1 minute read
Leisure Marketing
Strengths: Central location Friendly people Cultural district High quality venues Affordability 16-minute rush hour Strong SEO for abilenevisitors.com
Weaknesses: Beautification Lack of public transportation Venue hours Inconsistent branding messages
Opportunities: Music/Nightlife MyABI Thematic itineraries Cedar Creek Waterway/Kirby Lake Downtown convention hotel Expo Center renovations Engaged new generation
Threats: Marketing funding Competition from other cities Closed minded people Homelessness Safety Leisure Travelers
Abilene’s largest market segment is the leisure traveler, comprising almost 75.6 percent of the city’s visitor traffic. Visitors to Abilene can choose from 3,567 hotel rooms. Mid-scale to upscale lodging account for 1,984 rooms:
During the 12-month period, these properties enjoyed a 73.7 percent occupancy rate and a $96.01 average daily rate through February. March-May occupancy fell to 44.33 percent with a rate of $82.79. Economy lodging inventory consists of 1,583 rooms. v
Objectives:
Grow leisure travel traffic during times when hotels need business. Increase website traffic and measure meaningful return on investment. Share branding messages that appeal to travelers from Texas. Target road trip traffic. Increase economic activity with “Live Like a Local” itineraries.
Strategies:
Advertise in consumer and trade magazines, e-newsletters, cable TV in
Texas and Oklahoma. Maintain engaging content social media platforms. Distribute brochures at local and statewide visitor centers and mailed to potential visitors by request. Create engaging native content via TourTexas.com. Maintain static and digital billboards on high traffic locations on Interstate 20 and other drive markets. Targeted digital advertising for events, branding messages. Leverage earned media to target Texas road trippers. Measure engagement through traffic to website, e-mail sign ups, video views and social media followers. Update and refresh the website to reflect digital findings. Create engaging e-newsletter targeting locals and potential visitors.
