Marketing winter sun holidays becomes easy with the right printing
For travel agents, there are always holidays to sell.
As the colder months approach, some customers will be dreaming of winter sunshine, while others are already thinking ahead to their main holiday next year. That makes this an ideal time for travel agents to refresh their marketing materials and put their best destinations firmly in front of customers.
Digital marketing is an important part of promoting holidays, but there's something particularly effective about being able to browse destinations and offers in person. Well-designed print can inspire customers, showcase your expertise and give them a reason to start planning their next trip.
Here are some of the print materials travel agents can use to make the most of the months ahead.
Brochures are essential for showcasing holidays
A beautifully designed brochure gives customers something tangible to browse while they're considering where to go.
You could create brochures around themes such as:
Rather than trying to showcase everything you offer, creating focused destination or holiday-theme brochures can help customers find something that catches their imagination.
A well-designed brochure gives customers the opportunity to discover destinations at their own pace, helping turn a passing interest into a genuine holiday enquiry.
When it's cold, wet and dark outside, a photograph of a sunny beach can be particularly powerful!
Posters can be used in your window, inside your branch or in other prominent locations to promote winter destinations and special offers.
A strong image combined with a simple message can grab attention from people passing your shop and encourage them to step inside and find out more.
You could also refresh your posters regularly to keep your window displays looking current and give customers a reason to look again.
Eye-catching posters can transform your premises into a constant source of holiday inspiration, attracting attention from passers-by and reminding local customers that their next escape could be closer than they think.
Your shop window is one of your biggest marketing opportunities.
Large-format window graphics can showcase destinations, seasonal campaigns or booking messages without taking up valuable floor space inside your branch.
For example, a winter campaign could focus on sunny destinations, while another part of the window encourages customers to book early for next year's summer holidays.
A well-planned window display can turn your premises into a 24-hour advertisement, keeping your travel business visible even when the doors are closed.
Use targeted flyers for specific holiday types
Flyers are particularly useful when you want to target customers in your local area.
You could create separate campaigns for:
These can be distributed locally, left with complementary businesses or handed to customers who visit your branch.
The advantage of creating different flyers for different campaigns is that you can give each one a clear focus rather than trying to promote your entire holiday offering on one piece of print.
Targeted flyers allow you to put the right holiday idea in front of the right audience, helping generate enquiries while keeping your travel business visible within the local community.
Booking a holiday can involve a lot of information, particularly for larger family trips, cruises or long-haul holidays.
A professionally presented holiday planning pack can bring everything together in one place, including:
Branded folders or presentation packs can make the booking experience feel more personal and professional while giving customers something useful to keep throughout the planning process.
A well-presented planning pack adds value to the booking experience and reinforces the feeling that your travel agent is there to look after the customer from the initial enquiry through to departure.
Postcards don't have to be something customers send from their holiday.
They can also be a simple and effective marketing tool for travel agents.
Beautiful destination photography combined with a short message can create an inexpensive piece of promotional print that's easy to display, hand out or include with customer communications.
You could even create a series featuring different destinations, encouraging customers to collect them or browse through different holiday ideas.
Small, visually appealing postcards give customers a physical reminder of the destinations you're selling, helping keep your travel business and its holiday expertise front of mind.
Table talkers are perfect for marketing add-ons
If you have a reception desk or customer consultation area, don't overlook the opportunities right in front of your customers.
Table talkers and small promotional displays can highlight things customers may not have originally considered, such as:
Someone visiting your branch to discuss one holiday could discover another destination or service while they're there.
Small, strategically placed displays can encourage customers to explore additional options without interrupting the personal service that makes independent travel agents so valuable.
Travel can make a fantastic gift, and printed gift vouchers provide travel agents with another opportunity to generate sales.
A professionally designed voucher could be given towards:
With Christmas approaching, beautifully presented travel vouchers can provide an alternative to traditional gifts and potentially introduce new customers to your business when the recipient comes in to redeem them.
A quality printed gift voucher turns the idea of giving someone a holiday into a tangible present while creating another route for new customers to discover your travel business.
One of the biggest opportunities for travel agents is encouraging customers to think beyond their immediate plans.
As the year draws to a close, start putting next year's holidays in front of customers.
Printed materials could highlight:
This is particularly useful for customers who already know they want to travel but haven't decided where or when.
Putting next year's holidays in front of customers early can encourage them to start planning sooner, giving you more opportunities to turn future travel ideas into confirmed bookings.
Your previous customers are one of your most valuable audiences.
They've already chosen your business once, so why not give them a reason to come back?
Printed mailers, postcards or personalised promotional materials can be used to let previous customers know about new destinations, seasonal offers or early-booking opportunities.
A personal approach can be particularly effective for independent travel agents, where customer relationships are a major part of the service.
Keeping in touch with previous customers through thoughtful, relevant print can strengthen those relationships and remind them to come back to you when they're ready to plan their next adventure.
Offer a personalised experience for your clients
For many people, planning a holiday is almost as enjoyable as the holiday itself.
Print gives travel agents an opportunity to make that experience more inspiring and personal, whether you're helping someone escape the winter weather or encouraging them to secure their dream holiday for next year.
From destination brochures and eye-catching window displays to planning packs, postcards and early-booking campaigns, the right materials can help you turn holiday inspiration into enquiries and bookings.
If you're a travel agent looking to refresh your marketing materials or prepare for your next holiday campaign, get in touch with our team — we can help with everything from graphic design through to professional print, so you can put your next destination firmly in front of your customers.
