We know very well that for all camping villages there are some weeks that will not reach 100% occupancy due to accommodation. Some periods, such as the first two weeks of June for example, historically remain more discharged despite the actions that can be implemented. How to do then to increase turnover even in these periods? To increase the volume of revenues even in the low season, we always recommend focusing on Up Selling and Cross Selling strategies. That is: proposing improved / additional services to the stay already booked by tourists. Even in the high season, when the Camping Village is fully occupied, these strategies prove to be surprisingly effective: they are the only weapon you can put in place to increase the average receipt for equal attendance.
What is the difference between Up Selling and Cross Selling?
To refresh our memory, let’s repeat the meaning:
- Upselling: proposing a more expensive service/product than the one requested by the customer. For example a larger accommodation or a pitch with more services, or in a better position.
- Cross Selling: proposing services/products complementary to the one requested by the customer. For example packages with meals included, excursions or extra services.
But what are the Up Selling and Cross selling services to be offered to the customer? Let’s see them together.
Services to be proposed for Up Selling and Cross Selling in the camping village
A superior category accommodation
Before arriving at the facility or directly at check-in, we recommend suggesting a higher category accommodation to guests. By describing the characteristics of the booked accommodation, it is possible to propose a larger accommodation or pitch or one closer to the sea, highlighting its advantages and peculiarities. This can stimulate the customer to spend a little more to make their stay more comfortable.
A longer stay
It often happens that customers ask what time they have to leave the pitch or accommodation. If there is no need to free the workstation during the day, it is possible to take advantage of this opportunity to propose a supplement for the Late Check out. Customers generally appreciate this possibility, which allows them to relax for a few more hours, have a leisurely lunch and enjoy the last hours of sunshine before returning.
Extra meals
Breakfasts, lunches, aperitifs… are all extras that can be added to the holiday package. These are services that most of the hotel’s customers use anyway, so why leave them to chance?
It is possible to offer meal packages to be purchased before the stay or directly on site, special menus by reservation, free aperitifs with the purchase of other meals. All the proposals contribute to increase the turnover and the average receipt of the structure, with equal presences.
These are just some examples, obviously each camping village has its own peculiarities and can focus on different services, developing a specific strategy.
When to offer Up Selling and Cross Selling services?
Statistically, the best time to offer Up and Cross Selling services is the period from the booking confirmation to arrival at the facility. It is the moment in which the tourist is looking forward to his dreamed vacation, he can’t wait to enjoy the well-deserved relaxation, and on the other hand he is calm because he has already booked. After all, he can only consider improving his stay. In this period, especially if the booking window is large, tourists are more inclined to evaluate solutions that can enrich their holiday. It is up to the Camping Village to organize itself accordingly and create a strategy that can propose and stimulate the right levers.
Before arriving at the facility
Already in the booking confirmation email there is a first Cross Selling opportunity. In addition to sending the usual booking details, it is advisable to include some pluses in the upsell that the customer can appreciate, such as meal packages, excursions, extra cleaning, increasing the value of the purchase.
The best way to automate the process of purchasing these services is to use a CRM, such as Mr PRENO, which allows you to automatically send a pre-stay email (in the weeks prior to arrival at the facility) in which to insert extra services that can enrich the holiday.
During the stay
Even during the stay it is possible to implement Cross Selling strategies. Already at the time of check-in, by putting procedures into practice, customers can be offered extra services to purchase. Reception staff can show arriving customers the various possibilities and give them information material or coupons to use during their stay in order to stimulate cross-selling purchases.
Then there are technologies that can help in communicating with customers during their stay. This is the case with Wi-Fi: there are Wi-Fi systems that can send notifications to those who connect or show specific landing pages when the browser is opened. It goes without saying that all these opportunities must be fully exploited by proposing extra services such as excursions, meals, aperitifs, wellness treatments and everything that the specific structure is able to offer and what is best to offer at that moment.
As we have seen, the possibilities of increasing revenue for the same number of visitors are different and each camping village, after having done everything it can to attract more customers, can implement its own specific strategy to increase its average receipt.
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