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Plotting The Next Big Thing: 2024 Travel and Tourism Marketing Trends

By Hayley Corbett

January 6, 2024

2024 offers no shortage of events and trends to reshuffle the travel and tourism marketing landscape. 

From cutting-edge AI and shifting consumer priorities to major events directing tourist flows, this is undoubtedly a year of great change and opportunity. 

As travelers embrace new tools and trends post-pandemic, destination marketing organizations will need to keep pace and capitalize on emerging niches. 

Flexibility, innovation and insight set apart winners as always. 

What trends and tech should define marketing efforts this year? Let’s explore the pivotal changes that separate winning destinations in 2024’s decisive travel environment.

AI Goes Mainstream for Travel and Tourism Marketing in 2024

While just 17% of American travelers tapped AI tools for vacation planning over the past year, that figure is set to skyrocket in 2024. ChatGPT has dominated thus far, cited by 63% of AI-assisted travelers, but new platforms like TripAdvisor are entering the space. 

And with 50% of travelers now open to leveraging AI for future trips, an explosion in adoption looms. Though only 6% used generative tools like ChatGPT in 2023, Expedia forecasts mass acceptance incoming. 

Outside of the apps, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is also using AI to share travel planning by including AI-generated responses right into travelers’ search results. 

For destinations, the implications are immense — 2024 may see swaths of visitors arriving with AI-powered itineraries in hand. To capitalize on this seismic shift, DMOs must ensure prominence on AI platforms, craft specialized travel packages and position themselves as go-to local experts to shape data-driven recommendations. 

The AI-fueled travel surge is inevitable; early movers stand to welcome an influx.

Astrotourism: A Year of Rare Celestial Wonders

Astrotourism, a form of niche tourism centered around stargazing and astronomy, is poised to soar in 2024 as a leading travel trend. With several rare celestial events on the calendar, from vivid meteor showers to an exceptional northern lights display, 2024 marks a banner year for witnessing breathtaking sights in the night sky. 

• Total Solar Eclipse on April 8: The most monumental event is undoubtedly the total solar eclipse on April 8, with the Moon fully obscuring the Sun in a narrow path across parts of Mexico, the central U.S. and Canada. Total solar eclipses occur about every one to two years but are only visible from any given location about once every 400 years, offering a truly singular sight.
• Vibrant Meteor Showers: Several of 2024’s meteor showers may produce incredible shows, especially the Quadrantids in early January and the Perseids in mid-August. With limited moonlight, these have the potential for upwards of 60-100 vivid meteors per hour at peak, an awe-inspiring display.
• Extraordinary Northern Lights: Due to the approaching solar maximum in 2024-2025, scientists anticipate the best northern lights in years during the start of the decade, with their vibrant colors possibly visible farther south than usual under optimal dark sky conditions.

Destinations around the world are leveraging these astronomical phenomena and the rising popularity of astrotourism by offering specialized services such as expert-guided stargazing sessions, bespoke event packages and lavish accommodations tailored to sky-watching. From the salt flats of Botswana to the Adriatic coastline, stargazers can fulfill their celestial dreams in wilderness hideaways or at luxury beach resorts primed for astronomy. 

As travelers increasingly seek restorative, transformational trip experiences, destinations marketing their awe-inspiring night skies and astronomy-focused amenities can tap into this cosmic travel niche in 2024 and beyond.

Election Year Mutes 2024 Travel Spend

The 2024 presidential election cycle casts uncertainty for discretionary travel spend, with historical dips in election years. 

Domestic and international travel still rank as top priorities for high-income households, but shortened planning cycles point to last-minute bookings. DMOs can leverage flexible offers, emphasize value and keep messaging inspiring — yet sensitive — to the political climate. 

Promoting convenient weekend getaways, discounted shoulder season packages and easy full-refund booking can attract hesitant vacationers. While election distractions may mute 2024 travel initially, deploying strategic promotions as votes are counted can help destinations gain market share into 2025. 

Capturing wavering demand just before or after an election makes for savvy marketing.

Wellness Travel to Skyrocket

Fresh off 36% annual growth from 2020-2022, the thriving $651 billion wellness tourism industry is forecast to rapidly accelerate – projected to reach a soaring $1.4 trillion value by 2027. 

As personal health, self-care and mental health become indispensable to travelers planning 2024 getaways, quality sleep will take center stage. Destinations should highlight specialized programming like multi-day sleep optimization retreats, mindful meditation and partner with hospitality brands offering amenities to aid sleep health. Blackout shades, pillow menus and Sleep Concierges are just the start. 

Marketing efforts should also showcase nature excursions, yoga sessions, spa treatments and other local wellness offerings. Catering to this high-value niche with personalized, restorative experiences taps into its meteoric post-pandemic rise. 

With wellness tourism showing no signs of slowing its explosive expansion, destinations that promote transformative sleep and overall well-being are poised to gain happy, healthy visitors and significant revenue. Early movers stand to win big.

Gig Tripping Hits the Road 

Gig tripping, traveling specifically for concert tours and festivals, is skyrocketing thanks to major 2024 world tours like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Bad Bunny. 

With 44% of US travelers willing to fly short-haul and 18% long-haul to see artists abroad according to Skyscanner , often for ticket savings, gig tripping has mass appeal. Destinations can create targeted campaigns spotlighting the exact performances, highlighting discounted accommodation and transport packages bundled with tickets. Tailored festival sponsorship opportunities also hold potential. 

Similar to the rise of bleisure travel , extending gig tripping beyond concerts to emphasize broader local music culture and unique destination amenities, could further attract ideal travelers. 

As tens of millions combine live shows with tourism in 2024, destinations leveraging their music scenes have a stage to draw substantial new visitors and revenue.

‘Dupes’ Drive a Sustainable Shift

The TikTok-famed concept of substitute “dupes” is steering 2024 travel away from over-visited hotspots and toward fresh discoveries. 

Expedia uncovered major flight search spikes for unexpected alternatives to popular destinations. These changes are signals of travelers moving from packed bucket-list locales to lesser-known gems offering similar amenities for less. 

