“Engagement”. That’s the first word that comes to our mind when it comes to Digital Marketing. Well, it’s also a word to reckon with, for those from the Travel Industry. This particular Industry thrives on the masses, irrespective of any geographical barriers. Their livelihood depends on the planet & mass – movement, catering to their business since time immemorial. Now that very public is stuck at home, peeling clementine, while they could have been out there fruit picking from the orchards up in the Himalayas. 

Yes, the world has come to a standstill for avid travellers & even for those who never bothered travelling. Everyone is itching to move out. Eyes on their screens for more than 20 hours a day, is how they spend their time today.  While we earnestly hope that the outdoors is yet again available to these stuck at home – cribbing travellers, here’s something you could do for them. The Digital space occupied by individuals is at its ever high today & the travellers are hunting down ways to treat their eyes. From rummaging YouTube videos to putting on their V.R glasses, they are ready to just get a screen – a glimpse of their bucket list.

With the International borders being sealed for any movement, there are some very youthful ways that the countries are promoting their tourism in.

Iceland invited travellers to scream into their wilderness & blew off the recording right onto their landscape. Just a gimmick to keep the travellers sane, they said, “Looks like you have been through a lot. It looks like you need to let it out somewhere big, beautiful & open. It looks like you need Iceland.” While we won’t say that it is a panacea to all travellers, but it sure is a kickass marketing strategy to slip in the word – Iceland! It definitely helped get something heavy off the traveller’s shoulders. So, Iceland nailed it during these tiresome times!

If digital marketing fetches you anything today, it is Engagement. For the tourism sector, it could be through engagement that they give hope. Today the industry has come up with a concept like “Book Now & Travel Later”, through marketing campaigns that offer cheaper prices for long stay bookings today, which can be availed anytime in the near future. All of this was next to impossible without a targeted audience & right channels of digital promotion. Well, for those hungry travellers who prefer nothing but everything eye-witnessed, Virtual Reality glasses are another addition in their stay at home rucksacks. 

Digital Marketing also involves V.R videos which are customized suiting those who own a V.R glass. It is another hit with travellers at home, who through these videos can even virtually be on the top of the world – Mount Everest. The Tourism department of each state/ country can divert their attention to this segment of marketing by creating a better world for equipped travellers. While for those who are still surfing YouTube videos of their favourite places, they need to be targeted by giving them a new slice of Travel. A good digital marketing on real-time (Psst NOT the Google Earth / Map Image) coverage of “How their favourite place looks without them”, wouldn’t be too bad. Or maybe while the Earth is healing, why not show them what you have planned up your sleeve, by the time they actually get outdoors. For now, give hope, just go digital.