Author Archives: Michelle Ackers

If you've read about the 5 stages of travel, you will know that most travellers will progress through 5 stages in their journey from dreaming about travel through to sharing their travel experiences:

1. Dreaming
2. Planning/Researching
3. Booking
4. Experiencing
5. Sharing

82% of people’s time is spent within the researching stage!

Within the 5 stages of travel, the planning/researching stage is where CMO of Uberflip Randy Frisch says people spend the most time trying to find out about:

• the location they are looking to visit
• what to do while they’re there
• how they will get around
• where they will stay
• what the must do’s are, and
• what are other people saying about the activity, accommodation, or transport options

With the majority of this time spent...

Operating a tourism business can be extremely competitive! Standing out is key to attracting visitors and driving bookings. While offering exceptional services and experiences is crucial, effective branding can often be the differentiating factor that sets your business apart. In this article, we'll explore five ways in which investing in strong branding can significantly boost your bookings and ultimately lead to business growth.

1. Establishes Trust and Credibility

Building a recognisable and trustworthy brand is essential for gaining the confidence of potential guests. A strong brand identity communicates professionalism, reliability, and consistency, all of which are vital for instilling trust in your target audience. When travellers feel confident in your brand, they...

The travel bug is buzzing again, and 2024 promises to be a year of exciting growth for the tourism industry. With a landscape reshaped by the pandemic and evolving traveller preferences, it's crucial for businesses to stay ahead of the curve. The increasing use of AI-powered tools is driving more personalised content creation, effective data tracking, and better understanding of your customer journey. Embracing digital technologies will be integral to businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the continuing growth of tourism. 

Let’s explore 10 trending strategies we’ve identified that could shape marketing in 2024! 

1. You will use more AI

During 2023 we saw the rise of AI in our daily lives as well as in marketing. In 2024 we expect to see the application of AI...

1. Refresh your Social Media Content & Calendar

Your social media platforms are a vital way engage with potential customers and broaden your reach to new audiences. The start of spring can mean a change in the tone and messaging of your social media posts. If your tourism business is in a location that benefits from higher visitor volumes through spring and summer then you'll want to become more active with regular social media posts to share your content.

• Activate seasonal social media ad campaigns to expand your reach and engagement with potential customers
• Develop a monthly social media content calendar of organic posts with a variety of "content buckets"
• Refresh the style and design of yor posts, make sure they are on point with your brand and visual...

As a leading provider of tourism marketing services with clients concentrated in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands, our Tomahawk team is celebrating an outstanding milestone in 2023. Having been operating since 2008, our agency has now delivered 15 years of excellence in tourism!

Despite the challenges the tourism industry has faced in recent years, our resilience has remained steadfast, adapting strategies, and providing unwavering support to clients during these challenging times. Our commitment to innovation, resilience, and deep industry knowledge has allowed us to navigate the turbulent times and emerge stronger than ever. 

With our longevity in the market, paired with a team of seasoned tourism leaders boasting over 150 years of collective experience,  our...

Tourism New Zealand ended it's domestic marketing programme in New Zealand from July 2023. Tourism businesses had a great run benefiting from plentiful marketing budgets being pivoted towards domestic campaigns while borders were closed from 2020. Their campaigns like "Do Something New New Zealand" served to inspire kiwis to explore their own country and will no doubt continue to leave a lasting impression for some time to come.

The mandate to promote our regions and tourist spots is now squarely returned to the RTO's. If you're business is reliant on domestic visitors then the ball is also in your court to consider how to attract their bookings as a staple part of your year-round revenue.

Here are some tips from our team that will help you maintain a strong presence and...