It’s been how many weeks, er... months settling into our new “normal”? Hopefully you and your team have the WFH kinks worked out and are starting to look to the future. The businesses and destinations that prepare today for post-CV19 will reap the rewards. The LGBTQ+ community (especially those without kids) will be among the first to ramp up their spending and travel schedules once this passes. Will your destination be among their first few trips?
Want to make a big comeback? Put a larger than normal percentage of your focus on the LGBTQ+ audience.
Our previous blog post noted some internal tweaks you can make to owned properties (your website, social media channels, etc). We’ve been reading that web traffic is up at least 25% or more and the longer people stay separated, the more their wanderlust will grow. Staying top of mind will help ensure you’re one of their first bookings when they can. This could also be a great time for smaller destinations to get a big jump on the larger cities that will not open until later.
Many of you have paused your media and it’s understandable, but we recommend you keep a communication line open, whether it’s with social media, newsletters, or on your website. Messages of empathy, safety and optimism are resonating with people, so if you did create a video or special creative focused on this time, don’t be afraid to share it. We found several great examples below.
As stay in place orders are lifted, destinations will slowly ramp up, focusing on local first (to help restaurants and hotels), then regional, then national, but our recommendation is to put a larger than normal percentage of focus toward the LGBTQ+ audience. You want to focus on travelers that are loyal to your destination and have the ability to pick up and go (and I guarantee some of them have their bags packed).
We will all get through this, let’s do it together! Need help? We're here!
New Orleans also had a bartender on their Instagram feed helping people make cocktails with ingredients from their homes:
A few destinations including Las Vegas created a series of Zoom backgrounds:
Photos by Brian Kyed, Erol Ahmed, Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash