Generating Ticket Sales for Tourism Venture - any ideas?

celtictigermrk2

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of launching a tourism-based business, targeted mainly at US, UK and Continental European tourists. Projected age range is 18-55 (Europeans slightly younger, US slightly older).

Part of my sales strategy revolves around online ticket sales, what I'm wondering about is how to capture other sales outlets? E.g. newsagents/convenience stores in high traffic areas, hotels, B&Bs and hostels...

Does anyone know how best to approach these other sales outlets, in that how do I structure the sales( sell them a book of tickets up front or is there other ways?), and what commission would I be looking at having to give away (my list price is €35)?

In the case of hotels and hostels, is there any way to influence and incentivise the front-of-house staff to sell on my behalf?

All thoughts and ideas greatly appreciated, and I'd really love to hear from people who have practical experience in this area too. Cheers!

Lplated

celtictigermrk2 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of launching a tourism-based business, targeted mainly at US, UK and Continental European tourists. Projected age range is 18-55 (Europeans slightly younger, US slightly older).

Part of my sales strategy revolves around online ticket sales, what I'm wondering about is how to capture other sales outlets? E.g. newsagents/convenience stores in high traffic areas, hotels, B&Bs and hostels...

Does anyone know how best to approach these other sales outlets, in that how do I structure the sales( sell them a book of tickets up front or is there other ways?), and what commission would I be looking at having to give away (my list price is €35)?

In the case of hotels and hostels, is there any way to influence and incentivise the front-of-house staff to sell on my behalf?

All thoughts and ideas greatly appreciated, and I'd really love to hear from people who have practical experience in this area too. Cheers!

Curiosity is getting the better of me - i can't figure out what would appeal to both younger Europeans and older Americans.

Most hotels and B&Bs have a display board with 'local attractions', sometimes have leaflets left in rooms etc... - i assume calling round to ask would get you in.

Your query seems to relate to sales rather than marketing - i doubt you'll get money up front from any of those (newsagents, hotels etc), unless you can offer an extraordinary profit % and some kind of guarantee of money return for unsold tickets. Unless your product is the tourist equivalent of lotto tickets, i.e. a 'must have' for certain categories of business, then they're not going to shell out for the privilege of promoting your business.

DubTony

Get in touch with the Postpoint and Paypoint people. If it can be printed out of a terminal or till, this could be a way forward. Retailers like it in general because there's no stock holding involved.

antoinolachtnai

What do the tourist board say?

I suppose you're going to have to get all the people in hotels to try out your product and get them to like it. After that, you're going to have to pay a kickback of some sort.

I don't think shops will stock something if you don't invest in the marketing and promotion for it.

Have you talked to the tourist board?

celtictigermrk2

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I've had a look at paypoint and postpoint, but they don't fit my model, good idea all the same though.

As for the tourists board, well they will probably be of help... eventually. You have to go through a vetting and certification process which will be fine for next year.

I suppose the angle I'm really looking for is from a sales point of view. I know I have to do the marketing with hotels, hotels etc., and its not quite as simple as dropping them in flyers. Most of the decent ones have an agreement with promotional distributors which means you have to go through them (more money, more time). What I really would like to hear, especially from owners/managers of say Centra stores, Spar Express etc., is how would I go about getting them to sell tickets on my behalf (at a local level, without having to negotiate with their head offices), and what commission would they look for?

antoinolachtnai

You really have to work on the approvals from the tourist boards, because they offer the cheapest marketing available by far, as well as having ticket-selling facilities, and because other operators will be reluctant to work with you until you have this.

I wouldn't say the retailers will take you on if you don't have strong marketing. It's really up to each individual retailer what they would be prepared to leave you of the ticket price if they made a sale. I'd say they'd need to be making at least a thousand euros gross profit off your product over the course of the summer for it to be worth their while getting involved with you.