Guide for the Travel Agencies to Survive the Crisis of Covid-19
The world is at a stand-still because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stock market is down, people are canceling their travel plans, airline companies are losing money, and the tourism industry is at rock-bottom right now. Economic experts around the world are talking about the impending recession. Without a doubt, it’s a tough time for everybody in the travel industry. But as with any tragedy, panicking will never help anyone. For travel agencies’ businesses to survive, it’s best to focus on things that can help.
Here are the best tips from Tourism Accelerator to help your business not only survive the coronavirus pandemic but also thrive in this extreme crisis.
Embrace Local
Travel restriction is pretty much the standard of every country hit by the Covid-19. Now is the high time to reach out to your neighbors and advertise locally. You may be surprised at how many people in your local area are yet to hear about your tour company.
People are (and will be) looking for things to do, and if they can’t find fun things to do overseas, they will turn their attention locally. Focus your time and effort on local advertising and marketing. You can do print advertisements or targeted social media promotions in your area.
Also, your customers may be closer than you think. You can create a community and offer special deals and discounts for your local customers.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Reach out to the local operators in your area for potential collaboration. Develop a working relationship with other companies and resellers. Recommend other companies’ tours, and ask them to do the same for you. You can also discuss referrals and rewards. This is a great way to boost the industry in your area and could mean more customers for you and the others.
Build Your Business from Home
Work from Home is the trend right now, and it’s a win-win solution for tour operators and their employees. You can continue to grow your business and run the important aspects of your company. At the same time, it allows you to cut back on operational costs (such as electric, water, internet, office, and space) without compromising the health and safety of your employees.
Get People’s Commitment
People are stuck in their homes for quarantine and social distancing. They are bored, and they are itching to start their travel goals the minute they are allowed to. Thus, while promoting your business online, you can throw some discounts and deals to get people to commit the soonest time possible.
Invest In Yourself, Get Ready for the Future
If there’s one thing we can learn from the global crisis, such as in the 2008 recession, and the 2003 SARS epidemic, it’s that tour bookings recovered fairly fast. You probably have more time in your hands right now; you can use this time to equip yourself with knowledge and skills to handle the demands of the future.
Our goal is to help tourism businesses thrive. While the current economic situation might look bleak, tough times like these will pass. It’s what you do now that will help build the foundation on how your business will recover once the pandemic is over.
