Preparing for the shoulder season with peace of mind: our back-to-school tips

Shoulder-season tourism is an opportunity to seize. Many people prefer to travel outside school holidays. September still offers great weather, which makes people want to enjoy it! After the rush of the summer season, here are a few tips to prepare for the shoulder season calmly.

FINDING STAFF

This year, many restaurant professionals struggled to find staff. A shortage that is hard to make up for, and which has a real impact on how properties operate and on service quality.

Even though the shoulder season is much calmer in terms of traffic, it is essential to have enough staff to meet demand.

With the start of the university year, don’t hesitate to offer student positions at your property. During the late summer season, weekends are often the busiest. Prioritize as many employees as possible for these periods.

USING TOOLS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS

At Reservit, we are committed to helping you optimize your business. If you can’t manage to recruit staff, why not save time on certain tasks?

If you have a hotel, we offer the Reservit Hébergement 3-in-1 package:

• A hotel management tool (PMS) in the cloud
• An integrated booking engine that lets your guests book their room on your website and pay online securely
• A Channel Manager to connect you to your distributors and manage your rates and room availability day to day

By automating certain tasks with a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool, you will be able to free up time for other activities at your property.

In the restaurant sector, we offer a booking engine that lets your customers book a table or opt for takeout if your establishment offers it. Track your restaurant’s activity in real time, completely independently. A real time-saver, which also lets you manage your team according to needs.

CONTINUING TO OFFER ACTIVITIES

In the off-season, you will find both retirees and young working people without children. It is essential to offer activities to these travellers who choose to go away outside school holidays.

Don’t hesitate to extend your activity calendar until the end of September. The weather is generally favourable. This also gives you a longer season than the summer holiday period. Good news from a revenue point of view!

You may have fewer staff than in peak season: don’t hesitate to select flagship activities and focus on an offer adapted to demand.

SURPRISING YOUR REGULARS

In the restaurant business, especially at lunchtime, back-to-school means the return of the regulars. They rub shoulders with September holidaymakers at lunchtime.

Don’t hesitate to refresh your menu in September, offering new flavours to your customers. If you close for a few days at the end of August or early September, why not take the opportunity to give your establishment a makeover? New decor, a different dining room layout… There are many solutions that cost less than renovations to give your restaurant a new look!

COMMUNICATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Many tourism professionals make the mistake of communicating mainly during the summer period. And yet the shoulder season is still a great time for impromptu weekends or holidays!

So keep posting information about your property on social media. Promotional offers, news about your property, weekend ideas… It is a rather effective way to extend the season!

Julie
Communication Manager
In partnership with Amélie Manceau