6 ways to ensure a memorable tourism experience without discounting

Updated November 2022 – We all know that travelers explore the world to experience different tourist destinations and create memorable moments. As a tour operator, one of the best ways to increase your bookings is to understand the importance of creating a memorable tourism experience for your customers.

In this article, we’ll explore the 6 ways you can boost your customer experience by offering memorable tourism experiences without discounting your products and services.

6 ways to create amazing travel experiences without cutting your margins

While many travelers are motivated by a discount, it can be difficult to try to increase revenue when you offer deep markdowns on your prices. Fortunately, implementing strategic tourism marketing tactics can help you add appeal to your tours and activities without discounting.

We’ve listed 6 add-ons you can add to your tourism services that will increase the value without the need of cutting costs.

1. Offer a complimentary meal

There’s no denying that food brings people together and one way into any traveler’s heart is through food. It’s rare that anyone will want to turn down an opportunity for a complimentary meal. In fact, one of the most challenging aspects of planning an itinerary is finding the time to eat.

By adding a complimentary meal to your tourism product, you are increasing both the value and convenience of your tourism experience. The meal that you offer may vary based on the time of day of your tours. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner can all be possibilities!

2. Include upgrades and extras for the regular booking price

Who doesn’t love unexpected surprises, especially when it’s a free upgrade? Whether that be getting bumped to business class on a flight or upgraded to VIP access at your favorite tourist attraction, everyone wants to feel like they are getting the most bang for their buck.

Adding free upgrades to your tour and activities may actually prove more beneficial than offering a discount and may even boost your consumer experience.

Some upgrades that you could add to your tours and activities could be:

• Adding photography services to provide your customers with high-quality destination images that they can then share on social media
• Offering private experiences for the regular price
• Including complimentary transportation services
• Including a free souvenir with each booking such as a merchandise

The options are endless, and the upgrades could be simple extras that add value or convenience for your customers. Adding upgrades and add-ons will definitely help during their decision-making process

3. Include merchandise in your tours and activities

Creating memorable experiences for travelers is one thing, but providing them with a memory they can take home is another.

So, imagine this, you’ve just provided your customers with an experiential moment. You’ve given them the best service, you’ve bonded, and now they’re extremely satisfied and have become a loyal customer. Providing these customers with tangible merchandise such as a photo or memorabilia encapsulates this amazing experience into an object they get to bring home. Moreover, it can be drawings of pictures showing the countries travelers visited and highlights of their trip.

Including merchandise in your tours allows travelers to get a built-in souvenir, but it also gives you the opportunity to extend your marketing reach. Those travelers will bring your products to their hometown and wear or use them. Before long, a lot of people around the world will start to recognize your brand.

An example of a company that does this merchandising methodology really well is the Sydney Opera House. Listed under UNESCO world heritage, the Sydney Opera House is an iconic monument that millions of people travel to witness. It’s no surprise that many people that travel here would want to bring home a piece of merchandise back home to showcase that they’ve seen the Sydney Opera House in person.

From pieces of clothing to tote bags, and even puzzles, the Sydney Opera House has managed to create an array of merchandise that appeals to its market.

View the Sydney Opera House’s complete merchandise store: https://sydneyoperahouseshop.com/

4. Offer courtesy drop-off and pick-up services

For many travelers, visiting a new tourism destination is thrilling. Organizing flights, accommodations, tours, and activities is an exciting process for any traveler. And with each booking, they’re one step closer to immersing themselves in local cultural tourism and ticking off another experience on their bucket list.However, one element of travel that many people overlook is transportation once they arrive at the destination.

Organizing transportation to and from the airport, hotel, and between tours and activities for many people is a tedious and mundane task, however, it’s essential. This is why providing complimentary drop-off and pick-up services can help guests feel more at ease and will add more value to your services. It solves logistical challenges for travelers who do not have their own transportation in the area.

Promoting this service will be extremely appealing when it comes to international tourism where language may be a barrier. It saves them the hassle and confusion of having to communicate the different places they want to go.

5. Include a gift card for future experiences

Including a gift card as part of the booking is a smart tourism move as it can entice travelers to come back. Gift cards are an extremely helpful tool in encouraging travelers to book through your company again in the near future. It also means that they can only spend this “gift” on your business.

A gift card ultimately secures your business a booking in the near future. And with gift cards generally having an expiry date, you’re almost guaranteed a booking before the gift card expires.

This marketing strategy is an ideal way to motivate local residents to book one of your tours, as they will have more opportunities to return.

6. Create tour packages

Tour packages are becoming more and more popular within the tourism industry. Not only do they provide your customers with an all-inclusive experience, you’re also able to create higher margins at a lower price.

By forming local strategic partnerships with other complimenting tourism businesses, you’re able to create an enticing, all-inclusive bundle of tour products. Whether that be a package that includes multiple forms of tour and activities such as heritage tourism where you visit numerous cultural heritage sites, or a package that also includes accommodation, meals, and transportation. However you package your products, the options are endless.

When creating these packages, it’s best to do your tourism research and ensure clear tourism management with your partnering businesses. You’ll need to figure out what type of products appeal the most to your target demographic. You’ll also have to work with complimenting tour businesses to develop the most ideal packages.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that travel and tourism improve our well-being and quality of life. To be able to explore different regions and immerse in others’ cultures is an amazing experience. Being able to offer these memorable tourism experiences for your customers is truly rewarding.

While there are times when you will want to offer discounts and promotions for your tours and activities, it’s important to know that you don’t always have to resort to this marketing tactic. By using one or more of these innovative ideas, you will be able to entice travelers to book with you without discounting.

Now, once the booking starts flowing through, you want to ensure that you’re able to automatically add these elements to the booking automatically. By using an online booking system such as Rezdy, setting up these processes becomes super simple. With Rezdy, you’re able to automatically set any extras, add-ons, and upgrades into a particular type of booking.

Rezdy’s software will also set you up with advanced features such as a real-time availability viewer, automatic communication, and integration to various secure payment gateways. All these features allow you to streamline your processes and simplify your customer’s booking process.

Curious to see how Rezdy how Rezdy can fit within your business? Start your FREE 21-day trial or book a demo today.

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