Maintaining Brand Visibility and Engagement in Tourism Marketing During Recessions

To maintain brand visibility and engagement in tourism marketing during recessions, tourism organisations should focus on strategic, innovative, and digitally driven approaches that sustain interest and loyalty despite economic downturns.

Key strategies include:

• Leveraging digital and social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to engage audiences with timely, interactive content that keeps the destination top-of-mind even when travel budgets are tight. Digital fluency and innovative campaigns that encourage sharing experiences can enhance visibility.

• Coordinating closely with local tourism organisations and stakeholders to provide real-time updates, reassure potential visitors, and adapt marketing messages to changing circumstances. This includes tailoring communications for both domestic and international tourists, as domestic tourism often recovers first after crises.

• Investing in product development and diversification to enhance the tourism offering, such as revitalising existing attractions, developing new experiences, and promoting sustainable tourism practices that appeal to evolving traveller preferences. This can help increase visitor length of stay and expenditure.

• Supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in digital transformation to broaden their reach and improve customer interaction, which is crucial during recessions when traditional marketing budgets shrink.

• Implementing dynamic pricing and managing visitor flows to optimise demand and reduce the impact of seasonality or over-tourism, ensuring a balanced and sustainable tourism environment.

• Maintaining government or organisational funding for promotion during downturns to avoid losing market presence, as seen in cases where swift funding and coordinated marketing helped stabilise visitor numbers during crises.

These approaches collectively help tourism brands remain visible, relevant, and engaged with their audiences during recessions, positioning them for a stronger recovery when economic conditions improve.