Destination Sunday: Why Discounts Cannot Grow Your Destination
The Flip Side of Price-Cutting in Destination Marketing: Value Beats Bargains Every Time
The Myth
Tourism boards and operators love to say, “Run a deal and the guests will come.”
It sounds easy. Cut the price, fill the rooms, call it growth.
The Pain
Price cuts do not build sustainable growth.
A 10 % cut on a $200 booking means $20 gone. Do it for 1,000 guests and you’ve just given away $20,000. Did they ever return? Probably not.
Bargain hunters often bring coolers of cheap beer and leave bad reviews when Wi-Fi blinks.
Locals cringe at low-spend crowds that strain services and do not respect the place. The town ends up feeling cheapened.
The short-term lift hides the long-term rot.
The Flip Side
Competing on price attracts the wrong guests and erodes value.
Discounting is a race to the bottom. Experiences are the only race worth running.
Travelers return for the memory of a sunrise hike, the warmth of a local host, the taste of farm-to-table. They do not return for ten percent off.
Discounting erodes pride. Experiences restore it.
Proof: Sedona, Mallorca, and Hayling Island
Sedona, Arizona refocused on experience-driven marketing: hiking, wellness, stargazing.
Visitor spend rose from $180 → $226 per person between 2019 and 2023 (Arizona Office of Tourism).
Mallorca, Spain shifted away from low-cost mass tourism.
Fewer arrivals, higher spend per head, improved visitor satisfaction (Balearic Tourism Agency).
Hayling Island, UK moved beyond cut-rate beach holidays by promoting seafood, artist workshops, and wildlife.
Result: higher guest spending and stronger community support without discounts.
A Simple AI Play
Here is how to stop leaning on discounts and start building value:
Collect 15–20 guest reviews from high-spend or repeat visitors.
Drop them into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
Use this prompt:
“Act like a destination marketing strategist and a traveler. Review these guest reviews and tell me:
• What experiences do these travelers describe as worth paying more for?• Which emotional words show what they valued most?
• Suggest three simple experience-based offers we could market instead of discounts.
Also note: how do these experiences make our destination stand out compared to competitors?”Shape your next promotion around those experiences, not a percentage-off deal.
Example: If reviews keep praising stargazing, offer a “Night Under the Stars” package with a local guide instead of ten percent off.
Why It Works
Experience-driven offers attract guests who stay longer and spend more.
Locals feel pride, not resentment, in welcoming visitors.
Price-focused guests are fickle. Value-focused guests return.
👉 The Flip Side: Discounts bring bodies. Experiences bring growth.
Next week: the myth of “big campaigns” and why one flashy push will not put you on the map.
Your Move
Forgot last week’s flip side?
Don’t worry, your logo still can’t save you: