When you think about what makes an airport great, you probably think about nonstop routes and on-time departures. But what about the coffee you grab before boarding? The restaurant you were glad to find after a long delay?

Concessions matter, and not just for the passenger experience. Dining and retail are a major source of income for airports, and having good shopping and dining options directly shapes how travelers feel about their time in the terminal. That makes concessions promotion one of the most valuable (and most overlooked) parts of airport marketing.

At Bell & Porter, we do a lot of concessions promotion, and we've learned that the airports seeing real results are the ones willing to think outside the box. Here's how we do it.

Start by Listening: Social and AI Listening 

Before you promote anything, you need to know what your travelers are actually looking for. Social and AI listening tools let you do exactly that, by surfacing what customers are saying and asking about your airport.

Are there frequent comments about wanting healthier food options? Are travelers entering prompts into AI tools asking for vegetarian or vegan options near their gate? These are real signals about what your audience needs, and they can inform everything from your content to your conversations with concessionaires about what's missing from the mix.

Make Sure the Top Questions Are Answered 

Once you know what travelers are asking, make sure your airport is the one answering. That means content marketing and blogs tailored to both SEO and AEO (answer engine optimization).

More and more, travelers get their answers from Google AI Overviews and AI tools instead of clicking through a list of links. If your airport's website isn't the source those tools cite, someone else is telling your story for you. When you provide clear, helpful answers with a positive point of view, you stay in control of the narrative and the information travelers see about your terminal.

Leverage Local Community Newsletters 

Your best audience might not be searching for you yet. Local community newsletters are a great way to reach people in your region where they already pay attention.

Connecting with local partners to share blogs and informative content about the dining and shopping options available at your airport, plus answers to the top questions travelers have, makes the airport feel like part of the community, not just a place people drive past. It also reaches potential passengers before they've even started planning a trip.

Use Strong Photo and Video Across Ad Platforms 

Great visuals do a lot of heavy lifting. High-quality photo and video of your restaurants, shops, and food bring your concessions to life in a way text can't.

Pairing that content with Meta and Google's specialized targeting lets you reach both current and future passengers and showcase what's available at the airport. The goal is simple: give them the answers before they think to look for them. A traveler who already knows they'll have a great meal or a local gift shop waiting has one more reason to choose your airport.

Ready to Rethink Your Concessions Promotion Plan?

Want to promote your concessions and improve the passenger experience, but not sure where to start? That's where Bell & Porter comes in. With a team full of certified experts in the digital marketing field and hands-on experience in airport marketing, your airport and your goals are in good hands.

If you're ready to rethink your concessions promotion strategy, reach out today to talk to our team.