LBF Online Event - Tourism Trends – Are you embracing changing consumer behaviour and future-proofing your business?

When consumers adopted new lifestyles to cater to the isolated pandemic world around them, many of these new behaviours stuck. Marketing to these consumers is no longer the same as it was, but are we doing enough to keep up?

Do guests and visitors still hold the same opinions, tendencies and values that they did in 2019? Are we able to communicate with them through the same channels?

Leading trends expert Simon Jones of Navigate will outline the key tourism trends that we need to be aware of for the success of our businesses in the future. Following on from this will be a series of short sessions from industry experts on how to embrace some of those trends and reach customers in the most effective way.

Target audience
This event is aimed at those involved in the management and marketing of local tourism businesses in both the leisure and business tourism sectors. These tourism sectors include sports,art and culture, heritage, indoor and outdoor visitor attractions, food and drink, hotels and other accommodation providers, conference centres, transport providers as well as the public sector and charitable trusts.

Benefits of attending
This event will:
• Help identify future trends in tourism and hospitality to enable businesses to prepare for, and embrace, them.
• Equip tourism businesses with the knowledge and awareness to improve their digital sales and marketing.
• Support businesses to future proof their operations by adopting sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint, save costs and offer authentic local experiences to their customers

Speakers:

• Mike Denby – Director of Inward Investment & Place Marketing, Place Marketing Team (Facilitator)
• Simon Jones – Navigate
• Ross Tarbard and Jon Chambers – Visit Leicester.
• Rebecca Armstrong - the Travel Foundation

Agenda:

• 10:25 Welcome – Mike Denby, Place Marketing Team, Leicester & Leicestershire
• 10: 35 Simon Jones, Navigate – Top Tourism Trends • Find out what the top tourism trends will be for 2024 (and beyond) and how they might affect your business in the future.
  • Q&A
• 11:00 Ross Tarbard and Jon Chambers, Visit Leicester – Digital is in our DNA - How do you communicate effectively with consumers that are immersed in a digital world, as part of their homes and even their way of socialising, who want everything immediately and make lifestyle choices through YouTube or Instagram? Find out how to boost sales through online bookability, learn how to work effectively with social media influencers to boost your profile, make your event listings more visible and make your website work harder to attract new customers.
  • Q&A
• 11:30 Rebecca Armstrong, the Travel Foundation – How sustainability can help you future proof your business – Visitors are increasingly looking for local, authentic experiences when they travel, including discovering new places to explore closer to home. Consumer research by major booking platforms has found that travellers are keen to know that their holiday choices benefit local communities and the environment. This practical session will share more on the growing consumer demand for 'better impact' products and services and help you strengthen and future-proof your business, reduce your carbon footprint, save costs, address challenges and maximise opportunities.
  • Q&A