At the end of this 2021, still complicated by the evolution of the pandemic, Camping Business hosts a speech by Riccardo Viroli, CEO of CampingVillage.Marketing. The 5 tips that he and his team offer will help the Italian structures to set up work for the new season.
by Riccardo Viroli
2021 is drawing to a close and every owner or director of an Italian camping village will now have all the data needed to analyze the trend of this year. It’s true, we left behind one of those “I can’t wait for it to end!” seasons, but in general we can say that the numbers show us a positive trend.
Every day, in comparison with the owners and director of the most unique structures – from the small campsite in Sicily to the large village in Veneto – I notice that everyone (without exception!) has obtained positive results. Positive in terms of employment, attendance, turnover and – as always – customer satisfaction.
A distinction at this point is however a must. The structures are divided into two distinct categories: those who did well in relation to 2020 and those who instead surpassed the numbers of 2019. Indeed, there are those who have made the record of the last 10 years, but we are talking about cases in which they won more factors than certainly the certain managerial skill, so let’s not dwell on them, let’s consider them an exception.
So, what are the differences between these two categories? Analyzing them can help us understand what to do (or what NOT to do) to take the right direction. Be careful, because the answer I am about to give you could undermine some certainties! The difference did not make – as some might expect – the quality of the structure, the size, the category, the service offered and so on…
The real element of distinction between those who did well and those who did “better” was courage! Not stopping the marketing activities when we were locked up. The desire to stay close to tourists with every means and channel available, keeping them cuddled at home and communicating hope and waiting to see each other again. The foresight in planning and implementing tools and systems that allowed the booking staff to manage the wave of requests that – as expected – arrived as powerful as it was sudden.
On the contrary, however, I found myself to note – data in hand – that those who remained stuck in uncertainty, waiting for manifest signs of restart to start investing and proposing themselves to customers, then collected what they could in the haste of the previous months. For heaven’s sake, these structures also have a “+” sign in their balance sheet, but they have lost the opportunity to make a difference!
And be careful, because there is another aspect to consider: 2021 – despite what we have experienced – was all in all a positive year for en plein air tourism. Positive?! That’s right: I’ll explain what I mean right away.
In the summer of 2021, some factors worked in our favor. First of all, trips abroad were limited (if not impossible), so the Italians spent their holidays “at home”. Furthermore, people did not feel confident traveling long distances, so they rediscovered their regions: local tourism was in fact a great resource for many structures. Finally, those who used to stay in hotels for their holidays have opted for outdoor facilities, but they could – if not appropriately stimulated – return to their old habits when the situation returns to normal.
All these conditions have made the game “easier” for Italian camping villages in 2021, but what will happen when we no longer have these cards in our favor? We will only find out at the end of the 2022 season, but why take the risk? Therefore, it is important to better prepare us for a 2022 in which to improve the results or consolidate the successes obtained in the last season.
So here are 5 actions to necessarily do TODAY for the 2022 season:
1 – Analyze the data to understand the trends
If it is true that these last two years have been exceptional and will not affect the history, it is good to consider some data on customer demand and behavior because some habits have probably changed forever. In this regard, I want to anticipate that we are working on a great novelty: a collection of aggregate data on the demand for en plein airtourism that will show the evolution of the tourist in our sector (it will be a valuable study for the strategy of each structure!).
One evidence to note above all is that people’s approach to digital has grown exponentially. We have become accustomed – faster than in other periods – to looking for information online, to investigate, “study” and compare multiple sources before making a decision (whether it is the purchase of a product or the booking of a holiday). This increase in digitization must be considered for the online visibility of a camping village: it will be necessary to pay more attention to “details” such as the use of stock images that can be identical on multiple sites, keep information up to date, do not leave expired offers, dated price lists, and non-current promotions visible.
2 – Timing is everything: planning
For two consecutive seasons, every camping village suddenly found itself overwhelmed with requests. Phone calls lasting tens of minutes that clogged the switchboards and booking offices that struggled to follow the flow of requests via e-mail that arrived every day. At that point, in many cases it was decided which requests to give priority to, losing precious opportunities for conversion. The best we can do today is to plan and anticipate everything possible so as not to find ourselves in the same condition for the third time.
Two possible ways are to equip oneself in time with the right tools for managing requests and – above all – do not delay and “put in the drawer” all possible reservations in advance: each stay sold will be one less that you do not have to fill in under date. So, it is also good to consider anticipating campaigns.
3 – Create offers that are not just offers
The term “vacation” has acquired even more value after what we have all personally experienced. For each of us – regardless of our ideal type of holiday – free time and freedom have become indispensable. It is therefore more important than ever to offer tourists an experience: highlighting the pluses, moments to experience, corners to discover, specialties to savor, places to see and so on.
I have always maintained the importance of not just offering offers in terms of discounts, because this wins people over only for economic convenience. Today it has become even more important to focus on emotion to attract people who want to experience something new: your property will become a uniqueness for them!
This approach can be tested right away for spring 2022: people will really want to move and move with the first spring suns, perhaps breathing the fresh green air, discovering the lakefront environment, walking barefoot in the sand or walking for the first time of the year. So why not create “ad hoc” proposals to convince tourists to choose their camping village for spring weekends?
4 – New channels to intercept new customers
In 2020 and 2021, open air tourism gained notoriety in the eyes of a new clientele, who began to discover the value of Italian camping villages. In this panorama in which new niches of customers are interested and are looking for information on the matter, we must consider – in addition to the classic channels – the most innovative ones, capable of talking to these people, involving them and showing them the pluses of the holiday that your structure can offer. We also consider the potential of direct marketing channels that can help inspire people at the beginning of their vacation choice path. Thanks to social networks and newsletters it is possible to showcase a camping village in the eyes of new potential customers for the next season.
5 – Work on loyalty
In addition to winning over new customers, convincing those who have already been your guest to choose us again can make a real difference. Beware, however, of the “new” loyalty. In the previous point we talked about the new tourists who have discovered camping villages in an exceptional situation, perhaps because they could not go abroad or because they did not feel safe staying – as they used to do – in “behind closed doors” structures. These people must be “chased” and reconquered with different communications and arguments by customers who return to the structure several times or by those who love holidays en plein air but each year chooses a different destination or structure. Sending everyone their message will be the key.
By following these 5 tips – adapting them to your strategy – you will truly lay the best possible foundation for selling more and better in 2022.
This year, together with the CampingVillage.Marketing team, we have thought of more help than the advice we share promptly and constantly. It is a practical work tool that can help both in programming and in “always staying on the piece”. To make the request, just scan the code or visit the page https://www.campingvillage.marketing/it/calendario
Alberto Granzotto – President of FAITA-FederCamping