Digital marketing
A tourism operator’s year splits into 2–3 seasons and long quiet stretches. How do you use digital marketing so the booking calendar fills without costing too much?
In brief
- Seasonal advertising has to start 3–4 months before the season begins.
- Instagram and Meta are tourism’s number one channels.
- Booking.com and Airbnb are “channels” that eat 15–25 % of the margin.
- A realistic budget: €500–3,000/month depending on the season.
- Video and Reels work exceptionally well in tourism.
The best channels
Meta advertising
Instagram Reels and the Facebook feed for travel experiences. Video first.
Google Ads
Branded search (“cabin Levi”, “hotel Rovaniemi”) is cheap and productive.
SEO
Long-term visibility for “holiday cabin Lapland”, “spa hotel Finland”. Takes 6+ months.
TripAdvisor and Google Reviews
Reviews are all but essential in tourism.
Timing the season: the critical success factor
Marketing the winter season in Lapland starts in August, not November.
Marketing a summer cabin starts in March or April.
The buying moment is 4–8 weeks before the trip — retargeting has to be timed correctly.
Choosing channels for a small tourism business
Under 50 rooms or 15 cabins: the emphasis on your own brand plus Meta plus SEO.
A large hotel: Booking.com and Airbnb too, but because of the commissions marketing your own brand matters.
An experience service (a husky safari, say): Meta is the only realistic channel on a budget under €3,000/month.
Frequently asked questions
How much advertising during the season?
€500–3,000/month outside the season, €3,000–10,000/month during it.
Are OTA channels (Booking, Airbnb) essential?
No, but for most small operators they bring 20–50 % of bookings. They take 15–25 % of the margin.
How far ahead do you have to prepare for a season?
3–4 months before the season peaks. Meta audiences learn and SEO has time to rank.
Worth a look too
Read these related articles and service pages too:
External sources:
Let us look at your situation together
Book a free 30-minute assessment. We work out what is worth doing for a tourism business in your case.
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