Updated December 2022 – As tour operators, you’re always looking for ways to increase your bookings and sell your tours online with a new sense of excitement. With the digitalization of the tourism industry, there’s never been a more lucrative time to come up with fresh strategies to increase your bookings. With the majority of travelers now researching and booking online, it’s worth looking at solid, proven marketing strategies to supercharge your profitability. 

Here are some of the online booking-boosting techniques that have proved successful for tour and activity operators across the globe.

How to get more online bookings: 8 tried and tested strategies

1. Launch a new experience

sell tours online

Nothing builds excitement in past and future guests like a brand new experience on offer – and the more distinctive the better. As international travel resumes since the harsh COVID pandemic restrictions, travelers are yearning for new, exciting, and thrilling experiences. 

Here are a few activities that have gained interest among travelers in 2022:

  • 11% of travelers are willing to try daring or high-adrenaline activities
  • 24% of travelers are looking for an unforgettable night out 
  • 21% of travelers are most excited to try experiences they would usually never do, like: sleeping under the stars (19%), traveling alone (17%), skinny-dipping (11%), or having a vacation romance (10%)
  • 61% of travelers are most interested in outdoor activities (like hiking, biking, and kayaking) and wellness/relaxation experiences
  • About 20% of travelers worldwide plan to take more guided cultural activities than they did in 2019. According to recent food tourism statistics, this fact also applies to cultural dining experiences.
  • Water sports experiences have seen +311% growth between 2019 & 2022
  • Cruise, sailing & water tours experiences have seen +122% growth between 2019 & 2022

(To read more global statistics in 2022, click here.)

If you pay attention to your analytics and offer something that hasn’t been offered before in the area, you won’t have to wonder what the best way to sell travel packages online is –because people will be organically sharing the details and inviting friends to book with them!

2. Create a special promotion via email 

how to sell tours online

We all know that email marketing has become an essential part of digital marketing practices. Through email, your tour company will be able to promote the latest promotions and offers to your database. By doing so, you’ll encourage potential customers to sign up for your newsletter for the chance to dip into the latest specials you offer.

Creating marketing emails is even simpler if you utilize an online booking software that has automatic communication functionality. For example, Rezdy’s system equips you with a handy email database of any of your past guests. This list will build up over time as your bookings continue to increase over the years. Setting it up automatic communication is as simple as integrating with MailChimp and sending out targeted email campaigns and promotions to your database.

3. Create strategic reseller relationships with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

Wondering how to promote tour packages online without spending a fortune? By working with large Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Tripadvisor and Viator, as well as smaller agents such as local travel agents, you can access well-established customer bases. This will allow you to expand your target market and reel in new customers.

Creating a reseller strategy is even simpler by utilizing a distribution platform that instantly connects you to thousands of resellers and manages the finances part for you.

Rezdy Channel Manager for instance is a distribution platform that connects tour and activity providers with over 25,000 active resellers looking to promote your travel experiences to their clientele.

Using Rezdy Channel Manager is as easy as:

  1. Listing your products
  2. Setting your commission rates
  3. Letting thousands of agents and resellers resell and promote your products

Curious to see how you can connect with the industry’s largest resellers via Rezdy Channel Manager? Book a free demo with our team today.

4. Nurture your social media presence

Social media, without a doubt, has become a part of society. Thousands upon thousands of content are distributed every day on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. In fact, roughly 52% of travelers (Passport Photo Online) decided to visit a specific destination after seeing its image/video from friends, family, or peers on social media.

From learning how to work with partners and influencers, to promoting your business on social network platforms, find out how social media channels play a vital role in the travel industry by reading this article.

5. Create strategic partnerships with other local businesses

how to sell travel packages

When the industry bands together and work as a team, we’re able to build stronger and more valuable business tactics. Cross-promoting and collaborating with other complimenting local businesses will allow you to boost your presence within your area, thus boosting your sales opportunities.

For example, you can partner with local hotels, restaurants, and even other tour and activity businesses to create a package that includes all these experiences in a bundle.

Strategic local partnerships are a great long-term strategy for building steady levels of bookings all year round.

6. Build your video presence

With the rise of video-content-based platforms such as TikTok and Youtube, more and more people are actively looking to consume video content. 

Video is a fantastic medium for showing off the colors, sights, and energy of your tours and tour guides. There are so many easy ways to promote your videos online to market your tours and activities.

Find out the best 11 video-marketing tips for the tourism industry by clicking here.

7. Target guest experiences around key holidays and events

You can build excitement and bookings by taking out your yearly planner and making a note of key events on the calendar. Days like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and national celebrations offer prime opportunities to sell trips online, including themed guest experiences. This might also be a good time to advertise via social channels or Google Adwords.

8. Update your website presence

how to sell tour packages

If you’re after fresh new bookings it’s worth giving your website a fresh new look with exciting new photos and a new blog post or two to share what you’ve been up to. Your website is generally one of the first points of contact between you and your target audience, so it’s important that give a good first impression.

Your website is also key to boosting your SEO, which will allow your website to be featured at the top of the search engine results page on Google or Bing. Check out our guide on how to develop and market a travel website for more bookings, including getting your booking calendar and the system just right.

Conclusion

Once you’ve implemented these strategies within your tour business, it’s essential that you’re able to process online bookings efficiently and effectively. An online booking system such as Rezdy will equip you with the tools needed to streamline your admin duties and simplify your customer’s booking process.

Some of Rezdy’s advanced tools include:

Curious to see how Rezdy can fit within your tour or activity business? start a FREE 21-day trial with Rezdy or book a free demo with us today.

If you enjoyed this article then make sure to follow the Rezdy blog. There are a lot of marketing, business & industry tips for operators and resellers.

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