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Understanding the customer journey lets you pitch your business in the right places at the right times. Find your ideal customer and ensure your product is available to book on the channels they are using.
Walk through the journey from inspiration to deciding, planning and booking, looking at the sources and booking channels used before and during the trip. See the key dates when each market begins dreaming of the trip and ensure your business is ready to tempt them.
A customer can be swayed by many factors, including their reasons for a trip, the type of holiday they are seeking, their trip companions, the distance travelled and their knowledge of Scotland. But there are actions you can take to find the right customer for your business.
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5 minute video
Watch this video to understand Scotland’s target markets. Take your time to identify the right audience for your business, and you’ll increase your chances of getting more bookings, and more value from each customer. You can then begin your journey of finding a travel distribution partner to grow your business.
Watch the full travel distribution video series.
Research conducted by VisitBritain and VisitScotland identified three main stages of the customer journey – inspiration, deciding and planning and booking.
The need for a holiday arrives – this could be an annual experience, there could be a special occasion, or it could be a lifelong dream to visit a country. The customer is inspired – by a type of holiday or a specific destination.
They then start researching and decide what country they will visit.
Ultimately, they move into planning and booking their trip.
Such as recommendations by family and friends, and social media by influencers.
Such as books, TV & film, websites and social media.
National tourist boards, advertising campaigns and online travel agents (OTAs).
The research showed that there was a broad combination of resources used during the Inspiration stage, but sources such as online marketplaces that provide reviews and comparisons were used more often.
The customer journey can take place over several months and is not always step by step – a customer can go from inspiration to research to planning, back to research and then get swayed by a new idea. This could cause them to change an earlier decision and pick a different destination or date. This could also mean that they’re using different sources for different parts of the trip - accommodation, experiences, food and drink and transport.
Check out the detailed reports on planning and booking behaviours for more information.
Planning a trip
One factor which affects where a customer goes for information is whether it’s their first visit to Scotland, or if they have been before.
A first-time visitor is obviously less familiar with Scotland and might need more information and advice. They would be more likely to use a travel agent, advisor or tour operator to plan or package their trip.
A repeat visitor to Scotland is likely to know more about Scotland and therefore might be more comfortable making their own choices. Their knowledge about Scotland increases with each visit, so they would be more likely to book directly or browse options on an online marketplace, price comparison or travel agent site.
Visitors from Scotland are more likely to be regular visitors and familiar with the area they are visiting.
Visitors from the rest of the UK can be either new or regular so their knowledge of Scotland can be varied around the UK, they may then need more support to make their choice.
Visitors from Europe, such as Germany, can become loyal and develop their familiarity, meaning they need less advice.
Visitors from the US could be planning the trip of a lifetime to explore their ancestry – and want a package deal booked by an expert.
Learn more about how to reach our key visitor markets.
Around 75% of UK visitors started researching and planning their trip to Scotland within 6 months of travelling, with one third doing so 3 to 6 months in advance.
Scottish residents are more likely to plan within a month of travel (30%) than visitors from the rest of the UK (13%).
Over 40% of UK visitors reported that they booked their trip within 2 months of travel, with almost one in ten travelling without a booking.
The planning of the trip and the actual booking tended to happen very close together for UK visitors, with less than a 4-week gap.
Most European visitors (7 in 10) started planning their trip in the 6 months before they travelled, with the largest proportion doing so 3 to 6 months in advance. On average, visitors started planning their trip 24.9 weeks in advance of travel.
Amongst those who booked in advance, the average time for booking was 15.5 weeks before travel.
On average, European visitors started planning their trip 24.9 weeks in advance and booked 15.5 weeks in advance of travel (a 9.4-week gap).
Most long-haul visitors (6 in 10) started planning their trip more than 6 months before they travelled, with almost 3 in 10 saying their planning started more than a year in advance. Visitors from the USA, Canada and Australasia all started planning their trip a very similar amount of time in advance.
Long haul visitors saw the longest lead times in both planning and booking, as well as having the longest time lag between planning the trip and booking. On average, visitors started planning their trip 43 weeks in advance and booked 25 weeks in advance of travel (an 18-week gap between the start of the planning process and making bookings).
If trying to encourage potential customers to consider your product during the planning stage, then consider how far they are looking in advance. For example, it might be late winter for you, but for them they are thinking about a late summer trip, when the nights are still long, and they can fit a lot into a day.
If looking to increase last-minute bookings, target the markets most likely to book within a month of travel or reach customers who are happy to book while on the trip.
But think about how they would find you? Is your business available through a travel distribution partner? Are you listed on partner websites?
Lastly, make sure your booking experience is seamless – customers looking to book something on the same day do not have time to click through multiple pages or wait for something to load.
Laggan Locks
We know that first-time visitors and those from further afield will consult more sources of information to help them plan and book, whereas regular visitors and those closer to home don’t need as much information.
But where do they tend to get their information?
The main categories include:
Create opportunities for your customers to take photography and video that can record authentic moments for them and inspire their friends and family. Consider the interior of your business – is there anywhere that would provide an interesting background, such as a reception room or bar, or is there something eye-catching on the wall such as an image of a nearby landscape? If not, can you create something especially for a background? Think about opportunities to include a subtle brand of your business name or logo.
Take photographs for customers – if you run an experience, such as active and outdoor, is there an opportunity to take photographs for customers? This could be as simple as a tour guide setting aside time to take photographs of the group if requested, or your business taking photographs of people during the experience and offering them for sale at the end. (Please check and include this in your information packs and terms and conditions.)
Although they may not be personal recommendations, it can also help to ensure you have several positive reviews about your business. Encourage your customers to leave a review – make it easy for them to know where to leave this review, perhaps including this information on a follow up email or on their final bill or receipt.
If they do take the time to leave a review, remember to respond politely to all reviews and take any feedback onboard.
Check out our tips on customer feedback.
Think about where your business is listed online. You should have your own website, but can you also consider setting up a listing on partner websites including VisitScotland.com, your DMO, your sector website, and Google? You may also want to consider working with a travel distribution partner, such as a tour operator or OTA.
Having a listing will not work unless you keep it up-to-date and engaging. Think about refreshing images whenever possible, ensure it covers the most unique elements of your products, and make sure any copy is written in simple language and proofed for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
Does your business or your local area have any connections to film, TV or books? If you’re an accommodation provider, consider listing nearby locations with connections for a day trip, or link to some of the assets available on visitscotland.com.
This may also be an opportunity to mention historical connections that have inspired more well-known stories.
Check out our video on all of the ways a customer might find your business.
There are several factors which can impact on how a customer chooses to book their trip, including their familiarity with Scotland. A number of channels can be used for bookings and there are differences in bookings that are completed before the trip and during the trip.
Customers use a variety of options to make their bookings – directly and through a partner.
For direct bookings, you need to increase the visibility of your business by optimising your digital channels using search engine optimisation and user experience improvements, and check if there are any other opportunities to list your business with Google, Tripadvisor and on DMO and sector websites.
Read more about promoting your business on digital channels.
Taking bookings through a partner such as a tour operator or OTA can bring many benefits such as creating a bigger ‘shop window’, helping you reach new markets and a higher value of customer, as well as meaning you need to factor in a commission or trade rate for your product to the price.
Read about how to sell your product through a travel distribution partner.