• Taipei, Taiwan for Seoul, South Korea (+2,786%)
• Pattaya, Thailand for Bangkok, Thailand (+249%)
• Paros, Greece for Santorini, Greece (+193%)
• Curaçao for St. Martin (+185%)
• Perth, Australia for Sydney, Australia (+109%)

Dupe Destinations also aid sustainability by redirecting tourists from saturated destinations to places with capacity for more visitors. 

DMOs have a pivotal role to play by spotlighting their regions as affordable, crowd-free alternatives. Tailored marketing that draws parallels to beloved but maxed-out destinations, like emphasizing Pattaya’s vibrant culture or Paros’ azure waters, will entice tourists as it does in their related destinations. Packages pairing discounted flights with small distinctive hotels can also tap the trend. As “dupes” gain steam for underrated authenticity and value, destinations creatively positioned as the next hot-yet-hidden spot will win big. 

Capturing this wave early helps disadvantaged places by distributing travelers and dollars sustainably.

Foodies Hungry for Flavor

For many globetrotters, it’s the flavors that leave the most lasting memories. According to Amex, 81% eagerly anticipate trying local cuisine above all else when traveling . Culinary adventures satisfy more than just taste buds – they offer a tasty window into regional cultures.

Whether it’s slurping hand-pulled noodles in Shanghai, nibbling sweet French macarons by the Eiffel Tower, or gingerly biting into a scorching hot Carolina Reaper pepper grown by chiliheads in New Mexico, iconic bites crystallize a place in our minds.

Street markets promise adventure, chaos and discovery, too. Travelers can lose themselves amid Marrakesh’s Djemaa el Fna’s thrills or Seattle’s lively Pike Place Market sights and smells. From steaming skewers to towering fruit stacks, iconic markets can feed minds as well as stomachs.

In 2024, increasingly motivated by cuisine, 50% of U.S. travelers will select vacations based on iconic restaurants or food festivals alone. Destinations can spotlight signature dishes, interactive cooking classes, once-in-a-lifetime Michelin-starred dining and quirky food experiences to transform menus into travel brochures. Satisfying appetites for authentic flavor promises delicious returns.

Seize The Moment

As forces reshape travel in 2024, the key becomes responding strategically to ride this wave of change. 

By harnessing engaging content and innovative campaigns, spotlight the competitive edges that set your destination apart. Target emerging niches and embrace new technologies, not just to keep pace with shifting demands, but to redefine them. 

More than ever, position your DMO not just as the ‘go-to local experts,’ but as the heart of a collaborative network that pulsates with the passion and energy of your local community. This is more than adaptation; it’s about crafting the future of travel, one inspired step at a time.

Our team at Noble Studios lives at the intersection of creative digital performance marketing. We can help you gain an edge amid 2024’s pivotal developments. 

Let’s connect to craft tailored strategies for your destination to flourish today and tomorrow.

Hayley Corbett

Associate Director, Client Experience

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Florida News

Subscriber only, florida news | covid pandemic slashed return on florida tourism marketing efforts, report says.

TALLAHASSEE — Visit Florida saw its return on investment fall to 58 cents for every $1 spent on marketing as COVID-19 slammed the doors on the state’s tourism industry, according to a new analysis by state economists.

But with tourists back at beaches, theme parks and other attractions, the analysis projects that Visit Florida’s economic return will rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

The analysis, released Tuesday by the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, looked at the 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 fiscal years. The pandemic hit in early 2020, largely shutting down the tourism industry and having longer-lasting ramifications for issues such as international travel.

Visit Florida, a public-private agency, receives state money to lead tourism-marketing efforts. The report seeks to measure the economic benefit, or return on investment, for money that went to Visit Florida.

The analysis found that the return on investment during the three fiscal years fell dramatically from the prior three years, when it was $3.27 for every $1 spent.

Economists pinned the blame on the pandemic, as employment in the leisure and hospitality industry dropped and tourism numbers plummeted. As an example, visitor counts fell from a then-record 131.069 million in 2019 to 79.397 million in 2020.

“The overall decline in ROI (return on investment) is exacerbated by the precipitous drop in FY 2021-22 to an ROI of 0.11,” the analysis said. “While the overall tourism count had rebounded to near pre-COVID levels by then … the composition was significantly different and still reeled from the effects of the pandemic shock.”

To revive the industry after initial shutdowns, Visit Florida first focused on getting Floridians to visit other parts of the state and luring Americans who would drive from other parts of the country. The agency subsequently tried to bring back international travelers.

Overall tourist counts grew to 121.838 million in 2021, 137.4 million in 2022 and 135.02 million last year. In 2023, numbers of overseas and Canadian travelers remained just below 2019 totals.

Tuesday’s analysis attributed the rebound to the state’s beaches and an increase in advertising by such things as theme parks.

“Based on its share of total tourism advertising spend, Visit Florida is responsible for approximately 3.45 (million), 4.66 (million), and 4.30 million visitors during the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 fiscal years, respectively,” the analysis said. “The remaining marketing-influenced visitors are attributable to the efforts of the four other major marketing contributors (local public, local private, Visit Florida private, and theme parks).”

A spokeswoman for Visit Florida said Tuesday the agency was reviewing the report.

During the three-year period analyzed, Visit Florida received $50 million a year from the Legislature and additional matching money from private partners. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the agency received an additional $30 million in federal pandemic-related money.

The analysis estimated Disney, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld were responsible for $787.9 million in marketing during the review period, which “accounted for 33.5 percent of all major tourism marketing efforts in the state.”

In a measure of the impact of COVID-19, Disney saw its attendance go from 58.58 million at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in 2019 to 18.67 million in 2020, according to state figures. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which are owned by the same parent company, went from 8.82 million to 2.88 million. Universal properties in Florida went from 21.29 million to 8.1 million in the same time.

By 2022, Disney’s attendance was up to 47.06 million, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hit 8.5 million, and Universal properties were at 21.7 million.

The estimated spending by the theme parks didn’t include dollars they provide to Visit Florida, local governments and direct-marketing organizations.

Lawmakers included $80 million for Visit Florida in the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which will start July 1. The budget has not been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, economists looked at a 10-year period and said “the current working ROI of 3.3 percent is more reflective of the Visit Florida program over a longer period of time and should be used for all forward-looking analyses.”

