The ABC of a seduction operation with residents

While tourism players often put more effort into attracting travelers from outside, locals are attracting more and more of their attention. Indeed, this category of visitors brings opportunities: potential ambassadors, loyal customers, off-season visitors, etc. How to attract them?

In the specialized magazine Space, Jean-Luc Boulin defines a tenant as “an inhabitant [who] discovers an unusual place or activity [...] outside his usual environment” although close to home.

In 2018, the Tourism Monitoring Network presented residents as an underestimated clientele, an observation that was still accurate until recently. Indeed, many tourist authorities contacted them for the first time in their COVID-19 recovery strategies, when they already represented a high proportion of the traffic of several operators. So here is a proposed approach for your major seduction operation!

Understand their motivations

The first thing to do to attract local customers is to understand their motivations, especially in the post-pandemic context. So, through its campaign creation process, Visit Greenland, identified three motivations behind the Staycation :

— The search for a deeper connection with the place where we live;
— Solidarity with its fellow citizens: either to support local businesses and jobs;
— Meet family and friends you haven't seen in a long time.

In general, locatourism is looking for strong experiences that take it out of its daily life. This is a particularly topical observation after the trying lockdown this spring.

These motivations should serve as a basis for continuing your approach.

Review your offer

Then, it is necessary to take a step back to analyze your offer.

1. How do local customers perceive your destination, your establishment and your offer?

‍As Jean-Luc Boulin puts it well, “The activities consumed are not necessarily the same for a tourist and a resident. A distant visitor is eager to make the essentials. As for the inhabitant, he tests new activities, places that are unknown to him [...] provided that they are desirable to him.”

So, first ask yourself if the locals know you, if they are already interested in your offer, or if they perceive it negatively (too expensive, not addressed to them, etc.). For example, Visit Greenland worked with operators in its territory to adapt the offer, which was perceived as too expensive by residents.

To get an idea, you can ask around you or even conduct a homemade survey with free tools on social networks or SurveyMonkey for a more representative sample.

2. What are the needs of this new target clientele?

‍Next, ask yourself what renters are looking for. For example, is it a fun day out with the kids? Relaxing as a couple? Indeed, renters are looking for the possibility of registering at the last minute, a duration of service and adapted prices. So, do you need to adapt your offer for these new customers?

See also our article on Fans of authentic experiences: what are they looking for and how do you attract them?

A good example, Open Tour Paris, which organizes guided bus tours, has developed a new thematic tour for children (a new audience) and a shorter package at a reduced price offered exclusively to residents of the region. This approach can be adopted for a wide variety of products and contexts, both rural and urban.

3. How do you trigger the decision to visit your destination or establishment?

The challenge for many will be to trigger the decision to visit today since for the resident, there is no hurry, you will still be there tomorrow (we hope so!). Here are a few tips.

Time-limited events and products

As already mentioned, renters are looking for exceptional moments. With one-off events, you give a reason to return to those who have already come, and for others the opportunity to discover you!

For example, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Virginia organizes meals on Friday evenings in summer. On occasion, Domaine Forget offers courses of yoga in his garden. The New Brunswick Botanical Garden presents music shows in summer. Three municipalities in Charlevoix are organizing a family rally by car. The ideas are endless: movie screenings, themed animations, exhibitions, special guests, limited-time packages, temporary news on the menu, etc.

The packages

Experiences offered by partners can be combined in the form of classic packages such as that of Rome Historic Site that coordinates accommodation, meals and activities of different providers, or can be integrated into your product as Nordic attitude. The company combines its outdoor activities with the tasting of local products from partners.

Privileges

Another option is to grant privileges to a partner's customers. The Village Historique Acadien followed this path by partnering with the Caraquet Acadian Festival. All show ticket holders will be offered a family pass to the historic village. A great approach for the local population to become ambassadors to their visiting loved ones.

Communicate!

Finally, all you have to do is communicate your offer.

See also our 6 simple marketing tips to bounce back during a pandemic!

To be effective, your messages must appeal to the motivations of the potential customer. And take into account his sensitivities. Among other things, the resident wants to be considered differently from a tourist.

And to reach the target, you must place your communications where the target consumes information. Suggestions include sending printed material by mail rather than self-service to the tourist information office, advertising on local radio, press releases to local media, email marketing, and social media posts.

This is what three contiguous territories in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec do. They developed A campaign addressed to residents within a radius of 40 km, and sent them a guide to Road Trip foodies by post, a first!

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Opportunities within your reach

Approaching new customers therefore requires a review of their habits. But it's worth the effort, as residents have the potential for repeat visits in the off-season. Various surveys still show today that many people plan to stay with family and friends. Hence the importance of attracting residents who can become your ambassadors to their visiting loved ones.

In addition, frequenting your establishment by locals makes the experience more authentic, a value that is increasingly sought after for tourists... when they return!

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Our selection of articles to go further

Consulting residents: a must! To guide tourism development and to assess their perception in order to ensure the social acceptability of activities.

Fans of authentic experiences, What are they looking for and how do you attract them?

6 simple marketing tips to bounce back during a pandemic

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Article written in collaboration with Acadia experience.