How Should Your Brand Approach a Global Travel Industry Crisis?

When a travel industry crisis like the coronavirus ensues, brands face a serious challenge of protecting their reputation and doing right by their employees and customers. The choices that businesses make publicly during a crisis can have a serious impact on the way their organization is seen going forward.

At DC Trails, our number one priority is always the people that keep our business going; our employees and our valued customers. The following are a few of our recent efforts to uphold the positive brand image that we have built over the years.

Tips for Maintaining a Positive Brand Image During a Travel Industry Crisis

• Ensure health and safety is prioritized

During a crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak, health and safety protocol becomes the main concern of customers and employees alike. It is important to not only protect these parties with effective health and safety procedures, but it is also essential to communicate these efforts to the public in order to encourage confidence in your brand. Unfortunately for DC Trails, this has meant temporarily pausing our operations to ensure the health and safety of travelers.

• Be open to customer feedback

The best way to create positive relations with potential customers is by listening to what they have to say. Spend time reviewing reactions to the crisis on social media and towards similar brands in order to get an idea of what your customers value in a travel company. This will help inform the way that you communicate brand messages to your audience.

• Contribute to combined efforts with similar brands

During a moment of crisis, businesses can often benefit from leaning on each other for support and combining forces to work towards a common goal. For example, during a public health crisis like the coronavirus, many businesses are teaming up to raise money for research funding.

• Mindful marketing

While times of crisis are extremely sensitive and require conscious acknowledgment, this does not mean that your customers have lost interest in your brand. Continuing with positive marketing campaigns can often serve as a respite for those consumed with the present circumstances, and it is important to continue building your business.

Explore our chartered bus tours or learn more about our services by visiting our FAQ page!