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Tourism Marketing: A Guide to Effectively Market Your Tours and Experiences

Discover how to strategically promote your tours with our comprehensive guide on tourism marketing and elevate your brand visibility today

by Janelle Visser | 2 February 2024

If you build it, they will come, as the adage goes. But in today’s digital age, where anyone can build anything and put it online in moments, the question becomes: how will they find — and choose — you? 

In the dynamic world of tourism experiences, the key to attracting travelers lies in successfully marketing your tours, activities and attractions. And it’s not just about attracting tourists, it’s about creating unforgettable connections that turn one-time visitors into loyal advocates for your brand. 

Marketing is consistently ranked by Arival event attendees as one of the most important topics they are looking for insights on. As traveler preferences and booking habits change, so do the most effective ways to market to them. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the evolution and strategies of marketing for travel and tourism in today’s digital era, providing actionable insights for tour operators and attractions, and answering key questions that every tour operator grapples with. From crafting a marketing strategy to understanding the components of a successful tourism marketing campaign, we’ll explore how to navigate the competitive and ever-evolving landscape of tour, activity and attraction marketing, and create lasting connections with your guests.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is Tourism Marketing?

The evolution of tourism marketing, how to create a tour marketing strategy.

• Conduct Thorough Market Research
• Identify Your Target Audience
• Understand Your Customer Needs and Expectations
• Create Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)
• Build a Strong Brand
• Consider Offline Marketing for Tours
• Embrace Digital Marketing Strategies
• Leverage Modern AI Technology
• Take Advantage of the Current Trends
• Monitor and Evaluate Your Strategy
• Navigating the Future of Tourism Marketing with Arival

At its core, tourism marketing is a strategic approach to promoting destinations, tourism products and services to tourists. For operators, this primarily means promoting your tour, activity or attraction offerings. The aim is to understand and meet the needs and wants of travelers, creating memorable experiences that encourage reviews, repeat visits and referrals. 

In the context of the global tourism economy, where according to Arival’s latest data the in-destination experiences industry is expected to be worth $270 billion in 2024. Tourism marketing plays a pivotal role in the success of travel businesses, helping them to stand out above their competitors and serving as the bridge that connects them with their target audiences of travelers.

As travel marketing company Blend ’s Managing Director put it recently in an interview with Arival, “The simplest way to define [marketing] is what comes to mind when someone thinks about your brand or experience. And what you do through your marketing channels is help shape that perception.”

The landscape of marketing in tourism has undergone a profound transformation since the early 1900s when the Michelin Guide first encouraged motorists to explore the world beyond their own towns. Progressing from traditional tourism promotion methods like brochures and word-of-mouth recommendations to the digital age of Google searches and social media influencers, technology has played a pivotal role in shaping how destinations and experiences are promoted. 

Fast forward to today, where the advent of short-form video marketing and generative AI has added new dimensions, allowing every tour, activity or attraction operator to engage travelers in innovative ways. These tools provide opportunities for engagement, personalization, and storytelling that were once unimaginable, and have become integral to captivating the modern traveler.

Successful marketing for tourism starts with a well-defined marketing strategy, which will help ensure the effort and resources you put into marketing are effective. The following steps will help guide you through the creation of a marketing strategy for your tour, activity or attraction company.

1. Tour Marketing Strategy

Understanding the market is the foundation of any effective strategy. Thorough research into customer demographics, travel patterns, and consumer behaviors will provide invaluable insights as you create your marketing strategy. 

Arival conducts regular tourism market research to assist tour, activity and attraction businesses with this process. For example, Arival’s latest consumer research on the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler found that day tours are on the rise among U.S. travelers , and that younger millennial and Gen Z travelers in particular are moving away from traditional sightseeing tours and looking for more experiential tours , such as culinary tours and immersive experiences. See Arival’s latest research here . 

2. Identify Your Target Audience

Targeting your tourism marketing plan to a specific audience is crucial, as this will enable you to enhance the relevance of your offerings, improve engagement, and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

Identifying your target audience involves a strategic process that combines market research as described above, data analysis, competitive analysis and customer profiling. Google and social media platforms, for example, offer analytics tools that provide insights into the age, interests, geographic location and income bracket of your followers, that can help you to develop detailed buyer personas that represent your ideal customers, and create a plan to reach and engage these audiences. 

In addition, analyzing the target audience of your competitors will help you build on this and identify gaps or underserved segments in the market that your tourism marketing plan can effectively target.

3. Understand Your Customer Needs and Expectations

Conducting tourism market research and identifying your target audience will help you with this step. Once you have an idea of who your target customers are, you can discover what their needs and expectations are, and how to develop a marketing strategy to reach them effectively. 

For example, if you offer sightseeing tours and you have identified younger Millennial and Gen Z travelers from the U.S. as a demographic you want to market your tours to, you will need to go beyond sightseeing to attract this demographic, according to the latest Arival research . 

How can you make your tours more immersive and experiential, and reflect this in your marketing to engage this demographic? Anticipating and meeting your customers’ needs and expectations can lead to higher customer satisfaction, fostering reviews and repeat business. Personalization is key.

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4. Create Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)

One of the challenges a tourism marketing strategy needs to solve is how to make you stand out above your competitors. Why do tourists choose some travel experiences over others? One way to differentiate your offerings is by identifying and highlighting unique selling points (USPs) that resonate with your target audience.

Let’s say you have identified younger Millennial and Gen Z travelers as a group you’d like to target with your marketing efforts. In your city there are multiple competitors offering similar tour products to yours, however you’ve realized that this target audience has an affinity for food tours. You find a way to work elements of culinary tourism into your sightseeing tour offering and your marketing to set yourself above your competitors and offer something unique in your region.

5. Build a Strong Brand

A consistent, strong brand fosters trust and ensures your tour company is memorable in the minds of potential guests. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t recognize the logo of an apple with a bite taken out of it, or doesn’t know where the phrase “just do it” comes from. 

