Why Holiday Getaways Are a Big Gift for Tourism

Today’s travelers are redefining the holidays by choosing where and how they want to celebrate them. More and more, people don’t feel compelled to remain at home, devoting hours trying to come up with a menu sure to please everyone, arranging for extra seating and kumbaya-ing around a fire. Instead, many are choosing to sing a new tune and head out on holiday getaways. This trend puts destinations in a new role, making them an integral part of family memory-making, not solely an amenity-rich place for guests to lay their heads at night.

What Holiday Travelers Want

Whether it’s a getaway for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Lunar New Year or Diwali, seasonal vacationers are looking for authentic and memorable experiences befitting for a major time in their lives. They want an escape that offers festivities, feasts and attractions that offer the same joy holidays at home do, but on a bigger, more curated and less stressful level.

Unwrapping the Best of Your Destination

With holiday getaways, hotels and destinations have an opportunity to be a part of the family and leave a lasting impression that will hopefully make them the go-to for future annual returns. Special packages that offer holiday-inspired dining, accommodations and activities are a huge step in the right direction at these all-important times of the year.

Christmas is the largest of the travel seasons. Travelers are looking for festive towns, cozy winter experiences, shopping, spectacular light displays and live shows. Creating spaces with elevated holiday décor or experiences such as visits from Santa, live reindeer and culturally inspired cuisine are savvy ways to highlight the spirit of the holidays. Let guests know of nearby winter markets, tree lightings and other happenings. Your destination may not be the North Pole, but you can be the next best thing.  

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular multi-gen family travel periods. Travelers often crave long weekend getaways that keep tradition close at heart, but also venture forth with new ways to celebrate the holiday. Diverse menus that go beyond turkey and stuffing give everyone the chance to give thanks surrounded by the people and the flavors they will remember most. Emphasizing nearby shopping, live shows, parades and events is a good idea as well.

When it comes to New Year’s Eve, count on overnight experiences with dining, dancing, and champagne toasts at midnight to be a big draw. Destinations that boast fantastic nightlife, luxury stays, wellness retreats to satisfy those resolutions and chic city celebrations should make marketing efforts center stage during this holiday. If you happen to be one of them, it’s your time to shine.

Other top holiday travel seasons include the unofficial kickoff to summer, Memorial Day, where heading to a beach, a lake or a seaside resort takes priority for many. Offering discounted early-summer stays or special all-inclusive themed packages will go a long way. The Fourth of July is another summer standout.  Spotlight nearby fireworks, beaches, festivals and patriotic events. As summer winds down, Labor Day brings a desire for short leisure trips and last-minute beach vacations. Bring focus to your relaxed atmosphere and summer bucket list activities to get the attention of visitors at this time.

Opening the Door for Joyful Returns

Overall, travelers of all cultures and religions like to feel welcomed. Recognizing a variety of holidays — from Christmas to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa — is usually genuinely appreciated and remembered fondly. Because people hold these special days very near and dear and want to treasure them, showcasing experiences can often inspire visitation more than amenities.

Marketing that leans into nostalgia and storytelling is often very effective at sparking an emotional connection. Another best practice is to launch holiday-aimed promotions early, as holiday getaways are generally planned well ahead. Keep in mind that guests who enjoy their stay will many times continue to return each year. And for destinations, that’s the best gift of all.  

Unwrap your destination’s full marketing potential during the holidays and every day with the award-winning team of Dana Communications, backed by 45+ years of marketing expertise.  Let’s talk tourism. Contact Lynn Kaniper at 609.466.9187 ext. 117 or lkaniper@danacommunications.com.