Mauritius, being a tropical island, is one of the leading resources of tourism in Africa. Its economy contributes to the tourism industry ranking third in GDP earning. Therefore, tour operators play an important role in organizing the best experience for tourists and entice future prospects to go to their island.
Tour operators offer an inclusive tour or a package of traveling, sightseeing, and accommodations that highlights the attractiveness of Mauritius. Also, to sell their local tours, they are using alternative marketing strategies which are listed below:
1. Working With DMOs
Destination Marketing Organization focuses on selling your destination to the world. Some DMOs offer local suppliers to promote services on their websites. If not, tourist operators write blog posts for these websites like https://mauritiusdiscoverytours.com/.
Here are other strategies that DMO use in promoting Mauritius:
- Present in different International Fair like South Asia’s leading Travel & Tourism Event (SATTE), International France Travel Market, and Borsa Internazionale del Turismo (BIT).
- Establishing websites that contain downloadable newsletter and brochures on golf, diving, and ecotourism.
- Conduct of Road Shows to present different hotels on Mauritius to all travel agency partners.
2. Register on Online Directories
As part of online marketing, they use online listings such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, and others, aside from the local directories. A lot of people have been using various online directories to book and pay for different tour products when going out for a holiday; therefore, this strategy can be useful.
Other tour operators even use a social media platform so they can connect to more audience and customers by creating blogs or pages on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
3. Partnering With Local Businesses
To market their tour products, operators build a partnership with local businesses such as restaurants, cruises, golf courses, villas or rentals, and car rentals to feature different fun-filled activities in their island.
It is a strategy that delivers a bundled product for a great overall experience. Therefore, it leaves a great impression that can attract more customers.
4. Local Marketing
Aside from attracting and appealing to international tourists, Mauritius tour operators also depend on the in-destination or local customers since local customers give year-round opportunities for the tourism industry.
To attract local engagements, they provide discounts such as birthday discount, special events discount, religious celebrations discount, etc.
Here are other marketing strategies they use to attract more domestic clients:
- Brochures – holiday travel brochures that feature local festivities and activities, and provide supporting information like timing prices, product offerings or additional services
- Mails – offers discount coupons or services and widely used for keeping locals up to the date of nearby destinations’ current or upcoming events
- Radio Announcement and TV Ads – helps in reaching out potential customers by providing highlights of their local tour destinations
Conclusion:
The alternative marketing strategies that Mauritius tour operators use are reaching out for customers both from the locality and from international borders. Through these, tour packages are made available in different medium. Moreover, effective strategies help its economy by the tourists that they bring in.
