Turn School Holidays into Revenue with Family Experience Vouchers
The school holidays present a golden opportunity for hospitality businesses to boost high-profit revenue by selling family gift experiences. Families are actively seeking meaningful ways to spend quality time together, so offering curated experience vouchers is a smart way to attract both local guests and travelling visitors.
With families keen to make the most of the school holiday season, hospitality businesses can capitalise on the tail end of summer by promoting timely family-focused experiences.
Here are key ideas, pricing strategies, promotional tips, and consumer trends to help you sell more family gift vouchers and maximise summer revenue
Best-Selling Family Gift Experience Ideas
Here are top-selling experiences that your hospitality business can package as gift vouchers and market to families during the school holidays to drive high-profit revenue.
Family Staycation Packages
Local getaways are more popular than ever, offering flexibility and luxury on a budget. When staying locally, families are often willing to spend more on memorable experiences, since they’re saving significantly on international travel costs. Bundle 1 or 2 night family stays with breakfast and include fun extras like kids’ welcome packs, movie nights, and craft workshops, to maximise engagement and increase your average order value.
- Voucher idea: “Family Summer Escape - 2 Nights with Bed & Breakfast + Kids Activities Included”
Afternoon Tea for the Whole Family
Afternoon teas are low-cost and high-margin, so selling these experiences as vouchers is highly profitable. Choose themes for your afternoon tea vouchers that capture the imagination of the whole family, such as Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Teddy Bear’s Picnic, or Enchanted Forest, to delight guests and boost voucher sales during the school holidays.
- Voucher idea: “Magical Family Afternoon Tea - A Whimsical Summer Treat for All Ages”
Spa & Leisure Day Passes
If you’re a hotel with wellness facilities, make sure to offer family leisure passes that include access to the pool, gym, and spa. Encourage parents to enjoy a relaxing treatment and unwind while the kids have fun in the pool.
- Voucher idea: “Family Leisure Day Pass - Relax, Rejuvenate, and Splash Around Together”
Dining Experiences with Entertainment
Family-friendly dining experiences paired with entertainment, such as live music or magic acts, are particularly attractive during the final stretch of the holidays, as they offer novelty and an easy way to liven family spirits before school starts.
- Voucher idea: “Dinner & A Show - Family Dining Experience with Live Entertainment”
Activity Vouchers for Local Exploration
Partner with nearby attractions or offer in-house activities like treasure hunts, nature trails, and bike rentals to invigorate tourists and local families.
- Voucher idea: “Hotel Adventure Day - Family Fun with Activity Packs and Local Excursions”
How to Promote for Maximum Engagement
Website Visibility
Feature summer holiday vouchers on your homepage.
- Use eye-catching banners and pop-ups to guide visitors directly to your voucher sales page.
Email Marketing
Market your family offers to your customer database via seamlessly branded email promotions.
- Segment your mailing to send relevant experiences to your existing voucher buyers and families with children.
- Increase open rates with enticing, targeted subject lines such as “Make the Most of Summer – Family Getaways & Experiences from £49”, or “Discover Our Latest Limited Time Offers – Family Breaks for the School Holidays”.
Social Media Campaigns
Post about your gift experiences regularly during the holidays.
- Link directly to the family vouchers on your sales page to streamline sales.
- Emphasise urgency and last-minute ideas as summer progresses, such as “A Magical Family Afternoon Tea – Book Today, Enjoy This Week!”.
- Use automated social media scheduling tools to reach your followers at peak times of activity.
Last-Minute Push
In the final two weeks of the summer holidays, shift your messaging to appeal to last minute shoppers.
- Promote “end of summer fun” or “one last treat before school starts” to attract late buyers looking for a final family experience.
Consumer Trends Worth Watching This Summer
Experience over Materialism
Families are increasingly prioritising experiences over material goods. Parents value time spent together most of all, and selling vouchers for shared activities aligns seamlessly with this mindset.
Domestic Travel Preference
Rising travel costs and disruptions have made local getaways highly desirable. Hotels should consciously lean into regional marketing, promoting their location as a “destination without the hassle.”
Grandparent Gifting
Many grandparents are buying vouchers for family experiences as thoughtful and generous gifts to their children and grandchildren. Include targeted messaging encouraging your customers to treat their grandkids to an unforgettable gift, to tap into this lucrative audience.
Mobile Friendly Buying
Digital gifting is surging, with the global market projected to reach $1.08 trillion by 2029 at a 16.8% CAGR. More customers are buying vouchers and gift cards on their mobile devices for convenience, speed, and flexibility. With VoucherCart, your sales page is automatically optimised for frictionless mobile browsing and checkout. You can also streamline on-site sales by displaying promotional printouts with scannable QR codes at your physical locations, directing your guests straight to your family offers.
Final Thoughts to Maximise Summer Holiday Revenue
Summer school holidays present a revenue goldmine when your hospitality gift card strategy includes well-targeted, family-friendly experience vouchers. With the new school term fast approaching, now is the time to promote tailored summer deals that offer value, convenience, and memory-making opportunities.
Whether it’s a family afternoon tea, a weekend break, or a day by the hotel pool, experience vouchers help customers make the most of their holidays, while driving valuable high-profit revenue for your business.
With VoucherCart, you can easily create, sell, promote, and track family gift vouchers across your website, email, social media, and physical locations. Leverage our flexible voucher options, countdown timers, autopromotion tools, and powerful integrations to maximise your hospitality gift card program and drive unprecedented card revenue this summer.
Boost your family voucher sales with VoucherCart
Ready to make this summer your busiest yet? Get started with VoucherCart today and watch your family-centric offers bring in record summer revenue.