promotion of tour operators

The Complete Guide on How to Promote Tour Packages Online

By Erick Tomaliwan

Share this article:

• Facebook icon
• LinkedIn icon
• Twitter icon

As an experience provider, sharing what makes your tour worth booking is all in how to promote your tour packages online. 

As more travelers explore available tours and activities online, it can be challenging to know where to focus your efforts. You’ll need to meet your future customers where they’re at which means being able to connect with them on the fly, in their social feeds and via their mobile devices. 

While your tours might be amazing, the struggle is real with learning how to turn your tour promotion ideas into real live bookings.

How to promote tour packages online 

Marketing travel packages starts with knowing your target audience. If you can create buyer personas or define who your target customers are, it’s easier to connect with what guests want in real life. 

Start by taking a look at your audience’s demographic. Are you attracting the 55+ or are you focused on attracting millennials? 

Your target audience type will affect which tour promotion ideas will work for your business. For instance, older travelers might be more inclined to go on Facebook, Youtube and view tours through OTAs. 

Instead, if you’re directing your attention towards a younger demographic, it might be worth establishing a presence on social media channels like Instagram and TikTok.

Define your goals when marketing travel packages 

Before marketing travel packages online, one of the first things you need to do is decide on your goals. 

As a tour operator, a few focal points should be to increase your revenue and inspire guests with incredible experiences. Sounds simple enough, right? 

It’s easy to get caught up with having too many options. Thankfully, marketing travel packages is all about sharing the benefits you provide to your guests. And luckily, as a tour professional — this is an area you’re already well-versed in. 

Sure, creating a memorable tour is likely at the top of your list, but there are ways to attract the right type of guests and it all starts with how you inspire guests to book with you. 

To minimize feeling overwhelmed with how many online options there are for which to promote and sell your tour, just start with one or two that you find easy to navigate. Selling tours to travelers means you’ll likely switch up your strategy a few times per year to see which tour promotion ideas stick.

What’s included in promotional tour packages 

You have to get comfortable with sharing what makes you an awesome tour business. Guests can only book if they know you exist and they need you to walk them through all of the steps to make this happen. 

In the digital age of researching and planning trips online, guests crave human connection. Your website acts as a direct line of communication and inspiration. This allows you to provide travelers with a sense of confidence along with key information that helps them to book.  

Look at promoting your tours as a way of informing future travelers that you have what they want. Start by asking a few questions like: 

• Do you want guests to book more than 6 months in advance?
• What type of guests do you enjoy the most?
• Do you prefer direct bookings or prefer having an OTA promote your tours? 
• Are large groups your jam? 

To further maximize your promotional efforts be descriptive and visual when promoting your tours online. Weave in reviews and quotes from customers so future guests can easily imagine themselves immersed in the same experience. 

As a result, you can hone in on marketing travel packages with ease. So, if guests book what you offer — congratulations, clearly customers believe that your tour promotion ideas are compelling.

Later in this post, we’ll share the different opportunities and you can choose which platforms work best for your business. In other words, we’ve got you!

Strategies for marketing travel packages 

With more travelers booking online, you can increase your reach to prospective customers by promoting your tours online as well.

When marketing travel packages, you’ll want to hone in on describing what guests will get out of the experience. Treat your website visitors like future guests. Sell your tours with descriptive offers and enticing photos to inspire travelers to book.

Lower prices tend to lead to higher volume bookings. While raising prices means a heightened expectation for the quality of the experience. You’ll find that certain seasons will yield better results depending on how you tackle marketing travel packages.

Let’s say, for example, that you invest 10% of every booking into your marketing budget. This might lead to an increase in direct bookings through your website. The alternative is to publish and promote tour packages online with destination marketing organizations or DMO’s.

As you evaluate how to market travel packages, make sure you are speaking to the guest’s core desires. Ask yourself: 

• Is the customer looking for a deal because they’re booking off-peak or shoulder season?
• Are your trips designed for families? 
• Does your tour or activity suit group bookings?
• Can you incentivize guests to stay longer with a tiered pricing strategy ?
• How do you feel about last-minute discounts? 

As a tour operator, you may be looking for ways to encourage more guests to book once-in-a-lifetime experiences. And your seasonal marketing strategy should be centred on trying to remain front of mind for future guests.

In addition, as travelers find themselves daydreaming about beach vacations, you can entice them with travel tuesday deals . Some tour operators are motivated to book in advance. This is how an early bird pricing strategy can encourage guests to book early and get a better deal.

Marketing travel packages can target people dreaming of their next trip along with eager travelers already in the midst of planning. In this new-age travel industry, customers expect to be able to book 24/7. But, how do you discover which promotions work well with your audience? 

Here are some tactics for how to promote your tour packages online with easy-to-use marketing tools: 

1. Build an amazing website

If you can create a website you believe someone from age 8 – 80 can use, you’re off to the races. Include big buttons with easy-to-find calls to action. Think of it as a map, and you’re the guide. The goal of your website should be to present enough information that site visitors feel excited, informed and ultimately, ready to book.

One of the best ways you can support your customers in making a booking is by making your website user-friendly. As a result, customers will appreciate the simplicity of booking directly through your booking system. 

In addition, ensure your pricing is set to encourage people to book through your website. People will be more inclined to book through you if they believe they are getting the best price. As the tour operator, not having to pay an extra 10 – 30% in commissions to OTAs means better profit margins for your tour business.

2. Start blogging (even if it’s a handful of photos) 

Think of some of the most common questions guests ask. Inspire visitors by openly sharing your knowledge and thinking about the types of questions you’re commonly asked by guests. 

By educating visitors you’ll automatically give the impression that you care about guests and their experience. A blog also enables travelers to learn more about different activities and tours before booking.

Blogging regularly with, useful content can help with SEO which allows more people to spot your business in a search. Google appreciates fresh content and so do your visitors which is why your website acts as an accessible and valuable marketing tool.

Plus, as you publish more posts, the internal linking will help boost your search rankings. Blogging demonstrates that you’re excited to share what sets your tour business apart and want to have a personal connection with your guests. 

3. List and maintain your business on Google

On your Google Business listing, include the tours and activities you offer, along with your correct location. It’s also a smart idea to include a few photos on your Google business listing so guests can tell what you offer from a quick glance. Since Google favours active businesses, you’ll want to keep a close eye on what comes up when guests find your tour business online and always respond to reviews.

4. Be social 

Some tour operators find success with highly visual and short-lived platforms like TikTok when exploring ways of selling tours.

Establishing a social presence gives your tour business brand authority which supports your marketing efforts. While influencers previously dominated social media, now there’s more value in creating personalized interactions with regular guests. Assume all of your customers are VIPs and your treatment will be reflected in their reviews of your tour business. 

Travelers and social media users love contests. In fact, these promotions spread like wildfire and can increase your following overnight. And while they don’t take an intensive amount of resources to produce they can be short-lived in the spotlight. 

Create a contest or giveaway that motivates your audience to follow your tour business, like and share. It’s one of the easiest ways to get more eyes on your tour business and expand your marketing reach. 

5. Explore Facebook ads

Facebook ads allow you to promote your tour packages online based on specific targets, set demographically and geographically. With a photo or a short video, a Facebook ad is designed to attract your target audience with a call-to-action directing visitors to your website.

For more insight, check out this Tourpreneur article on whether Facebook ads can help you sell more tours , compiled from a study of over 1600 different Facebook ads.

Ensure you have a Facebook page with your business listing so visitors can connect and book directly, without leaving the platform. 

6. Challenge yourself to share photos

Photos are one of your strongest assets when it comes to marketing travel packages. It’s easy to see why photo souvenirs are so popular — they are a timeless capture of a memorable experience.

Both photos and videos help travelers to determine whether the experience is right for them. People are drawn in by visuals which create an emotional connection to the experience.

7. Dive into YouTube Videos

YouTube videos are designed to act as long-form content, meaning anything beyond 30-60 seconds. Consider this platform useful for educating and allowing your audience to get to know you. Providing helpful content with short videos is another method of promoting your tour business online since videos can also help boost your search rankings.

8. Take an interest in Instagram 

Brand authority matters when marketing your tours. People will naturally gravitate towards tour operators who are active and open on their social media. This is a driving force behind the success of influencers on the platform. 

By giving a sneak peek into their lives, they inspire people to explore and take action. They want to know what they can expect when they book an experience. This is where you can bring your tour promotion ideas to life. 

Social media users appreciate first-hand guest experiences, so this is one of the most valuable tools for marketing travel packages. Plus, when guests share their experience on social media with a photo, you can reuse some of their positive feedback along with photos to help inspire future guests.

9. Stake a claim on TikTok  

When it comes to short-form videos, travelers are looking for eye-catching and inspiring content. See what kind of engagement you experience if you dedicate an hour per week to sharing some behind-the-scenes videos.

The tour businesses that are looking at marketing travel packages in creative ways are winning out. While you might think there’s no point in sharing some videos on Instagram, people appreciate real, unscripted videos. If you can highlight your personality and demonstrate that you care about your audience, followers will feel more compelled to connect with you.

10. Develop partnerships

With no shortage of options for publishing your tours, you’ll want to focus on what works best for you. One of the biggest benefits of promoting tours through online travel agents is the increased visibility for your tour business. With massive marketing budgets and millions of visitors per month, why not take advantage of getting in front of more of your target customers? 

Another way of increasing your bookings by promoting your tours is through partnerships with local businesses and hotels. You’ll also find 10 of the best places to promote your tour in this Tourpreneur article. 

Different tour promotion ideas 

By using keywords that people are searching for in specific locations, your tour company can populate higher in search results. 

Digital marketing has transformed the way travelers explore, plan and book their trips. This is why why photos/videos are vital to your success, because they trigger they emotional side of trip-planning. 

When it comes to strategies for your tour promotion ideas, you’ll want to explore what works best for your business. For instance, hotels use a whole range of pricing strategies to book up their rooms. And, some of these tour promotion ideas work just as well for tour and activity operators.

Consider using group pricing in marketing , where customers can enjoy a better person-person rate with more guests on the same booking. This also works in your favour since you can book up tours quicker, with a more close-knit group. 

In addition, as you approach the festive season, gift card campaigns are an easy way you can increase revenue. Plus with Checkfront as your booking software, you can enable customers to purchase digital gift certificates, making it a perfect option for holiday gift ideas. 

Successfully selling tours online to your audience means clearly communicating the value-added experience guests can look forward to. 

If you’re having a challenging time costing and pricing your tours, check out this downloadable Tour Operator Costing Sheet that helps you estimate sales and look at your profit margins.

Final thoughts

It’s worth exploring a few creative options with your tour promotion ideas. Besides, marketing travel packages might look different each season, depending on your tour business.

Give yourself the freedom to explore a few tactics at a time. This might look like focusing on one social media platform while investing in detailed tour descriptions and quality photos on your website and OTA of choice.

Promoting tour packages online will help sell more tours to your target audience. Be candid, honest and helpful, and your guests will value what you have to offer.

Looking for a booking software to help you sell and promote tour packages online? 

Start your free 21-day trial!

Online bookings. Flexible pricing. Outstanding support.

Related Articles

How to write ATV tour descriptions that drive bookings (with examples) 

Learn how to write ATV rental descriptions with SEO-ready language that help you sell more bookings

• Marketing Strategies

Easy & effective pricing tactics for activity and rental operators

Ever wondered why at the movie theatre you’re likely to opt for a Large Popcorn instead of a Small or…

Search Blog

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Get tips and strategies to grow your business and impress your guests.

Blog Categories

• Booking Management
• Business Tips
• Guest Experience
• Operator Highlights

Marketing Plans For Tour Operators And Experience Hosts: How To Promote Your Products

A good marketing plan for tour operators includes multiple channels and platforms—regardless of whether you’re an established tour company or a new operator selling a unique local activity. Here are some tips to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Follow the Leader

A good marketing plan for tour operators doesn’t always revolve around what you can do, in a proactive sense. But instead, analyze what your competitors are doing, and react! You can improve your popularity ranking on Viator by studying what other top-ranked suppliers are doing. Follow them closely and pay attention to how they serve their customers and manage their brand reputation. Read through their products and see what intriguing titles they use. How thorough and detailed are their tour descriptions? What sort of photos do they use? And maybe most important, how are they responding to their reviews?

Don’t forget to also be on the lookout for how the leading tour operators give their guides the tools to succeed. Whether you’re an individual host or a tour company, it’s important to stay up-to-date on best practices for tour guides to provide a memorable experience to travelers .

Use Social Media

When it comes to marketing tools for operators, social media is king. Here’s how to maximize it:

• Create business pages on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter, and update them regularly with a photo or two.
• Use your personal social media pages to promote your Experience and generate traffic directly to your business.
• Ask friends and family to spread the word about your Experience by sharing your content.
• Use scheduling tools to automate your posting and reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
• Consider investing in paid advertising to showcase your Experience and entice potential customers.

Partner with Other Channels

It can be a challenge to offer a unique, authentic, local experience to your guests while also trying to attract a wide variety of customers (both local residents and visitors). Beyond Viator, you’ll want to partner with a diverse range of agents to grow your distribution network. Here are some ways to do so:

• Collaborate with complementary businesses, such as local restaurants that are popular with travelers. Consider offering a combination meal-and-Experience package that offers value at a discount, or ask the restaurant to promote your Experience in exchange for a commission on each booking they help you get. This could help you gain access to travelers who don’t know about your product, or may even not have been planning to do a tour or activity during their visit.
• Ask hotel concierges to help promote your Experience to their guests. Concierge recommendations are often greatly valued!
• Allow visitor information centers, which provide travelers with information on things to do in the area, to resell your Experience for a commission, or simply ask them to promote your Experience directly to guests.
• Network at trade shows.
• Work with destination marketing organizations (DMOs) .

1. How to Become a Tour Guide

2. Understanding Your Audience

3. Get Compliant

4. Setting Up Your Account

5. Sell Online to Travelers

6. Marketing Plan

7. Get Bookings & Reviews

About the Author: Dave Armenti

Share This Article

Related posts.

Understanding Ad Impressions

Creating a Tourism Brand with Emotional Pull

Top 4 Sustainability Trends in the Tours and Attractions Industry

How to Attract Groups for Team Building Activities

Trends in Online Trip Planning and Booking for 2023

How to Appeal to The Purpose-Driven Traveler

© All Rights Reserved - 2022

9 Effective Marketing Strategies for Tour and Activity Operators

Despite increasing competitiveness in the tours and activities marketplace, you don't have to dump money into marketing and advertising efforts. The key is to creatively use different platforms to engage your audience and generate more bookings each season. While the customer experience should always be a priority to generate the all-to-worthy word-of-mouth marketing, there are several ways to present your company in the best possible way online and encourage customers to book.

‍ Here are nine marketing strategies that, if implemented, will help you grow your customer base.

1. Encourage customers to post positive reviews.

Research shows that 90 percent of customers say their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews, according to data from research firm Dimensional Research. In your follow-up email, encourage customers to post detailed reviews of their experience to different sites, and include links to pages such as your Google+ or and other reviews and ratings sites. Also be sure to include a link to your Facebook, which is another place where travelers can post comments, reviews, share pictures, and give you a rating.When a potential customer searches the web, these sites will show up on the top page of results, and the more reviews on these sites, the easier it is to make an impression.And if you get negative reviews? Here are some best practices for handling negative online reviews .

2. Keep customers engaged with video-embedded emails.

Email is just one of several ways to connect with a customer directly—and a golden opportunity to make a great impression. So, with each email, offer an incentive to book immediately, or simply have the customer get in contact with you at a specific day and time.While using strong visuals can increase user engagement, consider embedding a short YouTube video of one of your tours or activities to make the email that much more powerful. Even something as simple as a welcome message from the owner or a leading tour guide can make a lasting impression. Make sure to include the word "video" in the subject line to increase click-through rates. According to Experian's 2012 Digital Marketer Benchmark and Trend Report, this is a great way to capture the recipient's attention.

3. Get personal.

When researching tours and activities to add to their itinerary, travelers these days want a more personalized experience. A recent survey conducted by The Futures Company for American Express found that 83 percent of millennials value personalization and 85 percent prefer to have a customized itinerary over a packaged one. And even though you're not serving as a travel concierge, you can make sure every customer receives personalized attention.Use Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) features with your online booking software program to keep track of all communications with your customers and to determine how to walk them through the booking process. The Peek Pro platform helps you customize and automate email reminders and review emails in a few clicks. You could leave notes next to a customer's details about their inquiry, who followed up with them, and what tours or packages they were interested in. This will make it easier for anyone who followed up with that customer to make appropriate suggestions or recommendations for their upcoming trip and ensures a more personalized customer experience.

