Hilton Head, South Carolina is one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a magnet for thousands of visitors each year who come to view its sandy beaches and spacious golf courses. As a tourist haven, the city is also attractive for travel agencies. A new travel agency has to break into an area with decades of tourist attractions and experienced travel agents. But there are ways to break through and form a niche for a new travel agency.
Emphasize history
Hilton Head is an island full of rich history. It has a number of historic buildings and sites that travel agencies could emphasize. The island has had evidence of English settlement for the past three centuries. There are numerous trails, buildings, and ruins that show these three centuries of history. An upstart travel agency could emphasize these aspects and place historical monuments on their tours. Colby Burke Hilton Head recommends that they could specifically devote time to the Stoney-Baynard Plantation or the Civil War-era Fort Howell.
Plan excursions
A Hilton Head travel agency can certainly use travel excursions to stand out from the rest of the island’s travel agencies. Planned excursions are helpful because they do not require the kinds of connections and relationships that experienced travel agents have. Individuals have the ability to use their own creativity and research in order to ensure that they have the most attractive planned days possible. They can receive feedback from their earliest customers and tweak the aspects of their excursions to suit the needs of their customers. The perfect excursion can lead to a company crafting a niche and competing with agencies that may have lucrative hotel and resort discounts.
De-emphasize golf and the beach
New travel agencies in Hilton Head should offer deals and trips to golf courses and beaches. They are the two most important reasons that individuals come to Hilton Head and they have to be acknowledged. However, a new travel agency should not attempt to compete on the same level with travel agencies that specialize in golf courses and beach resorts. These are the areas with the largest amount of competitors. A new upstart may have to go against companies that can offer thousand-dollar discounts on large vacations and vacation parties.
Golf courses and the beach are simply too well-known and publicized to allow new competitors to enter the market. Companies need to respond by exploring different attractions and emphasizing other approaches to a trip to Hilton Head that are not the purview of other agencies. At the same time, Colby Burke Hilton Head argues that they need to offer some accommodations and the possibility for a golf vacation for those individuals who want to engage in such activities.
Conclusion
A new Hilton Head travel agency may seem like a daunting business task. The new business will have immediate competition from many sides. The owners of the travel agency need to spend thousands of hours researching and building up their company. If they work smart and focus on the right areas, however, there is a strong chance that they will be able to make a success out of their travel agency business.