Revenge Tourism, Marketing and Useful Resources
Revenge Tourism
Who has heard the term ‘Revenge Tourism’? I certainly hadn’t, until recently. When you think of the Roaring Twenties, you probably think of the carefree lifestyle, the societal reaction to the horrors of the First World War and that other pandemic almost exactly 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu. Fast forward a century, and Revenge Tourism is the name given to the expected upturn in the tourism market, in particular the adventure tourism sector, as more destinations get the all-clear. It refers to consumers’ desire to get their revenge on the pandemic[1], in much the same way as society was determined to return to the good life a hundred years ago. This comes from three factors, namely:
Attitudes to travel
Financial resilience
Pent-up demands to travel[2]
A waterfall tumbling into Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
This reflects data elsewhere throughout the tourism sector, as safari tourism companies offer tailor-made packages, with their sustainability and responsibility credentials heavily advertised (See Bespoke Tours and Travel, Best View Safaris, TOFTigers and others). It further reflects the fact that companies that wish to survive will need to offer something unique, situation-specific, and sustainable.
Marketing, Preventing Greenwashing
Whether the aim is to build adventure tourism, or a staycation the key is a unique offering, and the best way to provide that is to offer a unique story of your brand, and make sure you are not greenwashed. As far as this first objective is concerned, it may well be worth commissioning a short video clip, which you can post on your social media. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what about a 5 – 10-minute moving picture? In order not to get greenwashed, there are lots of useful resources giving guidance on credible certification for the sector. Follow it, display the credentials prominently, get your staff well trained in its requirements; it will be worth the investment! According to research done by SPIKE Marketing, the most affluent group in society (the 50 to 59-year-olds) are the ones most likely to travel again, they are most likely to spend the same or more on their holidays as before the pandemic, and they are most likely to be loyal to their previous provider if they had a good experience with them! Enjoy the Roaring (Twenty) Twenties!
Useful Resources
Confederation of British Industry Report on the Market Potential for Tourism in Europe https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/tourism/adventure-tourism/adventure-tourism/market-potential
TOFTigers: Sustainable Travel: 6 Ways to Build Back Better https://www.toftigers.org/blog-post/sustainable-travel-6-ways-to-build-back-better/
G Adventures: G for Good. Lots of advice on responsible travel, child welfare, community partnership, and much more. https://www.gadventures.com/about-us/why-travel-with-gadventures/#g-for-good
[1] Own emphasis
[2] Taken from a video interview with Roy Barker of SPIKE Marketing: https://vimeo.com/513349609#
