How Tour and Activity Operators Can Grow with Ireland’s Ancient East
Failte Ireland this week launched ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’. Following the success of the Wild Atlantic Way this new venture has been announced in the hope of replicating this success on the eastern side of the island.
So what does this mean for tour and activity operators in the region? Well, provided you act now and prepare correctly, this represents a massive opportunity to grow your business.
This post looks at 5 things you need to bear in mind to ensure you enjoy the full potential of Ireland’s Ancient East
With the predicted influx of overseas visitors expected to arrive in Ireland, tour and activity providers must ensure they are well positioned to take full advantage. Failte Ireland have indicated it has the potential to bring an extra 600,000 overseas visitors and increase visitor revenue by almost 25pc to €950m in the region by 2020. We look at 5 aspects that will help you to grow your business with ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’
1 Increase in Visitors
Simply put, more visitors to Ireland means your target audience grows. With an increase of people coming to the country, there will be more people looking to book tours and activities in your area. If your target audience grows it means you have greater potential to increase your sales and make more money.
2 International Customers
Failte Ireland are targeting overseas visitors with Ireland’s Ancient East. These customers are more inclined to research and book their holidays online. This means as a tour or activity provider you must have a strong online presence and make it as easy as possible for these customers to book your tours online.
3 Culturally Curious
When it comes to marketing effectively, understanding your customer is vital. Culturally Curious is the name given by Failte Ireland to the target customer for the Ancient East. These customers are typically aged around 30 and over, looking to visit new places to discover landscapes, history and culture. Crucially, these customers are also more likely to have more money to spend.
4 Online Research
Another key trait of the type of customer targeted for Ireland’s Ancient East is that they tend to research their holidays in advance. This represents another great opportunity for tour and activity providers in the area. By ensuring your business is visible online, through search engines, social media and your website, you can put yourself in front of a massive audience. This will lead to greater interest in your business and ultimately mean you will get more booking enquiries.
5 Increased Competition
Taking the Wild Atlantic Way as an example, it is clear that every tour and activity provider in the region will look to take advantage of the Ancient East initiative. This means that competition for this custom will increase. However, if you act now, you can position yourself ahead of your competitors. By ensuring you understand your customer – what they want, what you can offer them and how you can reach them – you give yourself a greater chance of increasing your bookings.
International customers will pre-book their flights, accommodation, car hire and even holiday insurance before arriving in Ireland. Give them the opportunity to book your tours and activities too.
At Vivit Booking Solutions, we understand the tour and activity business. We offer a complete online booking solution that makes getting bookings and taking payments online easier. Speak to us today to find out how we can help you get in position to take full advantage of Ireland’s Ancient East. If you would like to see for yourself how easy and effective our booking software is, click the link below to arrange a free demo or contact us with any inquiries you may have.