How to write a tourism newsletter that captures readers’ attention

A guest blog by SIXGUN

A tourism newsletter is a great way to connect with your audience and spread the word about your travel business. However, with so much content accessible online, it’s more crucial than ever to write a tourism newsletter that stands out from the crowd.

In this post, you’ll learn effective tips to follow in tourism newsletter writing so you can leave a lasting impression on your subscribers.

1. Ensure compelling content

Captivating content is vital for a tourism newsletter, as it grabs readers’ attention and encourages engagement. Engaging narratives, vivid descriptions, and enticing tour offers can evoke a sense of wanderlust and curiosity, prompting readers to explore further. 

Captivating content is also valuable content. So, it offers insider travel tips and unique perspectives that enhance the reader’s experience and establish trust and credibility. 

Additionally, compelling content can inspire readers to take desired actions, such as booking trips or sharing the newsletter with others, ultimately driving tourism-related business goals.

Creating persuasive content for a tourism newsletter requires research, creativity, and storytelling.

You need to have a solid understanding of your target audience and their interests. That will help you decide the type of material that will attract and hold their curiosity. So, create an audience persona, a representation of your ideal reader who is also, of course, your potential customer. Your persona should look something like this:

You can gather the information for your persona through surveys and your analytics. You might want to check the demographics of the people going to your site and social media accounts (if you have these), for example. Once you know your target audience’s pain points, you can create content for your tourism newsletter that resolves those pain points.

The use of storytelling can help you bring places and experiences to life, making readers feel like they’re there. If you don’t know what to write, generative AI tools like Ask Writer and ChatGPT can help. Just insert the right prompts and they can create engaging content that will immerse your readers into the world being described.

Here is an example of compelling newsletter content in the travel industry. Triangle Travel created a guide that covers every aspect of exploring Hong Kong. The newsletter, written in engaging language, includes valuable information such as the best time to visit and the activities tourists can enjoy:

But these are not the only things you should include in your tourism newsletter to ensure it’s compelling and engaging. Here are some elements you should incorporate:

Images and other visuals

Adding breathtaking images and other visuals to a tourist newsletter can make it much more enjoyable and consumable. To effectively include visuals in your newsletter, select high-quality images. GoDaddy recommends 590 px for banner email newsletter images and 530 px for the rest of the images. 

Also, consider using a mix of photos, drawings, and charts to keep things interesting and add variety.  

Finally, ensure that your photographs are optimized in size and format for quick download times and device compatibility. GoDaddy says the recommended maximum file size is 150kb while the recommended image formats are jpg, png, and gif. 

News and updates

Including news and updates in a tourism newsletter is a fantastic way to keep subscribers up to date with industry happenings.

So, include a combination of industry and travel news and updates on specific destinations or attractions. So, you may announce new hotel openings, travel packages, upcoming events, and cultural festivals. This helps readers learn more about their dream destinations and schedule their travel experiences accordingly.

Promotions and offers

Offering discounts and special deals is an effective strategy for attracting and retaining clients. 

You can embed your promos directly into the newsletter’s text. You may also send a separate newsletter to promote just one offering or opportunity. For instance, this newsletter hosted a giveaway for its readers.

If you opt for this strategy, just make sure you give specific instructions about how they can join the contest.

Social media links

Your email newsletter is also an excellent opportunity for you to gain more social media followers and engagement. You can build your brand using social media so you shouldn’t shun this opportunity. Make it easy for your newsletter subscribers to access your social media platforms through your newsletter.

Depending on the layout and style of your newsletter, you can do this in several ways. You can add icons or buttons that link straight to your social media sites, as shown in this example.

You can also include text links in the body of the email to encourage readers to follow or like your pages. Furthermore, you can embed your latest posts from social media directly into your email.  

Finally, consider adding social sharing buttons, as shown in this image. 

There’s another element you should include in your travel newsletter to make it compelling. We’ll talk about user-generated content in a separate section below.

2. Leverage user-generated content

Including user-generated content is a vital strategy for crafting an engaging tourism newsletter. UGC adds authenticity and relatability since it showcases real experiences and perspectives from fellow travelers. 

When you feature user-generated content, you also acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of loyal customers, strengthening the connection with the brand. 

In your tourist newsletter, have a section dedicated to customer testimonials, reviews, and their own content. You can get all these by inviting your subscribers via email to contribute their travelogues, photos, and videos for possible inclusion in your newsletter. 

Encourage content sharing by creating a branded hashtag for submissions, as you can see in this email marketing example.

