27 Aug Travel Leaders Focuses Marketing on Travelers Craving Close to Home Getaways in 2020
Advisors see an uptick in requests for road trips, national parks
New York, NY (August 27, 2020) — Travel Leaders Network is focusing its latest B2C marketing on close to home getaways. A recent poll of clients show more are willing to stay in a hotel, lodge or resort not far from home than they were a few weeks ago. More are also willing to take a flight to uncrowded destinations and engage private tours.
“After weeks of being cooped up at home due to state travel restrictions, consumers who are yearning to travel are turning to Travel Leaders Group advisors to book vacations over the next six months, but they are also seeking ‘peace of mind’ regarding their health and safety when they communicate with advisors about their options,” says John Lovell, President of Travel Leaders Group, which encompasses Travel Leaders Network. “A standard question that advisors receive from those who want to travel boils down to ‘What is it really like to travel right now?’”
– Travel Leaders Group Chief Marketing Officer Stephen McGillivray
Travel Leaders Network seeks to answer that question with the third generation of its Armchair Explorer series, a marketing email that is currently sent to more than 2 million consumers on Thursdays. With a run scheduled for September – December, the new theme is “What Travel Is Like Now.” When the series first launched in early April, it focused on “Dream Now, Travel Later” then moved to “Why We Vacation” running from June through August.
“Consumers eager to travel again are receptive to receiving promotional offers and tips on trip planning,” says Stephen McGillivray, Chief Marketing Officer at Travel Leaders Group. “In addition to consumers wanting attractive promotions and offers, our poll of our advisors’ clients also reveal that they want to receive messaging related to health and safety and flexibility of booking and cancellation policies. This is what guides us when we craft B2C messaging on behalf of our travel advisors.”
A second campaign Travel Leaders Network launched in August focuses on “Close to Home” adventures. It included an in-depth training for travel advisors on selling domestic destinations, as well as an extensive resources directory on Travel Leaders agency intranet listing hundreds of hotels, resorts and attractions within driving distance of the top 25 metro areas in the U.S .and Canada.
One element of the campaign features “North America Amazes,” a publication with special promotions for those seeking travel experiences away from urban centers. Adventures include mostly outdoor excursions and ones they can take by car or RV, luxury motorcoach, or rail, as well as river cruise, small boat expeditions in the U.S. and theme vacations. It also features special promotions and discounts for hotels and resorts.
The North America Amazes campaign was sent to 1.3 million households. Participating suppliers include:
- Globus
- Pleasant Holidays
- Amtrak Vacations
- Kensington Tours
- Roadtrips
- SELECT Hotels
- Hurtigruten
- Viking River Cruises
- UnCruise Adventures
“Our travel advisors have received requests from clients interested in road tripping and staying at luxury lodges and resorts near national parks and other places where they can safely socially distance away from home, but still stay relatively close to home,” said Roger E. Block, President of Travel Leaders Network. “It is our goal, as a company, to provide the resources that help our advisors maintain connections with their clients. Our advisors can help travelers sort through options they didn’t know they had, help them understand the various travel restrictions and ensure they have the best possible experience with safety as a priority.”
Advisors interested in learning more about joining a Travel Leaders Network should visit TravelLeadersNetwork.com.
About Travel Leaders Network
Travel Leaders Network (www.TravelLeaders.com) assists millions of leisure and business travelers annually, and is one of the largest sellers of luxury travel, cruises and tours in the travel agency industry, with approximately 5,700 travel agency locations across the United States and Canada.