How To Sell Your Tour Packages Until It's Sold Out - Lesson from Night Club Success

What’s the Connection Between Nightclubs and Tour Operators?

No, I’m not suggesting you promote nightclubs!

But there’s something valuable we can learn from Daniel Priestley, an expert in event promotion.

Interestingly, he started his career in nightclub promotions, and from there, he built his expertise in creating highly successful events.

Let’s see how his strategies can inspire us to innovate in the tourism industry.

1. Demand Generation is Crucial:
   Many businesses, including those in tourism, focus on the supply side (e.g., creating new destinations or packages) but often neglect demand generation. In the digital age, being able to sell something is more important than being able to produce it.
   Tourism professionals should prioritise marketing strategies that create desire for travel ,and consider tactics such as launching a waiting list to gauge interest before fully developing an offering.
   For example, a Malaysian tour operator could launch a waiting list for a special cultural tour in 2025.
   

2. Scarcity Enhances Value:
   Scarcity can increase demand and shift the power dynamic to the seller. However, it's important that scarcity is authentic.
   In tourism, this could mean limiting access to certain experiences to protect the quality of the customer experience, rather than creating artificial scarcity. For example, a boutique hotel could emphasize that it has limited rooms to maintain a peaceful environment .
   This approach focuses on protecting the experience rather than just limiting numbers.
   

3. Build Brand Energy Using the 7-11-4 Framework:
   7-11-4, which means that a customer is more likely to buy in after spending 7 hours learning about a brand, having 11 positive interactions, and connecting across 4 different platforms.
   In tourism, this could be applied through a marketing campaign that uses a blog, social media, email, and other channels to engage with potential travelers
   For example, Tour Operator could use the 7-11-4 approach to promote a specific region like Sarawak by creating online content, engaging on social media, and using various platforms.
   

4. Radical Empathy is Essential: 
   Businesses need to have radical empathy for their customers and really understand their needs, frustrations, and aspirations.
   By understanding the customer's situation (where they are now, where they want to be, and what's in the way), tourism professionals can create compelling offers that provide a path of least resistance.
   For example, a tour operator specializing in family travel could create packages that address the specific challenges of traveling with young children . The goal is to create a seamless journey for the customer from where they are to where they want to be.
   

5. Personal Branding is Key:
   In today's world, customers want to connect with the people behind the businesses, not just the brands themselves.
   In tourism, a local food tour operator or a hotel owner can be the face of their brand, sharing their personal story and passion .
   The key is to be an idea promoter, rather than a self-promoter.
   `For example, a local tour guide could focus on sharing insights about the destination rather than just promoting their own services.
   

6. Use Waiting Lists, Mini-Courses, and Assessments to Engage Customers: Using waiting lists to generate interest for future offerings. Businesses should also consider providing mini-courses or assessments to educate customers and gather information.
   In tourism, this could involve a mini-course on how to prepare for a jungle trek or an assessment to determine the best type of travel experience for an individual.
   These tools help to create a connection with customers and get valuable data about their needs and desires.
   

7. Focus on Intellectual Property and Scalability: 
   Businesses shouldn't limit themselves by geography and should focus on solving a problem for a type of person anywhere in the world.
   The emphasis should be on intellectual property, media, software, data, and AI tools.
   This is particularly relevant for tourism businesses that can leverage online platforms to reach a global audience.
   

8. Consistency Beats "Interesting": 
   The biggest brands in the world consistently repeat what works.
   When scaling, businesses should create a "perfect repeatable week" where they consistently deliver a positive experience.
   In tourism, this might involve a weekly process of posting content, giving presentations, or running ads. 
   The goal is to consistently provide value and insights, rather than constantly trying to reinvent the wheel.

By applying these takeaways, tourism professionals can create more effective marketing strategies, attract customers, and build sustainable businesses in the digital age.
For those who want to watch his interview , pleas check out at https://youtu.be/KcyciliffCk?si=AdFFtizWN1H1c02D