touches/Adding Value
   Paying attention to the little touches can make all the difference to a weary traveler.

   For tourism business, cleanliness is the number one factor that can make or break a successful visit. Here are some quick suggestions but brainstorm some others with your partners and staff.

   • Drinks on welcome/a welcome basket with local fruits
   • Books about the area
   • Coupon or gift certificate to a local bar, restaurant or attraction
   • Wi-Fi - Free Internet access
   • Discount on local attractions/hotels
   • Concierge Service
   • Disabled access
   • Games for children while dining
   • Babysitting services
   • Business card prize draws
   • A pick up/drop off service
4. Making Paid Advertising Work Harder for You:
   Place a small advertisement in a local or regional newspaper both online publications and print. These newspapers are distributed world wide and can be a great source to get information out to the general public on what you have to offer.


5. Websites:
   With over 73% of persons doing their travel research on the Internet, never before has it been more important for tourism businesses to ensure they have their own website.

   Your website is often the first impression visitors have of you so it is critical that information is current and updated (Please remove last year's rates and pictures from years ago!) With updated information it makes users and potential visitors to your business more confident in what you have to offer.

   Entice and engage visitors more by promoting what's new at your business, in your area and any specials you are offering.

6. Getting your Website found:
   With millions of website online and everyone wanting to be first in search results, you cannot just build a website and expect visitors to find you. You should be found in the search engines and on other larger websites and network that would also be visited by your potential visitors.

   Here are few actions you can take:

   Search engines
   Speak to your web editor about 'search engine optimization' techniques to ensure your site comes high in the search rankings. In Google you can also pay for listings that show up on the right hand side of Google search results - Visit www.adwords.google.com

   Links from larger websites and networks
   Get free or paid links on sites that match your market - e.g. scuba diving websites and networks if you have a dive operation; family travel networks; larger Belize networks, and of course, update your listing on the travelbelize.org online directories

   Postings on travel forums
   Visitors have a tendency to believe what others say about you instead of what you have in your advertising. Online travel forums have become popular source for visitors. Monitor what is being said about you; ask your happy visitors to post positive review of your business and ask them to respond in your defense if there is a negative review. Remember, blatant advertising is not allowed on most online forums.

7. Events
   Why should customers return to your business throughout the year? Often events will provide that extra trigger to spur them on to revisit a location.

   Speak to your local tourist information center, tourist board or look in the local newspaper to check out local events that are coming to your area.

   Perhaps the organizer can even work with you to provide free tickets that you could offer to guest as an added value incentive or as part of a sweepstake prize?

   Is there a chance of organizing a package deal with the event organizer? E.g. Offer a special vacation package for Loberstfest in San Pedro, Caye Caulker or Placencia.

   Visit www.travelbelize.org to view the 2009 Calendar of Events

8. Packaging with other businesses
   

   Most visitors to Belize do a combination of rainforest, Maya and marine activities.
   Tourism businesses can work together to ensure they provide a very attractive package for potential visitors. Are you able to talk to local partners about providing a combined accommodations/attractions/transportation/food deal for your guest?

   Can you partner with a hotel in another area of Belize so that you both offer vacation packages including both properties? That way - both of you are now selling your hotel.

9. Work with your Tourist Information Center (TIC)
   If you have a brochure or flyer does your local TIC have a steady supply? Perhaps you could organize a familiarization trip for the staff to your business so they understand it first-hand?


10. Work with the Belize Tourism Board
    By working very closely with the Belize Tourism Board and local authorities/destination management organizations, try to provide as much information as possible to these bodies as they will, in turn, ensure they use the information at an international level wherever feasible.