Brands are about more than creative logos and catchy slogans, however. Building a robust brand for your experience business involves defining a clear identity with a focused mission and incorporating those USPs described in the previous step. Then, reaching out to your target audience through engaging storytelling and content, bolstered by a strong online presence, will enable your customers to build an emotional connection with your brand. Ensuring you’re delivering high-quality customer experiences to your target audience is crucial to building trust in your brand, and encouraging positive reviews is essential to building your brand’s reputation and ensuring ongoing brand success. 

Arival Insider Pro Access members can learn more about the importance of building your brand here. 

6. Consider Offline Marketing for Tours

Before we go too deep into digital marketing in tourism, it’s important to recognize that traditional methods like print advertising, brochures, and partnerships with local businesses still have relevance and can complement digital marketing strategies.

Many travelers are still waiting to book their things to do until they are in-destination, which means there is an opportunity to meet these travelers where they are. For example, working with destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and other regional tourist organizations that operate tourist information centers can enable you as a tour or experience operator to get printed promotional material about your experiences physically in the hands of tourists looking in person for things to do. Reach out to destination marketers in your region to take advantage of this offline marketing opportunity. 

7. Embrace Digital Marketing Strategies

As travelers increasingly use digital channels to discover, plan and book their travel, operators can and should leverage a range of digital marketing strategies to effectively promote their tours and engage with potential customers. 

From Google Things to do to search engine optimization (SEO), from social media strategy to working with influencers, from effective email marketing to impactful content marketing, a strong tourism marketing plan will incorporate a variety of digital marketing elements to bring a wider audience to the top of the funnel, and engage with them throughout the funnel at various stages of their discovery, planning and booking journey.

Arival has developed a number of guides and articles to help experience operators navigate the world of digital marketing for travel and tourism. Here are a few resources:

• An Essential Guide to SEO for Tours & Activities
• Content Marketing
• Your Guide to Influencer Marketing in Travel and Tourism

8. Leverage Modern AI Technology

The popularity of AI in 2024 cannot be understated, however many companies in the travel industry have been using AI in various forms long before the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 brought Generative AI, or Gen AI to the forefront. Gen AI, though, has made it a lot more accessible for travel businesses and tourism marketers without a lot of technical expertise to integrate AI to personalize customer experiences, generate targeted content, and enhance decision-making in marketing strategies for tourism. 

Many companies in the marketing for tourism space have developed tools and resources for tour, activity and attraction businesses, some of which are listed on Arival’s list of AI Resources for Experience Operators . Find out more about what’s the latest with AI in travel and how tour and attraction businesses are using it at the next Arival event. 

9. Take Advantage of the Current Trends

Staying up-to-date with the latest digital trends in marketing for travel and tourism is essential to stay relevant and get ahead of your competitors. 

For example, over the last couple of years, short-form videos on platforms like TikTok have risen dramatically as a channel for travelers — younger Millennial and Gen Z travelers in particular — to find inspiration for travel experiences. Incorporating vertical and short-form video in your tourism marketing will help you engage this audience, enabling you to meet travelers where they are online and present the experience offerings of your tour, activity or attraction company in a format your audience is familiar with.

@j_buzzi I don’t think I’ll ever get over how amazing bioluminescence is! 🤯🌌 #bioluminescence #getupandgokayaking ♬ Another Rain (From “Halo 3: ODST”) – DS Music

Justin Buzzi , founder of Get Up and Go Kayaking , jumped on the vertical video trend and attracted millions of views and over one million likes on TikTok with this short bioluminescence video.

10. Monitor and Evaluate Your Strategy

A strategy without evaluation is like a ship without a compass. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your marketing strategy using key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing strategy could include website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement, booking levels, and customer reviews and ratings. Consistent monitoring and evaluation ensure that you not only navigate the course but also make agile adjustments, keeping your strategy aligned with the ever-shifting tides of the tourism market.

1. What are the key components of a successful tour marketing campaign?

Success lies in a well-researched strategy with clear targeting built on tourism market research, compelling USPs that speak to the needs and expectations of your target audience, and a strong brand built on a balanced mix of offline and digital marketing, as well as a compelling tourism experience product itself. All of these components work together to make for a successful marketing strategy. 

2. How often should I reevaluate and update my tourism marketing strategy?

In the world of tourism marketing, trends and traveler preferences change rapidly. Check in regularly with travel trends (and let Arival research guide you). While you might evaluate the effectiveness of your overall strategies quarterly to stay responsive to market changes and ensure your strategy remains effective, more frequent monitoring of individual social media channels, website KPIs and SEO will help you be that much more effective.

3. How can I optimize my website for tour marketing purposes?

Your website is your digital storefront. Prioritize content marketing , then optimize for search engines ( learn more about SEO here ), ensure seamless user-friendly navigation and online booking system capabilities for both computer and mobile booking , incorporate visually captivating elements like photos and videos, keep your pricing and product listings up to date, and update your content regularly. 

4. Are there any specific strategies to attract international tourists?

To attract international tourists, consider ways to tailor your marketing messages for the specific regional audiences you’re interested in reaching. Look at tourism market research and trends for the different regions you intend to target — what works in the U.S. might not work in Asia and vice versa. Your local and regional destination marketing organizations (DMOs) may be able to help with this, as destination marketers often conduct research on the international travelers coming to your destination. Consider utilizing multilingual content to reach a broader range of potential travelers, and explore partnerships with international travel agencies. Check out Arival’s list of OTAs organized by geographic region to help you identify potential distribution partners in other languages and regions.

5. How important are customer reviews and testimonials in tour marketing?

Customer reviews and testimonials play a crucial role in tour marketing, acting as powerful social proof that influences potential customers. Positive reviews build credibility and trust, addressing concerns and reservations prospective customers may have. Encourage your satisfied customers to share their experiences on platforms like TripAdvisor or Google, or wherever they booked, and don’t forget to respond to these reviews, whether positive or negative.

6. What are some unique challenges in tourism marketing compared to other industries?

Tourism marketing faces unique challenges such as seasonality, unpredictable external factors (e.g., natural disasters ), and the need for real-time adaptability to changing travel trends. High competition demands innovative strategies to stand out, and the reliance on positive word-of-mouth makes ensuring customer satisfaction even in the face of unpredictable challenges critical. 

