Tourism marketing is a crazy business – there’s so much to do, and not enough time to do it! Some marketers may cringe at the thought of taking time off from work in fear of falling behind. But, taking time to travel outside of work is highly beneficial for both tourism marketers and other professionals alike.

Traveling can open doors and allow for unplanned networking. Going to a new place means that you will be meeting plenty of new people, and a lot of times that comes with creating personal or business connections. Just as a chance encounter at home could result in a networking opportunity, a trip somewhere new presents even more opportunities to make new connections, whether it’s the couple you meet at the hotel pool or your seatmate on the plane ride.

Visiting a new place will surely and inspire new ideas, especially for for tourism marketing, that you can bring back to the workplace. Plus, taking a break from an everyday routine can leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated when you return. The Tunica Convention and Visitors Center teamed up with dio and used this same idea to show the people of Memphis that a quick getaway down the road could be just what they needed. In this case, there’s a benefit for the marketer who gets the benefit of taking time off to travel AND who can use that benefit to market travel to their target audience.

If you travel to a new country, it can help you better understand a different culture and way of thinking. In the global market that we have today, it is important to understand that others have a different way of living. Especially if you are promoting travel to another country!

Tourism marketers who are targeting travelers can benefit from traveling themselves because they can experience what someone in their target market would experience. Thanks to the ease of the internet, when it comes to finding travel information such as flights, hotels and activities, travelers can find all of what they need online and on their smartphones. It gives you an idea of what you as a traveler and what other travelers look for in a service or a product. This helps you give them the relevant information that Google says will win over travelers for your brand. By traveling themselves, marketers can become experts in what is out there and what travelers look for so they can market to them accordingly.

Not only does travel give a marketer insight into the logistics of travel, like researching a place, lodging, transportation, food and activities, but it also gives a firsthand look at the draw and the feel of travel itself. People who love to travel love the feeling of being in a new place. This can contribute to tourism marketing because when a marketer travels, they can better understand that feeling so they can try to recreate it as best they can when they are targeting travelers.

The Montana Tourism Office, with the help of dio, was able to recreate this feeling by bringing Big Sky Country to the concrete jungle. The experience included a food truck modeled after the landmark Polebridge Mercantile building, with a 3D photo mat for photos, a real bison head and samples of bison jerky and huckleberry ice cream. Together, these small pieces of Montana inspired people to share their love for the experience and even travel to Montana for more.

Travel and tourism marketers have a lot to gain from taking a voyage away from work, from personal benefits that can make you a better worker, to new ideas for brands. So, when you get back from your much-needed trip, get in touch with us and we’ll put those new ideas into action!