Know what’s on your doorstep?
Considering the security clampdown and horrid headlines from around the world, it is hardly surprising the domestic tourist market has enjoyed one of its best summers in recent years.
Holidaying at home is becoming fashionable again as people look to avoid the hassles of overseas travel and enjoy the pleasures within our own shores – certainly good news for all our specialist domestic tour operators, hotels, B &Bs and UK tourist and promotional bodies.
Enjoy England was busy courting publicity this week – including via the front page of Travel Weekly – for the launch of its Storybook England campaign to encourage children to discover the locations that appear in their favourite books.
I myself have just enjoyed two wonderful short breaks on the Suffolk and Norfolk coasts this summer and found being able to put the kids in the car and be safely ensconced in our holiday destination in under three hours to be a winning combination.
The quality and variety of UK holidays have greatly improved recently and we now boast campsites, holiday camps, B&Bs and hotels to match anything found abroad.
So how far up the travel agenda is the domestic market in your business? Worryingly, some of the lowest scores we have received in our Mystery Shopper surveys have been for holiday breaks at home.
It seems some of us know more about the Costa Brava than the south coast of England.
Our workshop session last week between grocery retailers and suppliers and Advantage agents produced many excellent ideas. Being part of, and promoting, your local area was one of them.
What better way to do that than highlight what your customers can do within two hours of their home.
What your average hassled customer is looking for is not just ideas on where to go to, but the time to do it – if they can get what they are looking for within a couple of hours drive then so much the better.