How to Promote Christmas Trips

The festive season is in full swing, which means yuletide joy, Christmas songs and presents. It’s also a time of year when travellers jet off to another country to rock around the Christmas tree in far-flung destinations. For travel brands, it provides the opportunity to sell holidays and capitalise on the 4.5 million Brits who plan to holiday at Christmas. But how do you get your customers in the mood for a festive break? We’ve put this guide together with everything you need to know about promoting Christmas getaways.

Capture the mood 🎄

Use your social media accounts to get people in the Christmas spirit and capture the mood around the festive season. Post pictures of popular destinations at this time of year, such as Lapland and cities in Germany and Belgium, which are well-known for their Christmas markets.

Interact with followers and use Christmas hashtags, so your posts reach further than your direct audience. You can even run social media competitions, asking people to share their past Christmas holiday pictures, with the best ones winning a prize. Being active on social media during the holiday season and interacting with followers can get people excited about winter trips.

Promote some winter sun 🏖️

Many of us love Christmas because it evokes thoughts of snow, country cottages and being wrapped up snug inside while the weather outside is frightful. But not everyone shares those sentiments. People also want to get away from the cold and embrace warmer climates.

In fact, some of the most popular destinations during the festive season include countries and cities like Dubai, Barbados and parts of Spain. Holidaymakers are more interested in sun, sea and sand during December than mulled wine, reindeer and Santa with his sleigh. Tap into that market with email campaigns, social posts and other marketing efforts to encourage some winter sun this Christmas.

Fun-filled videos 📹

Video content continues to grow in popularity, and it’s a great way to bring the visual aspect of a Christmas holiday to your audience. Video is a big deal at this time of year, with brands like John Lewis going all out for their Christmas adverts on television.

A huge TV campaign might be a stretch too far, but there’s nothing to stop you from making video content and sharing it across your website and platforms like YouTube. Create case studies about customers who may have previously booked Christmas trips or make a Xmas promo video. When it comes to the latter, just remember to keep them short and sweet (no longer than a minute) and include a strong call to action.

‘Tis the season for paid advertising campaigns ​​🤶

Sponsored content can give you a boost on Google and other platforms, capturing the attention of the right people while getting them excited about a Christmas holiday. You can use social media sites like Instagram to advertise to your audience or run Google Ads letting customers know that you’re the best place to book a winter getaway.

With social media ads, you should aim for colourful photos taken up close that showcase winter destinations or people getting ready for a festive trip. For Google-related content, opt for concise messaging with some of your best holiday rates at Christmas. Eg, if there’s a destination where you’re offering a good deal, don’t be afraid to include it in a Google Adwords campaign.

Give the gift of emails 📧

Christmas is one of the few times of the year where people pay extra attention to their emails, usually because they’re on the lookout for branded offers. Use increased email engagement to your advantage with a campaign designed to get travellers booking a last-minute trip for the holidays.

Provide content about the best places to visit during Christmas or highlight your Xmas offers if you have any. Emails can be a great way to let people know about your Christmas destinations and get them clicking through to your website.

Flexible payments lead the way 🎁

Offer customers alternative payment methods such as buy now, pay later, and let them spread the cost over Christmas. There are many travellers who would love to hop on a plane at this time of year but may struggle financially due to the cost of buying presents and other Christmas-related activities.

If, however, you let them spread the cost with flexible payments, they can feel empowered to take that Christmas trip they always wanted to make. With flexible finance, you can reduce checkout drop-offs, drive sales and give your customers the confidence to book the holidays they want during the festive season.

A merry Christmas abroad

With travel on the agenda again, an increasing number of people are ready to fly away for Christmas. And by coming up with a watertight marketing strategy, you can get travellers booking their trips with your travel brand during the winter period. Make it a merry Christmas for you and your customers this festive season.