That moment when a traveller is hit by the urge to explore new places is filled with possibilities. They have choices to explore and decisions to make — and it’s the perfect opportunity for airports to make their mark with destination marketing.
By stepping in with targeted, meaningful content at this early stage, you can significantly shape travel preferences and decisions. It goes beyond simply listing flights, hotels, and holiday packages — it’s about selling the unforgettable experiences and memories the destination can offer.
An inspiring destination marketing campaign creates a more engaging connection from the start of a potential customer’s journey planning and is a strategic move to enhance overall travel sales.
Let’s explore the different ways you can boost travel sales with your destination marketing campaigns.
1. Develop a presence on travel website
Travellers often browse travel websites and forums when they’re actively seeking information — or inspiration. By featuring on these sites, you can directly reach an audience already interested in travel planning.
Partner with the website to learn how your airport can have a presence. Depending on the website’s guidelines, this may involve listing the airport on these platforms, creating content for them, or incorporating the partnership into your advertising
This places your airport in front of your target audience, increasing visibility among those most likely to travel.
2. Create keyword-optimised landing pages for destinations
Optimising landing pages for each major destination your airport serves enhances the effectiveness of destination marketing. These dedicated pages should highlight the distinct qualities and attractions of the destinations, catering to the interests of potential travellers.
Include detailed information about what each destination offers, such as cultural attractions, unique experiences, and accessible transportation options. This approach not only assists travellers in their planning but also positions the airport as a valuable and informative part of the travel experience.
Use search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies, particularly the strategic inclusion of relevant keywords, to elevates these pages in search rankings. A higher search ranking will help travellers to easily find your airport’s destination landing page, serving as a bridge between the planning and booking stages.
3. Enhance social media engagement
Engaging potential travellers on social media requires a blend of visually appealing content and interactive communication. You can achieve this by regularly uploading high-quality photos and videos that serve as a window into the unique experiences awaiting travellers at the destination.
But remember — social media isn’t just about posting it and forgetting it. Responding to comments and messages creates a two-way conversation, making followers feel heard and valued. This level of engagement can foster a sense of community among users and enhance your airport’s reputation as a customer-centric and responsive space in the travel experience. By actively engaging on social media platforms, you can create a more immersive and engaging digital presence, effectively drawing in and captivating your audience.
4. Use destination-specific hashtags
Leverage popular hashtags related to the destinations your airport serves to engage with travellers on social media. Using these well-established hashtags helps a wider audience — which is already interested in these locations — find your content about these destinations. With compelling original content, you’ll encourage these new visitors to follow your airport’s social media account and introduce your airport as a valid option for traveling to this destination.
Tools like Hashtag Expert, Brand24, and Hashtagify help you find, analyse, and monitor hashtags so you don’t have to rely on guesswork.
5. Produce inspirational travel content
Create travel guides that serve as a window into what the location has to offer. You can highlight hidden gems, popular tourist spots, and unique cultural experiences, providing travellers with a comprehensive view of the destination. This might include showcasing local festivals, culinary specialties, or natural wonders, giving travellers a sense of the rich experiences awaiting them.
Share video tours of the location to take potential visitors on a virtual journey. From the comfort of their homes, viewers can experience a taste of the destination, building excitement and anticipation for their visit.
6. Collaborate with travel influencers and bloggers
There’s no doubt about it — influencers have a lot of sway when it comes to, well, influencing people to make decisions. A 2022 Pew Research Survey found that 53% of people who follow influencer social media accounts purchased something as a result of the influencer’s promotion. Even 30% of social media users who didn’t follow influencers accounts made a purchase after seeing a post.
You can significantly amplify your marketing reach by partnering with travel influencers to promote certain locations as part of a destination marketing campaign. Their followers often look to them for travel inspiration and advice, making their endorsement a powerful tool in shaping travel decisions. This approach helps you reach a wider demographic and encourages more travellers to consider both the airport and its region for their travel plans.
7. Establish a unique campaign hashtag
Creating a unique brand hashtag can increase social media traffic and engagement, and your airport is no exception. This approach is particularly effective in gathering user-generated content, which provides an authentic snapshot of the destination as seen through the travellers’ eyes.
You can tap into this resource by engaging with these posts and even amplifying them on your own channels, such as featuring them in Instagram Stories. This interactive cycle not only increases the visibility of positive traveller experiences but also motivates others to share their stories using the hashtag.
This travel marketing strategy also cleverly positions your airport as a key part of the journey to the destination. Travellers can see your airport not just as a point of arrival or departure but as an integral part of their travel experience.
8. Streamline the ecommerce experience
A global survey of 7,000 online shoppers found that 76% prioritised how quickly they were able to complete their transaction. For your airport website, a smooth online ecommerce experience includes designing a platform that’s easy to navigate and simplifies the booking and checkout procedures. A straightforward and intuitive interface reduces frustration and helps retain customers who are looking to book flights, parking, or other services offered by the airport.
Rezcomm’s travel module simplifies the entire process for you. It enables your customers to compare and book everything they need for their journey in one place, from flights to hotels to parking and car hire options.
Your customers don’t even need to know their destination beforehand. Our search tool helps them find their dream destination based on interests or schedule, with content such as destination and weather guides, images and videos, and special offers to help them make their decision — all on your airport’s website itself.
9. Build ongoing customer relationships
Engaging with travellers at every stage of the journey can enhance the customer experience and turn a one-time visitor into a loyal customer. Airports can achieve this through personalised and ongoing communication.
Use automated, personalised emails to check in with customers before, during, and after their trip. For example, you can send travel tips or weather updates before departure, information about airport amenities or ongoing events during their stay, and a thank you message with a feedback request post-trip. This not only shows care and attention to detail but also keeps the airport connected with the travellers throughout their journey.
Don’t forget to remind them about your airport’s social media channels and hashtags. Encourage them to post about their trip, engage with travellers who tag your airport or use hashtags, and keep the cycle of user-generated content running to attract potential customers and promote your destination marketing campaign.
Boost your travel sales with Rezcomm
At Rezcomm, we understand that increasing travel sales is all about connecting with your customers effectively. Our Plug-and-Play Marketplace provides everything you need to execute great destination marketing campaigns, with the data you need to analyse and optimise its performance. This means you can focus on what really matters: creating campaigns that travellers love and respond to.
We’re here to help every step of the way, and our team of travel marketing experts is always ready to give you practical tips and support. Download our brochure, watch our video, or get in touch to learn how partnering with Rezcomm gives you the tools and expertise you need to boost your travel sales.
Cultivating Rezcomm’s brand presence, Sarah Marks is our Director of Communications. A T-shaped marketer at heart, she has a broad skill set, with a particular passion for SEO and email marketing. While her core focus is on strengthening Rezcomm’s brand, she also provides strategic advice to clients.
