How to Appeal to Staycationers and Locals

How to Market Your Property to Staycationers and Local Guests

By Megan Grover

"A staycation—a word derived from "stay" and "vacation"—is a getaway that doesn't really involve getting away too far physically, but still affords the option to break away for the day to enjoy something new."

Today's travel industry is truly unique. More than any recent year, travelers are adjusting their travel plans to suit the current times. The Coronavirus pandemic has given people increased concerns about travel, particularly long-distance and air travel. In a Longwoods COVID-19 Travel Sentiment Study conducted in November 2020, only 39% of Americans polled said they felt safe to travel outside their local community. For many travelers, local destinations have become the go-to alternative for getaways.

Now shorter stays (like a long weekend) have become more appealing and affordable for families than a full week of travel. Many families have less discretionary income due to job loss, furlough, or decreased business profits, but they still want accessible ways to get away and have fun.

One unique development brought on by the pandemic has been the increased ability for families to pick up and go somewhere more easily than in the past. Distance learning and remote work allows for location flexibility as long as there is a reliable internet connection available. As a result, many families are doing short stays away from home to break up the routine of being "stuck" in one place.

As a property owner looking to book and fill up your rooms, how can you capitalize on the increase in local travel? With some adjustments to your marketing strategy, you can focus your efforts on these stay-cationers. Here are a few savvy suggestions to get you started with targeting these customers.

Know your Target Market and Tailor an Offer to Them

When you make an intentional effort to bring in local guests, don't completely abandon your current marketing strategy. Focus MORE on the ideal customer for your property and who you are best suited for. Then, find ways to appeal to that person within a smaller geographic region. What about you appeals most to them? What will cause them to book a local stay with you?

For example, if your property suits a younger demographic that is focused on organic, healthy eating and green living, you could create a themed cooking experience at your property. Bring in a featured local chef that specializes in healthy cuisine for a weekend, and when guests book a stay at your property, they get the exclusive chance to be a part of this immersive experience.

The key is to think specifically about your ideal guest and tailor your marketing offer directly to what they would enjoy most.

Promote The Perks of Your Property, Not Guest Rooms

When guests are only traveling a short distance, the guest rooms themselves become less important to their trip. In all honesty, local vacationers could just stay at home if they really wanted to, so you will need a little extra creativity to get them to book at your property.

What else besides the guest rooms makes your property unique and appealing? Do you have an amazing olympic-sized swimming pool? Are you a horse-lovers dream property with stable space available to rent along with guest rooms? Perhaps your on-site chef is incredible and guests rave about dining at your property. Play that up!

Now is the time to lean heavily on the experiential perks and amenities that are available only when someone stays at your property. Vacationers need a compelling reason to spend money with you rather than opting to sleep at home.

Create a Stay-and-Play Package

One of the best ways to incentivize local travelers to book with you is to create a package that bundles accommodations with an activity available onsite or nearby.

If you have a renowned golf course nearby, then consider creating a package that includes one or more rounds of golf with your stay. If you are more geared toward families, then negotiate a package rate with a local amusement park or museum. People will be coming to those attractions anyway. When you create a package offer, you create a simple way to piggyback and upsell bookings to visitors who are already in your area.

Create Your Own Unique Event

If you aren't conveniently located near anything that would inspire a package deal, all is not lost. Much like the idea of bringing in a local chef, you could come up with any number of unique events right at your own location. Here are a few ideas that you could try:

Couples' Spa Weekend
Girls' Getaway
Working Retreat
Spiritual Seminar
Author Chat or Poetry Reading
Cooking Class
Artists' Retreat
Wine and/or Craft Beer Tasting

"The aim of Influencer Marketing is to identify the influencers in your niche and make them work for you by promoting your brand." - Influencer Marketing Hub

Cater to Local Businesses and Groups

Plenty of people are still gathering in small organized groups - even post-COVID. If you plan ahead, you can host them at your property. Offer to cater a lunch for the book club, volunteer service organization, or your local Red Hat Society and then upsell members with a stay at your property.

This year has been challenging for most small businesses - especially restaurants. Do you have a favorite restaurant nearby that often draws your guests in when they visit? If so, see if you can partner with them for a special promotion.

Offer to include a gift certificate to the restaurant as a bonus perk of staying at your property. It's a great way to help a local business to increase their sales while increasing your own at the same time.

Enlist the Help of Local Influencers

Marketers in 2020 can't deny the power of social media influencers for driving sales in today's economy. Smart business owners are finding ways to enlist their help to promote their products and services, and the hospitality industry is perfectly suited to partner with influencers.

To get started, do some research on Instagram and Facebook to find some influencers in your local area that promote travel and tourism. A word to the wise - the larger the influencer's following, the more they likely charge for a single mention or promotional post.

If you are hoping to work within a smaller budget, then reach out to "micro-influencers" in your target customer base with a following of 1,000 to under 100,000 people. Offer them a complimentary stay at your property in return for a review with photos on their social media page. You'll be surprised by how a strategic partnership with an influencer will bring added bookings to your property.

A 2020 study done by Influencer Marketing Hub showed that businesses are making $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. Only the bottom 25% of brands polled failed to generate any revenue from the influencer campaign and those in that category attributed the failure to selecting an influencer that wasn't well-matched to their target customer audience.

Bring Them Back Again with a Last-Minute Deal

The very best thing about local guests is that they can visit your property again and again. Don't let the chance to bring them back pass you by. If you offer phenomenal service and build a relationship with them while they visit, you can keep them coming back time and time again.

If your reservations list looks a bit empty for the upcoming week, then send out a promotional email offering your past guests a last minute deal. Locals may be inclined to snatch up the offer for a quick getaway where long-distance travelers often can't take advantage of it. It's a fantastic way to fill up those empty rooms - even a reduced rate booking is far better than empty.

Things to Remember:

When you focus your efforts on local guests, there's a few things you need to consider. Since guests' vacations will be shorter, you may need to adjust your minimum nights' policy to allow them to book for fewer nights.

Also, most guests will be driving, so consider the parking availability and costs at your property. Do you have enough space for them to park? If not, could you partner with a nearby business with ample parking to accommodate for the overflow? Could you consider waiving a parking fee for local guests as an additional incentive for them to stay? Get creative to find solutions to problems that would normally deter local guests from your property.

In Conclusion

Most businesses - especially in the travel and hospitality industry - have pivoted their marketing a bit in 2020, so it's expected that you will be making some adjustments as well. With the trend toward local travel, the need to market to customers who are staying closer to home is not just a great idea, but essential.

Spend some time developing a plan for next year that includes ways that you can market your property to staycationers in your local area. It's a win/win for everyone - businesses and individuals - to support each other in finding ways to step back into the world of travel.

Resources:

USTravel.org | COVID-19 Travel Industry Research

Peek Pro | The Rise of Staycations

Influencer Marketing Hub | 80 Influencer Marketing Statistics for 2020

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