4. Enhance activity descriptions on your website.

On your website, fleshing out the tour and activity descriptions, including descriptive copy, will help entice a traveler to book with your company. For instance, include bulleted lists with highlights of the tour or activity, indicating which tours or activities are your most booked or most-talked about, and include high-quality photographs alongside each description. Embedding a short video can also keep your customers engaged and eager to learn more about the trip or activity.SS Tobias Snorkel & Beach Tours take travelers around the northeast coast of Puerto Rico and the owners have developed very detailed descriptions of each tour, complete with stunning photos and information about each beach and island visited on the tour. And example of one of their descriptions: "The snorkeling is fantastic with reef formations just a few swim strokes from the shore. The reef gardens are ablaze with the flamboyant colors of abundant, vigorous corals; some of them topped with waving sea fan coral, which swing impressively with the movement of the ocean waves." Adventure America Zipline Canopy Tours by Wildwater also provides comprehensive tour information , including a bulleted list of highlights of each tour, a short video segment, and the option to combine the zipline experience with a rafting adventure.

5. Increase social media activity.

Consider creative ways to present your offerings to all of your fans and followers on your social media pages. Make use of Instagram's video feature to post short video excerpts of a tour experience through the eyes of a tour guide. Post "behind the scenes" footage of a tour or activity on Facebook for prospective customers to get a better idea of what you offer.Forever Florida, an eco tour operator in Saint Cloud, Florida, has a Facebook following of more than 19,000 fans and has taken full advantage of Facebook features such as videos and also running a giveaway. A simple, 15-second video showing some of the wildlife they encounter—a crocodile and peacocks walking together—was shared more than 300 times.

6. Build a brand presence on FourSquare.

Claim your listing on FourSquare so that you can add your company logo, update details about your hours of operation and business details, include social media account information and post special offers for frequent or new customers. FourSquare check-ins could help to promote your business with less effort on your part. According to data compiled by Stikky Media, 46 percent of travelers check in to a location using their mobile device while on vacation.FourSquare also has a feature where you can post tips about events, featured tours and activities, recent awards your business has won, and other short details as "featured content" on your business listing. This is the perfect place to put the spotlight on a popular tour, share accolades, and tell customers why you're the best in the business.The FourSquare listing for the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour in Winter Park, Florida, is loaded with photos, helpful tips from FourSquare users, and even has a recommendation from a complementary business—Gray Line Orlando—within their listing. It's a popular listing with more than 900 visitors and more than 1,000 total visits to date.

7. Offer free content on your website.

Free content can help to attract and entertain your site visitors while helping you stand out from the competition. Live web cams can be a fun way to educate and entertain site visitors. Kai Kanani Sailing Charters posts live web cam views of Makena Beach in front of the Makena Beach & Golf Resort.If you want to build your subscriber list or drive more traffic to your blog or main website, consider putting together a downloadable guide about key destinations or travel tips about your destination that is available free of charge. All the customer has to do to access the guide is provide basic contact information and an email address—the basic information you need to build your subscriber list to send email newsletters or an email-only offer in the near future.

See Also: How to Launch a Blog to Grow Your Tour or Activity Business

8. Develop a YouTube channel.

According to recent research findings from Think with Google, views of travel-related content on YouTube are up 118 percent in 2015 compared to 2014. This makes YouTube the perfect platform to capture a highly responsive market and help you build your online presence. Take a look at the series of videos from Expoza Travel , a travel video channel that shares inspiring and fascinating destinations around the world. Each video provides an overview of the destinations high-quality footage and 360-degree views of a destination. It's a great example of a video clip about a particular destination or attraction that would appeal to a wide audience.The Nantahala Outdoor Center has uploaded videos on YouTube about different adventures and camps they offer throughout the year. Each video is only a few minutes in length and the description includes a direct link to the main website—a must-have item to encourage travelers to contact you immediately.

9. Use an online booking software.

Perhaps the easiest way to increase your bookings - without the extra marketing cost - is to use an online booking system . With Peek Pro, you can let Peek do the back office work so you can focus on what matters — creating an amazing experience for your customers.

Read about Zipline Utah and how they grew their business with Peek Pro

Table of contents

Recommended Posts

Sign up to our newsletter..

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing.

Want to learn more about Peek Pro? See it in action during our live demo

See related posts

10+ Escape Room Social Media Marketing Ideas

Attract Theme Park Visitors with These 8 Marketing Strategies

11 Zoo Marketing and Advertisement Ideas With Examples

Best Online Travel Marketplaces To Promote Your Tours

• International Tour Operators
• Group & Multi-Day travel
• Sales & Bookings

When it comes to choosing the Best Online Travel Marketplaces to promote your Tours on, there are a few key features to consider that will optimize your marketing success.

As a tour operator, the benefits of promoting your product on an Online Travel Marketplace are immense.  Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) harness the power of the internet to create a global platform that brings together an audience far larger than what any other marketing channel can attain.

As the saying goes, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.  Instead in the same way that you would use  multiple travel distribution channels as part of your marketing plan to promote your tours,  use as many Online Travel Marketplaces or Online Travel Agencies that fit your product as possible.

Download FREE eBook

The Ultimate Guide To Scaling Your Tour Operator Business

A 150-page guide that covers everything from establishing a winning travel brand to delivering a market-leading service

The good news is the bulk of Online Travel Marketplaces are free to list upon and only take a commission once a successful booking is made. Overall though, what you save on marketing fees you will probably spend on paying booking commissions.

An Overview Of Some Of The Best Online Travel Marketplaces

Those that reach a major global audience.

The giants of the industry such as Expedia , TripAdvisor Experiences (who bought out Viator ) and Orbitz (which belongs to Expedia), have an enormous global reach with millions of committed, ready-to-purchase visitors on their sites on a daily basis. They have, after all, had years to build up an extensive network of trusted brands, partners, and affiliates.

Promoting your product on Online Travel Marketplaces such as these, who translate your content into numerous languages across their sites, ultimately makes your product accessible to a global audience.

Although the marketplace is not very niche with these particular Online Travel Agencies, travelers who are on the sites are actively immersed in the travel-cycle and committed to buying.  Generally speaking, they have already purchased either a flight, accommodation, or car rental, and this means that when they hit the Things To Do tab, it is often with the intent of making a purchase.

Consumers who visit these sites trust them and trust that the product they intend to purchase is exactly what is advertised.  Take TripAdvisor Experiences (Viator) for example – their affiliation to TripAdvisor , which is known as the ultimate trusted peer travel review site, has seen them mark their spot among the giants of the Online Travel Marketplaces.  People use this Travel Marketplace because they are able to share information about their experiences and review the products on offer.

Adding to the concept of trust, Viator is also one of three tour operators that the traveler's ultimate go-to for travel guides company, Lonely Planet , uses for its online bookable tours.

Membership Based Online Travel Marketplace

Online Travel Marketplaces such as iWTX , are online trading platforms accessible by membership only.  Only once have you have signed up do you get access to other participants on the site, and products are not directly accessible to consumers without a membership.

An annual subscription and processing fee per person per element booked will give you access to a large database of buyers who are committed to making a purchase, as well as to sellers who have developed a highly marketable travel product.

Benefits Of Reward Programs

Everyone likes to be rewarded for purchasing and it is no different for travelers buying travel products.  Rewards Programs use discounts or points accrual methods among others to incentivize a customer to return for their next purchase.  Online Travel Agencies realize the value of this invaluable income generating tool and subsequently make use of them.

Orbitz which is owned by Expedia has a rewards program where consumers can earn Orbucks and use them to pay for any other products booked on their site.  This ultimately translates to the consumer displaying loyalty to Orbitz and returning to purchase their products.

Another Online Travel Agency with a popular rewards program is TourRadar .  Their reward program is for the tour supplier and aims to raise the status of the tour offered on the online travel marketplace.  The traveler sees the reward as an indicator of the quality of the tour and by booking and subsequently reviewing it, cements its status.

Online Marketplaces With A More Focused Offering

Some Online Travel Agencies offer a more focused marketplace than others.  Agencies like TourRadar and StrideTravel restrict their offering to multi-day tours, making their product more niche than what Expedia or Viator has to offer for example.  Consumers who book on these sites are typically searching for ready to book, multi-day group itineraries in a particular destination.

From a reporting and feedback perspective, as you scale down in size from the giants to these up and coming Online Travel Agencies, the supplier tends to receive more focused and analytical feedback regarding the performance of their tours on the marketplace, as well as receive more information on how to optimize and improve their content.

Quick Exercise

Begin by defining your tours’ potential audience, decide how involved you want to be in the marketing process and from there decide which are the Best Online Travel Marketplaces to sign up with from there.

Our comparison table below gives an overview of the traffic each site sees, its accessibility to the supplier, and relative ease of use.

It’s In The Delivery

This breed of Online Travel Agency understands how important user experience is when utilizing the internet and is taking how you interact with their marketplaces up a step.

As more and more people access the internet via mobile, it has become increasingly important to have a good mobile site and even a mobile app.  As well as a booking app, Thrillophilia also has a supplier app where you can manage your product and optimize your content based on the insight to the market that they provide you with.

GetYourGuide also has a booking app that is optimized for people searching for and booking tours whilst on the go.  Their website is also very user-friendly and sees high traffic volumes.  Musement is not quite as big as the other two mentioned as it only opened its doors in 2014, but it has already acquired a global following, probably because of their unique offering of activities and user-friendly market platform.

All of these Online Travel Marketplaces focus on user experience and have a dedicated support team on offer to both the consumer and the supplier to promote a great online marketplace experience.

Niche product marketplace

In 2016 Veltra acquired City Discovery and became VeltraCityDiscovery .  Like the giants, they have a large global audience and an online travel marketplace available in different languages.  Their selling point, however, is that they offer more unique tours and experiences on their marketplace.

Another one to pay attention to, even though it is still in its' early days, is AirbnbExperiences .  What started out as a website that offers home-style accommodation has now evolved to include experiences too.

The requirements to gain access to the platform are quite stringent though.  In order to get listed a supplier has to be a knowledgeable expert and personally offer the unique experience or tour to guests. A co-host can assist but the tours are required to be specialized and a unique experience, as well as immersive and hands-on for the guest.

You do not have to be a House Host to be an Experience Host but any experiences advertised on AirbnbExperiences marketplace can only be undertaken by Airbnb guests.  External bookings cannot be added to the group.

A Worthy Mention

Google with all of its features, is the most powerful tool on the internet and if your business is not listed with GoogleMyBusiness , it should be.  It is a free and invaluable tool that will literally put you on the map and provide your business with the legitimacy of being visible to the millions of people who use it.

As you can see from the information above, there is no single best online travel marketplace to promote your tour on, there are actually a few.  They each have their own points of value and provide a great platform on which to market your tour.

Remember that the best way to promote your tours is to use various key distribution channels and not rely solely on a single one. If you are looking for tips on how to successfully market your travel and tour business check out our free resources for more information.

New resources, straight to your inbox

We’re committed to your privacy. WeTravel uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe at any time.

About the author

Related Posts

How to do your travel keyword research to gain more website traction, 5 ways to engage with your customers after the trip ends, tips on how to respond to tripadvisor reviews.

• Adventure Tours
• Sightseeing Tours
• Transport and Transfer Tours
• Destination
• Booking Engine
• Back Office Tool
• Channel Manager
• Point of Sales
• Agents and Resellers
• Payment Gateway
• Success Stories
• Books and Guide
• Learning Center
• Help Center
• All Categories
• Travel Trends
• Business Management
• Travel Technology
• Distribution
• TrekkSoft Tips

8 steps for tour operators to create a marketing campaign for the next season

• Tourism Marketing

This post was published in 2017 and has been updated in 2021 for relevance. 

With the high season a few months away, what are you doing to maximise bookings this season? One way you can drive bookings is to run a marketing campaign, a focused effort to promote your tours and activities you offer to prospective customers. 

To plan your next marketing campaign, answer these seven questions.

1. What do you want this marketing campaign to achieve?

I find it easier to create a plan when I know I have an objective to achieve. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

So, what are your business goals for the upcoming season? How many bookings would you like to secure? What's your target average transaction value per booking? Perhaps you want to increase sales by 10% this summer? 

Have a good think about your goals for this campaign and don't forget to write them down.

2. Who do you want to attract to your business?

Who is your target market for this campaign? Who are you trying to reach out to? Imagine the people you'd like to take on your next tour. Be specific about the demographic you want to reach and think about their lifestyles and interest.

Write a description of your ideal customer and use this understanding to guide your decisions from here on. Having a clear idea of who you want to speak to will help you craft a marketing campaign that is relevant and appealing to your audience.

Read more: How to understand your customers by creating personas

3. What do you want them to book?

What experiences do you want to promote in this campaign? If this is a seasonal campaign, for example a winter campaign, you should probably promote activities and tours that are best experienced in winter. Also remember to pick experiences that would attract the target audience you highlighted in the previous section. 

You can create discount codes for specific customer segments or send vouchers to customers who have already made a booking to encourage them to book another trip with you. Alternatively, you can also create valuable packages that bundle up your tours and allow customers to pick dates and times that best suit their holiday plans.

Whatever your main offer is, make sure it becomes the focal point of your campaign.

4. What’s your main message this season?

"Every marketing campaign should reinforce your brand’s overarching mission, strategy and positioning story. At a more tactical level, all campaign elements and communication outputs must be consistent with your brand, including its voice, tone, look and feel." - Percolate

So, what is the core message of your business and how does campaign strengthen this message?

Here are some elements your campaign's message should cover:

• Your business' core message
• Your call-to-action

5. What's your budget? 

How much money have you allocated to this campaign? €100? €2,000? Having a fixed budget can help you determine which marketing channels to use based on expected return on investment. 

Your expected return on investment will depend on your customer acquisition costs which depend on your conversion rates and your cost per lead on various marketing channels. According to Social Media Examiner , marketers should spend 20% of their budget on educational and engagement content that helps with audience building. 60% of the ad budget should be spent on promotion while another 20% of the budget should be spent on retargeting efforts. 

When thinking about your budget, you should also take into consideration any additional costs you might need to incur, for example, hiring a freelance designer to create promotional assets or hiring an ad agency to help you with paid advertising. 

6. How will you reach your target audience?

With a key message locked down, what channels can you use to communicate your key messages? With your target audience in mind, where are you most likely to get their attention?

Depending on the resources you have, you should focus on 3 to 5 channels for each campaign. 

Here are some channels you can consider:

• Paid advertising (e.g.  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  Google AdWords ) - With paid advertising, remember to create dedicated landing pages that align with your promotion. For instance, if your ad says "Get 10% off our history tour", make sure the landing page has information about that specific offer. 
• Review sites (e.g.  TripAdvisor  or Google Reviews ) - Make sure your contact information is visible and updated. Also remember to get reviews as often as possible so that prospective customers know that you're still open for business. 
• Online travel agents (OTAs) and marketplaces (e.g. Musement, TripAdvisor Experiences, Expedia Local Expert, Get Your Guide) - While OTAs are able to bring in high volume of bookings, tour companies should be weary of the commission their paying. A good rule of thumb is to work with 3 to 4 OTAs, while also focusing on your website and other direct sales channels. 
• Your own website and blog  - Remember that simply creating a blog post or updating your webpages isn't enough. You'll need to promote these pages to draw eyeballs to your website. 
• Your social media channels - Most tour companies will have an Facebook and Instagram account. Use these channels to attract potential customers, engage your followers , and promote your offers. 
• Email marketing  - Email marketing is the most effective way to stay in touch with previous customers and potential customers. Always find ways to capture the email addresses of people who visit your website so that you can stay in touch, build a relationship with them and, in time, have them book a trip with you in the future. 
• Media sites (e.g. travel blogs , local news sites, destination companies) 
• Offline and in-destination - Don't forget about promoting your tours to people who have already arrived at your destination. Build working relationships with local hotels, hostels and Airbnbs , and offer them a commission for referring guests to your company. 

When you've decided what channels to use for this campaign, come up with a list of content pieces that would suit these platforms. 

If you would like to promote your tours on Instagram, use high quality photos or videos to capture the attention of these users. If you would like to get featured on travel blogs or media sites like Lonely Planet, start sending them pitches and pictures of your destination. If you'd rather run the campaign on your blog, create a schedule for 4 to 5 pieces of content you'd like to write, and then get to writing, editing, publishing, and promoting it. 

7. When are you planning to launch your marketing campaign? And for how long?

Timing is crucial for any marketing campaign.

If you're planning a campaign to encourage more bookings for the next season which is, for example, 3 months away, you should start planning your campaign now. Give yourself as much time as possible to plan your campaign, execute it and make changes along the way.

Remember that it takes time for your customers to do their research and narrow down their options, before finally making a booking with a tour company of their choice.

You can also time your marketing campaigns to coincide with a special event, a seasonal holiday or a Hallmark holiday like Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.

Whenever you plan to launch your campaign, remember to give yourself enough time to research and prepare your campaign content before launch.

8. How will you execute this plan?

Now that you've got the details of the campaign down, how do you plan to execute it? Do you have the resources (i.e. time, money and knowledge) to carry it out?