7. How can I use tourism marketing to cope with seasonal fluctuations in the industry?

To cope with seasonal fluctuations, craft seasonal promotions, diversify offerings to match changing preferences, and use marketing to highlight the unique experiences available during different seasons. Some strategies include implementing targeted off-season promotions, creating incentives for bookings during slower periods, and developing themed tours or events that align with seasonal interests and capitalize on festivals or holidays. Implementing dynamic pricing strategies , where prices vary based on demand, can also help maximize revenue during peak seasons and encourage more visitation during slower periods.

Navigating the Future of Tourism Marketing With Arival

Success in tourism marketing lies in learning about your audience, developing practical strategies to reach them, constant adaptation to keep up with changing market conditions and traveler trends, and utilizing tools and research like what Arival provides to stay ahead in a competitive landscape. 

Keep in mind that you don’t have to do this alone. There are multiple marketing agencies out there that specialize in marketing for travel and tourism companies, with some even focusing specifically on tours, activities and attractions. Check out our curated list of the tourism marketing agencies for tours and attractions here. 

Even better, join us at the next Arival event where we’ll dive into the latest tourism market research insights and trends in travel experiences, and share practical tourism marketing strategies and other actionable takeaways to help you reach your target markets, increase your bookings and grow your business.  

Become an Insider Pro Access member today and get access to the full library of Arival research, plus many other benefits such as free consulting sessions, special discounts and 20% off in-person events, starting from $179 per year.

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A Closer Look at the Impact of Tourism Marketing

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What is Tourism Marketing? 15 Strategies in 2023

March 22, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing

From hotels and other types of accommodation to car rental services, airlines , restaurants, entertainment spots, and travel agents – tourism marketing encompasses a wide range of advertising and marketing strategies often used by companies in the tourism and travel industry themselves. All these various marketing efforts are put together under one collective name – Tourism Marketing!

Tourism marketing is an essential tool for a business to ensure they are standing apart from its competitors, garnering customers, and creating brand recognition. Nowadays, various digital marketing platforms such as websites, online ads, email marketing campaigns , and social media marketing outlets have become vital components of modern tourism marketing initiatives for businesses.

Table of Contents

What is Tourism Marketing?

Tourism marketing is a type of marketing used by businesses operating in the travel and tourism industry to attract tourists to a business name or particular location which can be a state, a city, a particular heritage site or tourist destination spot, a hotel, or a convention center anything.

Achieving success in the travel and tourism industry requires thoughtful Tourism Marketing campaigns that are designed to generate brand awareness , create both, reach the most target audience or potential customers, drive traffic, foster loyalty among existing clients, and create a captivating customer experience . By utilizing these strategies, businesses can effectively engage with travelers while generating more sales opportunities.

Tourism Marketing has been profoundly impacted in recent years by digital development, as well as changes in consumer attitudes and desires. Crafting successful Tourism marketing messages today entails taking advantage of social media platforms, featuring user generated content, leveraging online reviews and search engines to your benefit, collaborating with influencers to drive traffic and expand reach, and experimenting with various channels for targeted messaging to attract travelers and optimize their customer journey in a way to convert them into loyal customers.

Why is Tourism Marketing Important?

To make a tourism business thrive, savvy marketing is an absolute must. By staying up-to-date with current trends and launching impactful campaigns, businesses can boost the recognition of their brand, gain customer loyalty and attract travellers. Moreover, tourism marketing holds promise for contributing to the economic growth of the region by driving tourists towards local enterprises.

The tourism industry is one of the biggest in the world and therefore highly competitive. To succeed, businesses must differentiate themselves from their competitors by promoting and advertising what makes them unique, showcasing why they’re the best option for tourists, and advertising and highlighting any special features that set them apart.

To allow businesses to gain a competitive advantage , marketing is essential. Many of the top tourism marketing approaches concentrate on highlighting a business’ unique selling point and broadcasting it effectively. Moreover, marketers must keep abreast with current trends to generate an effective promotional mix and deploy the most viable methods for disseminating their message across all channels.

Understanding the concept of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing is associated with most businesses, with marketing strategies in the field of tourism.  Today there are many countries in the world, where the tourism industry plays a major role in economic development , enhancing their GDP.

In such cases, tourism and digital marketing become important things. Many of the places are generally the hotspot for tourists like the Taj Mahal in India. Now places like these are considered the perfect areas where one can boost tourism through digital marketing.

The places which are more likely to be the major spots for attracting tourists are the places where tourism marketing flourishes the most. Now tourism marketing is all about applying several marketing techniques and strategies to create and boost the tourism industry of that place.

For successful tourism marketing to take place, the thing that is required the most is that the brands should speak for themselves in such a way that makes sense that their voices can be heard in the targeted markets.  This way they will be able to generate the cleanest successfully. Also, they need to be really careful in providing services to clients.

This is because if the customers are happy with the services chances they will spread the word and this may bring them more customers.  In the case of tourism marketing, it becomes easy to find the right audiences and create content to draw the attention of the targeted customers to the website by providing encouraging content.  Thus strategic planning , content marketing, and branding is the key to effective tourism marketing.

With it being carried out by keeping these two points in mind, chances are that the company that is involved in tourism marketing will be able to gain the advantage over their existing customers in no time and become a monopoly in the tourism industry.

What are the different ways in which Tourism Marketing Can Be Done in 2023?

Now various methods are applied for tourism marketing to flourish.  Below are some of the important ways in which the tourism marking of any place is given a boost.

1) Location marketing

In this type of marketing strategy , the main focus of tourism marketing is one bringing people’s attention to a specific location. In this strategy , no recommendations are made with respect to a particular site or any accommodation. Now some locations are already so popular all over the world that tourism marketers don’t have to make many efforts to attract their attention to such places.

All they need to do to attract customers is remind them of such locations and chances are that the consumer can easily get convinced to spend money and visit any such place. For example, Las Vegas is popular for its undying charm and full of life kind of prospects.

Now there s also a popular slogan related to Las Vegas which is ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’. This slogan has gained worldwide popularity and almost everyone wants to visit Las Vegas at least once.

So here the tourism marketers have to simply remind people of how amazing this city is and what are the different ways in which they can have the time of their lives here. Another example that can be taken in Florida.

