Valentine’s Day is a special time to celebrate love, and it’s very quickly approaching! For those looking for special ways to express their love this upcoming holiday – nothing beats a romantic getaway, a dreamy day trip, or a relaxing self-love retreat. Why not show how your destination is the perfect backdrop for this celebration of romance?
Here are 10 creative marketing ideas to encourage travelers to fall in love with your destination and plan a Valentine’s Day visit:
Host a social media giveaway with an amazing prize
Users are eager to enter social media contests with special prizes, like a Valentine’s Getaway. Keep it easy to enter, maybe by simply asking them to follow your organization, tag friends in the comments or repost your giveaway to their own account. Some compelling items to win could be a basket of local goods, a meal at a local restaurant or even an overnight stay in your destination.
Invite people to attend and enjoy a festive event
With a returning sense of normalcy (finally!) following the COVID-19 pandemic, community events are becoming more and more popular to celebrate holidays. Events with local vendors, food options, and fun activities are a great way to encourage tourism as well as more local participation in your destination. Host a special Valentine’s Day-themed event to ignite a flame.
Promote local restaurants’ romantic menus
Many restaurants offer special dishes just for Valentine’s Day. Promote these delicious local menu options online and through social media to help couples looking for the perfect place to go on their Valentines date.
Suggest a romantic itinerary for couples
Make it easy for couples to escape on a romantic getaway! Make things easy by doing the planning for them with itineraries chock-full of romantic activities to enjoy. Recommendations can range from spas and galleries to breweries and wine tastings.
Collaborate with hotels to boost romantic overnight stays
What is more romantic than celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special escape? Showcase special suites or holiday packages available from your local lodging partners. And help the hotels! Collaborating with them to brainstorm new promotional Valentine’s Day offerings can help to potentially boost overnight stays in your destination.
Encourage users to share their own charming content
User-generated content can be your best friend. Engaging with and sharing that authentic content is a highly effective way to build relationships on social media as well as build credibility. Ask your online audience about their favorite ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, especially locally. Highlighting users’ responses on your organization’s own accounts can provide testimonials to inspire future visitors.
Highlight how local businesses may be celebrating
No one is better at celebrating holidays than local businesses. Find out who is having special sales, events, or other Valentine’s related activities. Find out what the organizations around your destination may have going on this Valentine’s Day, and share with potential visitors looking for new ways to celebrate.
Offer a gift guide highlighting local products
One thing visitors love when they go to a new, or old favorite place, is to partake of the local offerings. Curate a diverse guide of high-quality products available from local boutiques and retailers which could serve as the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. Ask businesses about their best sellers to help determine the most helpful inclusions. This will bring visitors to your destination and also provide peace of mind to those still searching for the perfect gift.
Create an interactive quiz for visitors to plan their perfect local date
Engaging with a localized, interactive quiz can help users learn more about a destination, as well as discover reasons they may want to visit. Users may select from a range of answers to yield varying results which may all direct back to several romantic activities for couples to consider visiting. Try creating a personality-style quiz to promote a range of local date ideas based on different interests.
Don’t forget to celebrate the singles, and the Galentines
Everyone deserves to celebrate love on this holiday, even if not involved in a romantic relationship. Let single travelers and groups of friends know that your destination is a welcoming place for them to practice some self-love this Valentine’s Day. Share local spas, hiking trails and other rejuvenating activities which can be enjoyed solo or as a friend group.
No one knows the best and most unique ways to promote your destination for Valentine’s Day. So put on your brainstorming cap and start dreaming up some fun!
Subscribe to the Verdin Headlines e-newsletter, and follow us on social media! For input on creating exciting seasonal and holiday marketing for your destination, email Mary at [email protected].