If you work on your own, what tools can you use to help you out? If you work in a team, who can you assign this task to? Who is best fit for this job?

Do your research to come up with rough estimates for this campaign. Consider the number of hours this campaign will take up, your marketing budget (for both online and offline advertising), and the human resources that this will require.

Finally, create a timeline for your campaign. List down all the actions you need to take and add deadlines for each item. Remember to build in a bit of wriggle room (1 or 2 weeks) to accommodate any unforeseen hurdles. 

In conclusion

Remember to give yourself ample time to plan and execute your campaign. Once you've launched your campaign, keep an eye on its performance and don't be afraid to experiment with different content to see what draws the most engagement and converts curious browsers into paid bookings.

Lastly, when your campaign is done, don't forget to measure your performance. Did you meet your objectives? Why or why not? What can you do to push up bookings for next season? What were some key lessons you learnt? I find writing these things down and reviewing them to be really helpful before I kick off my next campaign. 

Read more: 5 indicators of growth for your tour and activity business

Are you ready to put these tools into practice? Download our marketing campaign worksheet:

Posted by Nicole Kow

Tour Guides

10 qualities every good tour guide needs

DMO & Resellers

How Fjord Norway brought 110+ suppliers online

TrekkSoft Users

Two ways to easily collet payments

Related Articles

The ultimate booking solution for you

If you're a tour or activity company or a tourism board, we have the perfect plan for your business.

Stay in the Loop

Enhance your travel experience: subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive insights, insider tips, inspiring stories, and unmissable deals that will ignite your wanderlust and help you craft unforgettable journeys.

Submit a guest post

We understand the tour and activity industry and you can rely on our team to onboard your business, introduce you to digital best practice, and guide you to success.

• Status Page
• Developer Docs

2010-2023 TrekkSoft | A TrekkSoft Group company

• Terms & Privacy

Promote your tour packages with these 5 strategies

By Rezdy — 4 Jul 2013

branding   marketing   tour operator   tourism business strategy   website   yield management

Updated September 2023 – While you probably have a marketing plan to advertise your business as a whole, you shouldn’t forget the importance of marketing individual packages offered by your organization. One of the sure-fire ways to increase your bookings each month is to raise awareness about individual tours and activities that you offer as a company. But how does one market travel and tours , exactly? The following tour marketing ideas will help you build awareness about individual tours and activities that you offer, which will ultimately lead to an increase in bookings each month.

The importance of getting your tour package strategy right

Getting your tour package strategy right is crucial. But it’s not just about offering incredible experiences; it’s about effectively marketing and promoting them to the right audience. 

Your tour packages are the heart of your business, and ensuring they shine in the spotlight is essential for boosting bookings and revenue.

A well-crafted tour package strategy not only helps you attract potential customers but also sets you apart from the competition. It enables you to showcase the unique and exciting experiences you provide, ultimately enticing travelers to choose your offerings over others. 

Here are some key aspects to consider when developing your tour package strategy:

1. Tailor packages to your target audience: Understand your target market’s preferences and interests. Design tour packages that cater specifically to their needs and desires. For instance, if your target audience is adventure-seekers, create packages that emphasize thrilling activities and adrenaline-pumping experiences

2. Highlight uniqueness: Identify what makes your tours stand out from the rest. Whether it’s exclusive access, off-the-beaten-path destinations, or expert guides, make sure to emphasize these unique selling points in your marketing materials

3. Pricing strategy: Carefully consider your pricing strategy. Offer competitive prices that reflect the value of the experiences you provide. Consider bundling services to create cost-effective packages that appeal to budget-conscious travelers

4. Consistent branding: Maintain a consistent brand image across all marketing channels. From your website and social media profiles to printed materials and tour guides, ensure your branding reflects the quality and professionalism of your services

5. Customer feedback: Continuously collect and analyze customer feedback. Use this valuable input to improve your tour packages and address any issues that may arise

What makes a successful tour promotion campaign

A successful tour promotion campaign is the cornerstone of any tour marketing strategy. To effectively promote your tour packages and boost bookings, consider the following elements:

1. Compelling visuals: Invest in high-quality visuals, including photos and videos, to showcase the beauty and excitement of your tours

2. Engaging content: Craft engaging and informative content that highlights the key features and benefits of each tour package. Share stories, traveler testimonials, and expert insights to build trust and credibility

3. Mobile optimization: Ensure that your marketing materials, including your website and promotional emails, are mobile-friendly

4. Email marketing: Use email marketing to reach out to past customers and potential leads. Send personalized offers, newsletters, and updates about new tour packages to keep your audience engaged

5. Social proof: Incorporate social proof in your marketing materials. Showcase positive reviews , ratings, and user-generated content to demonstrate the satisfaction of previous customers.

6. Clear calls-to-action (CTAs): Include clear and compelling CTAs in your promotional content. Encourage readers to take specific actions, such as booking a tour, signing up for a newsletter, or following your social media profiles

7. Analyze and optimize: Regularly analyze the performance of your promotion campaigns. Use analytics tools to track website traffic, conversion rates, and customer behavior and adjust your strategies based on the data

5 tips for building a successful tour marketing strategy

Tip 1: create a strong online presence.

Having a robust online presence is vital for any tour marketing strategy . Make sure your website is user-friendly, visually appealing, and provides detailed information about each tour package you offer. Utilize high-quality images, engaging videos, and descriptive content to showcase the unique experiences your tours provide.

Here’s another tip for your tour marketing plan: You can also leverage social media platforms to reach a broader audience. Share captivating content related to your tours regularly, engage with your followers, and encourage them to share their experiences. Positive reviews and user-generated content can significantly influence potential customers’ decisions, increasing the chances of bookings.

Tip 2: Get your tour package pages ranking

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in driving organic traffic to your website. Make sure your marketing strategy for your tourism company includes optimizing your tour package pages with relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags for images. This will improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find your packages when they search for related keywords.

Content should also be an integral part of your tour marketing strategies. Consider creating blog posts or articles that highlight the unique features and attractions of each tour. Not only will this enhance your SEO efforts, but it will also showcase your expertise and authority in the travel industry.

Tip 3: Run paid ad campaigns for tour packages

While organic efforts are essential, complement your tour marketing strategies with paid advertising. Platforms like Google Ads and social media advertising can help you target specific demographics and interests, increasing the visibility of your tour packages to potential customers who are more likely to be interested.

Create eye-catching ad creatives that convey the unique selling points of each tour package. Include a strong call-to-action and direct potential customers to a dedicated landing page for each package, simplifying the booking process and encouraging conversions.

Tip 4: Build partnerships

When creating your marketing strategy for tours and travels, it’s critical to consider collaborating with other businesses in the travel industry as it can be mutually beneficial. Partner with local hotels, restaurants, or transportation services to cross-promote each other’s offerings. For instance, a hotel could promote your tour packages to their guests, while you could offer exclusive discounts to their customers.

Consider forming partnerships with influencers or travel bloggers who have a significant following in your target market. Their endorsement and reviews can have a powerful impact on potential customers, driving more bookings to your tour packages.

Tip 5: Offer discounts and promotions

People love a good deal, and offering discounts and promotions as part of your tour operator marketing strategy is a fantastic way to attract new customers and encourage repeat bookings. Create limited-time offers, early-bird discounts, or seasonal promotions to create a sense of urgency and entice potential customers to take action.

For example, if you have a hard time filling up your sailboat excursions during the month of May, offer this tour at a discount and promote it individually. Coupon deals will help you increase your bookings at a relatively slow time for your business while also attracting new customers who may opt to take other tours with your company while on vacation.

Make sure people aren’t missing out on your tours

Ultimately, promoting your tour packages effectively is a critical component of growing your travel and tourism business. These five strategies will help you create a robust tour marketing plan that increases awareness of your individual tours and activities, ultimately leading to higher bookings each month.

Ready to take your tour packages to the next level by growing your business and attracting more travelers?

Start implementing the above tour marketing strategies today and watch your bookings soar! With Rezdy’s user-friendly booking software and channel manager , you can easily manage and promote your individual tour packages, streamline your operations, and provide exceptional customer experiences. Sign up for a FREE 21- trial or book a demo today.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to subscribe to the Rezdy newsletter where you’ll receive up-to-date learnings and news from the experiences industry straight into your inbox.

Start free trial today!

Enjoy 21 days to take a look around and see if we are a good fit for your business.

No obligations, no catches, no limits, nada!

Generation Z travel trends and how to attract them to your tours & activities

Is a re-engagement strategy worth incorporating into your tourism marketing plan?

How to write a tourism newsletter that captures readers’ attention

How to Use Social Media to Promote Tour Packages

Table of Content

Why use social media to promote tour packages, select the right platforms, tips to boost your social media marketing.

Social media is one of the most popular marketing platforms for tour operators.

Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are some of these online platforms where travelers window shop for tours, attractions, and travel destinations. Many travelers nowadays depend on social media for ideas on where to go and what to do there.

Customers want to know the kind of experience they’ll get before making the final decision of booking their holiday. By building your name on various social platforms, your tour or attraction business stands a better chance of influencing these decisions and hence driving more sales .

Before beginning your social media tours marketing, knowing the benefits you can tap here will drive you to maximize on the opportunities.

Here are a few advantages of using social media to promote your tour packages:

• Increase brand awareness: Social media gives you the opportunity to showcase your brand in front of a large audience. As you post images on Instagram and share tweets on Twitter that portray your brand personality, potential customers get to know who you are. Your uniqueness comes out and pulls in new clients who may not have known about your brand otherwise.
• Boost Google ranking: If your business can be easily found on this coveted search engine’s results page, you have made it. So how does social media help your business to become more visible on Google? Having several active social accounts linked to your website means more links leading to your business. This, as a result, boosts your ranking.
• Increase engagement: There are many ways potential clients and your current customers can engage with your tours and attraction company. For example, commenting, sharing, and liking your posts. By engaging with clients on social media, you also discover more about their needs and desires. You can then tailor-make your tour packages to meet these needs.
• Drive more sales: At the end of the day, this is the goal of your business, to get more bookings. Most social media platforms have features that can make this easier to achieve. You can include a call to action that triggers browsers to act on their interest and book your tour packages right on your social page. And even if users don’t make a booking immediately, the interaction they get with your brand creates a lasting memory that will bring them back to you when they are planning their next getaway.

Now that you know the importance of having an online footprint on social platforms, focusing on 2 to 3 platforms, to begin with is a good strategy. This gives you enough time and resources to understand and maximize what each platform offers. Later on, you can gradually expand to other sites and increase your reach.

So how do you select the ideal platform for your social media tours or attractions marketing? Answering the following questions can steer you in the right direction:

• Who is your target audience?
• On which social platform is your audience mostly found?
• Which network best aligns with your brand?
• What is your marketing objective?

Every social media network has its predominant purpose and attracts a certain kind of audience. Based on these variations, it’s important to understand the different platforms and see what each has to offer your tours or attractions company.

That’s why we’re giving you more details here on each of these social networks.

Let’s dive in.

1. Facebook

This is the king of social media. Reports show that Facebook has more than 2.32 billion monthly active users . Out of this number, about 71% visit the platform multiple times daily.

These numbers show that there’s a huge population you can potentially reach on Facebook to sell your tours and activities . And even though organic reach may be harder to get, one can still make use of paid advertisements.

Facebook is particularly great for increasing brand engagement through comments, likes, and shares. You can post different kinds of content for your tour business to trigger engagement. This includes videos, photos, notes, or even linking to your blog posts. Having a variety of options to pick from makes it ideal especially when beginning your social media marketing.

Stories and live streams are also unique features on Facebook that tour operators can utilize to showcase their packages. Attraction companies can post real-time videos of travelers enjoying the various experiences they offer. This feature helps create more authentic content that potential customers can rely on to make their booking decisions.

As we mentioned earlier, Facebook is ideal for building a community. You can create a fan page or a group for your customers where they share their experiences and express their needs. Having this kind of open forum may give you more valuable insight into your audience. You can make improvements to your company based on this kind of open feedback.

2. Instagram

Instagram is all about photos and images. It’s ideal for marketing tour businesses since this is an industry that’s quite visual-oriented. As a tour operator or attractions owner, you can post photos of different experiences that you offer clients.

It’s interesting to note that a good number of millennials select their tour destinations based on what they see on Instagram in a bid to recreate those images.

Instagram is also one of the top choice social media networks for boosting brand awareness. Most users get to discover different brands using hashtags. This tags direct users to content on specific topics.

As a tour owner, do your research on the popular hashtags in your niche that are related to the product or service you sell. Use a number of them in every post. At the same time, ensure your posts are unique, high-quality, and catchy. This way, whenever someone lands on your post through the hashtag you used, you can grab their attention and use the opportunity to market your business.

3. Pinterest

Like Instagram, Pinterest is a social media platform for displaying (pinning) images and photos. Most users visit Pinterest to find ideas on activities and products and discover new interests.

This social platform is great for driving traffic to your website. You can attach links to your tours website on your pinned images. When people click on the image, they are directed to your website where they can get more information on your product or services.

To succeed on Pinterest marketing , always pin high-quality vertical images that are eye-catching. Your target audience is continuously being bombarded by numerous images as they scroll through the site. You need to give them a reason to slow down and click on your images. And the best part is to get them to save your pin. That way they are more likely to follow up on what they’ve seen and look for more information on your website.

You also need to be keen on keywords on Pinterest. Research on the best keywords to use in your niche and apply them on your boards and pins. This will increase your chances of being found by potential clients searching for what you have to offer. Hashtags are also crucial for the same reason and should be used strategically.

Being the second biggest search engine (after Google), YouTube is a strategic platform for reaching a large audience. Apart from that, video marketing is quickly taking over online marketing.

Do you know surveys have reported that more than 80% of consumers  want to see more video content from brands?

It goes without saying that video content is more engaging than written content or even images. As a tour operator, you can express your brand personality more vibrantly and in detail using YouTube videos.

For example, vlogging during tours and uploading the videos on your channel is a great way to market your brand. You can also take short video clips of the various places travelers can visit when they book with you. And by partnering with influencers, you can have them create videos reviewing your product or services.

If your budget allows, you can also make use of paid ads on YouTube to generate more leads, drive more traffic to your website, or even get more bookings.

Most people use Twitter to remain up to date with the latest news and information. This is a speedy social media network. To keep up, you need to tweet frequently. Even if not all your tweets will trend, tweeting regularly increases your chance of getting noticed.

On Twitter, the power of hashtags cannot be overemphasized. This is the channel of getting discovered by users who may turn into followers and hopefully your tour customers. Know what hashtags are trending within your industry and strike while the iron is still hot by posting some catchy tweets on the subject.

To get the most out of Twitter, use Twitter Analytics  to monitor your account. Track the engagement on your tweets at different times of the day in order to know the best time to tweet.

It may be a bit harder to build a large following on Twitter but with persistence, you can get there.

Now that you’re on board the social media bandwagon, your focus ought to be on getting better and maximizing the opportunities available on these platforms.

No matter what your campaign is about, here are a few tips that can boost your social media tours marketing strategy and help you grow your tours or attraction business overall.

• Avoid being too salesy. Use the 80/20 rule. 80% of your posts ought to be entertaining, informative, educative or simply inspiring to your audience. Only use 20% of your posts for promotions and selling your product or services.
• Be consistent. Sustain communication with your target audience by posting regularly, commenting on posts, and responding to comments. This consistent engagement helps build trust in your brand and keeps you on the mind of your audience so when they are ready to take action you are likely to be their first choice.
• Make your posts more shareable. It’s not enough to just post images, videos, or tweets about your tours. These posts need to be catchy and make your target audience pause long enough to find out more about your business. Stand out from the crowd and trigger users to share your post with their friends and family on social networks. This calls for high-quality, well thought out, or interactive content.
• Respond to comments. Engagement is a two-way street, so as your audience comments or likes your posts, it’s essential that you respond to their comments. This creates a personal touch to your brand which is very attractive to most customers.

To make it easier to implement these tips and succeed with social media , you can automate some of these tasks or have staff members solely dedicated to handling your social media marketing. It’s definitely worth the extra cost and time.

Social media marketing is evidently a great opportunity for you to grow your tour or attraction company. With the average person spending approximately two hours on social media daily , you cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity to get leads, build awareness, drive engagement, and boost sales for your business.

The most common social media platforms to get on are Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. Each of these networks has its predominant purpose.

By factoring in the kind of audience you want to reach and your marketing objective, you can be able to make the best choice on which platform to begin with. Ultimately, having an active brand presence on all these sites may result in growing your brand even more.

Finally, keep in mind that social media platforms are for socializing. Hence, aim to engage your audience as effectively and as often as is necessary to keep them hooked to your brand.

Related Articles

• Tips & tricks

Stay updated with Regiondo by signing up for our Newsletter

Get a personalized demo or create your free account now

Take your business to the next level with Regiondo - it's free to get started and you don't need a credit card.

