How tourism uses demographic data for marketing

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It’s no secret that the tourism industry is big business and extremely competitive. Towns, local governments and businesses including hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, nature parks and historical sites across the UK are in a constant battle with each other to win top spot as the most popular place for visitors.  

The best way to promote a business or destination’s unique selling point and advantages over rivals is marketing and a key component of this process is demographic data. 

What is demographic data? 

To summarize, demographic data refers to the statistical information of a given population. Groups are characterized by specific demographic traits and socio-economic factors, such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, location, occupation, income level and so forth.

Data can be collected through surveys or focus group studies which consist of questions asked directly by tourism marketers or indirectly by researchers. However, this traditional method is impractical, expensive and time consuming, which is why in today’s age, real-time demographics are automatically collected through digital means. 

How is it used in tourism for marketing? 

Demography is commonly used by tourism in a number of ways and can help you make informed decisions for a successful campaign. 

Identify target market 

Demographic data enables you to group consumers by their attributes and postcode location to build up a profile. This pinpoints who to target, where they are travelling from and what they want so that the messaging, branding and imagery appeals to your ideal customer base which will hopefully lead to an increase in footfall.  

Analyse trends 

Trends also have influence over tourism marketing. For example, if data studies show that footfall is increasing rapidly, then this would indicate that there may be more potential visitors than before. Local councils and tourism agencies can use this information as a guide to predict the numbers of hotel guests and flight arrivals to increase advertising accordingly. 

Plan activities or new developments

Additionally, demographic trends can help local tourism decide which facilities they should provide for future visitors. If an average person in a certain area is between the ages of 30 – 40, earns a respectable income, and is more likely to travel with their family, then you can plan ahead by looking for the nearest holiday homes and kid-friendly tourist attractions to promote. 

New events or developments can be created in the surrounding area to appeal to consumer interest and expectation. Some prefer physical activities (biking, hiking, skiing), whereas others involve more relaxation (e.g. golfing or spa trips). 

By knowing more about your typical tourist, you can even create great collateral materials like brochures and guides for travelers who are interested in the type of product and service you offer. 

Need help? 

If you’re looking to attract existing and new visitors to your destination, then utilising the power of demographic data for your marketing campaign is a guaranteed recipe for success.

Sign up to our Tourism Dashboard today! 

For more information, call 01772 283 204 or drop us a message by clicking the link below: https://placeinformatics.com/contact-us/  

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