Black Friday is there for every business! And although tours and activities are not necessarily the first things that spring to mind during a Black Friday sale, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of this exciting season for shoppers. In this blog, we look at the significance of Black Friday and how it can help tour operators. Enjoy!
A Brief History of Black Friday
Black Friday deals have been in play in physical stores for the days post-thanksgiving in the US for decades. Ever since the chaos caused by hordes of customers converging in the city of Philadelphia in the 1950s, the term Black Friday has endured. The police called it that as it was so difficult to control the crowds, and it was impossible for any officer to take the day off due to the level of mayhem.
In the decades proceeding Black Friday becoming the online worldwide behemoth it is today, the term took a more positive connotation as businesses in the United States from the 1980s onwards sought to change the meaning. They wanted the term “black” to signify them turning a profit and becoming solvent around the Thanksgiving boom period, rather than being in the red.
These days, businesses including tour operators will use the promotion for more than just one-day sale events. Over the years it has been increasingly common to see Black Friday deals run for days, weeks and sometimes for a month.
So what are the benefits for tour operators running a Black Friday promotion? Below we take a look at a few of the positives that can be achieved by running this sales bonanza.
Attract New Customers
The most obvious benefit of running any type of special offer campaign is that it gives you the chance to attract new customers. Building awareness and interest is the first step in the customer acquisition process, and special offers are a tried-and-true approach to doing just that. Moreover, a study from 2021 showed that 2 in 3 shoppers impulse buy more during Black Friday, suggesting shoppers don’t necessarily need to be specifically looking for a tour or activity to book to be inspired to buy one. For a great range of ideas of what kind of offers guests might be attracted to, check out this blog by our friends over at Rezdy.
Convert Long-Term Interest Into A Sale
Have you noticed that potential customer that is always keen to view your newsletter and posts on social media, but hasn’t made the big step to actually booking a tour or activity with you? A special offer on Black Friday might just be the ticket for them to make the jump to become a guest of yours. Additionally, special deals can work well to engage existing customers if you offer the kind of tours and activities that attract repeat visits.
Clear & Refresh Your Stock
If you’re a tour operator that also sells physical goods such as merchandise and equipment, then a Black Friday sale could be an ideal opportunity to sell off stock to allow for a refresh. As we have explored in one of our blogs before, many states in the US require by law tour businesses to only offer rental equipment that is no more than two years old. Therefore many tour operators look to sell this off once they can’t rent it anymore to help fund new stock. With this in mind, a Black Friday offer might just be the tonic to help shift those last few used kayaks or bikes – happy selling!
Grab a Deal For Your Business
Black Friday doesn’t have to be all about selling, it could be a great opportunity to grab a great deal for your tour business to make it even better too. At TourismTiger we’ve run Black Friday campaigns for a number of years now that have led to many tour operators getting great new websites at discounted rates.
Last year, Manny Napeoleon of Manny Timor Tours made the decision to get a new Custom-Build Website during our Black Friday promotion, and it was a decision he never regretted. Looking back at the completed work on his site which included a branding package, he said, “Being a tour operator for many years in Timor-Leste and relying on unworkable basic websites that were not selling tours was quite a challenge. Heard of Tourism Tiger years ago and now that I am running my own business I made a decision for a change and chose Tourism Tiger to build a professional website. The website and the backup support are five star”.
It was a Black Friday story of success for The Mill at Ward Cove too. Jennifer Black, the Vice President of Strategic Development for the project reflected, “The whole team was fantastic. They did a great job designing and building our new website”.
If you’re looking for a professionally built website with expertly crafted content and stunning design, then keep your eyes peeled for some great news in the coming days and then be sure to get in touch with us.