Social media for tour operators: the 5 ultimate step guide

Follow us on

In the post pandemic world, online presence is the first impression possible clients get of your tour operator business. A good, consistent and quality presence can get you awareness and consideration through social media channels , as well as trust to buy your tours . Post tour, it can help you grow your positive user reviews , social shares and customer satisfaction. For it to also work as a new form of word of mouth recommendation, you need to learn to use social media first. Here, the ultimate guide for social media for tour operators.

1. Choose and plan social media for tour operators

The first step to an effective social media strategy is to analyze what platforms you want to use and how many. There is no point in using all of them and not investing enough time to actually make them work and post quality content as well as engaging with the followers. So, firstly, get to know the benefits of each channel and choose wisely.

Even with the intent of promoting your tours, keep in mind that overly promotional content doesn’t engage the audience and it ends up not inviting them to actually book the tours. Creating content that lets the public see what your tours and activities are about , encourages trust and desire to buy them.

Consistency is also one of the most important characteristics of social media in general. If you don’t post consistently, your account will not grow. Also, a profile with lacking content or no content at all does not give a good impression to possible clients and they are likely to not trust to book your tours. In this day and age, social media presence is expected and usually the best way to be found online .

It is a very visual platform, in which two-way interaction is very easy. It offers its own editing tools and analytics, however it requires a lot of attention to detail and quality content. Instagram is also a very good platform for UGC (User Generated Content) and influencer promotion. Its majority of users are in an 18 to 34 age gap.

It has a big propensity to virality that can help you be seen worldwide. In the post pandemic world, Tiktok has become a new search engine, especially for Gen Z, so it is good to be present on this platform. It also has its own editing tools, nevertheless, the content with better engagement is the one focused on storytelling , aesthetically pleasing visuals and comedy.

Pinterest is the platform for ideas, whether it’s DIY’s and crafts, planning a vacation, choosing a gift, etc. It has become a grid to look for inspiration, so posting beautiful photographs of your tours with the direct link to them, could definitely inspire them to book them while planning a vacation.

Twitter, now X

To tweet is to use your voice as a company. It is a platform less visual than others, but its focus on writing can be effective when solving problems and needing to call attention to something. On the other hand, it allows for a specific type of engagement in which a conversation between user and company is easily formed.

Facebook is a great platform to create credibility and share visuals with the community of followers you have. It is also comfortable for a direct communication channel with the clients, to answer any questions they might have. Facebook has a very different and more mature age gap in active users, from about 25 to 45.

Mostly used by the younger generations, Snapchat lets you share what is happening in the moment through its format of stories and you can even use different filters to make it more fun and engaging. It is a very instantaneous platform with active users either from Gen Alpha or Gen Z.

2. Create content for social media as a tour operator

There are infinite ideas on what to post on social media , but it is also good to analyze and observe what your competitors or other tour operators across the world are posting. When thinking about what to post, you need to think about what your audience and clientele would like to see. However, it is also very effective to encourage visitors to post UGC and tag your account, because that is a new form of word of mouth recommendation on social media.

Some ideas of content for tour operators on social media :

• Behind the scenes preparing for an activity
• Beautiful scenery of a tour
• Post activity/experience reactions of travelers (always with consent to post)
• Introducing the team of tour guides
• Introducing them as part of the team
• Sharing some quick history facts about places travelers can visit on your tours
• A normal day at the office
• Tips to travel to that specific country 
• Using trends or trending sounds with your business in mind
• Funny and relatable experiences you may have
• Fun facts about the flora and fauna or the gastronomy of the place

3.Edit content yourself

One of the biggest trends on social media nowadays is transparency and “being real”, which is why content is not necessarily expected to be absolutely professional. Nevertheless, creating pretty and attractive quality content is expected and can be easy with the right tools. Most editing apps have templates and are very user friendly and intuitive. Outside of the tools that the social media platforms offer themselves, here are some good and free editing apps you can use either on a computer or on a mobile device.

It has several templates you can use and lets you choose the specific size for each social media channel. You can also create infographics and edit photos or videos. Canva can be used on your phone or computer and lets you download your creations in different formats like jpg, png, mp4, etc. It also offers several animations, videos, images and graphics you can add to your designs.

It is a very easy to use video editing platform with templates and direct access to Tiktok. It has various semi-professional implements to generate engaging audiovisual results. It is also very intuitive and user friendly and has an audio and sounds library you can add to your edits. It is also connected to the Tiktok sounds archive.

Photoshop Express

A simplified version of the professional tool. Photoshop Express is the perfect app to edit your photos in a semi professional manner and have them look amazing and ready to post. It offers almost all the same instruments as the normal Photoshop, so you can play with light and color settings on your pictures.

4. Promote your posts and tours 

Social media platforms have incredible and mostly cheap ways to promote your tours and even allow you to segment your target audience for your ads. However, a different, but effective form of promotion would be through influencers. These could help you boost awareness, consideration and even sales while generating content for your tour operator brand.

Nevertheless, it requires a lot of analyzing to have a successful influencer campaign. It is important to check what travel influencers have values that align with your brand and which ones have a big conversion rate or which ones work better only for awareness, how big their community is and how engaged or interactive they are. And if you decide to hire an influencer to promote your tours , negotiate a good deal that works for both parties involved and gets you the best results possible with evidence to back them up.

5. Analyze your social media interactions

It is very important to take a look at the analytics of your platforms because they will give you a broad idea of your audience and how it is reacting to the content you are posting . That way, you can improve what is not working and keep doing what is. This feedback can also help you increase the quality of your tours by seeing what the audience is looking for. 

The analytics can also be a way to measure customer experience based on the amount of tagged posts, shares and new followers you get after the tours. And last, it is also another channel through which you can get reviews of your tours. TourReview is a tool that can help you analyze and manage all the reviews you get in one dashboard so you can keep growing your business.

Follow us on Instagram @ tourreviewofficial

Similar Blogs

subscribe for newsletters

Your unique solution for online reviews.

Quick Links

• News & Blogs
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• [email protected]
• Psje. de Bisbal, 6 28028 - Madrid, ES

© 2024 TourReview Report, All Rights Reserved.

Effective marketing strategies for Tour Operators of the future

As we all know, the tourism industry has been hit the hardest by COVID-19. Unlike other industries, it has in parts, completely ground to a halt. With no way of knowing exactly when these times will be behind us, we have only one option and that is to look ahead to a brighter future and be ready for it. 

We understand that every Tour operator is different and in different positions. Whilst some have been able to pivot to domestic travellers, when restrictions permit, for others, it has been a case of hibernation. One thing that all of us in the Tours & Activities sector can do, is join forces to share the knowledge, tips & tricks to help market our businesses for the future.  

Where should Operators focus their marketing efforts?

It’s well known that paid advertising has somewhat clouded the concept of marketing, and moreover digital marketing. The reality is, paid marketing is one segment of the whole strategy (phew!). Right now, the idea of anything paid, is not favourable for most Tour Operators. For that reason, we’ve compiled some alternate methods to ramp up your marketing initiatives without any payments to Facebook or Google. For the record, we do completely recommend paid advertising or PPC but in these times, it is not the ‘be all or end all’. 

• Let’s Blog!

By definition marketing is the action of promoting your business or service with view to increasing awareness and distribution. Now, aside from recommendations, referrals, reputation and returning customers, there are few ways we can leverage different online and offline platforms to gain more exposure.

So, we’ve decided to round up the top 5 that you should be thinking about for the future.

In simple terms, writing and uploading a blog to your website can really help to boost your overall content value and optimise your keyword search engine ranking (SEO). Blogging is a core component of SEO and it sure does help potential customers find you or at least what they were looking for. Which, if you are regularly blogging could be you. 

There are a few things to determine first, ensure that you have some organisation to the pieces you write about, remember that there has to be value to the content you are creating. Best practices for Tour Operator blogs often consist of local tips, notable events, top tour picks or sites to see, cultural information, FAQ’s etc. Once you have a couple of themes in place, it will feel a lot more natural to begin writing and you may just find yourself flowing through it. In addition to helping you rank higher, having an active blog can also help to store useful content and information for future guests and travellers. It is very often that prior to any given travel date, customers want to know about the details of a tour or information on what they should bring, having a ‘what to pack guide for the half day alpine tour’ may well delight existing customers and aid in generating new ones. 

Finally, the best part of blogging is that it is truly multi purpose. In addition to the benefits we covered earlier, a blog article is a great resource to share on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn (for those all important B2B relationships)

2. Number two, all important Reviews

According to research from the podium 93% of consumers say their purchases are influenced by online reviews. Data clearly shows that we trust in what others have to say about our products and therefore it is important to make sure we are collecting reviews. In addition to the reviews themselves, research shows that 89% of consumers read the businesses responses to reviews. So, make sure for each review you receive, try to reply to as many as possible.

An easy way to gather reviews is to send a follow up email and encourage customers to leave detailed reviews of their experiences on various different platforms. It is beneficial to make sure you have reviews across your rating sites, such as Tripadvisor, Facebook and Google+.

3. Review your historical data now

Now is the perfect time to delve deeper into your historical data in order to spot patterns, analyse metrics of notable relevance and identify any variables that appear to have effects. There are a couple of places where you can review marketing data to optimise your business for the future.

Google Analytics: 

• Pinpoint slower loading pages.
• View which devices are used to visit your site by proportion. If the bulk number of visitors use a mobile device and your site is not optimised for mobile, you may want to consider improving this.
• Analyse the key demographics of visitors (geographical, time of day, day of the week etc).
• Review the key channels/ referrals that your visitors come from, this is paramount to assess which distribution channels are working and which ones may need more work or investment.

Smartlook (Heatmap software)

• Overview of user behaviour to your website
• View your visitor journey, page by page and see what your visitors do and when they come back
• Use funnels to find visitors that did not finish a step and then assess why that might be to increase your conversion rate

4. Run an audit on your website

If you’ve ever heard the saying “you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink” then you’ll know exactly what we are talking about here. 

Ultimately, the very best marketing strategies, SEO efforts, paid advertising campaigns and product selection can’t make your website visitors book a tour. It is important that when visitors land on your site, they can navigate easily and find what they need to make a purchase. 

A quick website audit can be a surefast way to check your bases and make sure everything is functioning correctly to optimise conversions. Remember to conduct your audit on the mobile and desktop version of your site. It’s best to imagine that you are a new visitor that does not know anything. Think about things like:

Are the booking buttons easy to find on a page?Or do you have to scroll all the way to the top or to the bottom to book? 

Is it easy to navigate to and from pages? Bare in mind, visitors like to compare tours / products so it’s important to make sure that any anchors or breadcrumbs are functioning properly

Are your products categorised properly? Are tours accessible and easy to search for, customers can search for what they do not know is available

Is content easy to read and showcasing your USP’s to the fullest? This is something that you should look at both for products on your website and your products as they appear on OTA sites.

5. Get social 

Whilst physical travel is virtually off limits for now, we are still dreaming of the day we can all travel again in the not so distant future. 

For this reason, it’s important to maintain your social media activity and consider creative ways to showcase your experiences to future travellers. Utilise different platforms to keep content engaging and widen your reach. 

Think about your audience and how these times are impacting them, we are reading more news online, watching videos, getting inspired. So, what interesting facts, photos, videos can you share? Maybe it’s just a case of up cycling content from the past and revitalising it with insightful captions or perhaps taking a short instagram video of interesting, local snapshots of your city, office, view currently. 

Similar Posts

The Customer Self Service Portal for Tour Operators

Learn how Customer Self Service portals can be quickly configured to provide information and independence to your passengers.

How to automate tour operations and save money

Whilst Covid-19 still ripples through society, we must be able to pivot towards remote friendly working, contactless and increase automated processes. We must be able to service bookings, refunds and requests from anywhere while still maintaining quality support.  In this post we are going to highlight a few easy ways that you can increase productivity…

New Integration Alert: Rezdy

We’re proud to announce that our integration with Rezdy is complete and we now fully support Rezdy as a booking system in PaxFlow. We are delighted to finally be able to offer our tools to Tour & Activity operators using Rezdy. In fact, we’re so happy we are offering a free 6 month giveaway for…

Travel Tech – A Key Player In Recovery for Tour Operators

Travel technology may be the vital stepping stone to ensure that when travel returns, Tour Operators are ready.

Customer Success Story: Ta Scotland

About Ta Scotland is a tour operator offering guided tours all across Scotland. With three different brands, the services provided are wide and offered in three different languages (English, Spanish and Italian).  Their portfolio is made up of free tours in Edinburgh, guided visits to the castle, one day tours, multi day tours or even…

Integrate Dynamic Maps for drivers, guides and office staff into PaxFlow

Integrating dynamic maps into PaxFlow can be a great way to show points of interest to drivers, guides and office staff.  Whether you create maps for hazards or to show extra info about a specific site or landmark, they can be useful throughout your operation.  With dynamic maps, you can easily create, update and share…

Privacy Overview

How easyJet holidays managed the Covid-19 crisis with automated refunds

Get inspiration to grow.

Stay up to date with the latest marketing, sales and services 
tips and news from Voucherify.

10 Promotion Strategies for the Travel and Tourism Industry that Actually Work

Almost every industry is (still!) going through tough times since the pandemic outbreak back in 2020. Some of them, though, have been affected by coronavirus far more than the others – and the travel industry is definitely one of them. Canceled trips, canceled flights, confused guests and hosts alike, countless restrictions, and the overall uncertainty of what’s coming next – all this have brought the industry to the brink of collapse.

Thankfully, most travel and tourism businesses decided to fight against the odds, and work their way through the pandemic. As of summer 2022, there are signs of coming back to (normal) life. Nobody knows, though, what autumn will bring and convincing consumers to plan their trips is far more difficult now than it ever was. That’s why clever marketing and promotion strategies seem to be the keys for the industry to get back on its feet.

Marketing for the travel and tourism industries in 2022

The pandemic isn’t the only problem the travel and tourism industry has faced lately. The economy (for example in Europe) forces people to think twice before going on costly vacations abroad. The competition is stiff as ever, and there’s still a need to maintain a healthy balance between costs and earnings. There’s no point in pumping thousands of dollars into marketing strategies if they won’t bring enough ROI. That’s why it’s crucial to select the next promotion strategy for your business carefully.

Here are some notable travel marketing trends are worth mentioning:

• TikTok marketing – this social video platform became a powerful marketing tool for those skilful enough to unlock its potential. Often referred to as a platform for children and youth (and dismissed for being such), TikTok hosts 1 billion active users. It’s a value that shouldn’t be ignored.
• Social media marketing – the dominance of TikTok does not mean that other social media platforms are doomed in marketing. Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn – all those media have their place and are still valid marketing platforms. The key is – as always – targeting the right audience.
• Influencer marketing – staying in the social media area: engaging celebrities and influencers in your marketing activities is an idea worth thinking of. Of course, the influencer with a 250K Instagram profile won’t bring thousands of customers directly to your company, but the recognizability should definitely help.

What about some travel marketing trends for 2022?

• Flexibility is a key – though low prices are still important, customers are eager to find offers that enable them to get a full refund or change bookings if necessary.
• Long-term rentals – in times of remote work, more people want to try living in new places for a more extended period. So-called workations have become more popular than ever, and people expect special deals for long-term rentals.
• Geofencing – looking for attractions near the place of living has become a thing during the pandemic. People are forced to put off their travel plans until somewhere in the future, turned to what their area has to offer. With geofencing , local attractions, such as restaurants, museums, go-karting tracks, escape rooms or laser tag places, became open for people searching for “[something] near me” which, apparently, grew popular in recent years.

Enough of those trends – you’re here for the list, so here it is! 10 promotional strategies for the travel and tourism industry that actually work – they have been launched and tested by companies we know. There’s no room for hypotheses. Below you’ll find nothing but real-life examples – get ready to get inspired!

Gamecity Zoetermeer

Promotion types used: discount coupons, gift cards, giveaways.

Gamecity GoKarting Zoetermeer is a place of fun games and entertainment for people looking to do something more active and demanding than watching VOD at home or going to the cinema. Gamecity offers go-karting, laser tag, minigolf and an innovative, competitive escape room-like experience called Prison Island.

1. Social media giveaways

Pursuing the newest trends, Gamecity launched a few social media profiles, such as Instagram or TikTok (their most popular video has been watched more than 40K times!). They use TikTok not only for sharing funny, short videos but also to run giveaways for their engaged followers, thus increasing company recognizability and gaining new followers (as well as potential customers):

Online contests are usually a very effective way to raise awareness of newly-created brands. Still, nothing stands in your way if you want to organize a sweepstake every now and then to promote your already established brand.

‍ In short: a well-performed online giveaway should not only bring some attention to your company but it might also result in a significant followers increase. Each of them can become your next valuable customer!

2. Discount coupons

People who don’t order any service without typing “[name of the company] discount coupon” in Google Search won’t be disappointed, as Gamecity Gokarting issues discount coupons every once in a while. A nice 20% discount for go-karting should be enough to convince the unconvinced and create the opportunity for them to try new things while traveling or just hanging out with friends.

