Bon voyage - the leisure traveller guide

ivabalk via pixabay

If you run a guesthouse, B&B, self-catering establishment or taxi service, it pays to sign up with a booking tool so that potential guests can search in real time for the best deals and most convenient options.

Social media parade

Because word-of-mouth feedback from other travellers remains an important consideration in this travel category, don’t underestimate the importance of your Facebook or Twitter profile. The stats from the Research Study show that 82% of leisure travellers take reviews into account when booking their next trip.
An excellent idea is then to request that your guests post a short review on social media tagging you. As the owner, you’re then in a position to respond to the negative feedback, promising to improve on these areas in the future, as well as to thank past guests for their positive feedback.

Well-managed profiles and the personal touch are of the essence here!

Have a licence, will drive

While only 22% of leisure travellers seem to consult online car-rental sites or apps (as opposed to 44% of business travellers), this is still more than one-fifth of the entire category. Business travellers need to get from the airport to their meetings without a hitch, most likely booking a 2WD sedan, while a self-drive safari in a comfortable 4WD may present a romantic prospect to leisure travellers.

Don’t fall into this trap! A self-drive trip, especially in Africa, requires a great deal of planning and/or knowledge. Ideally, if you’re a novice at this sort of travel experience, invest in a self-drive guide such as those from Tracks4Africa, so that you are always aware of where you’ll be able to sleep, refuel, buy supplies or get help in an emergency, and what tourist attractions to watch out for.

Further the frills

What add-ons does your establishment offer that makes it more desirable than another accommodation or transport option in the same area or working a similar route? Make sure that these perks are mentioned not just on your own website, but on social media and in your profile on booking sites too. A descriptive sentence - for example, ‘Private plunge pool per cottage, masseuse on site, serviced on request’ - is sure to bring in just the sort of guests you’re looking for.

Robert Nienaber, the chief marketing officer at City Accommodation, which incorporates Arebbusch Travel Lodge in Windhoek and Cape Town City Accommodation in the Mother City, recommends that aside from free Wi-Fi (sought after by an increasing number of leisure guests for social media posts and photo uploads), other desirable ‘frills’ may include:

• top-notch swimming facilities (think clean, cool/heated, a nearby bar, towels and deck chairs);
• an extensive choice in TV channels (sport, lifestyle, and movies); and
• scenic walks around the premises.

"Reception staff should be clued up on which car-rental agencies are most reliable and affordable, what is on in the area and snippets of helpful touristy info, all of which will guide leisure travellers to make the most of their holidays," adds Robert.

Underscore the specials

Be sure to capitalise on the reasons travellers might use your services or stay with you. Demand-generators may include sports matches and music concerts, tourist attractions, weather, natural beauty and proximity to wildlife. Package deals may work in your favour here or discounts for accommodation and travel linked to events in your area. Added to the social media, website and booking site presence you have online, a newsletter that goes out to all past guests is a great way to promote specials to your target market without the need for costly advertising.

Inspiration in motion

The 2014 Traveller Research Study points to tourism businesses needing to create and share motivational video content, to attract their target audience.
This relates back to the trend in which digital is the primary source of travel inspiration, at a time when 65 percent of leisure travellers make decisions based on social/video sites and search engines; and when 42 percent of leisure travellers heed the get-up-and-go factor of YouTube. It’s worth getting a professional to create the content for you, to ensure quality and that desirable ‘wow’ factor.

Value for money

A last great tip to steer leisure travellers in your direction is to launch a supporters or loyalty club. "This ties in with price sensitivity," says Robert, "where maximising the distance one’s Rands and cents can go, through specials, loyalty points or discounts that travellers can use at a later date, is sure to bring them back again to use your service or book in at your accommodation."