10 Ways Canadian Tourism Business Owners Should Make The Most Of Self Isolation

COVID-19 and the Canadian Tourism Industry

“If you build it, they will come” I so love that line from Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams.”

Here are 10 ways Canadian tourism business owners should make the best of a bad situation. We are all facing challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, your business is paying a big price during the Corona Virus. Yes, there is a new tourism reality around the corner. So what are you going to do about it? Mope around? That is out of the question. Play the pity card? That leads to nowhere. Take action in a bad situation? Now we are talking.

Here you are in lock down, sitting in your home, being a good Canadian self isolating. It sucks. We know. Your everyday routines of the past are out the window. Old habits broken, new ones developing. Your brain cannot sit still and at times your nerves are taking a beating. The best thing to do is be productive. Now, is a good time to dive right into your passions of which you do have control. One of which is your tourism business.

Think, Don’t Stink During COVID-19

During my 30 day, ops, make that 31 day self isolation, we are in idea mode. Here at ehCanadaTravel.com we are morphing and twisting with ideas of how to grow, not just stay alive, in this new tourism reality. For one, we started our “EH? Travel Talk Show” from self isolation. Just had our first show on April 7th, 2020. We have influencers (Matthew Bailey), expert guests (Mary Doyle), University Professor (Ken Coates) and one tourism strategist from Australia (Suzanne Cavanaugh) lined up as guests on the show for April. 

10 Ways Canadian Tourism Business Owners Should Make The Most Of Self Isolation

I have put a list together below of 10 ways Canadian tourism business owners should make the most of self isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list below is based on my experiences, and from the conversations I have had with tourism business clients, influencers, speakers and strategist.

1. Clean House

Clear your computer desktop of all those icons. (It will speed up your computer). Organize your emails. Rearrange your office and desk for the new tourism reality coming and landing on your doorstep. When you rearrange, readjust and reorder your self isolation work space, make the room motivate you. It is time to go to war for your business against its biggest enemy you have ever faced – the Corona Virus. Remember this when entering work mode. The Corona Virus wants to take your business down. It is time to fight back.

2. Give your website a make-over.

This can only apply if you have access to make changes to your website. But, if you do, then get at er’ now. The future of tourism is going to be won or lost online. How you look online will mean much more in the future. Travelers are using and accessing the internet more than ever before. They are getting better at it too which includes searching, social media and communicating. Coming out of COVID-19 the internet will be the “go-to” tool for traveling. Your online presence,  post COVID-19,  will pay in spades.

3. Canadian Tourism Business Owners Better Get Social Fast

COVID-19 has pushed social media usage through the roof. Travelers are getting better at it. They are learning more about the features on their social media pages. They are experimenting with features. Many are trying other social media channels and experimenting with them as well. Are you doing all of this for your business? When was the last time you changed your banner? Maybe it is time to use free social media marketing tools like CANVA to start building professional and cool looking Facebook, and Twitter ads, events and banners. Another good idea is to look at scheduling tools for social media like HOOTSUITE. Learn social media. It is going to play a bigger part in influencing traveler decisions post COVID-19.

4. Turn Into Sherlock Google

There is no better time to set yourself up with a targeted news feed coming to your email in-box every day. If you want to be competitive in post tourism post COVID-19 you need to know your markets and be able to learn from others so you can compete in the future. Time to get self educated while self isolating. A good way to embark on this self education process is to start setting up GOOGLE ALERTS. With Google alerts you tell the search engine what you want and they will send you one email a day or week with every piece of content online about it. For instance one alert I have is “Canada Tourism”. Another one you may look at is, “Tourism grants and funding”. 

5. Give Netflix A Rest

It is time to start binge watching some shows which will actually benefit, and just maybe, save your tourism business and your future. Knowledge is power. If you have not enrolled in YOU TUBE-AVERSITY you are not watching the right movies, shows or videos for learning new skills. You Tube is a great source for researching, training and teaching new skills which will help you in formatting your new business goals. What do you want to learn? Do want to be better at graphics? Mail outs? Scheduling? Online communications? Marketing materials? Social media? Content creation? Target marketing? Go to YOU TUBE and start getting a degree in business survival.

6. Buy A New Program Online

You Tube is also a learning tool for everything you need to know about new programs, apps, and platforms. Do you want to do your own search engine optimization? Do you want a better customer relationship management system? How about a program to make your own professional videos? Start a podcast? All can be bought online and downloaded. I said it before and I will say it again. Tourism is going to be won or lost on the internet post COVID-19. There is no better time than now to arm yourself with some new fighting skills.

7. Give Back To Your Community

This is a given. Your community needs you. From self isolation the trick is to figure out how you can give back to your community if you are able? When times are bad, when people are down, is when community spirit is required in all forms.

8. Rewrite Your Business Plan 

Everything you thought you were going to do in the next 3 years… well… chuck it out the window. The playing field has been turned upside down. Now, is the time, when you put into motion all that research you have been doing, the new programs you bought, the training videos and your new fighting skills to work. There is no better time than during self isolation to piece together a new business plan for surviving in a new tourism reality. 

9. Power In Numbers

You know your tourism community well. You have an idea of the skills in your region. COVID-19 is a good time to build your army to fight it. It is time to call in your markers. Contact and connect a group of your fellow tourism businesses and set-up your power group. Set guidelines to your brain storming meetings. Now make big decisions with your new power group. Act as a group in implementing new systems or purchasing new online tourism marketing models.

Take a look at our small and rural community revitalization content marketing and social media program called “Experience Community”. Seriously, do it. This is not a sales pitch. This program is built for this exact moment. It could not have come at a better time. It will be the best decision your group has ever made post COVID. If you do not believe me, ask Tourism Nicola Valley.

10. Think For Yourself

Do not wait for your tourism associations to bail you out. They are in big time flux as well and who knows what they will look like in the future with only a fraction of their funding. They are going to have to be frugal. If the tourism associations come through with some assistance, chalk it up as a welcomed bonus. The fact still remains, post COVID-19 you are on your own. Time to take your business into your own hands. Make new partnerships. Create brainstorming groups. Invest in programs as a group. Just go for it. 

“If you build it, they will come” I so love that line from Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams.

Canadian Tourism Business Owners Unite

COVID-19 and self isolation tourism recovery planning

STAY SAFE – STAY POSITIVE – STAY HOME