If you have a social media account, you can also encourage your followers to create UGC using your hashtag. Then showcase your chosen UGC in your email newsletter using a social media aggregator tool. 

The good thing about this strategy is that you can also increase your email subscribers. Just ask your social media followers to subscribe to your email list when you announce your UGC campaign on social media. You can tell them they might just find their UGC featured in your tourism newsletter. 

3. Add clear and compelling CTAs

Well-defined CTAs prompt readers to take specific actions, such as booking a trip, exploring a destination, or signing up for a newsletter. 

A clear and compelling CTA increases your chances of converting interested readers into active participants so you can drive your tourism-related business objectives.

Use strong and persuasive language for your CTA. Encourage immediate action by using phrases like “Book Now,” “Limited Time Offer,” and “Don’t Miss Out.” In addition, you can generate a sense of urgency for your offer by including a deadline or limited quantities or offers.

Here is an example of a call to action backed by a discount and offer.

Explain to your readers why they should follow your calls to action and what they stand to gain. Be sure to emphasize any incentives, such as a discount, early access, or a one-of-a-kind experience that you’re offering to your target group.

Finally, an easy-to-find link to blog articles where readers can get more information about the offer may significantly boost conversion rates. To enhance the effectiveness of your newsletter’s call to action, make it short, engaging, and consistent with the newsletter’s tone and branding.

4. Make your newsletter mobile-friendly

In an increasingly mobile-centric world, creating a mobile-friendly email ensures readers can easily access and enjoy your content. 

A mobile-friendly design improves user experience, facilitating seamless navigation and readability. This accessibility encourages higher engagement rates and allows for a wider reach among potential travelers who, like everyone else, frequently use their mobile devices. A staggering 81% of emails are now opened and read on mobile devices.  

You can write a tourism newsletter that is accessible on mobile devices by tailoring the design and layout to smaller screens. Employ a structure that automatically adapts the content to various screen sizes.

Also, consider using bigger font sizes and contrasting colors to boost readability on smaller devices. Make sure there’s enough white space between each element. Lastly, ensure your call-to-action buttons are clear and easy to click. The recommended minimum size for mobile-friendly CTA buttons is 44px by 44px. We’ll talk more about CTAs later.

5. Test and optimize your newsletter

Testing and optimizing your newsletter allows you to fine-tune elements like subject lines, content layout, images, and CTAs to determine what resonates best with your audience. 

Through A/B testing and data analysis, you can identify the most effective strategies for engagement and conversion. This iterative process ensures your newsletter continually improves, delivering content that is highly relevant and appealing to your readers.

Create two variants of one email and send them to various segments of your subscriber list as part of your A/B testing. With this strategy, you can tell which parts of each version are more successful by comparing email metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Just make sure you don’t change too many elements in your second email. If you change your CTA, visuals, and copy all at the same time, it will be hard for you to determine which element actually helped improve your metrics.

Then, based on all your findings, make changes to your subject line, content layout, or your CTA buttons to ensure a successful newsletter.

Automated Guest Communication with Rezdy

Rezdy’s automated guest communication feature revolutionizes how you engage with your audience. This tool allows you to effortlessly send personalized messages, updates, and reminders to your customers at various stages of their journey, from booking confirmation to post-trip feedback. By automating these communications, you not only save valuable time but also ensure consistent and timely interaction, contributing to an enhanced customer experience.

In addition to the innovative features offered by platforms like Rezdy, it’s essential to maintain the fundamental principles of crafting a compelling newsletter.

In Closing

A tourism newsletter can help you engage with your customers and nurture your relationships with them. But you can’t just write what comes to your mind. To write a tourism newsletter, you need careful thought and planning. 

You learned how to write a tourism newsletter with this article.

Make sure you craft valuable and relevant content. Incorporate visuals, news and updates, social media links, and promotions and offers. Also, leverage user-generated content. It’s another type of content that can add credibility to your newsletter.

Furthermore, craft a clear call-to-action that can encourage readers to take the desired action, such as visiting a website, booking a trip, or making a reservation. Make sure the newsletter’s layout and design are mobile-friendly as well. As a final tip, evaluate and optimize your newsletter.

Now go ahead and write that tourism newsletter your audience will love.

Written By – David Pagotto – Founder, SIXGUN

David Pagotto is the Founder and Managing Director of SIXGUN, a digital marketing agency based in Melbourne. He has been involved in digital marketing for over 10 years, helping organizations get more customers, more reach, and more impact.