Lodge & Tourism Growth Strategies – Super Star Series | Tour Operator Marketing | Lodge Marketing & Tourism Operations | Travel Business Success Podcast #67
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If You Have Been Looking For An Opportunity To Learn About Profitable Tourism Growth Strategies To Use In Your Travel Business From Industry Experts, Then Today Is Your Lucky Day!
Take the time to listen to this episode of Travel Business Success Radio Podcast (Superstar series) with Tourism Tim Warren and a returning guest, Jimmie Jack Drath from Jimmy Jack Fishing in Alaska. Jimmie shares details of his tourism growth strategies of his fishing guide business, how he achieved this success and how you can too. Learn how his passion and consistency in his tour operator business has positively (and profitably) impacted his life, his family and of course, staff.
Jimmie Jack Drath
Are you struggling with figuring out the right way to get your travel business out there in the midst of the pressing competition? Well, you are not alone!
For most tourism businesses devising strong marketing strategies tend to be one of the hardest hurdles to cross. So if you have a guide or fishing lodge business – or any type of tourism business – listen to the podcast. You definitely will learn how Jimmy grew his business to over $1.5 million in sales with brilliant tourism growth strategies, wise travel marketing, even though he began with only one boat, tons of competition and no travel marketing knowledge.
Let’s get to know tourism professional Jimmie!
Jimmie started his fishing guide business in 1995 with a passion for creating great travel fishing lodge packages for different groups of tourists in Alaska who love to fish. Although Jimmie started humbly as most small tourism businesses do, over 13 years Jimmie Jack Fishing grew to owning and running two fishing lodges in Alaska. Although he had his fair share of doubts in the beginning, Jimmie forged ahead. He continued to learn, improve his marketing and seek out expert advice, all which helped him achieved incredible success.
What sets you apart from the competition in your tourism or lodge business?
Having a personalized niche and knowing that your culture and strategies are different from that of others is one way to set your tourism growth strategies apart from the rest. Also, ensuring that this uniqueness is instilled in your tourism marketing strategies.
What knowledge of tourism marketing do you have now that you didn’t have in the past?
You have to spend a reasonable amount on various marketing and advertising strategies to get your name out there and not just depend on a client’s dynamic interest. Since competition keeps growing in the travel business, it would be unwise to avoid investing your resources on marketing.
What top three methods of tourism marketing are increasing your bookings and generating the most leads as far as marketing goes?
Basically Facebook, search engines and of course the mobile-friendly website which 
shows our credibility in the form of testimonials and competence in the fishing lodge business niche. All these factors play a major role in asserting a strong trusting place in our brand in the minds of the new and existing customers. This is called “Social Proof” which Jimmie learned from the Tourism Marketing Success online course.
What is your tourism growth strategies in terms of managing new and existing employees?
The biggest challenge is figuring out your role in the business when expanding and accepting that with growth comes change and you will not be totally in charge of overseeing every little detail of the business. Therefore, with employees in our tourism business operations, it’s trusting the old ones to transmit the existing culture of your tourism business to new employees.
What is your top marketing tip for tourism professionals you have to share?
• Ensure that your credibility as a business is reflected in all your marketing messaging as this is how you build trust in your clientele.
What is your top sales tips do you have for tourism professionals?
• Always ask for the sale in emails and all conversations with potential clients!
Conclusively, the major focus in this podcast is tourism growth strategies for any type of tour, hospitality or travel business, why and how you should focus on different travel marketing strategies to ensure growth in your business. To have a thriving travel or tourism business requires in-depth passion for your tourism business and being in service to others.