Discount coupons are the salt of promotion strategies for the tourism and travel industry – it’s always nice knowing that the attraction you were already willing to experience is a bit cheaper than expected. However, from a business perspective, too big of a discount can be deceptive, as people could try it once and then never come back due to the feeling that the service should be cheaper than it is. That’s why companies usually launch 10-20% discounts.

‍ In short: The most significant advantage of the discount coupon promotional strategy is that it’s not very demanding to launch and maintain such a promotion. And with a proper tool, such as the Voucherify, issuing coupons is approachable and developer-friendly.

Promotion types used: gift cards, partnerships, giveaways.

Sportihome has created its unique business model that combines two things you can find in the company name – sports and housing rentals. To make their offer attractive for sports enthusiasts and travelers alike, Sportihome runs numerous giveaways with strongly-thematic rewards, such as entries for sports events and so on:

3. Partnerships

A popular marketing strategy is partnering up with well-known brands to provide discounts, equipment and other gifts. Sportihome decided to follow this path by teaming up with Decathlon , the most prominent sports gear brand in France. Each host, who joins the Sportihome family, gets an exclusive 10% discount for equipping the lodgings they share with Sportihome customers.

In short: partnerships may strengthen your brand as showing up in the right company to a business meeting does. And if the partnership comes with benefits for the customers, you can be sure that it will positively impact your marketing efforts.

4. Gift cards

One of the ultimate travel and tourism promotion types is gift cards. However, buying holidays as a gift can cause unintended trouble – it isn’t easy to be a hundred percent sure that the gifted person won’t have any plans in a given period. Also, choosing the location and lodgings for them might not be the best idea (who knows if they’d like it?). In such a case, the best way would be to present someone with a gift card for holidays of their choice. And that’s exactly what you can do via Sportihome – choose the price (from €50 to €1,000) and choose whether Sportihome should send the card to the recipient or if you want to do this personally.

Each gift card is valid for 24 months, and the gifted person can use the code from the gift card during the payment – after choosing the most suitable location.

In short: Gift cards are present in almost any industry, but they became especially popular when the pandemic began – if all the travel companies ensured full refunds for everyone who wanted to cancel their flights, trips and vacations, they would already be out of business. One of the ways to stay above the surface while encouraging customers to return was to offer them gift cards instead of a cashback.

This is precisely the way easyJet decided to deal with the coronavirus crisis – read more about it in our case study!

{{CUSTOMER}}

{{ENDCUSTOMER}}

Al Ali Yachts

Promotion types used: BOGO, discount coupons, giveaways.

Al Ali Yachts is a luxury yacht-rental company based in Dubai, UAE. In a demanding market, rental companies have to try different marketing strategies to get to the right audience. One of the most effective promotions used by Al Ali Yachts is BOGO – buy one, get one free – promotion.

How does it work? BOGO promotions add an item whenever a customer orders a required number of items. For example, during the "Enjoy the Summer" promotion, Al Ali Yachts offers their customers 1 hour of yacht rental for free for every 3 hours booked. It’s easy to calculate that the offer equals a 25% discount. The difference lies in the incentive.

If a group of friends would like to rent a yacht for two hours, they might get incentivized by the promotion – they’d rather pay for 3 hours and have a boat for 4 hours.

6. Holiday giveaways

There’s always an occasion to celebrate – should it be International Women’s Day, Independence Day or National Pizza With Everything (Except Anchovies) Day, brands have learnt to incorporate them into their marketing efforts. A contest where the winner gets 1 hour of free cruising? Why not? If it brings people interested in the product, it’s probably a good idea (though there’s a million dollars for whoever creates a campaign combining National Pizza Day with yacht rental).

Dertouristik

Promotion types used: discount coupons.

Visiting the Dertouristik website for the first time is one of those unforgettable moments, when a pop-up ad doesn’t get on the nerves – why so? Because of an exclusive, time-limited offer (also the fact that it doesn’t cover the whole screen)!

7. Time-limited offers

Though setting a time limit for the offer is old as the world, it’s useful promotional tool companies use with success in 2022 (and will probably still use in 2222). Here’s what it looks like on the Dertour website:

The window pops up right after entering the website – it says that there’s a €50 discount for any travel package from Dertour, as soon as the total costs are above €500. The offer is valid until midnight, so there’s a strict deadline, but with plenty of time to think this decision through.

It’s a nice touch that after closing the pop-up window, it’s still available under the blue “Ihr Rabatt Code” button, so the customers can get back and copy their code anytime.

Promotion types used: flexibility packages, discount codes, freebies.

8. Flexible packages

Trends in the travel and tourism promotions have changed – customers expect more than low prices, loyalty solutions or various discounts. They also need peace of mind when it comes to planning their vacations. That’s why solutions such as ItaliaRail’s Flexibility packages work! With an additional fee customers can ensure that they would be able to reschedule or cancel their train tickets with an 80% or 90% refund:

9. Freebies

Genuinely taking care of customers’ well-being is one of the most effective promotional strategies – especially if the goal is to create a long-term relationship with the customer. So ItaliaRail went the extra mile and prepared a little welcoming gift for their potential customers – a free Italian phrases ebook, which can be a helpful guide for those who visit Italy for the first time. Of course, giving away an ebook like this probably won’t become a game-changing strategy for the company. Still, it’s an excellent little addition to make customers feel better about traveling, and to get some email addresses in the process.

Promotion types used: cart promotions, discount coupons.

With its branches in Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, France, Poland, Spain, the UK, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Finland, TUI became one of the most popular travel agencies in Europe, offering holiday trips worldwide.

10. Cart promotions

Knowing that the most straightforward solutions are often the most satisfying ones, TUI went through with cart promotions – the discounts visible immediately while browsing the offers:

A big, red –41% alert is precisely what TUI wants people to see right after clicking the TUI Deals button on the homepage. The difference between the regular and discounted price is what drives people’s purchasing decisions more often than they want to admit. But the difference between €1410 and €831 is just too good!

‍ Cart-level promotions , though, offer more than only displaying lower prices. Using them, you can assign automatic discounts to each customer who meets the redemption criteria, create personalized deals, enable free shipping, bonus items and much more!

Coming up with a successful promotion strategy for the travel and tourism industry requires a lot of work and dedication – I hope the above list of examples will help you choose the best promotion type to begin with. Now, before I finish, here are three final tips you might find helpful:

• Select two or three promotion types you’re eager to try out. Learn more about them and see if they are within your reach before investing any money in them.
• Look around and search for software that would help you create and launch the type of promotions you’re interested in. It’s always a better (and cheaper) idea to find ready-made software instead of trying to come up with your own solution.
• If you’re determined to try out different types of promotions for your business, make sure that the software you’ve found in step 2 is able to handle each of them. No point in subscribing to (and paying for) two or three different software packages while you can stick to a single one.

If you’re looking for a powerful promotion engine where you can create numerous marketing campaigns (personalized coupons, cart-level promotions, digital gift cards, product bundling, loyalty and referral programs, geofencing), but pay only for the actual usage, try Voucherify. And when I’m saying “try” I mean it – Voucherify comes with a free plan, which you can use to find your way through the platform before deciding to pay any money!

Don’t hesitate any longer

Get started with Voucherify!

Related articles

Tourism and Hospitality During COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 – Ensuring Business Continuity with Mass Refunds to Gift Cards

9 Proven Marketing Strategies and Promotions for Edtech Companies

Are you wasting time and money on digital promotions.

• Competitor Pricing
• Dynamic Pricing Technology
• Shopify App
• Digital Marketing Optimisation
• Pricing Strategy
• Pricing Glossary
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Default HubSpot Blog

Pricing Strategies for Tour Operators

Price setting for tour operators requires a strong mix of marketing strategy and financial analysis.  The people, accommodation and components that make up the experience/holiday you provide can be incredibly diverse and pricing strategies often evolve as a tour operator develops its brand and market share. 

What to Consider When Setting Your Pricing Strategy

Setting the right price for your products or services can determine your success as tour operator, influence customer perception, and directly impact your bottom line. In this ever-evolving marketplace, mastering the art of pricing requires a keen understanding of various factors that come into play:

• How unique is your business?  The more unique your product the more flexibility you will have to decide your pricing.
• What value added services do you provide that enhance the perceived value of your offering?  Some examples include free parking, a purchase incentive such as champagne on arrival or discounted tickets to a particular attraction or eatery.
• What market do you want to attract and what position in that market do you want to establish?  Research your target market in relation to product needs, price sensitivity, length of stay etc.
• What are your operating costs?  Calculate your break-even point and therefore what your minimum pricing should be for profit goals (estimates of revenue, occupancy rates etc will be needed).
• What do competitors with similar products and services charge within your market? Competitors’ prices do influence the maximum rate at which your product can be sold but you must be aware of your own financial position (debt levels, cash flow etc) before you can decide whether you should compete on price.
• When launching it may be necessary to set prices lower than your longer-term pricing expectations in order to attract volume, credibility and establish your brand.  As you become more established with regular bookings you can consider increasing prices.
• What is your overall marketing strategy?  If you cater for the luxury traveller pricing may not fluctuate much at all but if you are targeting the budget traveller you will rely on volume of bookings.

Pricing Strategies Tour Operators Can Use 

Mark up pricing strategy.

Set the prices of your holidays, tours and activities to ensure that you make a profit on each sale. Identify all of the costs associated with running your business which includes the time spent developing and promoting a holiday or experience.

The fixed costs include rent, building maintenance, any machinery and insurances.  Variable costs include wages, energy, repairs, petrol, uniforms, bank fees, promotional and travel costs.

Mark Down Pricing Strategy

A mark down pricing strategy requires tour operators to mark down their prices in order to remain competitive.

It’s ideal during slower months.  If the cost for your offering is normally £400 per person, then you might mark down your prices to £299 per person to allow you to (hopefully) earn some profit on each booking, while remaining competitive and keeping the business afloat. 

It might even mean you generate more bookings than you would have without this promotional discount – and thus earn more income.

Tourists are increasingly turning to “packages” to meet all of their holiday needs - hotel, airfare, transfers, tours and activities all for one inclusive price.  Developing packages with complementary tourism partners is a good way to stimulate demand and add value without having to discount.  

Packages can also be used to target niche markets effectively, e.g. golfing holidays, food and wine tasting, beauty and relaxation etc.

You can use “disguised pricing” which hides the exact cost of individual components and also the extent of discount provided by contributing operators.

“Visible pricing” which gives your clients the flexibility to select their preferred package components according to their travel preferences and budget.

All tourism businesses should have a rack rate, an official rate before any discounts are applied. These are the “brochure” prices printed in advance of the coming season.  The rack rate for activity and attraction operators is more likely to remain the same during a peak holiday season without any day to day discounting.  However, accommodation providers will be changing their rack rate almost daily to reach capacity.

Seasonal Pricing

This is different price levels throughout the year to cover low and high seasons. These are usually the same date periods each year and apply for school holidays, public holidays or for local events where the dates vary each year.

Last Minute Pricing

A common pricing strategy for accommodation suppliers and tour operators to fill any last-minute gaps.  It involves discounting prices according to take-up which are then promoted on last minute booking websites.

Discounting

Discounts are often applied in the offseason or to assist with yield management but be selective in their implementation because it could become a fast route to reducing your profitability. 

With last minute price deals, just select those where you really need more takers.  Consider adding conditions to a discounted price like a minimum stay or number of travellers in the booking. 

Tourists do become used to discounted prices and you therefore run the risk of not only making it harder to charge your normal rates, but it will also devalue your product.

Common Pricing Types

Per Person pricing - is a set price per person, commonly used by activity/attraction and transport operators, accommodation providers and campsites.  Options may include an adult, child and senior citizen price.

Per Unit pricing - is a set price for 1 unit of the product, e.g. price per night.  Usually, the advertised price is for 2 adults or 2 + child rate.

Single or double occupancy - is common for B&B’s, there is a single rate and a double rate (which is not double that of the single rate).

Related posts

How are Travel Packages Priced?

Grab Your Passport – Here are the Latest Travel Industry Pricing Trends

Behind the Scenes of Airline Pricing Strategies

Why is Surge Pricing Everywhere?

5 Competitive eCommerce Pricing Strategies to Help you Grow Your Company

Proven Pricing Strategies that Drive Conversions

What are The Most Popular Pricing Strategies by Industry Sector?

It’s Time to Rethink Your Pricing Strategy

https://www.rezdy.com/blog/mark-up-vs-mark-down-pricing-strategy/

http://www.encore.ca/en/travel-trends-2018-travel-prices-are-going-up/

https://www.rezdy.com/blog/tips-about-selling-packaged-tourism-products/

http://www.tourismindustryblog.co.nz/2010/03/pricing-strategy-for-tourism-businesses/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316972324_Pricing_strategies_of_tour_operator_and_online_travel_agency_based_on_cooperation_to_achieve_O2O_model

https://www.destinationnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Tourism-Business-Toolkit-VOL2-Chapter3.pdf

https://acteavo.com/blog/5-must-marketing-tools-tour-operators/

https://www.4hoteliers.com/features/article/5378

https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/online-travel-agents-monitoring-of-pricing-practices

Topics: Travel , Tour Operators , Online Travel Agents

Recent Posts

Posts by tag.

• Pricing (44)
• Pricing Strategy (39)
• BlackCurve (27)
• Ecommerce (24)
• Internship (18)
• Pricing Software (15)
• Price Management (13)
• Retail (13)
• Competitor Pricing (12)
• Dynamic Pricing (12)
• Competitor Price Tracking (11)
• Pricing Strategies (11)
• Black Friday (10)
• Pricing Blogs (10)
• Configure Price Quote (9)
• Customers (9)
• PeopleofPricing (9)
• Price Optimisation (9)
• Competition (8)
• Cyber Monday (8)
• Dynamic Pricing Software (8)
• Pricing Success (7)
• Discounting (6)
• Google Shopping (6)
• Price Engine (6)
• Price Manager (6)
• Pricing Manager (6)
• people in retail (6)
• Cost Plus (5)
• Ecommerce Pricing (5)
• Profit Maximization (5)
• Profits (5)
• Value-based Pricing (5)
• Willingness to Pay (5)
• shopify (5)
• Airline (4)
• Ecommerce Pricing Strategies (4)
• Investment (4)
• Manufacturing (4)
• Margin Growth (4)
• Price Communication (4)
• Price Elasticity (4)
• Price Strategy (4)
• Price Tracking (4)
• Pricing Solution (4)
• Smart Pricing (4)
• Company News (3)
• Customer (3)
• Excel Pricing (3)
• Google Ads (3)
• Marketing Decisions (3)
• Online Retail (3)
• Price Discrimination (3)
• Price War (3)
• Pricing Analyst (3)
• Pricing Automation (3)
• Pricing Blog (3)
• Pricing Elasticity (3)
• Pricing Team (3)
• Psychological Pricing (3)
• Quotation Software (3)
• Revenue (3)
• Strategic Pricing (3)
• Subscription Pricing (3)
• ecommerce sales (3)
• retail pricing (3)
• Automation (2)
• BigCommerce (2)
• Business (2)
• CPQ Software (2)
• Decision Intelligence (2)
• Discounting Strategies (2)
• Dynamic Price Optimisation (2)
• Ecommerce Company (2)
• Food Prices (2)
• Manage Prices (2)
• Marketing Strategy (2)
• Online Pricing (2)
• Optimise Prices (2)
• Persona (2)
• Personalised Pricing (2)
• Podcast (2)
• Price Test (2)
• Price Testing (2)
• Pricing Books (2)
• Pricing Decisions (2)
• Pricing Experiments (2)
• Pricing Journey (2)
• Pricing Professionals (2)
• Pricing Solutions (2)
• Pricing System (2)
• Pricing Techniques (2)
• Pricing Training (2)
• Product Launch (2)
• Pyschological Pricing (2)
• Quote Management (2)
• Quote System (2)
• Retention (2)
• Rising Prices (2)
• Software (2)
• UK Retailers (2)
• competitive pricing strategies for retailers (2)
• consumers (2)
• marketing (2)
• pricing your products (2)
• Actionable Insights (1)
• Aerospace (1)
• Bathroom (1)
• Brand Ambassadors (1)
• CPQ Solutions (1)
• Chatbot (1)
• Cloud.IQ (1)
• Configure Price Quote Software (1)
• Conversions (1)
• Cost-Plus Pricing (1)
• Cross-Selling (1)
• Department (1)
• Discount (1)
• Distribution (1)
• Dynamic Price Optimisation Model (1)
• Embed Pricing (1)
• Employee (1)
• Ethical pricing (1)
• Fundraising (1)
• Geography (1)
• Global Pricing (1)
• Henley Business School (1)
• Holiday Season (1)
• Human Resources (1)
• Industry (1)
• Inflation (1)
• International (1)
• International Marketing (1)
• Leadership (1)
• Lecture (1)
• Lighting (1)
• MAP Pricing (1)
• Monte Carlo Simulation (1)
• More Attractive With Pricing (1)
• Negotiation (1)
• Online Travel Agents (1)
• Optimise Pricing (1)
• Optimising Ecommerce Prices (1)
• Partnerships (1)
• Penetration Pricing (1)
• Pharma Pricing (1)
• Predictive Analytics (1)
• Premium Pricing (1)
• Prestige Pricing (1)
• Price Errors (1)
• Price Leader (1)
• Price Leadership (1)
• Price List (1)
• Price List Software (1)
• Price Management Software (1)
• Price Quote (1)
• Price Scraping (1)
• Price Tracking Software (1)
• PriceCon (1)
• Pricing Analytics (1)
• Pricing Audit (1)
• Pricing Challenge (1)
• Pricing Changes (1)
• Pricing Conferences (1)
• Pricing Errors (1)
• Pricing Executive (1)
• Pricing Guide (1)
• Pricing Ideas (1)
• Pricing Issues (1)
• Pricing Methods (1)
• Pricing Mistakes (1)
• Pricing Objectives (1)
• Pricing Tech (1)
• Pricing Tools (1)
• Pricing Trends (1)
• Product Feed (1)
• Product Matching (1)
• Product Oriented Pricing (1)
• Product Pricing (1)
• Professional Pricing Society (1)
• Profit Margins (1)
• Profit Maximisation (1)
• Profitability (1)
• Promotions (1)
• Publish Prices (1)
• Quote Manager (1)
• Quote-to-Cash (1)
• Real Time Pricing (1)
• Recession (1)
• Revenue Management (1)
• Search Relevancy (1)
• Shrinkflation (1)
• Smarter Pricing (1)
• Startup Pricing (1)
• Startups (1)
• Subscription (1)
• Supermarket (1)
• Supply Driven Economy (1)
• Surge Pricing (1)
• Team Building (1)
• Tour Operators (1)
• Transparency (1)
• Up-Selling (1)
• Voice Assistants (1)
• Webinar (1)
• Yield Management (1)
• cart abandonment (1)
• competitor-led retail pricing strategies (1)
• digital shelf (1)
• drop shipping (1)
• eCommerce Companies (1)
• headless (1)
• hospitality (1)
• inside look (1)
• maximise profits (1)
• multi-channel (1)
• pricing breakfast (1)
• pricing intelligence (1)
• raise prices (1)
• spending (1)
• Competitor Price Monitoring
• Privacy Policy
• Data Security
• People In Retail

