DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE THE SALES OF TOUR PACKAGE IN SIBANDANG ISLAND TOURIST VILLAGE

Abstract

Sibandang Island Area Tourism Village is the second largest island after Samosir in the middle of Lake Toba. This island is located in Muara District, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra. This island is inhabited by three tourist villages, namely Sibandang Tourism Village, Papande, and Sampuran Tourism Village. These three villages collaborate to create a tourist village with high selling value; unfortunately, there is still a lot that needs to be improved in terms of promoting the sales of tour packages. This research aims to design an effective digital marketing strategy to increase sales of tour packages on Sibandang Island. The main focus of this research is at the planning stage of tour packages that suit the unique characteristics of Sibandang Island and tourist preferences. Through in-depth analysis of tourism potential, current conditions and market trends, this research produces more attractive and relevant tour package designs. The research results show that designing tour packages that are tailored to tourists' interests, such as natural, cultural and adventure tourism, as well as paying attention to sustainability aspects, can increase the attractiveness of Sibandang Island as a tourist destination. Apart from that, this research also recommends appropriate digital marketing strategies to promote these tour packages, such as using social media, collaborating with influencers, and website optimization. Thus, it is hoped that sales of tour packages on Sibandang Island can increase significantly.

Keywords:  Digital marketing strategy, sibandang island, social media, tour package, tourist village