The coronavirus crisis
The tourism sector in Spain is suffering particularly from the effects of the current health crisis caused by the coronavirus: accommodations of all types, wineries, restaurants, shops, travel agencies, tour operators and other tourism service companies are being forced to rethink their current offer of products and services in a context of great uncertainty.
But this crisis will pass. And when it does, we must be 100% prepared to act quickly and effectively in the recovery of the national tourism sector.
New customer profiles
In this sense, domestic destinations will have a great opportunity to attract new types of visitors who, due to various circumstances, will be forced to rethink their preferences when choosing one tourist destination over another.
Many will have fewer days off to spend on vacation, and many others will have a tighter budget . Furthermore, we don't know when, how, or how far we'll be able to travel, although it does seem clear that the summer season will be pushed into the fall.
And on the other hand, there are currently many active campaigns to ensure that, when all this is over, society makes the effort to support the national and/or local tourism sector.
Deseasonalize the supply
One of the biggest challenges for the hotel industry has always been reducing seasonality . This concept, in the new landscape created by lockdown and social distancing measures, is more important than ever: nothing guarantees a summer season . Neither do major events nor the possibility of massive influxes of people traveling to the same destination.
Diversifying the range of hotels and destinations is therefore a priority. And doing so through specialization in different customer segments seems like a good way to address this challenge.
Selecting customer types that travel at different times of the year provides an opportunity to maintain stable occupancy throughout the year, offering a product that is sustainable over time.
Cycle tourism and sports tourism
In this sense, sports activities represent a great opportunity thanks to our country's climate . This is especially true given the current restrictions preventing outdoor training . Thousands upon thousands of fans are at home, eager to get out and enjoy their favorite activities.
Given that cycling is the most popular sport in our country and that cycle tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors worldwide, specializing and positioning hotels and territories as leading cycle tourism destinations will contribute to successfully facing this new stage.
Customers converted into prosumers
In an increasingly demanding, changing and digitized market, where users have a large amount of information in real time and, therefore, have a greater capacity to choose, it is becoming increasingly necessary to differentiate oneself from others in order to be competitive.
Given the maturity of the hotel sector and the saturation of the market, specialization seems to be a way to achieve success , but it must also be done consciously and correctly.
Increasingly, there is talk about exciting the customer, creating experiences, and satisfying their needs and demands. Trends in the hotel sector are based on these premises, but moving in this direction involves adapting the establishment's services, infrastructure, and customer acquisition processes to the expectations of these prosumer customers.
Services and facilities adapted to the cycle tourist
And just as there are themed hotels that strive to differentiate themselves by targeting specific market niches (musical hotels, film hotels, for families with children, fitness, halal, etc.), hotels that choose to specialize in cycle tourism must become aware that specialization is a complete process.
A process that encompasses everything from creating an attractive product to training and developing hotel staff; including adapting the facilities if necessary.
For a cyclist, a hotel that informs you about the cycling tourism potential of its surroundings through its website and social media won't be as appealing as one that doesn't. Nor will the experience be as satisfying in a hotel where the staff can inform you about routes, itineraries, and services specifically for cyclists, or even provide GPS tracks of recommended routes, as in one where they can't.
A competitive cyclist will also need certain guarantees for the safe storage of their bicycle. They will also appreciate amenities such as workshop or bike washing areas and will be delighted if they can take advantage of specific offers or services such as adapted menus and meal times , access to sports facilities, or the option to hire extra services like on-route refreshments, guides, or sports supplements.
Not to mention the satisfaction that other extra possibilities will generate, such as being able to view and follow, through an app on your mobile, safe routes recommended by the hotel itself ; participating in cycling challenges with raffles or rewards during your stay; or renting the bike you want from the hotel's website when booking your accommodation.
Attract cyclists through online marketing
Of course, there is no specialization that is worth it if we are not able to successfully communicate all our efforts.
New online marketing tools allow us to accompany the customer throughout all phases of the travel cycle: from when they are looking for inspiration about destinations on the internet until they return home and share the experience through their social networks.
Therefore, if we choose to specialize in cycle tourism , the hotel or destination must be able to make its commitment worthwhile throughout the entire process:
- Good SEO, SEM and content marketing strategy, as well as proper use of social media will allow you to position yourself as reference destination for cyclists on the channels where they seek inspiration and information.
- The implementation of remarketing strategies, as well as an adequate design of the user experience on your website, facilitating the process of reservation of the stay and specific services for cyclists, will facilitate the conversion.
- A correct strategy email marketing, will lead to loyalty and the achievement of the desired recurring customers…
The world of online marketing offers countless possibilities, but the hotel industry is particularly complex and fiercely competitive. That's why specialization is even more crucial . It's the surest way to achieve good results without wasting your budget.
Ultimately, focusing on a specific customer niche allows you to adapt the product and all processes to their specific needs and, therefore, increase booking options.
Support in specialization in cycle tourism
All this attention to detail, aimed at offering a specialized itinerary and product, will help generate a positive and unforgettable experience linked to the hotel , which translates into greater customer satisfaction and, consequently, a better brand positioning.
But as you have seen, specialization is the result of a well-thought-out strategy that involves not only generating a differentiated and high-quality product and service, but also designing an exclusive customer acquisition and service itinerary throughout the entire process.
That's why, at Bikefriendly, we support those establishments and destinations that are committed to specializing in cycle tourism in developing their own itinerary.
We advise and support you in the design and marketing of specific tourism products; we guide and facilitate the adaptation of hotel infrastructure to meet the requirements of the Bikefriendly Quality Seal ; we design your marketing, promotion and communication strategies for new products and services for cyclists and even act as a marketing agency specializing in the hotel and cycle tourism sector.
All of this with an eye toward the goal that concerns us so much now: to be able to de-seasonalize our offer and attract new types of tourists to guarantee a constant flow of bookings throughout the year in our hotels.
You can check the requirements for joining the Bikefriendly Quality Seal here.
For more information and to inquire about specific consulting services, you can contact us here.
On this map, you can see all the hotels that are already part of the Bikefriendly Quality Seal.
