“When life gives you lemons, make grapefruit juice, then sit back and watch as the world wonders how you did it”
During these unprecedented times when you are physically, emotionally and financially stretched to your limits, the last thing you feel like doing is a health check of your digital space, yet this is exactly what Tourism Creatures suggest you do. With the luxury that time has unavoidably presented itself, Ali and Jo from Tourism Creatures encourage you to view this period as one of privilege, not pain; a moment to sharpen your marketing, revenue and yield tactics and make some grapefruit juice. By working ON your business during this period, you can maximise revenue and marketing opportunities that come your way in the future when we are all able to once again travel freely around the amazing state of Victoria.
Jo Keown and Ali Slorach make up Tourism Creatures. Some of you may already know them. With over 16 years combined caravan park experience behind them, they are passionate about the industry and love all that Victoria has to offer. Ali worked for BIG4 Beacon Resort, in Queenscliff as their Marketing Manager for 6 years whilst Jo worked for BIG4 National Support Office as their Business Development Manager (Victoria, Tasmania & South Australia) and BIG4 Gold Coast as their Marketing and Revenue Manager.
Jo Keown describes their business “We work with our clients to identify and quickly implement operational efficiencies, layered in a specific order to get the greatest return on any future marketing initiatives and spend.”
Ali Slorach encourages parks to “Make your focus during these unforeseen times, to optimise every aspect of your digital space (marketing, websites, rates, revenue and yield management), so that you are ready to maximize revenue through marketing initiatives” .
How many times have you said ‘if only I had time? I’m too busy!’ Now is the time to collapse categories in your booking chart so you can get more from that single cabin with dynamic pricing. Time to redo your correspondence in rms or newbook with back links to your website to drive length of stay or auxiliary purchase. Time to plot out a 12-month integrated marketing communications campaign. Time to look at your Google Analytics (and make sense of them). Time to redo you tariff periods to optimise shoulder and peak seasons. Time to set up systematic office procedures that save time, increase revenue and reduce wages.
Jo and Ali are strong believers in optimising your pms to the max! After all, you are paying for it so you may as well get the most out of it. Full automation (which saves you money while you’re earning it) that you can now implement (as you have time). Double edged sword perhaps but now is the time to strike! Work smarter not harder.
We take things very personally in the Caravan Industry. We take great pride in our park. We hold ourselves up to this incredible standard. The guest chooses our park to stay in and the guest experience is defined by what we offer in our park. Every park has the ambition to be the best it can be. Every park has goals to meet, targets to hit, people to persuade and, in some cases, bosses to please. Every park wants their story to be told, and their message to be heard and embraced. Our parks are a reflection of ourselves.
Ali and Jo suggest that “the ‘noise’ in the domestic market-place will only continue to grow due to, in part, international travel restrictions. This will in turn flood consumers with options galore for their upcoming holidays. You must work with your regional travel organisations and local businesses to drive tourism to your area by creating a reason to stay longer”
Parks as large accommodation providers hold great influence within their regional townships. The local businesses will be relying on you to push out the consumer length of stay. Jo and Ali encourage parks to ‘Work with local operators to create some magical localised experiences to entice the consumer to your region and give them even more reasons to stay. It is a win win for everyone”
Jo and Ali suggested now is the time to look deep into your business and strive to find ways to communicate with your audience authentic stories that encourages prospective and repeat guests to take notice. Pull heartstrings. Talk truths. Challenge conventions. Build your brand. Become the expert in tactical revenue management. Sounds so simple doesn’t it. There are however a few simple ways to navigate the digital and revenue space to ensure you are ready to go – they have put together a great offer that may help you with this journey (limited numbers apply)! Visit https://www.tourismcreatures.com.au/digital-health-check.
Tourism Creatures focus on the end goal of increasing revenue through reportable marketing, revenue and yield management processes through the integration of automated systems. Not just pretty pictures on social media, you should work on strong strategic campaigns that results in a reportable increase in revenue from marketing and revenue tactics. In short, they help turn caravan parks that are passionately owned and operated, into products that people love whilst focussing on driving revenue through smarter systems and process automation through a consultative and confidential auditing process.