They use a more ‘benefit-oriented’ approach. Their slogan and website are ‘The Sunshine State’.  This way they are presenting their state with a joyous and charming climate and as a perfect place for beach and football lovers.  Also with their slogan and website, they are successfully able to present their state as an ideal ‘summer vacation’ destination and are definitely a dream for many to visit this place.

Thus location marketing is one of the simplest forms of tourism marketing in which without even putting much effort, with the brand value and the popularity of some specific location, the customers can be attracted.

2) Activity marketing

Now, this type of tourism is carried out keeping in mind both the location and the activities that are performed in such places.  This type of tourism marketing strategy usually keeps in mind travelers who are adventure lovers or activity freaks.

There are many other sites and locations all over the world that are famous for some specific activities. Like Alaska is famous for snowboarding, Yellowstone national park is famous for thrilling activities like hiking, and camping and is a perfect place for all nature lovers, similarly, there is ‘Colonial Williamsburg’ which attracts all history lovers.

Thus depending on the target audience and the type of activity that a particular place is famous for, tourism marketing can be carried out. Some people may be adventure lovers, some people may be looking for art and culture some people love hunting, depending upon their area of expertise and interest, the tourism markers can segment the groups of potential visitors and customers and approach them.

Thus activity marketing is a form of tourism making and social media marketing that emphasizes the booking process and bringing the attention of a customer to particular places on the basis of the activities that are performed there.

3) Corporate marketing

This is quite an interesting approach to tourism marketing. Now it has been found that a large number of people working in corporate sectors have to travel to different places to attend a conference or a meeting.

Then according to research, it was found these locations were ideal for tourists, and a number of people came to attend those places. Also, they brought their families and their loved ones as well. Now considering these scenarios’ latest trends in mind, corporate influencer marketing can contribute a lot to tourism marketing as it has significant potential.

Here the tourism marketers take advantage of the fact that by planning the business meeting in touristy places, people come in large numbers thus they can make a lot of profit out of it.

What are the four basic pillars of Tourism Marketing?

The foundation of tourism marketing stands firmly on four of its important pillars which are the product , the price, the place, email marketing, and the promotion.

Let us understand each of these separately as to how they contribute to tourism marketing!

Marketing Mix of Tourism

1) product in tourism marketing.

One of the most important aspects of the tourism marketing strategy is to determine the effect of the selling benefits and the other types of benefits that are re-obtained by competing with their rivals in the same market .

Tourism marketers need to focus more on such destinations that provide both business advantages to travel brands and pleasure to their customers. These pleasures depend on several factors like the ease of traveling, facilities of the sites and the hotels, the nightlife of that place, activities offered, and the overall culture of that place.

Thus by considering these factors, tourism marketers will understand the areas that have to focus more on, so that marketing can be done effectively.

2) Price in Tourism Marketing

The price point is yet another important aspect of tourism marketing. Now many people avoid traveling due to money-related issues.  And this is where tourism marketing comes in to save the day.  Today so many mobile apps have been developed, on which if a person books a hotel r a transport like a flight or a train, they get discounts. This attracts a lot of customers.

Along with the free referral marketing, they also try to give value-added services to their customers. Some hotels also offer free shuttle services to their visitors. Also depending on whether it is a high season or an offseason, the prices are altered.  

3) Place in Tourism Marketing

Now for tourism marketing to earn a profit, deciding the location where they want to perform the marketing can play a key role in how far they can go. The place refers to the area where the products and services can be distributed.

Now in tourism and destination marketing, the location and the destination marketers offer their products and services to their customers through travel agents, tour operators, inside sales teas, etc.  The distribution of their products and services to visitors can be done through catalogs, online, sites, mobile devices, websites, stores, etc.

4) Promotion

In this numerous different strategies and technologies are used for the promotion of any specific area or tourist destination.  In fact, trade magazines and meeting planners are also efficient ways for promotion purposes.

These often come with many other forms of discount coupons, brochures, etc. also they try their target customers to come across the ads that pop up on the website to make them aware of the various tourist places.

15 Tourism Marketing Strategies in 2023

1. prioritising hygiene and safety via marketing communication.

Tourism marketers must now prioritize safety and hygiene to give their customers peace of mind when they travel. By highlighting the protocols that are being taken, tourists can rest assured knowing they will be protected while visiting.

2. Developing Loyalty Programmes

Loyalty programs are the ideal way to demonstrate your appreciation for existing customers and stimulate repeated patronage. Tourism marketers should construct loyalty programs that will not only retain existing customers but also appeal to fresh audiences.

3. Capitalising on Voice Search

In the age of voice search, it is essential for tourism marketers to create content that can be quickly found and accessed. Optimizing your site and content for this new technology will bolster your site for visibility and success in the long term.

4. Facilitating User-Generated Content

User-generated content, such as ratings and reviews on social media, is critical in helping customers make informed decisions. User-generated social media content is one of the key tourism marketing trends.

5. Deploying Artificial Intelligence:

AI technology is a valuable asset for Tourism marketers, allowing them to track customer behavior and create personalized brand experiences tailored to each individual. This can help customers find the brand information they need quicker and more easily than ever before.

6. Not Neglect Review Marketing

Reviews and ratings are a critical resource for Tourism companies, making them an invaluable asset in swaying potential customer decisions. Any Tourism marketer must recognize the importance of reviews if they wish to stay competitive.

7. Enhancing the Guest Experience & Satisfaction Through Chatbots

Chatbots can be a vital tool in creating an effortless, tailored experience for all customers. Chatbot technology should be a top priority for the hospitality and tourism industry to provide quick customer service and support, as well as respond promptly to any inquiries.

8. Investing in Remarketing Efforts

Maximizing your Tourism business’ potential by tapping into already engaged customers is a surefire way of increasing sales. Leverage the power of remarketing to maximize your potential and gain more qualified leads.

9. Utilising Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality provides the ideal platform for tourism businesses to build mesmerizing and unforgettable experiences for their customers.

10. Prioritising Personalisation

Customization is a crucial element of this form of marketing. By personalizing content and messages to the target audience’s wants and needs, Tourism marketers can engineer and create an experience that will ensure positive word-of-mouth publicity for their business or brand.

