Winter in South Africa is typically classified as the low season, when demand is in short-supply and everyday folk opt for a weekend indoors rather than venturing out for a holiday. This is the time to make active attempts to stimulate business.
While there is no Holy Grail to low season marketing, and all marketing plans and actions should be property-specific and driven by historical success and failures, there are few broad ideas worth exploring.
Here, we outline a few of the best suggestions:
Run Exciting Promotions/Specials/Packages
It’s a generally accepted fact that winter, or off season, is one of the best times to explore a destination – when prices have been dropped and it’s less crowded. Putting together exclusive packages and specials during this time won’t just satisfy travellers, but it is also likely to attract a host of new customers who’ll keep coming back.
Monitor Events in your Area and Always Quote
Regardless of the season, it is essential to be informed of any and all events in the area surrounding your hotel, and to use particular marketing tools to position yourself as the ideal choice of accommodation accordingly. In winter, it’s more important than ever to capitalise on the opportunity to offer attractive rates to high volumes of visitors already in town.
Remove General Booking Restrictions
During peak season when demand is high, many hotels implement unique booking restrictions to increase revenue yield and secure occupancy. However, when demand is low, booking restrictions will tend to work against you. As a result, temporarily do away with minimum stays, ‘closed to arrival’ rules, and maximum length of stay constraints.
Give your Online Content a Facelift
Take advantage of the seasonally low traffic to your website by sprucing things up a bit. Update your content where necessary making sure it is still relevant, ensure it is of a high quality, and position yourself optimally for peak season. What’s more, this is also a great time to update the images on your website, improving its overall appearance.
Offer Great Value Ads
Make your off season rates more enticing by including any number of value add-ons to your standard fare. Include free passes to local attractions, offer free Wi-Fi, or simply include free breakfast and parking. This way, guests are sure to thoroughly enjoy their experience at your hotel, one they’ll want to have again, and one they’ll share with friends and family, opening up the door for future business.
To find out more about boosting business during the off season, or to secure outsourced revenue management and hotel management in general, simply email Hotel Revenue Management on jaco@hotel-revenue-manager.com or phone +27 74 490 7711.
