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Unlock This CourseImagine you're selling a luxury ski holiday. Would you advertise it to toddlers? Or on a budget travel app? Of course not! That's what target marketing is all about making sure the right people see the right message at the right time. In travel and tourism, getting this wrong wastes money and loses customers. Getting it right can make a business incredibly successful.
Every tourism business whether it's a hotel, airline, tour operator or theme park needs to know exactly who they are trying to attract. This is their target market.
Key Definitions:
Without knowing your target market, you'd be spending money advertising to people who have no interest in your product. A family resort doesn't want to spend its budget advertising to solo backpackers. By identifying a target market, businesses can focus their resources, craft the right message and choose the best channels to reach their customers saving money and boosting sales.
Even the best advert fails if it appears at the wrong time. A Christmas market campaign launched in February is useless. A summer holiday deal advertised in October, however, catches people just as they start dreaming about next year's break. Timing your marketing to match when customers are ready to buy is just as important as the message itself.
Tourism businesses don't just guess who their customers are they use market segmentation to divide people into groups. Each segment has different needs and businesses tailor their marketing to suit each one. There are several main ways to segment a market:
Think of segmentation like sorting people into different buckets based on what they have in common. Here are the four main types used in travel and tourism:
Based on age, gender, income, family size, occupation. Example: A cruise line targeting retired couples aged 60+ with disposable income. Club 18-30 holidays target young adults specifically.
Based on where people live country, region, city or climate zone. Example: A ski resort in Austria targets people from warmer countries like Spain or Italy who want to experience snow.
Based on lifestyle, values, interests and personality. Example: Eco-tourism companies target environmentally conscious travellers who value sustainability and wildlife conservation.
Based on how people behave their buying habits, loyalty, how often they travel and what benefits they seek. Example: Airlines use frequent flyer programmes to reward loyal customers who fly regularly for business.
Based on social class and income level. Budget airlines like Ryanair target price-sensitive travellers, while companies like Abercrombie & Kent target high-net-worth individuals willing to spend thousands on luxury safaris.
Before its collapse in 2019, Thomas Cook operated different holiday brands aimed at different segments. Club 18-30 targeted young adults seeking party holidays in Ibiza and Zante. Signature targeted affluent families and couples wanting luxury all-inclusive resorts. Sunwing targeted Canadian families. By running separate brands, Thomas Cook could speak directly to each segment without confusing its messaging a classic example of segmentation in action.
Knowing who to target is only half the battle. Knowing when to reach them is equally important. Tourism is one of the most time-sensitive industries in the world. Demand rises and falls with the seasons, school terms, public holidays and even major world events. Smart businesses plan their marketing calendar carefully to match these patterns.
Seasonality is the single biggest timing factor in tourism. Most destinations have a peak season (when it's busiest), a shoulder season (moderate demand) and an off-peak season (quietest period). Marketing strategies must reflect this.
During peak season, demand is already high. Marketing focuses on upselling (encouraging upgrades) and early booking deals. Example: UK beach resorts advertise premium packages in June–August when families are most likely to travel.
Businesses try to extend the season by targeting different segments. Example: A Spanish coastal resort might target retired couples in April and October people who can travel outside school holidays and enjoy quieter, cooler conditions.
Businesses use heavy discounting and special promotions to attract visitors. Example: Hotels offer "January Blues" deals to boost bookings in the quietest month of the year. City break packages are promoted to couples without children.
VisitBritain, the UK's national tourism agency, runs carefully timed campaigns throughout the year. Their "Home of Amazing Moments" campaign targeted international visitors from the USA, Australia and Gulf states markets less affected by UK school term dates. Campaigns were timed to coincide with major UK events: the Chelsea Flower Show (May), Wimbledon (July) and Edinburgh Festival (August). By matching the campaign timing to events that appeal to specific international segments, VisitBritain maximised the impact of its marketing budget.
The booking window is the gap between when a customer books a holiday and when they actually travel. Different target markets have very different booking windows and this affects when you should market to them.
Families with children tend to book 6–12 months in advance because school holidays are fixed and popular dates sell out fast. Tour operators like TUI release their summer holiday brochures and online deals as early as October for the following summer. Marketing to families must happen early often before Christmas for the following summer.
Young adults, solo travellers and couples without children are more likely to book last minute sometimes just days before travel. Budget airlines like easyJet and apps like lastminute.com target these customers with flash sales and push notifications. Marketing must be immediate, urgent and mobile-friendly.
Modern tourism businesses use digital tools to time their marketing with incredible precision. Social media algorithms, email campaigns and pay-per-click advertising can all be scheduled to reach the right person at exactly the right moment.
easyJet uses sophisticated data analysis to send personalised emails to its customers. Using past flight data, it sends each customer an email on their anniversary of their first flight, showing them a map of all the places they've flown to. This emotional, personalised approach is timed perfectly it reminds customers of happy memories and encourages them to book again. easyJet reported that these anniversary emails had an open rate 100% higher than standard marketing emails, proving that timing and personalisation together are a powerful combination.
Once a business knows its target market and the right timing, it must make sure the marketing message actually speaks to that audience. The language, images, channels and offers must all be tailored.
Use images of children having fun. Emphasise safety, kids' clubs, free child places. Advertise in February half-term and early summer. Use Facebook and parenting websites. Offer early-bird discounts to encourage advance booking.
Use romantic imagery sunsets, private pools, candlelit dinners. Emphasise luxury and exclusivity. Advertise around Valentine's Day and after Christmas. Use Instagram and Pinterest. Promote spa packages and private experiences.
Use energetic, fun imagery. Emphasise nightlife, adventure and value for money. Advertise year-round but spike around university graduation season (June). Use TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Promote group discounts and flexible booking.
Airbnb's global "Live There" campaign is a brilliant example of matching message to market. Rather than targeting traditional package holiday buyers, Airbnb targeted experience-seeking millennials (aged 25–40) who wanted to feel like locals rather than tourists. The campaign used authentic, user-generated photography and was launched digitally on YouTube, Instagram and Spotify channels where millennials spend their time. The timing? Launched in spring, just as this demographic begins planning summer travel. The result was a massive boost in bookings from exactly the target segment Airbnb wanted to attract.