11. Exploring Metaverse

The metaverse is becoming more and more popular with tourism companies, as it allows them to give their customers an unparalleled, immersive experience.

12. Using NFTs

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are quickly becoming a widely recognized trend. Tourism companies can harness this technology to propel their marketing campaigns and draw in more visitors.

13. Promoting Virtual Reality (VR) Tours

Allow your customers to explore new destinations without even having to leave their homes – with VR tours, the possibilities are endless!

14. Focusing on the Customer Experience

Crafting an exceptional customer experience should be the primary focus of any Tourism promotional strategy . Optimizing customer experiences on all marketing channels is crucial.

15. Embracing content and influencer marketing

Content and influencer marketing are essential building blocks of any successful tourism strategy. It helps in optimizing the presence of a travel business in the search engine.

Thus, tourism and travel agency marketing are one of the branches of marketing that deal with the tourism and travel industry only.

It is essential to carry out efficient tourism marketing, as one can make a lot of money through this because there are so many people in this world who love traveling, and this can help the tourism marketing industry to flourish their business.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Marketing

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About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

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This was a great article! Now I’m interested in a career in tourism marketing. How do I start? I already write travel content/copywriting blogs for an agency. Where would I go from there?

this article really helped me in conducting research on tourism. Thank you very much

This article helped me alot on my academic research

Hello,the article is highly assisting and I am seriously having interest in studying Tourism Marketing.

This information was very helpful

hey! This is a good and interesting article about tourism marketing. I am a second degree student in tourism business administration,the program is all about tourism as a business perspective.if you can possible,please post such relevant articles via email address that i have attached below the space provided.

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Abu Dhabi’s $10 Billion Plan For Tourism

Josh Corder , Skift

April 5th, 2024 at 8:17 AM EDT

The capital of the UAE wants to supercharge its tourism sector.

Josh Corder

The capital of the United Arab Emirates has unveiled a new grand plan for tourism, with $10 billion worth of investment into the sector, almost 200,000 new jobs, and the promise of new streamlined visa processes.

Abu Dhabi serves as the administrative center of the UAE and holds most of the nation’s oil reserves. Nearby emirate Dubai is much better known for its tourism sector and brought in more than 17 million international visitors last year.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 has the following goals by the end of the decade:

• Create 178,000 new tourism-related jobs.
• Double international overnight visitors from 3.8 million in 2023 to 7.2 million.
• Increase the number of hotel rooms from hotel room 34,000 in 2023 to 52,000.
• Increase countrywide GDP contribution from $13.3 billion in 2023 to $24.5 billion.

How Will Abu Dhabi Achieve This?

As is the way in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi is throwing money at the situation. DCT – Abu Dhabi chairman Mohamed Al Mubarak estimates the capital will spend $10 billion between now and 2030 on new tourism infrastructure.

He told local newspaper The National : “[When it comes to] infrastructure, in terms of museums, theme parks and hospitality, [with] the private sector playing a significant role, we are hovering at over $10 billion of investment from now to 2030.”

The chairman said another $1 billion is to go to marketing efforts between now and 2030.

Beyond the massive investment, the department hasn’t laid out timelines for its 2030 plan. Rather, it shared 26 “key initiatives” it needs to focus on. These initiatives aren’t named but are grouped into four pillars:

Offerings and City Activation

Promotion and marketing, infrastructure and mobility, visa, licensing, and regulations.

The first pillar surrounds the building of additional cultural sites, theme parks, retails offerings and new hotel chains.

DCT – Abu Dhabi will also more than double its promotion and marketing efforts, expanding its international reach from 11 to 26 markets. It will also establish global partnerships with media outlets and well-known brands for collaborations.

The strategy’s infrastructure and mobility pillar will increase hotel room availability, including accessible and luxury options, glamping, and farm stays. This pillar also stipulates boosting airlift and the aviation sector.

In November 2023, Abu Dhabi’s new Terminal A opened.

Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Terminal A  brings a major increase in capacity for the emirate’s commercial aviation sector, more than doubling the current passenger capacity, with the new facilities being able to process up to 45 million travelers annually. 

At triple the size of the previous terminals, Terminal A will handle 79 planes simultaneously and 11,000 passengers per hour.

Lastly, both visitor experience and tourism business operations will be enhanced with new visa, licensing and regulation processes.

What Does Abu Dhabi Currently Have?

Abu Dhabi has built itself up as a cultural alternative to Dubai, investing heavily in museums and religious sites. It is home to its own Louvre museum (affiliated with the famed Paris institution); Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; and is building its own Guggenheim Museum as well.

The city is also big on sporting events, similar to Saudi Arabia’s recent focus on boxing, football and wrestling. Abu Dhabi has its own Formula 1 track which wraps around a five-star hotel operated by Marriott. It also has a Ferrari-themed amusement park and continuously hosts UFC events on Yas Island.

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Tags: abu dhabi , Tourism news , travel news , uae

Photo credit: The lobby at Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island, a luxury, All-inclusive resort on the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi. Source: Ennismore.

Watch CBS News

The solar eclipse could deliver a $6 billion economic boom: "The whole community is sold out"

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Alain Sherter

April 6, 2024 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Steve Wright said he first heard about the total eclipse on April 8 four years ago, when a visitor booked the first room for the event at Vermont's Jay Peak Resort. Wright, the resort's general manager, said he soon started hearing rumblings from other ski areas. 

"They said, 'The hype is real'," he recalled, adding that he's never seen anything quite like the visitor excitement over the eclipse.

That early prediction turned out to be prescient, with Wright noting that all of Jay Peak's 900 rooms have been fully booked for April 7 — at a cost of about $500 per night — for a year and a half. By comparison, the resort had roughly 80 bookings on the same day last year. Roughly 800 rooms are booked for April 8, the day of the eclipse. 

Indeed, tourists are getting into the spirit of the rare celestial event, a major boon for local businesses across the eclipse's direct path. 

One couple is getting married at the 4,000 summit of Jay Peak during the eclipse, while the resort will have a Pink Floyd cover band paying "The Dark Side of the Moon" at the base. And with more than a foot of snow forecast to arrive just ahead of the eclipse, skiers are also likely to hit the slopes as the moon and the sun align. 

