With growing concerns of the economy, job cuts, and a possible recession, the sacred ritual of summer vacation is in jeopardy. Reports have indicated travelers are getting anxious about their plans, and more so, forking over a sometimes-large chunk of their precious dollars. Consumer sentiment is that money might be better sitting in a bank account, awaiting tougher times ahead.
As a marketing agency for state and city tourism organizations, hotels, museums and attractions, Roux Advertising sees first-hand the impact such concerns and consumer sentiment have on the travel industry. This impacts the shifting priorities of a DMO, the traveler’s planning cycle, engagement and intent, and ultimately visitation and expenditure figures.
With over 30 years of experience, this isn’t the first time to see such concerns and unfortunately won’t be the last time to navigate these waters. During those times we’ve learned a thing or two about how to adjust strategies and plans to come out on top. With that, here are 4 strategic shifts your travel destination or attraction can implement quickly to fortify your marketing for great results.
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Demonstrate Budget Consciousness. Does your market offer summer deals or pocketbook friendly dining options and attractions?
When economic uncertainty strikes, travelers don’t disappear entirely, they become smarter shoppers. Your marketing messaging needs to shift from luxury positioning to value positioning without compromising the quality of the experience you’re offering. This means highlighting your destination’s most affordable attractions, free activities, and budget-friendly dining options front and center in your campaigns.
Create dedicated “budget-friendly” content that showcases experiences under $25, free festivals and events, happy hour specials, and group discounts. Partner with local businesses to develop package deals that bundle accommodations with dining and attractions at a significant savings. Consider launching limited-time promotions like “Kids Stay Free” packages, discounted second-night stays, or early-bird booking incentives. The key is to make these deals highly visible across all your marketing channels—from your website homepage to social media posts to email campaigns—so price-conscious travelers immediately see that your destination respects their financial concerns.
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Make Your Destination More Last-Minute Friendly. Travel plans are changing, sometimes often.
Economic uncertainty breeds planning paralysis. Travelers are waiting longer to book because they’re unsure about their job security or family finances. Your marketing strategy needs to accommodate this new reality by promoting flexibility and spontaneity rather than early-bird planning.
Develop last-minute booking incentives and highlight accommodations with flexible cancellation policies. Create social media campaigns that celebrate spontaneous weekend getaways with messaging like “Decide Friday, Arrive Saturday.” Work with hotels and attractions to offer same-day or next-day deals that reward spontaneous decision-making. Build email campaigns targeting subscribers within a 3-hour drive radius with “This Weekend Only” offers. Most importantly, ensure your booking systems and customer service can handle quick turnarounds—nothing kills a spontaneous trip like a complicated booking process or unresponsive customer support when someone’s ready to pull the trigger on a last-minute escape.
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Focus on Regional, Drive Markets. Airline spending is down, meaning people are jumping into the cars for a drive.
When travelers cut costs, airfare is often the first expense to go. This creates a golden opportunity for destinations to capture the drive-market travelers within a 3–6-hour radius who can easily reach you by car. Your media buying strategy should shift budget from national campaigns to hyper-regional targeting, focusing on metropolitan areas within driving distance.
Develop road trip-focused content that highlights scenic routes to your destination, roadside attractions along the way, and the convenience of bringing your own car for local exploration. Create driving itineraries that turn the journey into part of the experience. Adjust your media mix to favor regional radio, local digital advertising, and geo-targeted social media campaigns in key drive markets. Partner with gas station chains, rest stops, and popular driving route apps to place your destination messaging where road trippers are already planning their routes. Consider developing partnerships with automobile clubs and travel apps that cater to driving vacations, positioning your destination as the perfect car-accessible getaway when flying feels too expensive or complicated.
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Hype Up the Value and Return of Your Destination.
During economic uncertainty, travelers need to justify every dollar spent, which means your marketing must clearly articulate the return on investment of choosing your destination. This goes beyond just competitive pricing—it’s about demonstrating the lasting value, unique experiences, and memory-making potential that makes the expense worthwhile.
Focus your messaging on experiences that can’t be replicated at home or found elsewhere. Highlight unique local culture, exclusive attractions, or once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that justify the travel investment. Create content that quantifies value: “Where else can you experience five different ecosystems in one weekend?” or “Three days here delivers experiences that would cost twice as much in major metropolitan areas.” Use testimonials and user-generated content that emphasize the emotional and experiential ROI—families talking about memories made, couples celebrating anniversaries, or friends bonding over shared adventures. Consider developing a “value calculator” on your website that shows visitors how much they’d spend to recreate similar experiences in their home market, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of visiting your destination instead.
These are just a few marketing strategies we’ve implemented to boost campaign performance for destinations and attractions during uncertain economic times. Many more strategies can revolve around audience segmentation, media channel mixtures, and curated creative specific to high-performing audiences and/or cities. If you’re looking for more inspiration and guidance on improving your marketing efforts, reach out to eric@rouxadvertising.com.
About Roux Advertising
Eric Morgan is the President of Roux Advertising, a media agency that specializes in moving brands and audiences forward, growing customer volumes through distinctive marketing and media campaigns. Roux employs a strategy-first approach to position tourism and hospitality brands uniquely in the marketplace, crafting ad messaging, media buying, and analytics to generate brand awareness and drive qualified guests. Contact him at eric@rouxadvertising.com or visit rouxadvertising.com to learn more.