How DMOs Can Support Their Members During COVID-19 Closures
As a destination marketing organization (DMO), it’s your job to promote a destination, attract travelers, and drive customers to member businesses.
To say that that job has been difficult during COVID-19 is an understatement.
Business closures and restricted travel guidelines have halted the travel, entertainment, and hospitality industry. This is having a direct impact on revenue streams for both the businesses and the DMOs that support them.
MyArea Network is working to provide relief for both.
We want to see travel, entertainment, and hospitality businesses and DMOs get through this time and come out strong on the other side.
To do that, we have launched MyArea Vouchers.
MyArea Vouchers are a form of coupons that customers buy now to use on discounted products or services at a later time. For example, a customer may pay $50 to receive $75 in the future. Vouchers create a limited-time deal so customers have an extra incentive to buy NOW. They are easy to launch and come with no up-front costs to the businesses.
How Vouchers Support DMOs and Their Members
The MyArea Vouchers program gives DMOs a way to support their member businesses as well as their organization at the same time. Here's how they can help now and as you build your COVID-19 rebound plan.
#1) Help Members Generate Immediate Revenue (with No Up-Front Costs)
MyArea Vouchers give DMOs a way to help their members generate revenue right now. Businesses sell vouchers now that customers redeem later, putting cash in their pockets even if their doors are closed. There are no up-front costs, and businesses only pay when their customers make a purchase.
#2) Create Future Demand For Your Destination
When you sell Vouchers to customers and visitors, you give them an incentive to visit in the future. When travel restrictions are lifted, you will already have a line of customers ready to visit businesses in your destination.
#3) Drive Return Visits to Your Destination
Vouchers don’t just drive customers to a destination once. They work to drive customers back again and again by providing multiple smaller value coupons, instead of one lump sum voucher. For example, a customer could spend $50 to receive six $10 gift certificates. This split ensures that customers will be back for multiple visits.
#4) Centralize Your COVID-19 Recovery Efforts
It can be difficult to try and support each business within your DMO individually. With Vouchers, you can launch one program that helps multiple members all at once. You can group Vouchers for multiple businesses into one package so that one purchase supports a variety of businesses. For example, you could create a $100 package that includes five $25 Vouchers to different businesses.
#5) Market All Member Businesses at Once
By supporting multiple businesses through this method, you can also simplify your marketing efforts. You can create one site that offers Vouchers to all of its member businesses or to sell packages that group together Vouchers.
#6) Create Gifting and Local Support Opportunities
Grouping together packages of multiple vouchers also creates a great gift idea. It is something that friends and family can buy for each other. But even more, it can be a great gifting option for businesses that want to give back to their teams and organizations that want to support their local community. They can make one purchase that supports multiple businesses at once.
#7) Generate Revenue for Your DMO
Funding for DMOs is being hit by COVID-19 business disruption. Both the decrease in tax revenue and the potential inability for businesses to pay their dues can impact a DMO’s own bottom line. Vouchers present an opportunity to generate needed revenue. A DMO can set up a revenue share with participating businesses so they can receive a small sum of each voucher purchase, helping to boost immediate revenue for the DMO.
Related: How to Keep Your Customers Engaged During COVID-19
Support Your DMO and Member Businesses. Launch Vouchers Today
MyArea Vouchers give your DMO an opportunity to support all of your members with one program -- that has no upfront costs. It’s a win-win for customers and businesses, and it's quick and easy to launch so you can start offering support to your members right away.
For more information about how to launch a voucher program for your DMO, please contact us and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.
We look forward to helping your DMO and member businesses get through this time and come out stronger on the other side.
