Mardiks PR president Charles Mardiks discusses some of the strategies travel PR pros can use to get back into the game in the latest “PR’s Top Pros Talk” video interview with Doug Simon.

First off, he says, don’t expect the potential comeback to happen all at once. “Companies are still a little reluctant to spend the way they were spending previously coming out of this,” he tells Simon. “Everybody is going to be just trying to sort of recoup what they lost in the past year.”

Because of that, progress in 2021 will likely be “a question of taking baby steps,” Mardiks says. However, he adds that brands still need to be out there, keeping themselves in the consumer’s mind.

Another important element: a focus on consumers who may already be thinking of a post-pandemic getaway. “Travel is usually not a last-minute purchase for most people, particularly when you’re looking at leisure travel,” Mardiks says.

To make sure those travelers are ready to travel when the time is right, he adds, communicators should concentrate on reassuring them, whether that’s through travel insurance, health security or giving them the option to change their travel plans without incurring a penalty.

And while “uncertainty is exactly the right word” for what the industry faces in the coming year, Mardiks still sees the light at the end of the tunnel. “Giving a lot of reassurance, educating people on the facts and providing a lot of flexibility is really key,” he tells Simon.

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D S Simon Media helps clients get their stories on television through satellite media tours and by producing and distributing content to the media. The company also produces live social media events.