How Hoteliers Can Drive Bookings in the Low Season with Email and SMS Campaigns

November through February are defined as the low season, when hotels are generally running at low occupancy. As a hotelier, you might be thinking that bookings are destined to stay low for the next few months, but think again!

In this blog, we’ll tell you why the low season is a great time to send targeted email and SMS marketing campaigns that will inspire guests to book stays. We’ll also give you some ideas for campaigns you can run to inspire new bookings and drive revenue for your hotel.

Let’s dive into the Why!

Lead Times are Getting Shorter!

According to SiteMinder, the average guest books their hotel approximately 30 days in advance.

But that’s not all! Visit Britain finds that people are booking trips more and more last-minute. Booking lead times are going down year on year, from 30% of trips being booked over two months in advance in 2022 to 26% of bookings in 2024. Similarly, the booking time periods for holiday trips have reduced from 49% of trips being booked over two months in advance in 2022 to 45% in 2024.

That means that hoteliers can (and should) be looking to inspire guests to visit four weeks from now, rather than four months! A time-limited “book now, stay soon” campaign will be more effective because travellers are already in that headspace.

But that’s not all…

Domestic Travel is in!

According to a YouGov travel trends report, 75% of Brits planning to take a trip in the next 12 months intend to do so domestically. That means it’s not only beneficial for hoteliers to capture domestic travellers, it’s necessary.

Travellers are also looking to keep costs down where possible! 45% of travellers identified as cost-conscious (YouGov). Mid-week and low season rates allow hoteliers to continue to capture bookings from a wider audience, even when budgets are top of mind.

Shorter lead times combined with domestic audiences looking to travel means that you can send out a campaign now that will drive bookings during the time you need them most!

Campaign Ideas to Inspire Low Season Bookings

Bring Back Campaigns

If you have guests who have stayed at your hotel around the same time during previous years, there’s a chance that they will be more likely to book again. Take a look at your bookings and see who stayed at your property around the same time this year.

For-Sight’s segmentation tools make it easy to create audiences for guests who have had a stay within a certain time window.

Inspire not just a booking, but a stay!

With shorter lead times for booking both trips and accommodation, you should not only be looking to inspire your guests’ booking, but also their holiday!

By creating offers tying booking inspiration to local events and seasonal activities, you can build motivation for them to make bookings now. Here are some things you might want to include in your inspiration:

• Christmas Markets
• Sporting Events
• Romantic Couples Activities
• Local walks
• Theatre
• Concerts
• Festivals

These are just a few ideas for inspiration! You’re the expert on your local area, and that expertise is necessary to connect with your contacts and inspire a stay that they might not have thought of on their own.

Think outside of the room!

Room bookings are important, but make sure to consider additional revenue opportunities, including spa, dining, or golf! You can bundle these into packages along with room bookings, or create special offers to come in and experience them on their own.

💡For-Sight Tip: target campaigns with segmented messaging for contacts who have made a spa or dining booking in the past.

Bring on the Staycation!

Bring your marketing even closer to home by targeting contacts in your local market who might be in the mood for a “staycation”! Create urgency for contacts to book with a time-limited offer. This could be a good offer to tie to a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway.

💡For-Sight Tip: UK customers can target campaigns to only send to contacts who live within a certain distance of their hotel.

Conclusion

The low season can be a tough time for hoteliers, but also one with lots of untapped revenue potential! Travel trends for short lead times and domestic holidays give hoteliers unique opportunities to drive additional revenue. By utilising creative campaigns, you can inspire new bookings and build guest loyalty, even in the middle of the low season.

We hope you enjoyed this article! Want to stay up to date with campaign ideas to delight your guests and earn repeat visits? Sign up for our newsletter! We send the latest For-Sight news, trends, and tips for hoteliers every month, straight to your inbox.