A package deal includes at least two services offered for a set price. It usually includes a combination of the following: accommodation, meal(s), entry to an attraction(s), and/or activities.   Package-building has the following advantages:  

• Attracting and retaining transient customers and/or new customer markets;
• Increasing tourism traffic over a larger area;
• Improving the attractiveness of the business by partnering with a bigger player;
• Reducing marketing and promotion costs;
• Structuring the offer to make the destination seem attractive and well-rounded;
• Increasing visitor satisfaction and enjoyment.

Idea creation

1 – Determine your needs and assets

Make it clear what your goals are. Do you want to attract more customers on weekdays? Extend visitors' stays?

You must also think about what you can offer. What are your main services? Do you want to develop a specific theme for the package, for example, romance, countryside, gourmet, etc.? 

Don't forget that packages can also be based on annual events (Easter, Mother's Day, Spring Break, etc.)  For example, Point East Coastal Inn, on Prince Edward Island, offers winter trips in collaboration with a local ski club, including entry passes and rental equipment for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. 

2 – Set the target audience

Who are you targeting? Families, couples, outdoorsy folks, or foodies? You need to clarify the client you wish to target, whether by socio-demographic segmentation or by interest group. Creating personas can help you identify their expectations and needs, which will be different from one segment to another.

With its "Teleworking Mode" package, the Spa Eastman caters directly to remote workers by promoting its location, which is in an environment which can be very conducive to concentration. The package includes accommodation, meals, Wi-Fi, access to the trails, and the thermal experience. In the context of a pandemic, what packages can you offer to local customers or teleworkers?

3 – Create partnerships

A tourism business may offer a package that includes only its services, but it can also pair those services with those of other companies as part of a partnership, choosing which services/activities to include according to the target clientele. In order to work, the partnership must be a win-win situation: everyone has to benefit. To ensure this, be sure you clarify and highlight what will benefit both you and the other party. Make a list of companies that you would like to partner with. Ensure the quality of their offerings. Ask yourself the following questions. Do you share the same values and objectives?  Is the quality of your services similar? Are you targeting the same clientele?

4 – Designing the package: from development to description

When developing a package, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the package filling a gap in the market? Be sure to investigate the websites of destination management agencies and specialized travel agencies to see what is already offered in your area or for the target market segment.
• What will entice a customer to choose my plan over another? Make sure you define the value-add of your package (e.g., gift, basket of local products, gift card, gas voucher, VIP experience, etc.)
  

For the description, play to people’s emotions! Find an eye-catching and original title and choose beautiful visuals so the experience is attractive to visitors.

Examples: Packages at Le Montagnard (QC): “Pull the plug,” “Take it easy.”

Finally, your description should contain the following information: price, calendar dates, terms and conditions, introduction of partners involved, duration of the package, and, if necessary, the itinerary.

Marketing

5 – Set the price

The benefit of a package is often associated with the price (cheaper as a package than if the activities are booked separately), but this is not necessarily the case. It is important that the customer sees a benefit to making the booking, for example, if it includes a gift or some kind of an extra.

Example: Stay and Play packages are marketed to residents of Fredericton: the purchase of a package of at least one night includes a gift voucher which can be used in one of several different restaurants in the city.

It is also possible to offer a base package which allows visitors to add on options when booking (e.g., a massage, a bottle of wine, etc.) Don't forget to adjust the price of the package according to the target clientele by offering reduced rates for families, for example.

6 – Marketing 

There are two main options: take care of the marketing yourself or use an intermediary (e.g., travel agency, destination management agency, etc.) The second option often offers more visibility, but it involves paying commissions on sales. You can turn to DMOs and themed or local travel agencies, such as the travel agency Experience PEI.‍

7- Communication

Proud of your package? Now it's time to promote it to your target audience! To do this, rely on a variety of techniques:

• Promote it regularly on your social network platforms;
• Add a "Package" section to your website and keep it up to date;
• Make sure the package is also available on the networks and platforms of the partners involved in order to extend the reach of the promotion.
  

Evaluation

Keep in mind that a package is never frozen in time. It must evolve and remain relevant to customers, to your company, and to the partners involved. It is therefore essential to conduct an evaluation to see if the result is satisfactory for you and your partners and whether the objectives set in the first section of this article have been achieved. Gathering customer feedback through satisfaction surveys is a good way to determine which items of the package to retain and which should be removed.

Partnerships and co-opoetition at the heart of the process

Package-creation is above all about uniting complementary forces to promote an industry or a destination. So, focus on partnerships and cooperation!   Encouraging collaboration between operators and partnering with other players who are not necessarily in the tourism sector   remains the best formula for creating an attractive package. This type of collaboration can give rise to package-creation,  but also to other forms of marketing, such as itineraries or thematic routes such as those created by Taste of Nova Scotia Trails.

Insight written in partnership with Expérience Acadie.

Source image à la une: Pexels.com, Max Vakhtbovych

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Sources

Lorin, Frédéric. « Comment créer un forfait touristique ? », Le Blog IFTM, 4 février 2020.

Lenoir, Aude. « 5 étapes pour créer un forfait touristique », Réseau de Veille en Tourisme, 14 août 2017.

Tourism tribe. « 6 steps for tourism businesses to create great travel packages », 9 janvier 2020.