How to Advertise in The Travel Category in 2021

Travel took a major hit this year. With most traveling abroad continuing to be banned, travel-related industries have been in an ongoing mad scramble to make sense of the current unknown, especially with the pandemic looking to bleed well into 2021. Though it is difficult to picture now, the question of "What will travel look like after COVID-19 is over?" does beg the industry to be prepared for what is to come. So, just what will travel be like in 2021, if the pandemic were to end? How can marketers advertise an industry that has been halted and looked at as a risk for so long?

Timely Communication
Luckily, there is no doubt that the entire travel industry will have to change after the pandemic ends. Alongside already existing social distancing protocols, new safety measures will be mandated to ensure better public safety and comfort through improved health and sanitation methods. This is where advertising and public relations will be of most importance. Since remaining connected to the latest news and communication is key to staying safe in the current COVID-19 world, marketers will have to keep up routine news updates post-pandemic in order to keep everyone informed on crucial safety information. Mainly, marketers need to communicate efficiently the many changes that are to come to the travel industry to convince prospective travelers that it is safe to travel again. The top message that people do not want to hear when the world starts to open back up again is that absolutely nothing has changed. Include new safety measures as an important topic for your post-pandemic marketing campaigns.

International Travel
Since many countries deal with the COVID-19 situation differently, it's a high possibility that popular travel destinations might change as well. It's impossible to telegraph where tourism traffic will tend to once travel abroad becomes available again, but the number of COVID-19 cases and the public perception of a country's handling of the pandemic will no doubt influence the outcome. Travel agencies and their travel marketers will need to take note of which destinations are considered safe to market to and attract tourists accordingly.

Safety is Paramount
With this theme of safety being the key to raising interest, it is safe to say that people's choice of travel and transportation won't solely be based on cost anymore. In the past, good airline deals and hotel rates may have been the most enticing selling points of booking a vacation trip abroad, but in a post-COVID-19 world where sensitivity to safety and hygiene can mean everything, it's best to communicate those two topics for your travel marketing campaign next year. As we slowly return to normal and borders start to open up again, marketing and PR will mean everything to travel industry as it looks to revive itself.

Look to the Experts for Help
If need help in starting to plan your travel marketing campaign in a post-COVID-19 world, Kingstar Media has years of experience in marketing and PR as well as crisis communications. As we have helped our clients transition into the new normal caused by COVID-19, we aim to provide the same smooth transition for when it ends. Contact Kingstar today via our contact page.