In our current climate, domestic travel rules often supreme due to the effects of the ongoing pandemic. But with successful vaccines on the horizon and international travel slowly rebounding, we will soon see a resurgence of international tourism as well. What does this mean for luxury resorts? Well, depending on their location, it can mean that they will see a tremendous influx of bookings because people want to be more socially isolated and resorts in general can accommodate the need for space and privacy better. On the downside, resorts that are in remote locations like the Maldives, Caribbean, and so on will take longer to recover to pre-pandemic levels due to the fact that people will most likely be more hesitant in the beginning to travel long-distances and risk being put in quarantine on arrival or return.

In the meantime, luxury hospitality marketers in resorts need to devise a strategy on how to stay relevant and top-of-mind when it comes to their affluent guests so demand for direct bookings does not completely collapse when restrictions are completely lifted. Let’s look at some key factors you need to take into consideration when coming up with a creative theme for this kind of resort marketing campaign.

resort marketing

Proximity to nature

 

One of the biggest stand-apart features for luxury resorts is often their proximity to nature. Beautiful private beaches, strips of lush forest, grottoes, waterfalls or snowy peaks. By emphasizing the closeness to nature and pairing it with the potential for social distancing, marketers can attract weary travelers who have been locked up at home but want to get out into the world again without taking major risks by going where the huge crowds hang out.

Peace and tranquility

 

Service in luxury resorts lends itself to be more understated. Individual bungalows, villas and lodges provide more safe space, less staff per guest, opt-in cleaning routines and food and beverage offerings which are more individualized than 3-star all you can eat buffets. Little changes in how you operate can help provide more of a private and peaceful experience for high-profile guests and their families than hotels can. The natural distance to urban hubs helps with the noise and again, keeps the crowds at bay.

Health and Mindfulness

 

Economic downturn, quarantine lock-downs and all the other disruptions to our daily lives have chipped away at our mental health. Offerings that help guests regain some mindfulness, stillness and health will be even bigger moving forward. Guided meditation, yoga, stretching, spa services, healthy food and drink choices and fitness activities (in connection with strong disinfection, distancing and health guidelines) are a strong factor when marketing your resort, especially to younger demographics like millennials.

resort marketing

Excellent but non-aggressive service

 

One thing marketers should never forget to emphasize in their copywriting and video marketing in general is the high-quality of service that is provided by luxury resorts. The perfect type of luxury service anticipates the needs of their guests before they even arise and is willing to accommodate individual requests without too much hassle or delay. Making sure that guests know they will be welcome and served in way that is subtle but excellent is key here.

Design and entertainment

 

If your company invested millions in interior design, architecture, art, furniture and uniforms then you as a marketer should not hesitate to combine all that with the natural environment of the resort to create a strong visual brand that you can leverage online through photography, video and audio. The same thing goes for the entertainment, if you have bars, restaurants, clubs and activities on the premise that are unique, modern and “cool” then investing time and energy to capture the spirit and experience of these offerings through some good video marketing that is not cheesy (a lot of marketers overshoot here so careful) is an absolute must.

Sustainability is the new luxury

 

The time of lavish luxury no matter the cost is over! Guests care about the ecological and social impact that luxury brands have on their environment. Being involved in charity, providing fair wages and career development to the local population, off-setting CO2 costs to a certain degree and being involved in conservation are all great ways to show that brands care about more than their bottom line alone. Leveraging some of these efforts in your marketing can mean the difference between attracting a new generation of guests or facing a slowly decline in occupancy over the next years.

Unique experiences create unforgettable memories

 

This is where marketers should really play to the individual strengths of their resort and the local geography. Can a dormant volcano be visited nearby? A unique reef be explored by taking a diving class? A fantastic safari and beautiful animals be seen? Emphasizing that this kind of activity or scenery can only be experienced here and nowhere else in the world is a strong pull for even the most wealthy of guests.

resort marketing

Knowing your ideal guest profile

 

At this point you should start having a solid grasp on the unique luxury value proposition of your resort and a general creative theme for your funnel or campaign should start to materialize. But that is where the technical part of your work as a luxury resort marketer must start. Now you need to start profiling what type of particular guest might be looking for the unique experience you can provide. Creating a solid luxury buyer persona is crucial at this stage. This means a lot of research and analyzing data, inside and outside of your company. Only by incorporating demographics, financial information, industry trends, psycho-graphics and historical sales data can this new archetype or persona be realistic and effective.

Exceptional brands need exceptional partners

 

If this sounds like a lot of work for a solo marketer or small team then you are absolutely right. Even marketers that have head-office support on a enterprise level often fail at this stage and end up with low or under performing campaigns and lackluster results because they have to cut corners in terms of the time they can spend on this crucial stage of campaign strategy and planning. The best solution in this case is to work with specialists like us. Jadewolf Marketing can help you by doing the work for you, doing the work with you or by teaching your team to be better at attracting wealthy guests consistently through data-driven marketing. If you’re wondering if we are the right agency for you don’t hesitate to fill out our callback form.

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