Wright said he expects his resort to book as much revenue over the April 5-8 weekend as it typically would during the entire month of April. 

"It has been well advertised that we're at the end of the path of totality and we will have the best look at the eclipse, at over three and a half minutes," he told CBS MoneyWatch, adding the event is giving a boost not just to Jay Peak, but to the entire region, a rural part of Vermont that is known for scenic farms and ski areas. "The whole community is sold out."

The total solar eclipse isn't just throwing shade across the dozen states in line for the astronomical event — it's also shining an economic bonanza on states from Texas to Vermont. The eclipse could bring a financial boost of as much as $6 billion, thanks to increased spending on hotels, restaurants and travel, according to an estimate from the Perryman Group, an economic analysis firm. 

"It is amazing how much this has captured the imagination," Ray Perryman, an economist and CEO of the Perryman Group, told CBS MoneyWatch. "It'll be concentrated in a short period of time, but it does give these cities an opportunity to show themselves off, including the smaller cities."

The eclipse is likely to jolt local economies partly because of its timing, Perryman noted. Americans have returned to their pre-pandemic travel habits, while the event is occurring in spring, when people are more likely to want to travel than in winter. 

"There's also the fact that we won't have another eclipse like this for many years," he said.

Tthe next total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. won't occur until 2045, according to NASA.

"It's not only a scientific phenomenon, but an emotional one as well," Dan Schneiderman, the eclipse partnership coordinator at the Rochester Museum of Science, told CBS News. 

Bill Nye and Dark Side Stout

April 8 will bring viewing parties across cities both large and small that lie in the eclipse's path. Events range from the Eclipse-O-Rama 2024 with science expert Bill Nye in Fredericksburg, Texas, at $325 per ticket, to a NASA-sponsored gathering  at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (a more budget-conscious $20 per ticket.)

Companies also are issuing special commemorative items to draw people to their viewing parties, such as Rohrback Brewing Co. in Rochester, New York (a city in the path of the totality), which is making the Rohrbach Totality Black Lager. Switchback Brewery in Burlington, Vermont — another city that will witness the totality — will release Dark Side Stout for attendees at its April 8 event. 

"It's a great opportunity to market our city, and as a place where people might want to live one day,"  Malik Evans, the mayor of Rochester, New York, a Rust Belt city whose fortunes have drifted as once powerful manufacturing companies like Xerox and Eastman Kodak declined, told CBS News. 

Texas is forecast to enjoy the biggest economic gains at about $1.4 billion, according to Perryman's estimates. He said that's partly due to Texas' large population and to the number of big cities, like Austin and Dallas, that are in the path of the totality. 

Vermont, whose population of 650,000 makes it the second-smallest state in the nation, is expecting as many as 200,000 people to come to the state to witness the eclipse, CBS Boston reported . Its economic boost could reach $230 million, one of the smaller financial impacts for the states in the path of the eclipse, Perryman projected. Still, it's a significant bump for a state with annual GDP of about $43 billion. 

How much do solar eclipse glasses cost?

Americans are also spending on gear to properly watch the eclipse because gazing at the event without eye protection can permanently damage your vision. Sunglasses don't offer enough shielding to prevent harm to your eyes, either. 

Instead, people should buy solar eclipse glasses that have been approved by the American Astronomical Society and adhere to the ISO 12312-2 standard. A six-pack of glasses with this standard can be found at Amazon for about $16, or less than $3 a pair. 

But consumers can also pick up eclipse glasses as promotions at various retailers . For instance, Sonic Drive-In is now selling a Blackout Slush Float, with each purchase of the celestial-inspired drink coming with a free pair of eclipse viewing glasses. Eyeglass company Warby Parker is also giving away eclipse-viewing glasses through April 8. 

Even though the totality itself will only last a few minutes on April 8, businesses could get a boost all weekend, Perryman noted.

"It's almost a like a concert that causes people to come into town, but they might do other things and see other things," he noted. "I'm intrigued by the benefit for the small towns."

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

More from CBS News

Couple gets engaged on flight to see total solar eclipse

Bill Nye shares tips for eclipse: "Be in the moment"

Inflation is sticking around. Here's what that means for your money.

What the new inflation report mean for mortgages

Maine eclipse tourism exceeded expectations

T he total eclipse brought an influx of visitors to Maine, but how many? Initial numbers indicate that eclipse tourism likely exceeded expectations.

Maine Dept. of Transportation is estimating that around 15,000 vehicles drove in from out of state to view the eclipse, bringing thousands of visitors to Maine in a typically quiet shoulder season.

"It was it was a record-breaking day on all accounts," said Sugarloaf director of marketing Jessica Sechler.

On a perfect ski day, Sugarloaf usually draws between 6,000 to 7,000 skiers; the eclipse brought in around 10,000. After a difficult year, with low snow totals, flooding, and power outages, businesses like Sugarloaf were able to recoup some of their losses.

"It was a mediocre winter, let's just say that," said Sechler. "Throwing the eclipse in there as an extra added event was certainly something that helped boost our season."

Rangely is reporting first estimates of roughly 20,000 visitors; the greater Greenville area is estimating 30,000. At the Greenville Municipal Airport, the town sold an unprecedented $11,000 worth of jet fuel in one day.

"It looks like we may have exceeded expectations," said Maine Tourism Association director of tourism Jane Anderson.

The Great American Eclipse predicted up to 27,000 tourists in Maine, but clear skies help inspired some people to change their plans.

The economic impacts could be lasting. For some first-time visitors, a quick trip could inspire repeat business.

"We talked to a lot of visitors as they were coming into the state, many of them were first-time visitors to Maine," said Anderson. "We're hoping that we were able to give them enough information about Maine and that they were able to see enough of Maine to inspire them to come back again on a longer vacation where they can, where they can really experience more."

Over the coming weeks, we should get a sense of just how much these visitors spent at local businesses.

TOP STORIES FROM WMTW:

Special edition Stanley tumblers are selling out, but these are still in stock

READ THE FULL STORY: Maine eclipse tourism exceeded expectations

CHECK OUT WMTW: Stay informed with the latest Portland news and weather from the team at WMTW. Browse the newest Portland, Maine, news stories and stay in the know.

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