6 quick tips to get higher online visibility for Euro 2024

The 17th edition of the European Football Championship (EURO 2024) is taking place in Germany and kicks off in Munich on Friday 14 June ending with the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July. As a result, Germany will of course be buzzing with excitement, but groups of domestic visitors and international tourists are expected to also be visiting neighboring countries.

In this article, we list 6 powerful strategies and ideas you can use to enhance the online visibility of your attractions business as well as provide some tips for boosting sales in a snap.

Let’s take a quick look at the figures:

• 24 teams 
• 51 matches
• 10 stadiums 
• around 2.7 million tickets sold
• 10 million fans expected in the host cities 

Here’s how providers of tours, activities and attractions will reach thousands of visitors this summer

The summer season usually offers unique opportunities to attract new target groups and increase revenue as many visitors use their holidays to travel, discover new places and experience new things. This summer, especially, is set to break previous sales records for many European TAA operators.

All you have to do is get in the game!

Tip 1: Amuse your customers with themed experiences

In a recent workshop at ITB Berlin 2024, Google revealed that travelers are more willing than ever to try spend money on a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Creating soccer themed experiences is not as hard as you might think. Adding sporting and other thrilling outdoor activities might be a good idea. If your intention is to attract a larger base of international tourists, then you may want to offer your experiences in multiple languages. Engaging your audience and convincing them to click on the “Book now” button is your trump card, and that’s why the experience description should not be left to fate. Here’s a guide on how to write the perfect one.

One important thing that you should evaluate is the availability of resources: recruit enough personnel, provide several audio guides or vehicles or open all the available rooms and locations. 

Tip 2: Sell out your experiences with special promotions

If you want to attract as many visitors as possible this summer, then you might want to think about designing a sales promotion strategy that targets different markets and creates interest in your offering. 

From special promotions and discounts aimed at different target groups (families, young people, and children) to flash sales (e.g. 2×1, 20% discount, etc.), the possibilities are endless. One important aspect to consider is the duration of the promotion: it can either be short-term (“Offer ends 20 June 2024”) or event based. 

Tip 3: Increase your conversion rate with a compelling user experience

First things first: your website needs a clear goal, i.e. convincing the user to buy your experience and complete the booking on your channel. 

Design your website so it looks professional, easy to navigate, fast and consistent with your brand identity: pay attention to layout, images, typography, broken links, and load time, just to name a few. Make your contact information clear: physical address, phone number, and email address. If possible, consider adding live chat support: people love to be able to get answers right away. 

When it comes to the checkout, provide multiple payment options (credit cards, on site payment, bank transfers), ask to fill as few fields as possible, and do not force users to sign up to make a purchase.

Tip 4: Appear first in local searches with local directories

We know that SEO (optimizing your content for search engines) is not an easy task and requires a lot of investment in terms of time and effort. That is why we want to give you some quick tricks.

Often businesses forget about one key tool, which is completely free and just as important as other channels: their Google Business Profile (or Google My Business profile). One of the biggest benefits of having a profile on Google is that it boosts your business visibility across all of Google’s platforms. But that’s not all! By verifying your locations, keeping your details accurate, adding products and photos, collecting reviews, and leveraging Google Business Profile posts, you can increase the chance of ranking high in the local search results. 

But of course, your efforts should not only focus on Google: Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Bing and Apple Maps are useful tools as well. 

Tip 5: Increase your reach with OTAs and local partnerships 

With digital touchpoints playing a crucial role in decision making and OTAs (online travel agencies) becoming more and more popular among travelers, while increasingly expanding their metasearch capabilities, it’s more important than ever to be present on all relevant online platforms. But, while OTAs may help increase your online visibility and reach, they also have major drawbacks, such as high commissions and a price parity policy. When it comes to OTA websites, it’s really important that your profile looks attractive and up to date: customers want to “connect” with your experiences on an emotional level and understand what makes your brand stand out. 

Engaging with DMOs, tourist associations and local distributors is also a good way to promote your experiences on a local and national level. 

Tip 6: Boost your brand awareness with social media marketing

When it comes to promoting your tours, activities or attractions, social media, online communities and paid advertising can be an extremely powerful tool.

Visual storytelling is becoming more important than ever before: pictures and videos have a real impact on business success. In general, Reels, TikToks and YouTube shorts as well as UGC (user generated content), trends and hashtags can be a clever way to get more followers. Opportunities also exist through brand partnerships, shorts ad participations, and collaborations with creators and influencers.

Conclusions

Experts agree, that the business potential can be maximized by using digital booking solutions and adapting offers to international visitor flows. There needs to be a particular focus on increasing online visibility, creating specific experience packages and using data for targeted marketing campaigns. Improved customer experience and flexible booking options are critical elements in order for experience providers to make the most of the rush of European Championship visitors.

Please be aware, that it’s not just about capitalizing on the current event. Rather, experience providers should see Euro 2024 as a springboard to develop long-term strategies for more visibility and bookings. Together with our partners from the OTA world, such as GetYourGuide and TUI Musement, we can also sustainably increase your reach and give you permanent access to new customer segments.

If you found this blog article useful and would like to have these recommendations always at your fingertips, then we suggest that you download our playbook for FREE: it will give you a quicker overview on how to maximize your online visibility in time for Euro 2024.