Tour Operators

Tour operator is an organization, firm, or company who buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen, is called a Tour Operator .

More precise tour operators are primarily responsible for delivering and performing the services specified in a given package tour. They can provide these services themselves as some have their own cars and coaches, hotels, and other travel-related services or can obtain these from the other suppliers. That is why they are called manufacturers of tourism products .

Tour operators are sometimes called wholesalers but this is partially true because a wholesaler buys goods and services in bulk at his own account to prepare a tour package and then retails it through the travel agencies or directly to clients. However, a tour operator who has his own one or more tourists products components, (SOTC, TCI, Thomas Cook, Indo Asia KUONI formulates a new tourist product for example ‘ inclusive tours .’

Tour operators generally offer a variety of package tours to cater to the needs of different kinds of travelers.

Definitions of Tour Operator

Poyther (1993) defines, “tour operator is  one who has the responsibility of putting the tour ingredients together, marketing it, making reservations and handling actual operation.”

Holloway (1992) stated that tour operations undertake a distinct function in the tourism industry, they purchase separate elements of tourism products/services and combine them into a package tour which they sell directly or indirectly to the tourists.

Today, tour operators have become highly competitive. They endeavor to achieve a high volume of turnover, and maximum International and domestic market share by effectively operating. Moreover, the success of many developed and developing nations as tourists destinations depend heavily on a tour operator’s ability to attract tourists, development and promotion of tourism plant, diversification of tourism product and their social responsibilities to develop a remote and backward area.

Types of Tour Operators

Tour operators are basically categorized into four types . These are categories on the basis of their nature of the business and its operations.

Inbound Tour Operators

Outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators.

• Ground Operators

These are also known as incoming tour operators . Technically, the operators who receive guests, clients/tourists, and handle arrangements in the host country are c alled inbound tour operators . For example, a group of American Tourists is coming through TCI Ltd. to India and the company makes arrangements and handles the group in India then TCI is called an inbound tour operator.

Incidentally, the inbound traffic to the country for the last two decades has been decreasing. Essentially the tour operators need to adopt innovative marketing strategies and should introduce a special interest tour to cater the special needs of Japanese, Americans, French and British people.

Tour operator who promote tours for foreign destinations, maybe business tour or leisure tour is called outbound tour operators . For example a group of American tourists going to a trip of India and Thomas Cook handle arrangement in America like as ticket reservation, hotel booking etc. then Thomas Cook is called Outbound Tour operators in the context of America.

Domestic tour operators are those who assemble, combine tourist components into inclusive tours and sell it to the domestic travelers. In general, these tour operators provide travel services within the tourist’s native country.

The domestic tour operators operate within the boundary of the home country and offer package tour to the travelers viz. Domestic inclusive tours or independent tours.

Ground Operators/Destination Management Companies

These are commonly known as handling agencies and their main function is to organize tour arrangements for incoming tourists on the behalf of overseas operators. Let us take the case of India as a destination that – has a varied culture.

When a tour operator himself promotes beach holidays, wildlife holidays, adventure tours, heritage tours at the different places, the difficulty arises. It is the ground operator then who by handling the incoming travelers in the same season but at different places ensures that the entire operation is according to the package tours or agreements.

Sometime when a handling agency is at a prominent tourist place i.e., Delhi and it has to make arrangements to Goa, then it contracts (If it has no office of its own) with a local operator (known as excursion agent) to handle the arrangement on his behalf.

Why Ground Operators?

Obviously, the tour operation companies do not have close contact with suppliers, governments, destinations and so on. It leaves no choice with the companies but to appoint handling agencies at the destinations.  The main reasons are:

• Introduction of new products or plant to promote an exotic destination.
• Lack of Government regulations.
• Lack of personal contract.
• Language problem.
• The company cannot establish its own branch.

Recognizing the very fact that the reputation, performance, and profitability of tour company in its own market largely depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of ground operators, it has because necessary for the company to consider various factors before the selection of a handling agency, they are:

• Size of business
• Professional staff
• Length of business
• Area of operation/Product line
• Market share

Functions of Ground Tour Operators

Over the years of functions and activities of the destination, companies have changed drastically to cope with the changing environment of the tourism industry. In fact, today’s destination companies have become more professional and are bound to provide personalized travel services to the tourists. The following functions are performed by ground tours operators:

• Land arrangement
• Contract and Negotiate with other vendors
• Handling of Arrival and departure procedure
• Planning and organizing local package tour
• Escorting the tourists
• Providing market information
• Costing and pricing package tour

Practically, if we see the working of the travel agencies and tour operators in the industry we find that most of the organizations are performing different types of activities like the retail travel agency , wholesale travel agency, and tour operators.

The travel agency business is no longer an amateurism. Over the last two decades, the pattern and structure of travel agencies have changed to meet tough challenges in the international market. Today, small-scale agencies are finding the travel industry increasingly complex.

Thus, the small and medium scale travel agencies are disappearing or merging or falling instead of rising. On the other hand, a new concept has also emerged i.e. tour operation business . The tour operation business is new but a maturing business at the global level.

Functions of Tour Operator

A tour operator is an organization, firm, or person who is responsible for the actual arrangement of transport and accommodation facilities on any tour or vacations. They are also responsible for operating and providing vacation through contracting, booking, and packaging together of the various components of the tour such as hotel, transportation, meals, guides, optional tours, and sometimes flights.

A tour operator is like a service provider, providing the most convenient option for tourists to stay, visit, as well as leave from the city. A tour operator owns a high volume of travel services across carriers, services, and accommodation. Some most important functions of the tour operators are following as:

Planning a Tour

The most important functions of the tour operators are planning a tour. Tour operators plan a tour and make tour itinerary which contains the identification of the origin, destination and all the stopping point in a traveler’s tours. A prospective tour operator also gives advice to intending tourists in various types of tour programmes, which they may choose for their leisure or commercial travel.

Making Tour Package

Tour operator buys individual travel components, separately from there suppliers and combines them into a package tour. Tour operators make tour package by assembling various travel components into a final product that is called tour package which is sold to tourist with own price tag. Making tour packages is also an important function of Tour Operator.

Arranging a Tour

Tour operators make tour package and also arrange a tour according to tourist demands. Tour operators arrange the tour package and various tourists activities to provide the best experience to tourists/traveler.

Travel Information

Whatever the size of tour operators, it has provided necessary travel information to the tourists. This task is utterly difficult and very complicated. A tour operator must give up-to-date, accurate and timely information regarding destinations, modes of travel, accommodation, sightseeing, immigration, health and security rules about various permits required to travel in a particular area etc.

Reservation

It is a very important function of all type tour operators and travel agencies. Tour operator makes all the reservation by making linkages with accommodation sector, transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms, and seats in cultural programmes and transportation.

Travel Management

Tour operators manage tour from beginning to the end of the tour. A tour operator has the responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc. Tour operators provide travel guide, escorting services and arrange all travel related needs and wants.

Evaluate the Option Available

Tour operators evaluate all available options to provide a unique or unforgettable travel experience to tourists during their journey. Tour operators evaluate the various options available for a tour package and provide best of them to tourists.

Tour Operators makes tour packages and promote them into various tourists markets at domestic as well international level. Tour operators promote a travel destination to attract a large group of tourists at domestic as well as international level. In the promotion of tourist destination, tour operators play a key role. Travel agencies or tour operators are called as image builder of a country.

Sales and Marketing

Tour operators do sales and marketing of tourist products. Tour operators buy individual travel components, separately and combine them into a tour package, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly. Tour operators do marketing of tourist destinations and tourism product to attracts the attention of the tourists/travelers.

Taking Care of Glitch

Tours operators are also called handling agencies which handles tour package and take care of all the glitches and problems arises during a tour package. Tour operators fix the glitches and provide the best available alternative to tourists during their journey.

Importance of Tour Operators

Tours operators play a key role in the tourism sector. Tour operators create tourist products, promote them a finally sold them to tourists.

Tour operators provide the best and competitive price to the tourist. Tour operators negotiate with suppliers of tourism products such as hotels, airlines and provide the best possible price to the tourist. Tour operators buy tourist products in bulk and get huge discounts from suppliers. So that they provide tourist products at a cheap price.

Tour operators organized a tour in the best way. They personalize and make sure each and every component of the tour is well-taken care. Tour operators provide the best travel experience during a tour. Tour operators save tourists time and money.

Tour operators provide immediate support systems at the host country as well as a foreign land. When tourists travel to a foreign land and things get uncertain, maybe its a health or loss of documents and need to return back or change of travel plan. A qualified tour operator takes care of all these unseen events with efficiency.

Tour operator caters to the needs of tourists on the based on their taste of travel. Tour operator provides all the best available option according to tourist needs and demands

Difference between Travel Agent and Tour Operator

There is a lot of confusion about the difference between tour operators and travel agents what exactly makes them different. The main difference between a Travel agent and Tour operator are following as:

• A travel agent is a person who has full knowledge of tourist product – destinations, modes of travel, climate, accommodation, and other areas of the service sector. He acts on the behalf of the product providers/principals and in return get a commission.
• Tour operator is an organization, firm, or company that buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen.
• Tour operators are like wholesalers and travel agents are the retailers.
• A tour operator makes the package holidays up and the travel agents sell them on.
• Tour operator taking up the bulk of the responsibilities and his fee is obviously much greater than a travel agent.
• A tour operator has the responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance, etc.

The wholesale travel agencies may offer or operate the package tours or may specialize in developing tours for inbound as well as outbound travelers. They are often referred to as tour operators, but there is a difference between Wholesale Travel Agencies and Tour operators .

Tour Operators: Types, Functions, Importance, Difference

• Post last modified: 19 January 2023
• Reading time: 18 mins read
• Post category: Uncategorized

What is Tour Operator?

Tour operators are sometimes called wholesalers but this is partially true because a wholesaler buys goods or services in bulk at his own account to prepare a tour package and then retails it through the travel agencies or directly to the clients.

Table of Content

• 1 What is Tour Operator?
• 2.1 Inbound Tour Operators
• 2.2 Outbound Tour Operators
• 2.3 Domestic Tour Operators
• 2.4 Destination Management Companies
• 3.1 Planning a Tour
• 3.2 Making Tour Package
• 3.3 Arranging a Tour
• 3.4 Travel Information
• 3.5 Reservation
• 3.6 Travel Management
• 3.7 Evaluate the Option Available
• 3.8 Promotion
• 3.9 Sales and Marketing
• 3.10 Taking Care of Glitch
• 4 Importance of Tour Operators
• 5.1 Tour Packages Creation
• 5.2 Make Travel Arrangements in Advance
• 5.3 Tour Operations Budgeting
• 5.4 Providing a Relaxed and Safe Tour
• 6 Difference between Travel Agent and Tour Operator

However, a tour operator who has his own one or more tourist product components formulates a new tourist product for example ‘inclusive tours’. Tour Operators generally offer a variety of package tours to cater to the needs of different kinds of travellers.

An organization, firm or company which buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen is called a tour operator.

More precisely, tour operators are mainly responsible for delivering and performing the services specified in a given package tour. They can provide these services themselves as some have their own cars and coaches, hotels and other travel-related services or can obtain these from other suppliers. That is why they are called manufacturers of tourism products.

Types of Tour Operators

Following are the types of tour operators explained briefly:

Inbound Tour Operators

Outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators, destination management companies.

These are also known as incoming tour operators. Technically, the operators who receive guests, clients/tourists, and handle arrangements in the host country are called inbound tour operators.

For example, a group of American tourists coming through TCI to India and the company makes arrangements and handles the group in India, then TCI is called an inbound tour operator. Incidentally, the inbound traffic to the country for the last two decades has been decreasing.

Essentially, tour operators need to adopt innovative marketing strategies and should introduce special interest tours to cater to the special needs of foreign tourists.

Tour operators, who promote tours to foreign destinations, maybe business tours or leisure tours are called outbound tour operators. Indian outbound tourist traffic is growing at a rate of 10 percent annually and this makes India the second-largest country in the world with regard to the travelling population.

However, India’s outbound tourism is not only holiday-oriented but it is business-oriented too. There are many travel companies that offer outbound packages such as SITA, TCI, Thomas Cook etc.

Domestic tour operators are those who assemble and combine tourist components into inclusive tours and sell them to domestic travellers. In general, these tour operators provide travel services within the boundary of the home country and offer package tours to travellers viz. domestic inclusive tours or independent tours.

These are commonly known as handling agencies and their main function is to organize tour arrangements for incoming tourists on behalf of overseas operators. When a tour operator himself promotes beach holidays, wildlife holidays, wildlife tours, heritage tours, cultural tours at different places, difficulty arises.

It is the ground operator who handles the incoming travellers in the same season but at different places and ensures that the entire operation is according to the package tours or agreements.

Sometimes when a handling agency is at a prominent tourist place, for example, Delhi and it has to make arrangements to Goa, then it contracts (if it has no office of its own) with a local operator (known as an excursion agent) to handle the arrangements on his behalf.

Functions of Tour Operator

A tour operator is like a service provider, providing the most convenient option for tourists to stay, visit, as well as leave the city. A tour operator owns a high volume of travel services across carriers, services, and accommodation. Some most important functions of the tour operators are following:

Planning a Tour

Making tour package, arranging a tour, travel information, reservation, travel management, evaluate the option available, sales and marketing, taking care of glitch.

The most important function of the tour operators is planning a tour. Tour operators plan a tour and make a tour itinerary that contains the identification of the origin, destination and all the stopping point in a traveller’s tour.

A prospective tour operator also gives advice to intending tourists in various types of tour programmes, which they may choose for their leisure or commercial travel.

Tour operator buys individual travel components, separately from their suppliers and combine them into a package tour. Tour operators make tour package by assembling various travel components into a final product that is called a tour package which is sold to tourists with their own price tag. Making tour packages is also an important function of the tour Operator.

Tour operators make tour package and also arrange a tour according to tourist demands. Tour operators arrange the tour package and various tourists activities to provide the best experience to tourists/travellers.

Whatever the size of tour operators, it has provided necessary travel information to the tourists. This task is utterly difficult and very complicated. A tour operator must give up-to-date, accurate and timely information regarding destinations, modes of travel, accommodation, sightseeing, immigration, health and security rules about various permits required to travel in a particular area etc.

It is a very important function of all types of tour operators and travel agencies. Tour operators make all the reservations by making linkages with the accommodation sector, transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms, and seats in cultural programmes and transportation.

