International growth through new packages and international campaigns
Borgo Castello Panicaglia wanted more bookings in the low season and more international guests. Working closely with their team, we achieved both with a smart mix of SEO, paid search, social campaigns and new packages.
Highlights:
- Fully booked up to and including September 2026 as early as January!
- Lower cost per lead for packages and workshops
- Growth in brand awareness and brand value in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and the US, among others
- A fast-growing booking horizon of 12–18 months ahead
About Borgo Castello Panicaglia
Borgo Castello Panicaglia is a medieval castle in the heart of Umbria, Italy: a place where history, hospitality and experience come together. Guests come to relax, get married or simply enjoy Italian life.
The summer months are traditionally well booked, but the real challenge was the quiet period between November and April. The question was how to win more bookings in exactly those months, from both Italian guests and international visitors.
The challenge
The central challenge had two sides:
On the one hand, reaching and persuading new audiences to book a package at Borgo Castello Panicaglia. On the other, getting more out of the existing campaigns by optimising them.
That meant working not only on international visibility but also on the offer itself. Persuading guests outside the high season takes more than reach: there has to be a reason to book. Something unique, surprising and well positioned that is attractive precisely in that period.
Approach
Together with the Borgo Castello Panicaglia team, we developed a strategy that brought creativity, data and internationalisation together. We started by creating new packages that suit the different audiences and are relevant in each season, such as:
- Little Escape packages for short family breaks
- Weekend packages and business events such as workations, partner events and product launches
- Packages for life events such as anniversaries, baby showers, engagement parties and New Year’s Eve
We also improved existing packages, including the popular Taste of Umbria cooking workshop for the Dutch and Belgian markets, and wedding packages for international guests, reaching as far as the US. We rolled these new and optimised packages out to several markets: the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, the US and the UK.
To promote the packages internationally, we used three channels strategically:
- SEO: we made it findable internationally for relevant search terms, with optimised content per country.
- Paid search (Google Ads): we reached potential guests who were actively researching.
- Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram): we drove awareness, website traffic and bookings, using a completely new tracking setup and campaign structure. We continuously tested different audiences, visuals and ad copy, with all creative tailored to the cultural traits of each country’s audience.
Execution
Execution was all about balancing local relevance with international scalability. For each audience, we created content that matched their reason to book:
- Italian guests: the focus was on escaping the bustle and the culinary experience at Borgo.
- Dutch and Belgian guests: the emphasis was on family packages, luxury holidays and culinary workshops.
- International guests: we translated the venue’s atmosphere and character into wedding and business packages.
The SEO strategy delivered lasting visibility, while Google Ads and Meta Ads drove immediate demand. Combining data analysis with creative storytelling, we steered campaigns on performance, season and interests.
The result
Borgo Castello Panicaglia is seeing a clear rise in low-season bookings and, thanks to the new packages, is attracting a broader international audience.
The cooking workshops generate more leads at lower cost, the spring and autumn holidays book up faster, and more reservations are coming in from local Italian guests for dinners and other activities.
Through the combination of strategic campaigns, strong content and a refreshed offer, Borgo Castello Panicaglia is growing not only in occupancy but also in brand awareness and brand value, in Italy and far beyond.
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Let’s build the next success story together.
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