One thing you can always count on is change, which is not always within your control. Fires in wine country, economic downturns and bad publicity can all impact tourism. Regardless of any challenges that arise, you should have a solid tourism plan in place in order to maintain and grow visitation to your winery and region.
Partner with local hotels, restaurants, breweries and other wineries. Cross-marketing can be a strong message to the traveler, especially if you can provide a well-rounded experience for your visitor. Don’t be afraid to promote those partners on your website, in your social media and at your winery. By working together, you can portray a compelling reason to visit by making sure you have something for everyone to enjoy.- Get ahead of any problems and communicate. Media may make generalizations about your region when disaster strikes. Make sure you have back-up content in place and ready to show that you were not affected, or it is not a bad as the media makes it out to be. Even if there is no bad publicity for you and your area, make sure you communicate effectively and consistently about the advantages of visiting your region.
- Provide an excellent experience. Nothing goes further than referrals in this world of social media. Make sure your customers enjoy their visit and they won’t stop talking about it to everyone they know. This includes unique experiences, outstanding product and making them feel personally connected to you and your winery.
- Work with Local Tour Companies. Consumers often reach out to local tour companies when visiting an unknown region – this gives them confidence that they will have a tailored experience created just for them. By building relationships with the local tour companies, they will include you on itineraries and promote your winery experience to these visitors. Invite the tour company to visit your property, show them what you have to offer, profile them on your website and enjoy a collaboration that will help both of you be successful.
Need more information on how to craft an excellent Wine Tourism Plan? Attend the 2020 Wine Marketing & Tourism Conference in Eugene, OR March 3-5. Janiene Ullrich with The Family Coppola will be presenting a full session on this topic. REGISTER TODAY!