"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams" isn't just a catch phrase from an 80s TV show. It can be a new aspect of your business, beginning with the sailboat tour reservation software. Upscale marketing of your tour can lead to additional bookings, new revenue, and it is easier than you may think. This post shows how to keep the "blue collar" sailboat tour schedule you have now and add a lucrative upscale tour.
Niche Appeal
A sailboat tour may already be very popular with the long tail of big groups and everyday folks, but there is another, more specialized, market tour operators should consider. Just as valid of an approach as marketing to the long tail is so-called niche marketing.
As defined by Wikipedia, niche marketing is:
The subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing. So the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact. It is also a small market segment...in practice referred to only as mainstream or of high demand. Narrower demographics lead to elevated prices due to the same principle.
In San Diego California, a yacht charter company has made maximum use of niche marketing for boat tours (video above). The San Diego Boat Tours website lists several options for an upscale outing on the water, most notably a “tailored experience” that includes captain and crew in dress uniforms and a personal concierge. The company even goes so far as to offer reservations on a “mega-yacht", possibly the most niche of niche markets.
One doesn't need to have a fleet of mega yachts to expand service to the high-end market. The experience merely needs to feel exclusive and tailored. The same tried and true vessel that serves 30 people at a time can also serve just two. More importantly, the revenue from a thirty person guest roster can be matched, and exceeded, by a well marketed upscale charter for two people on their honeymoon.
Offering a new tour for the upscale market can simply be a matter of rented dress uniforms, a case or two of fine wine, and a quick phone call to high end hotels and spas. Many hotels and spas operate as all-inclusive experiences, but find it impractical to buy a sailboat and offer tours in-house. Solving this conundrum is a matter of a business-to-business (B2B) agreement between an established sailboat tour and the five-star, waterfront hotel.
Wind In Your Sale
Even without a B2B agreement with a high-end hotel, you can market your sailboat tour to the jet set using one of the numerous third party services available.
One such service is Charter World, a leader in connecting upscale clients with available sailing tours. Charter World operates around the globe and prides itself with helping established sailboat and motor yacht tour companies widen their market to include the upscale niche.
Ultimately, you can blend both approaches - B2B agreements and third party marketing services - with the marketing you already perform yourself.
Assuming you are already booking several tours a week for families and large groups, it is not much of an effort to add a new upscale tour. For example, sheppard new visitors on your website to a special area that contains the kind of descriptive language and imagery used by high-end car dealers.
Luxury vehicle brands are stepping up their games, rolling out unprecedented customer service, training staff and reconfiguring showrooms to cater to these buyers. The changes come as luxury sales gain steam with the auto industry's recovery in the United States...There is no question premium customers expect a premium experience.
This level of marketing should be part of your sailboat tour reservation software as well. The established "blue collar" tours remain, but are presented right alongside the new high-end charters, with pricing and availability set for the needs of the different demographics. High-end tour frequency should be much more exclusive, possibly as rare as once a week ("Our romantic, wine tasting tour is limited to four people and runs at sunset every Friday - Make your reservations well in advance!").
Upscale Marketing And Your Sailboat Tour Reservation Software
Not all boat tour reservation systems are the same. In order to appeal to the upscale niche market, you'll need to be able to set special pricing, dates and times. Plus, the software must be able to offer extras and exclusives (wine, overnight accommodations, etc.) as part of a complete tailor package.
ThunderTix's sailboat tour reservation software has the features you need to add new upscale experiences to your established schedule. Our technology makes it easy to tailor the charter reservation for the appropriate demographic, be it big groups of everyday folks or a wealthy couple on a private getaway.
If you are not currently offering advance reservations online, consider what is at stake for out of town visitors. Tourists want reassurances that their plans will not be interrupted at the last minute. That kind of peace of mind comes from booking a tour in advance, online, preferably while they are making all the other reservations associated with their trip. That goes double for an upscale experience, like a new premium experience on your sailboat.