Too many attractions mistake activity for strategy. A full calendar of campaigns doesn’t guarantee results. The attractions that thrive in the summer are those that utilise data, audience insights, and a clear plan to align every marketing action with commercial objectives.
At Navigate, we’ve spent over two decades helping attractions turn seasonal peaks into sustainable growth. Here’s how we build marketing strategies that not only survive summer but set you up for long-term success.
Why strategy matters more during summer
Summer is a high-stakes period where small decisions have a big impact. A strong strategy ensures every campaign drives measurable results, whether that’s more bookings, increased secondary spend, or higher memberships. Without it, marketing risks becoming busy but ineffective.
Start with the numbers
Your strategy should be anchored in your commercial targets:
- Revenue goals: Define the income you need to generate and track marketing’s direct contribution.
- Footfall objectives: Set visitor number targets, segmented by audience type if possible.
- Membership growth: Include conversion goals for long-term engagement.
At Navigate, we use these metrics to shape clear, data-driven marketing plans.
Understand your audience, right now (The Navigate Way)
Knowing your audience isn’t a one-off exercise; it’s the foundation of every successful summer campaign. Visitor behaviours shift faster than ever, influenced by factors like the cost-of-living crisis, changing travel patterns, and new digital habits. Attractions that rely on outdated personas risk wasting budget on messages that no longer resonate.
At Navigate, we specialise in real-time audience understanding. We combine sector-wide data, on-site analytics, and behavioural insights to help attractions connect with visitors in ways that drive action. Here’s how we break it down:
- Segment with precision: Go beyond generic “families” or “tourists.” We help attractions identify micro-segments, like budget-conscious parents booking early, or last-minute adventure-seekers who respond to targeted offers.
- Track booking and browsing behaviour: Using GA4 and booking data, we monitor how different audiences search, engage, and convert. This tells you which campaigns attract the highest-value visitors.
- Map motivations and barriers: What inspires a visit? What prevents it? We use surveys, reviews, and social listening to uncover motivations (e.g., special events, kids’ activities) and blockers (e.g., price, distance, accessibility).
- Tailor messaging to audience intent: Families looking for day trips need different content than culture seekers planning. We help attractions deliver the right message at the right moment.
Why it matters: When your marketing speaks directly to audience needs and behaviours, you boost conversion rates, increase visitor spend, and create campaigns that feel personal and relevant.
At Navigate, we’ve seen attractions grow bookings simply by refining audience segmentation and adjusting messaging mid-season. That’s the power of understanding your visitors better than anyone else.
Choose tactics that deliver results
Not every channel works equally well for every goal. Double down on proven performers like SEO, Google Ads, and targeted email marketing. Layer in innovation, such as influencer partnerships, TikTok content, or geo-targeted ads to capture new audiences. Measure everything so every tactic earns its place in your strategy.
Align teams behind one plan
A great strategy isn’t just a marketing document; it’s an operational tool. All departments, marketing, operations, and front-of-house, should clearly understand the campaign goals.
Messaging must be coordinated so that the online and on-site experiences align seamlessly, while teams are empowered with well-defined roles in delivering success. When everyone moves together in sync, campaigns perform more effectively, and visitor satisfaction soars.
Monitor, adapt, win
Strong strategies are never static.
➡️ Review performance weekly to identify what’s working.
➡️ Optimise mid-season by shifting resources to top-performing channels.
➡️ Learn from data to inform not just this summer, but future campaigns.
At Navigate, our agile approach ensures clients stay ahead of trends and competitors.
Takeaway: summer strategy should be a growth engine, not just a plan
The most successful attractions use summer not just to hit short-term numbers, but to build momentum for the rest of the year. When every campaign is tied to clear commercial goals, driven by audience insights, and continuously optimised, you don’t just survive summer, you set the stage for sustained growth.
At Navigate, we help attractions build data-led, audience-first strategies that deliver measurable results season after season.
Next steps
It’s not too late to have a conversation about how to learn from this summer and use those insights to make your next peak season work harder. Get in touch with the Navigate team and let’s turn your summer learnings into a strategy for growth.
Let’s talk
Looking for more information? Reach out to our team to talk about how we can help.
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