A resort destination recently presented their million-dollar tourism-recovery marketing plan. The campaign relied heavily on a 3-day blitz of full-page ads in several national newspapers. A sound strategy, except they forgot the most important element: The promotion of their website. Their URL was missing from the ads.

Three days of short-term persuasive advertising with images of escape, relaxation and fun should create the need for more information to make a travel decision. 

What better medium than the destination�s website to provide in-depth images and content of the travel product to assure customers they are making the right decision?

What better medium than the destination�s website to enable consumers to link directly with the destination�s travel-product suppliers in order to make reservations and initiate business?

Quick Solutions to Outdated Websites

The destination�s reasons for not advertising their URL were legitimate: we haven�t changed our old site in years; our new site won�t launch until it�s too late. 

In these emergency times, there�s neither the time nor the need for a complete overhaul of a destination or company website, but a solution does exist. 

Destinations should consider a �Landing Page� approach, revising only the top page of the web site with new marketing messages, excitement, and offers.

The Landing Page will still link to the �backbone� of the original site which includes the web pages that supply information on the destination�s attributes and travel products.

The Landing Page strategy can be the most motivating aspect of the recovery marketing campaign, generating daily returns to the site for the latest information, contests and discounts. This also gives the destination an excellent opportunity to capture email addresses for direct marketing, or to do research on prospective customers that use the Internet for travel information.

The Landing Page strategy is also cost-effective, a mere drop in the bucket compared to short-lived print or television campaigns. Affiliate partners may even pay for most of the costs incurred.

Don�t Forget An Integrated Marketing Strategy

Advertising has changed dramatically in the last several years. Print and television spots focus on company image, referring consumers to their web site where the persuasive product information is presented. 

An incredible amount of money will be spent on recovery marketing campaigns over the next several months. Destinations and businesses should not forget to incorporate aggressive web-marketing strategies such as the Landing Page approach to ensure the greatest promotional effect.

As the World Tourism Organization stressed in a recent publication: �The web is the new destination marketing battleground and if you are not there fighting then you cannot expect to win the battle for tourist dollars.