Tour operators manage tours from the beginning to the end of the tour. A tour operator has the responsibility to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour such as hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc. Tour operators provide travel guides, and escorting services and arrange all travel-related needs and wants.

Tour operators evaluate all available options to provide a unique or unforgettable travel experience to tourists during their journey. Tour operators evaluate the various options available for a tour package and provide the best of them to tourists.

Tour Operators makes tour packages and promote them into various tourists markets at domestic as well international level. Tour operators promote a travel destination to attract a large group of tourists at the domestic as well as international level.

In the promotion of tourist destinations, tour operators play a key role. Travel agencies or tour operators are called image builders of a country.

Tour operators do sales and marketing of tourist products. Tour operators buy individual travel components, separately and combine them into a tour package, which is sold with their own price tag to the public directly. Tour operators do the marketing of tourist destinations and tourism products to attract the attention of tourists/travellers.

Tours operators are also called handling agencies that handle tour package and take care of all the glitches and problems that arise during a tour package. Tour operators fix the glitches and provide the best available alternative to tourists during their journey.

Importance of Tour Operators

• Tours operators play a key role in the tourism sector. Tour operators create tourist product, promote them and finally sold them to tourist.
• Tour operators provide the best and competitive price to the tourist. Tour operators negotiate with suppliers of tourism product such as hotels, airlines and provide the best possible price to the tourist.
• Tour operators buy tourist product in bulk and get huge discounts from suppliers. So that they can provide tourist’s products at cheap price.
• Tour operators organized a tour in the best way. They personalize and make sure each and every component of the tour is well-taken care. Tour operators provide best travel experience during a tour. Tour operators save tourist’s times and money.
• Tour operators provide immediate support system at host country as well as foreign land. When tourists travel to a foreign land and things get uncertain, maybe it’s a health or loss of documents and need to return back or change of travel plan. A qualified tour operator takes care of all these unseen events with efficiency.
• Tour operator caters to the needs of tourists on the based on their taste of travel. Tour operator provides all the best available option according to tourist needs and demands.

Role of Tour Operators in Tourism Business

Tour packages creation.

The tour operator is in charge of developing and maintaining guests’ tour packages. The preparation of activities that appeal to the specific visitors embarking on the trip is part of tour package management. When and how to adjust a tour package to best adhere to the group or individual’s goals should be covered by the tour operator.

Make Travel Arrangements in Advance

In most circumstances, tour operators are responsible for making travel arrangements for the touring group. This covers transportation from one location to another, as well as ensuring that all members of the group arrive at their next destination. Tour operators frequently assist with flight tickets and collaborate closely with hotels to recommend lodging reservations, sightseeing alternatives, and other activities to group members.

Tour Operations Budgeting

Tour operators work hard to build tour packages that provide users with great service at a lower cost than if they booked each commodity separately, while still running a profitable business. Tourists purposefully seek out the assistance of a travel agent or tour operator in order to get more value for their money. Before finalising a tour package, tour operators should take the time to evaluate pricing.

Providing a Relaxed and Safe Tour

A tour should fulfil all of a traveller’s expectations and beyond. A tour operator should be skilled at putting together an experience that will leave guests with lifelong memories.

It’s just as crucial to providing a meaningful, good experience as it is to keep your passengers safe throughout the journey. Some tour activities may represent a possible risk to travellers, putting the tour organisation at risk. As a tour operator, you should encourage your visitors to purchase travel insurance. Insurance will give you and the tourists peace of mind as they go on once–in–a–lifetime experiences. Travel Agency & Tour Operators Roles & Responsibilities

Difference between Travel Agent and Tour Operator

There is a lot of confusion about the difference between tour operators and travel agents what exactly makes them different. The main difference between a Travel agent and a Tour operator are following as:

• A travel agent is a person who has a full knowledge of tourist product – destinations, modes oftravel, climate, accommodation and other areas of the service sector. He acts on the behalf ofthe product providers/principals and in return get a commission.
• Tour operator is an organization, firm or company who buys individual travel components,separately from their suppliers and combines them into a package tour, which is sold withtheir own price tag to the public directly or through middlemen.
• Tour operators are like wholesalers and travel agents are the retailers.
• A tour operator makes the package holidays up and the travel agents sell them on.
• Tour operator taking up the bulk of the responsibilities and his fee is obviously much greaterthan a travel agent.
• A tour operator has the responsibilities to look after the finer details of a vacation or tour suchas hotel, accommodation, meals, conveyance etc.

Please Share This Share this content

• Opens in a new window X
• Opens in a new window Facebook
• Opens in a new window Pinterest
• Opens in a new window LinkedIn
• Opens in a new window Reddit
• Opens in a new window WhatsApp

You Might Also Like

Tourism in tripura, jain pilgrimages, 5 major religions of india, herbs, spices, and condiments, mail service in office, golden chariot (mysore – goa), leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Transportation
• Single & Multi-Day Tours
• Museums and Attractions
• Destination Marketing Organizations
• Google Things To Do
• Zaui Marketplace
• System Status
• Case Studies
• API Documentation
• Reseller Signup

How can Tour Operators Promote Sustainable Tourism

By: Chimmu Augustine

March 24, 2022

Ways to Promote Sustainable Tourism 🌱

Sustainable and eco-friendly products are in high demand as travellers around the world are now more conscious about the choices they make.

Developing sustainable business practices helps you stand out from the competition and attract travellers who want to reduce their carbon footprint. While promoting sustainable tourism keeps your customer happy and satisfied, it will also contribute to the long-term survival of the tourism industry.

If you are wondering where to start, here are a few tips for integrating more eco-friendly practices in your tour operations.

Reduce Plastic Use 

The simple and easiest first step toward sustainability is to eliminate the unnecessary use of single-use items and encourage the use of renewable and recyclable alternatives.

The most prominent examples of single-use items are plastic water bottles and straws. 

Yes, we hear you. Plastic bottles are easy to carry around, and sealed bottles assure guests that the water is clean. 

But, throwaway plastic items have a devastating effect on our environment. Most often, they end up in a lake or on the roadside. (Here is not-so-fun-fact: if we continue our plastic usage, there could be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050! )

Let your guests carry their reusable water bottles. Provide them with refill stations or water fountains at different points of the tour. Use pre-trip communications emails to inform them about bringing a reusable water bottle.

Focus on using sustainable materials and products. Here are the other reusable items that you can introduce:

🟢 Use reusable silverware, plates, napkins, and food storage containers.

🟢 Use reusable umbrellas and rain gear instead of disposable ponchos/umbrellas.

🟢 Replace plastic garbage bags with biodegradable garbage bags.

🟢 Prefer tags made of recycled material to plastic luggage tags.

Replacing plastic items also lowers unnecessary costs as you don’t have to repurchase stocks often. However, remember that the aim here is to reduce waste. Your attempts to remove plastic shouldn’t create other waste in different forms.

If you want to dive deep into plastic-free policies, here is a helpful resource from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), PLASTIC FREE TOOLKIT FOR TOUR OPERATORS .

Minimize Negative Impacts on the environment

Integrate these practices to keep your operations environment-friendly and promote sustainable tourism.

🟢  In walking tours , evaluate tour routes to avoid overcrowded or environmentally protected areas.

🟢 Keep the size of the tour group small to lessen stress on the environment. 

🟢 Encourage your guests to recycle or dispose of trash properly and not litter. Keep signboards and facilities to maintain the surroundings clean. 

🟢 Provide guests with guidelines on avoiding negative impacts while visiting environmentally sensitive areas.

🟢 Do you offer gift packs for clients? Ensure the packaging and gifts are eco-friendly.

🟢 Adopt recycling and composting into your daily operations.

🟢 Promote eco-friendly public transportation instead of private car services.

🟢 Support and motivate your vendors to integrate sustainability; Make sustainability principles as selection criteria of suppliers/vendors.

🟢 If you operate experiences that rely on fossil fuels, think creatively, and in the long term about how you can be more sustainable. Some destinations are considering banning or heavily taxing fossil fuel-burning vehicles, especially in over-touristed areas.

Remember, you are an expert on your destination. Help your customers maximize their sustainable practices by sharing the tips and tricks that you know about your area. 

For more insights into sustainable tourism practices, visit The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). GSTC establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. Tour operators can get certified for their highest environmental and social sustainability standards.

Go Paperless

Reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Limit paper usage to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to sustainability. Minimizing paper use demonstrates your company’s commitment to the environment and your eagerness to make a difference.

Bring down the number of paper brochures you produce every season; this could be a good marketing move as well because most of your future customers are online.

Eliminating pesky paper receipts and introducing digital receipts is now easier than ever. Switch to electronic check-ins. They are faster and more cost-effective too. 

Break the paper waiver habit and move to digital waivers. Imagine the number of paper waivers that go into your storage after the peak season. It’s not just papers; we should also factor in printers, ink cartridges, and ink that go into the paper waivers.

Adopting digital waivers could decrease the unnecessary ecological damage caused by the accumulation of paper. Send your guests digital waivers along with the booking confirmation email. 

In case they forget to return the signed waivers, you can always send a reminder, or guests can complete the waiver during check-ins on a tablet. Or create a custom QR code to your waiver that guests can scan using their smartphone and sign right on their device. No paper involved!

Give Back to the Community

Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and your local community are constantly innovating to embrace sustainability. Join hands with them to address and build awareness around sustainability issues affecting your destination.  

Support local projects to promote sustainable tourism. Take initiatives in cleaning up local destinations that have been polluted. Financially contribute to eco-friendly social projects and the conservation of local ecosystems.

Encourage your guests to purchase local products to support the local community. Share information on local culture and eco-friendly travel tips with them. 

Promote souvenirs from the local artists or local production units. Always try to include local businesses and community members in your supply chain. Remember, the less food and goods have to travel to get to you or your customers, the less impact they have on the environment.

Wrapping Up

Everyone wants to reduce their impact on the planet and be more environmentally responsible. You can no longer ignore the calls for sustainable business practices. 

Create an environmental policy, conveying your company’s commitment to a healthier planet. As you put your plan into action, educate your staff and train them. 

Also, communicate with your guests about your commitment and measures you have taken to promote sustainable tourism. Use your different communication channels for advertising the message. 

Guests will appreciate your policies supporting eco-friendly tourism more than you expected, and your team will feel proud for bringing in positive change by promoting a plastic-free, sustainable travel style that can thrive for generations.

Your willingness to make a difference with sustainable practices adds value to your brand. It can be a potential marketing tool that attracts environmentally-conscious guests and distinguishes you from your competitors. And don’t forget, becoming environment-friendly can decrease costs in the long run and helps keep your business sustainable for the future.

In short, sustainable practices give you satisfied guests, a healthier planet and a solid bottom line.

Inside Zaui: Product News, Tips & Tricks

• Tips & Tricks
• Tours & Activities

Craft a Compelling Marketing Campaign with Experience Gift Cards: Offer Memorable Experiences

Craft a Compelling Marketing Campaign with Experience Gift Cards: Offer Memorable Experiences Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries in...

How to Write a Tour Booking Confirmation Email: 8 Types with Great Examples

How to Write a Tour Booking Confirmation Email: 8 Types with Great Examples Confirmation email templates offer a valuable means...

Top 7 Travel Review Sites for Tour Operators in 2024

Top 7 Travel Review Sites for Tour Operators in 2024 Your customers are the initial guides for your tour and...

Curabitur nec nunc ut augue tincidunt interdum quis a diam. Suspendisse vel justo vitae mauris sodales commodo. Nullam dapibus nisi mi, id lobortis urna scelerisque ac. Duis auctor enim sit amet quam lacinia malesuada.

Advertisement

Charles schwab challenge betting promos & bonuses | grab $6150 from top golf betting sites, share this article.

While Xander Schauffele basks in the glow of his first major championship, the rest of the PGA Tour moves on to the Colonial Country Club to compete in the $9.1 million Charles Schwab Challenge. There are some big names in Fort Worth, Texas, this week and we have some big Charles Schwab Challenge betting promos available from premier golf betting sites to share if you’re inclined to wager on the action.

Who’s in the field? For starters, the world’s No. 1 golfer will be there. Scottie Scheffler’s hometown of Highland Park is just 35 miles from Fort Worth, so he’ll be able to commute to the course (hopefully without incident) every day.

Collin Morikawa, who was tied for the lead with Schauffele entering the final round of the PGA Championship, also has made the trip from Valhalla Golf Club to be in this week’s field. So have Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Brian Harman, defending Charles Schwab Challenge champion Emiliano Grillo and more.

The weather forecast says it’s going to be scorching in Fort Worth this weekend. Coincidentally, the Charles Schwab Challenge betting promos designed specifically for new customers by the nation’s best online sportsbooks are red-hot, too. To learn how you can benefit, keep reading.

Best Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses

Note:   Bettors in the Tar Heel State can now access special  North Carolina sportsbook promos  as  North Carolina sports betting launched in March. 

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos: BetMGM Bonus Code SBWIRE

Just like it’s fun to whip out the driver on the first tee, it’s fun to start our list of Charles Schwab Challenge betting promos with this big dog: When you set up a BetMGM account with the BetMGM bonus code SBWIRE , you’re guaranteed a protected first bet up to $1,500.

Here’s what this means: BetMGM will have your back on your first bet when it’s anywhere from $10 to $1,500. If that first bet wins, then you’re richer and happier. But if you slice your first bet into the water and lose your ball, don’t worry. BetMGM will send the full amount of your first bet back to your account in the form of bonus bets.

If your first bet was for $50 or more, you’ll get five bonus bets — each valued at 20 percent of your original wager. If your first bet was for less than $50, then you’ll get one bonus bet equal to your original wager. You get seven days to play your bonus bet(s).

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses: Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code SBWIRE1000

Sticking with our theme of high betting limits and protected first bets, let’s examine what Caesars Sportsbook has to offer. When you create a Caesars Sportsbook account with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code SBWIRE1000 , you’re rewarded with a first bet up to $1,000 on Caesars.

Golfers will recognize this opportunity as a mulligan. Caesars Sportsbook has your back when your first bet is in the $10 to $1,000 range. If it wins, you’re rich. If it loses, then Caesars Sportsbook activates the mulligan. You’ll get one bet credit for the same amount as your first bet.

You’ll have 14 days to play your bet credit on golf or any of the 20 other sports you find on the Caesars Sportsbook app — one of the best sports betting apps out there.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses: bet365 Bonus Code SBKWIRE

The best golfers make choices on the course. Do I lay up? Or do I go for the green in 2? The good people at bet365 let you make choices, too. When you launch a bet365 account with the bet365 bonus code SBKWIRE , you get to choose between $150 in bonus bets or a First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000.

If you select the $150 in bonus bets, simply make a $5 first bet on the Charles Schwab Challenge or any other event. As soon as you do, you’ll get $150 in bonus bets. If you accept the First Bet Safety Net, you can wager up to $1,000 on your first bet. If that wager does not win, bet365 returns all of your first bet to your account as bonus bets.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses: Fanatics Sportsbook Promo

The Fanatics Sportsbook promo is one of the most unique in the industry as it gives you the opportunity to claim $100 in bonus bets per day for each of your first 10 days after registering for a new account.

The key is your first bet each day. It must be for at least $5 and on a market with odds of -200 or better. Win or lose, you will get a matching bonus bet, up to $100. This process repeats for the next nine days. All you need to do is make the qualifying offer and you will get the match, up to $100 daily, in bonus bets.

These bonus bets will be placed in your account within 72 hours of each qualifying wager settling. The more you play, the more you earn, up to a possible $1,000. Once a bonus bet is credited to your account, you have seven days to play it.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses: DraftKings Promo Code

This is a piping-hot welcome offer that DraftKings just created. When you start a DraftKings account with the DraftKings promo code , you secure a No Sweat First Bet up to $1,500.

Let’s focus on the No Sweat First Bet. You can play anywhere from $1 to $1,500 on your first bet. If it wins, that’s awesome and a nice boost for your wallet. But if it loses, you’ll be sent a bonus bet for the same amount as your original wager.

You’ll have seven days to play your bonus bet.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Promos & Bonuses: FanDuel Promo Code

We should have shared this detail sooner. But, as you’re evaluating each of these Charles Schwab Challenge betting promos, keep in mind you’re welcome to sign up for as many as you like.

With FanDuel, set up an account with the FanDuel promo code and you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets when you play (and win) a $5 first bet.

To maximize your chances to win that $5 first bet, we suggest skimming FanDuel’s website or app to find a moneyline bet with the easiest-to-win odds. We recommend looking at the French Open odds because you’ll usually find a highly-ranked player facing someone unheralded during these early rounds.

Presuming you win your $5 first bet, then you’ll get $150 in bonus bets that will hit your account within 72 hours. Once it’s there, you get seven days to play that $150 — and FanDuel gives you the flexibility to chop up that $150 into as many bonus bets as you want to play.

