Everyone wants to go to Spain, Portugal and Greece, but what about the lesser-known destinations? As a travel brand, you can appeal to a broader customer base as the agent who offers diverse holidays and not just the typical destinations everyone competes to offer. We’ve all got our appetite back for travel after Covid, and that has led to a growing number of travellers becoming more adventurous with their destinations, so why not cater to their demands?
This guide explores the benefits of highlighting the lesser-known travel destinations and how they could add an extra layer to your brand and present new opportunities.
It’s all about the journey ✈️
According to recent research from Booking.com, 61 per cent of travellers are actively seeking out those far-flung destinations that weren’t initially on the radar. Being stuck at home for 12-plus-months has only increased people’s appetite for holidays, and now they want to make up for the lost time.
Fifty-six per cent of the people surveyed also said they wouldn’t mind taking longer to reach their destination if it involved unique transport. This type of mentality further underlines the desire for off-the-beaten-track holidays travellers previously didn’t consider.
Now is a great time to get a head start on competitors and highlight these types of breaks. Doing so will give you the chance to reach a changing market, where lesser-known destinations become the new “must-visit” places over the next few years.
Explore the culture 👋
People are fed up with being stuck indoors and want to get out there and explore the world again. For many, that doesn’t mean another trip to the Spanish coast. Instead, they want to discover new places and experience different cultures.
You can appeal to this new mindset by focusing on these newer, untapped destinations. This will give people more insight as to what they can expect if they choose one of these countries to visit.
Provide information about the local cuisine, unique events and traditions relevant to that country. It may also be worth partnering with local tour guides to offer a more inclusive holiday where travellers can see the best of these previously-unthought-of destinations.
Offering all this information will get holidaymakers more excited about trying something different and discovering a new destination. We all like to think we stumbled upon somewhere that no one else thought about visiting, and promoting these quieter destinations is a great way to make your customers feel like they’re discovering new shores.
Sightseeing opportunities 🌎
While lesser-known destinations and second cities might not have as many landmarks as your typical Athens, Barcelonas and Prauges, they will have their own unique history. Therefore, you can highlight the places holidaymakers should visit.
Paint a picture of the destination and showcase its most important sites. Provide your customers with an itinerary of sorts, suggesting all of the places they should visit to really capture the vibe of the destination.
How to promote lesser-known destinations 🔇
It’s one thing deciding to promote places people may not have previously thought of, but it’s another to promote them the right way. Below, we’ve listed some key ways for you to get untapped destinations to the front of your customer’s minds.
Use your website 💻
It might sound like an obvious one, but your website is an important tool in the bid to attract more customers. Use your blog page to create guides and information on these lesser-known holiday spots and really provide your audience with value about what they can expect from these destinations.
Use social media as inspiration #️⃣
Social media platforms can be impressively visual, meaning you can get your customers excited about booking by using imagery to whet their appetite. You can also link to online YouTube guides and other essential resources that will get people thinking about new places to visit.
Be transparent in your messaging 💬
There’s still plenty of confusion about holidays, even though people are more eager to travel. That’s why you need to ensure that you’re the brand that is transparent and always keeps your audience up to date with changing travel restrictions and how they might impact all types of holidays, from popular hotspots to lesser-known destinations.
A new holiday adventure
The competition will be fierce as travel demand ramps up in the coming months. And while we don’t suggest abandoning the popular spots, including lesser-known destinations can add another string to your bow and increase your reach.
