We are approaching summer. Vaccination is progressing. The plan for reopening has been set out and the first stages have been put into action. With people couped up for over a year, the British population is unsurprisingly eager to get out. To go out and enjoy activities with friends and family, and with it spend money. One of the sectors that will most likely see a boost from this over the summer is the holiday and travel industry.
Uncertainty, in the form of proposed fines, over international travel could delay this for travelling abroad but would open-up the market for staycations, holidays, both short and long, staying within the UK. The potential ban or fine on international travel will create an environment for UK travel to thrive. With plenty of options in the form of UK based city breaks, seaside trips, local based activities & attractions, just to name a few.
It is looking likely that the UK based travel industry will boom this summer. The British population have been in lockdown, on and off, for a year and the growing consensus is that people are desperate to travel, in whichever way is possible. People have saved up money, not only from the expectation of holidays this summer to mark the end of lockdown but as a result of not spending over the past year on activities with friends and family. The British public will be searching and sponsorship at this moment will get in front of them at the perfect time.
The plan of reopening sees fans potentially returning to stadiums from 17th May. Fans being back in stadiums will bring back the traditional forms of exposure for sponsors. Adding this physical engagement on top of the recent emergence of digital sponsorship exposure, as a result of sports fixtures being played behind closed doors, creates a much stronger proposition. One day soon International travel will be back as well and with it will be the return of away days in European and International tournaments, creating an even stronger need for sports fans to travel abroad.
Now is the time to sponsor, to get in front of customers who will be actively spending, not just for this summer but over the next year. This summer will see UK travel boom, but the next will see international travel boom. Use this time to be strategic with your sponsorship, use the data to accurately place your brand in the right place for your customers. Sponsorship that is successful in encouraging consumers to spend will bring in more money to spend on sponsorship in future years.
There are also benefits for rights holders to bring in a holiday/travel partner at this moment in time. Many sports teams have travel brands/tourism boards as sponsors but maybe it is time to think locally and take advantage of the potential boost this summer. For some fans, given the covid risk, international travel brand sponsorship might be frowned upon. Bringing on a local UK based travel, activity or attraction brand partner can be seen as a move to discourage international travel and the spread of covid, a move that will likely result in a positive reaction towards the club.