All of the Charles Schwab Challenge betting promos mentioned in this story adhere to a 1X playthrough requirement, meaning anything you win while using the bonus bets provided by these sportsbook promo codes is yours to keep.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Most Popular

Rory mcilroy, paul azinger, lee trevino and 9 other golf stars dish on the course that they've never played that they most want to play, social media reacts to video footage of scottie scheffler's incident at the pga championship 2024, photos: on morgan pressel's 36th birthday, take a look at her decorated career in golf, best memorial day golf sales: save big on golf clubs, apparel and more, everything you need to know about the 2024 ncaa men's golf championships, including tv, ticket info, dude perfect, rickie fowler take ben hogan's circa 1950's clubs for a spin around colonial's horrible horseshoe, golfweek's best private courses 2023: state-by-state rankings of private courses.

Tourists flock to Tornado Alley, paying big bucks for the chance to see dangerous storms

The national weather service is very much not in favor of the public going out in severe weather. but tour operators say they take safety seriously..

Pat Timmons has seen hail the size of baseballs and lighting storms that filled the sky. She faced wind so strong she could barely stand – and multiple tornadoes, too.

“My friends and family think I’m crazy but I’m having the time of my life,” the 76-year-old from West Des Moines, Iowa, said from a roadside stop in Texas where she was on her second storm-chasing trip of the year with Tempest Tours.

Timmons is one of thousands of people from around the world who flock to Tornado Alley to get as close as safety allows to the massive storms that wash across the American countryside from March through June. As climate change warms the atmosphere, the number of storms increases and the crowds are only growing.  

There are over a dozen companies that run storm-chasing tours in the United States, a number that’s increased slowly but steadily over the past few years said Christoffer Björkwall, a Swede who caught the storm chasing bug in 2009 and now runs StormChasingUSA , a website that tracks tour companies.

That doesn't surprise Alan Fyall, Visit Orlando professor of Tourism Marketing at the University of Central Florida. Adventure tourism has been becoming more popular in the past few decades, and especially in the last ten or 15 years with the rise of social media, he said.

“It’s a bigger market than people appreciate,” Fyall said. “People want the thrill and the adrenaline rush.”

Storm-chasing tours are part of that market. They're not your typical bus tour – no visiting tourist traps for quick photos.

Most tour companies run between one to three small vans with perhaps six people in a van. They seldom have more than 20 guests per trip. The groups drive as far south as Texas and as far north as the Canadian border, chasing images on a radar screen and then patiently waiting for a storm to form.

"The guys will find us a high place where we can sit for half an hour and we just keep watching and photographing it," said Timmons.

Costs vary between $2,000 and $4,500 depending on how long, how luxurious and how many people are on the trip. The season typically lasts from April through August, though May is generally the busiest month.

Björkwall estimates between a quarter and a third of people who go on these kinds of tours are from outside the U.S.

“This kind of weather only exists in the United States,” he said. Add to that an excellent system of freeways and rural roads, accessible weather data and the endless vistas of the plains – it makes for a perfect recipe.

It's "something no other place has."

How safe are storm-chasing tours?

The National Weather Service is very much not in favor of the public going out in severe weather and would much rather have people stay safely at home.

“The NWS does not encourage anyone to pursue dangerous storms for any reason other than promoting public safety (spotting) and official research,” the agency says in a FAQ about severe weather.

But the agency acknowledges that despite the dangers, people do. So it cautiously suggests that tours are a better way of doing it. “Joining one of the professional tour groups is probably safer than going out yourself without appropriate training.”

Fyall says that's the trick of this kind of extreme travel. “The key with adventure tourism is to make it look as dangerous as possible but at the same time make it as risk-free as possible."

Tour operators are very clear that while there’s never a guarantee of safety, they do everything they can to keep their clients satisfied but safe, said Roger Hill of Silver Lining Tours based in Denver.

“Any time you’re around a severe thunderstorm, especially a supercell thunderstorm, there’s an inherent risk. You can’t keep anything 100% safe, it’s not possible. That’s why every tour operator has guests sign a waiver saying these are the potential dangers,” he said.

Tours offer long and detailed safety information before anyone even sets foot in a van.

“The first night they went over safety and how everything works, down to how to get in and out of the van and who has responsibility for moving the back seat so the last person could get out quickly,” said Samantha Ashby, 33, who took her first storm-chasing tour earlier this month.

And unlike in the movies, tours stay well away from the heart of the action. They want a vantage point with a vista, not a target.

“We try to position ourselves a few miles from the storm so we’re out of the way of large hail or lightning. And if a tornado forms, you always have an escape route planned,” Hill said.

If a storm starts getting too close, they move further away.

The thrill is not seeing things get destroyed, like in the movies, but to see something so powerful and beyond any human control, said Burns.

"The best storms for us are out in the middle of nowhere. They’re not going to hurt anything, maybe some fence posts some hay bales. But when it’s right in front of you it makes you feel really insubstantial,” he said.

But there are dangers. Quite a few years ago, a lightning bolt hit one of his vans, destroying it. But none of the guests were injured because the electricity went through the van and into the ground.

Surprisingly, the guests loved it. “About every one of those guests came back, they said it was so much fun,” he said.

A typical day on a storm-chasing tour

A typical day on one of the tours means driving hundreds of miles. They usually begin around 9 or 10 in the morning, after the tour guides have decided on a likely area for storms.

“The day before our chase we look at the data and make our forecast and then plan our logistics,” said Erik Burns, the owner of Tornadic Expeditions in Whitesboro, Texas.

Getting to the next spot might mean traveling halfway across a state and then setting up to wait for what might come.

Twisters get the press, but many tourgoers say that's not what ends up being the most awe-inspiring.

“We all come to see the tornadoes, but we go home in love with supercells,” said Timmons. These are enormous storms that can reach up to 10 miles in diameter and be 50,000 feet tall , according to the National Severe Storm Laboratory.

“When you get them in late afternoon when the sun lights them up they’re just incredible, they just blossom and grow. Sometimes they’ll be lightning and they get lit up from inside, they cover the sky,” she said.

Something else she fell in love with was seeing a part of the country most people never see. Despite living in Iowa, the tours have given her a new appreciation for the country.

“It’s just getting to roll down the road and just watch American small towns,” she said. “America is beautiful. We’ve met the kindest people.”

The danger of traffic

While being flattened by a tornado might seem the biggest danger, traffic is more of a threat, say tour leaders.

“The traffic issue has gotten horrible, there’s no question about it,” said Hill. May, which is prime tornado month, is especially bad.

“When we first started running tours in the late ’90s a lot of times there was no one else around. But now if you have a very significant threat area in Oklahoma or Kansas, every storm chaser or storm spotter or local resident is out there chasing. You can get a line of traffic that’s a mile or more long,” he said.

“It can be a little chaotic,” said Björkwall, who’s now been on 11 tours. “I have a friend who was in El Reno , the biggest tornado in the world, and he was stuck and couldn’t get out because there were too many cars on the road.”

Between social media, radar, weather forecasting and weather-sharing apps, hundreds of people can converge on an area where large storms or tornadoes are anticipated. Tour companies and news crews make up the smallest percentage of the cars on the road at that point, said Björkwall.

“There are thousands and thousands of storm chasers, that number keeps growing every year, everybody comes out on the Plains in May,” said Hill.

That’s likely to increase this summer with the arrival of a new movie about storm chasing.

New movie could increase interest

Hollywood plays a surprising role in the business of storm chasing.

Silver Lining Tours launched a year after the release of the 1996 movie “Twister,” about a group of storm chasers in Oklahoma.

“We really feel that movie started the storm-chasing industry,” said Hill, who’s been with the company since 2000.

In July, a new stand-alone sequel, “ Twisters ” will be hitting theaters and he expects an even greater surge of interest.

“People underestimate the power that the movies have in swaying people’s behavior. It’s a huge driver of tourism,” said Fyall.

If 1996's "Twister" was any indication, tour groups might see a flood of new customers come summer. But it's not clear there will be space for them. There are not that many tour companies and most of them sell out a full year in advance.

"We’re already 70% filled for next year," said Burns of Tornadic Expeditions.

Tourists can form bonds while storm-chasing

The experience was so profound that Ashby just finished a tour the first week in May and has already booked another.

Her group saw eight tornadoes in seven days, which was “incredible and powerful,” said the 911 dispatcher from northern Virginia.

“There were four guests in our van all told and we decided it was so amazing that we all wanted to do it again,” she said.

The tours for 2025 were already full so they had to schedule for 2026. “I’ve never planned a vacation that for out before,” she said.

“This was four people I’d never met before and now we’re going to spend 10 days together and do it all over again,” she said.

Kirk Franklin Announces The Reunion Tour 2024

CO-STARRING YOLANDA ADAMS, FRED HAMMOND, MARVIN SAPP, AND THE CLARK SISTERS

Tickets available starting tuesday, may 21 at 10 am local via artist presale, general onsale begins wednesday, may 22 at 10 local on livenation.com.

Today the legendary Kirk Franklin , a 19-time GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, songwriter, and artist, is thrilled to unveil the highly anticipated 2024 leg of The Reunion Tour . Joining him as co-headliners are esteemed peers and gospel music icons Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, and The Clark Sisters. Kierra Sheard-Kelly will also join the tour as a special guest across all dates.

Produced by Live Nation Urban and Undivided Ent, the 33-date tour kicks off on September 6 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA making stops across North America in Boston, Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami, and more before wrapping up in Los Angeles at Kia Forum on November 3. This run follows the success of the 2023 tour of the same name which also reunited some of the biggest names in gospel music.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale beginning at 10 AM local tomorrow. Additional presales will run ahead of the general onsale beginning Wednesday, May 22 at 10 AM local time at LiveNation.com .

TOUR DATES:

Fri Sep 06 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center

Thu Sep 07 | Baltimore, MD | CFG Bank Arena

Sun Sep 08 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway

Wed Sep 11 | Toronto, CAN | Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto (Mississauga)

Fri Sep 13 | Cincinnati, OH | The Andrew J Brady Music Center

Sun Sep 15 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena

Tue Sep 17 | Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center

Thu Sep 19 | Columbus, OH | Nationwide Arena

Fri Sep 20 | Chicago, IL | Credit Union 1 Arena

Sat Sep 21 | Indianapolis, IN | Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Sun Sep 22 | St. Louis, MO | Enterprise Center

Wed Sep 25 | Charlotte, NC | Bojangles Coliseum

Thu Sep 26 | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena

Sat Sep 28 | Norfolk, VA | Norfolk Scope Arena

Sun Sep 29 | Washington, DC | Capital One Arena

Wed Oct 02 | Brooklyn, NY | Barclays Center

Thu Oct 03 | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center

Sat Oct 05 | Birmingham, AL | The Legacy Arena at The BJCC

Sun Oct 06 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena

Tue Oct 08 | Miami, FL | FPL Solar Amphitheater

Thu Oct 10 | Tampa, FL | Amalie Arena

Fri Oct 11 | Orlando, FL | Addition Financial Arena

Sat Oct 12 | Jacksonville, FL | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

Sun Oct 13 | New Orleans, LA | Lakefront Arena

Thu Oct 17 | Austin, TX | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park

Sun Oct 20 | Memphis, TN | FedExForum

Mon Oct 21 | Oklahoma City, OK | Paycom Center

Thu Oct 24 | San Antonio, TX | Frost Bank Center

Sun Oct 27 | Fort Worth, TX | Dickies Arena

Wed Oct 30 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center

Fri Nov 01 | Oakland, CA | Oakland Arena

Sat Nov 02 | San Diego, CA | Viejas Arena

Sun Nov 03 | Los Angeles, CA | The Kia Forum

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Live Nation Concerts

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

Nadine Peña | [email protected]

Read more about

Visiting Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion?

You must join the virtual exhibition queue when you arrive. If capacity has been reached for the day, the queue will close early.

Perspectives Fashion

Sleeping beauties: reawakening fashion—exhibition tour with andrew bolton.

Join Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, on a tour of the exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” The Costume Institute’s spring 2024 exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, reactivates the sensory capacities of masterworks in the Museum’s collection through first-hand research, conservation analysis, and diverse technologies—from cutting-edge tools of artificial intelligence and computer-generated imagery to traditional formats of x-rays, video animation, light projection, and soundscapes. On view through September 2nd, 2024. Learn more about the exhibition: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/sleeping-beauties-reawakening-fashion The exhibition is made possible by TikTok Support is provided by LOEWE Additional support is provided by Condé Nast Video produced by HAPPYMONDAY and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Managing Producer: Kate Farrell Senior Producer: Melissa Bell Production Coordinator: Lela Jenkins Production Assistants: Tess Solot-Kehl Original Music: Austin Fisher Special thanks to: Andrew Bolton, Stephanie Kramer, Alexandra Fizer, and Mika Kiyono Subscribe for new content from The Met: https://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum #TheMet #Art #TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt #Museum © 2024 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Read more Read less

Behind the Scenes

For Families

From the Archives

In Circulation

Notes from Museum Leadership

Religion and Spirituality

Social Change

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge predictions, expert picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets at Colonial

O n the heels of a dramatic PGA Championship, the PGA Tour returns to action for the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. Traveling to Colonial Country Club once again, players will face a new test after the golf course underwent extensive renovations following the 2023 edition of the tournament.

A year ago, Emiliano Grillo defeated Adam Schenk in a playoff with Scottie Scheffler just missing out on extra holes. The world No. 1 headlines the field this year following a hectic week in Louisville. The Dallas-Fort Worth area resident looks to get back to his winning ways at a venue where he has done everything but raise a trophy.

Winning four of his last six events, Scheffler comes to Colonial having finished T3 in 2023 and losing in a playoff to his good friend Sam Burns in 2022. Scheffler is joined in the field by a number of his U.S. Ryder Cup teammates including Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Max Homa and Brian Harman.

Morikawa continues to make strides towards his former quality as he once again factored in a major championship. A member of the final group in the final round in the first two major championships of the season, the two-time major champ aims to capture his first title of 2024 in Texas.

Speaking of Texas, Spieth will hope a return to his backyard will bring a return of his form. There may be no other venue on the PGA Tour schedule more conducive for the 30-year-old's success as he boasts eight top-10 finishes in 11 appearances including a win in 2016.

Si Woo Kim, Sungjae Im, Min Woo Lee and Tom Kim round out a large international contingent at Colonial with Tony Finau, Denny McCarthy and Chris Kirk also in the mix.

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge schedule

Dates:  May 23-26 |  Location:  Colonial Country Club — Fort Worth, Texas

Par:  70 |  Yardage:  7,289 |  Purse:  $9,100,000

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge field, odds

• Scottie Scheffler (5/2): Outside of Saturday's performance, Scheffler was near flawless at Valhalla with rounds of 67-66-73-65. If he is able to get through last week and still finish inside the top 10, one has to wonder if that truly is his floor. It has been the last nine tournaments as he hasn't finished worse than T10 since the end of January. He's gained strokes putting in six straight events, has a terrific history at this golf course and remains far and away the best player in the world. A fifth win of the season would come to the surprise of no one.
• Collin Morikawa (12-1): Ever since the Masters, Morikawa has started to string together quality starts. He has rattled off five straight top 25s including top fives at the year's first two major championships and another top 10 at the RBC Heritage. The 27-year-old insists he is close to finding the golf swing that led to his early success, but the numbers don't necessarily agree quite yet. Morikawa has enjoyed a fantastic month both on and around the greens with his iron play slowly returning. If the approach play matches the short-game prowess this week, Morikawa should love his chances.
• Jordan Spieth (20-1): If you haven't sounded the alarm on Spieth yet, this week should be the last straw if things get hairy. The three-time major champion has one top 20 in a 10-tournament stretch that includes four missed cuts and a disqualification. Despite some concerns about his game and his wrist, Spieth has started to show that he may be heading in the right direction. He continues to drive the golf ball as well as ever and the early season short-game woes appear to be a thing of the past. The missing link is easy to identify when looking at his stat sheet: his iron play.
• Max Homa (20-1): A win feels close, and it may very well come this week. Homa comes into Texas having finished inside the top 10 in three of his last seven events including two weeks ago at Quail Hollow. He has the entirety of his game cooperating, and a slight uptick from the big stick could yield a big result. After a sluggish start to his career at Colonial, Homa has finished T23 and T9 in his last two appearances. 
• Tony Finau (30-1): Finishing T18 at the PGA Championship may have been the worst Finau could have done with how he hit his irons at Valhalla. The 34-year-old gained just about 10 strokes on approach in Louisville only to be undone by some poor driving and putting numbers. The good news for Finau is he tends to putt well at Colonial, evidenced by his second-place finish in 2019 and T4 result in 2023.
• Harris English (33-1)
• Si Woo Kim (35-1)
• Sungjae Im (35-1)
• Brian Harman (40-1)
• Denny McCarthy (40-1)

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge expert picks

Who will win the Charles Schwab Challenge, and which longshots will stun the golfing world?  Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets , all from the model that's nailed 12 golf majors and is up nearly $9,000 since June 2020.