In this article

When online bookings are a big part of your business, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to reach far and wide to find success. But it’s always worth developing local sources of business, whether your core customer base is international travelers or regulars from your neighborhood. Local bookings are also a powerful tool to help tourism operators weather any global crisis, whether travel dries up due to pandemics, fuel crises, or fears of international instability.

And marketing locally doesn’t just mean marketing to locals. While the global staycation market has grown to a half-billion dollar industry, in-destination bookings are even bigger. A third of all travelers book same-day experiences, relying on local advertising, recommendations, and search to make their booking choices. If you’re not marketing locally, you’re missing out on a huge group of travelers, staycationers and local adventurers who are eager to book.

So how do you reach the customers who are already in your own back yard?

Make sure your activities show up on local search

When we’re looking for a fun way to spend a day, the first thing most of us do is pull out our phones. According to research from SEO firm Uberall, an incredible 91% of survey respondents find local businesses through search tools. Not a single respondent skipped out on local search.

It’s imperative that your business shows up in local search and AI recommendations. If you have a booking website, you’re already partway there—when Google’s algorithms work their magic, a well-optimized website will contribute to your rankings and recommendations. But if you want to be sure that customers will find you when they want to book something nearby, you also need to make sure you’re listed in local search resources—particularly Google Business Profile.

Business profiles increasingly drive local search results, allowing guests to find you when they search for something nearby, use map apps, or just use Google while they’re in your area . Since local search is a daily habit for nearly everyone, you don’t want to let these free hits slip away.

Invest in locally-targeted ads

Online ads can be an expensive prospect, but if you know exactly who you want to reach, you can keep to a reasonable advertising budget.

Advertising platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads work best when you are trying to reach specific groups. Constraining your ads to specific locations and user demographics doesn’t just save you money—it also makes your campaigns much more effective.

Start by looking at the customers you currently have. Where are they from? What are their demographics? What are they getting out of your products?

Target a campaign at locals who can book on a whim with compelling reasons to do just that, and you can stretch your advertising a lot further.

Build relationships with local distributors

Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are often great partners for tour and activity businesses that want to expand locally. They work hard to expand your destination’s profile globally, but many also focus efforts on local travel, and they can be quick to pivot when international travel falters. You might be surprised by how effective it can be to have your ads in local travel guides, your brochures on high-visibility racks, and your name on the lips of local travel advisors.

Activity desks and visitor information centers (VICs) may seem old-fashioned, but they’re also a big source of local bookings for many tour and activity companies. The majority of visitors to information centers are there looking for things to see and do, so you can be certain that your efforts are reaching the right audience.

And while you’re building relationships with local distributors, don’t forget about hotel concierges. Concierges have a reputation for local expertise to maintain, so working with them is a great way to reach travelers who want a truly local experience. When travel drops off, you don’t want concierge partnerships to be your only connection to in-destination bookings, but it’s another powerful channel to take advantage of when you can.

Rezgo offers a full suite of tools to support working with concierges and other local distributors, including commission price sheets, referral tracking, comprehensive reports, and more. With all that, you’re ready to start cultivating relationships with concierges.

Team up with local influencers

Social media influencers aren’t just huge, international celebrities with millions of followers. Micro-influencers, who might only have a few thousand followers online, tend to have more engaged audiences than the big names. Depending on their focus, this can make them perfect for your local marketing efforts.

If you already have a successful Instagram or TikTok account, you might not even need to look far. It’s likely you have micro-influencers who already follow you, or who’ve done business with you, and those are a natural starting point for local marketing. Otherwise, dig into local hashtags and see who’s getting attention and whose brand works well with yours. Getting your tours and activities into their photos, videos and stories can be a great way to drum up interest from engaged locals.

Don’t be afraid to look at other platforms, too. While Instagram and TikTok dominate the influencer conversation, they’re not the right platform for every demographic – maybe your guests are Facebook types, or thrive on YouTube shorts. To succeed at local marketing, you need to be wherever your ideal customers can be found.

Stay loyal to your local customers

While you’re doing all you can to reach new customers in your neighborhood, don’t forget the old ones. Your existing guests are one of the most effective resources in your marketing toolbox.

Local guests are particularly good targets for personalized campaigns. Give them the tools they need to spread positive word of mouth: links to leave reviews on your website and local search profiles, promos to share with friends and family, referral programs and loyalty programs to keep them coming back for more.

By making good use of the customer data you already have, you can increase local bookings without breaking the budget.

No matter where your bookings come from, be it close to home or around the globe, your online booking platform can help. Rezgo makes it simple to work with local distributors, to track important customer data, and most importantly, to get bookings from customers wherever they might be, near or far.

And if you’re on the other side of the local marketing equation, learn more about our booking software options for destination marketing organizations (DMOs).

The post Going Local: 5 Proven Ways to Increase Local Bookings (Updated) appeared first on Rezgo.

In This Article…

Growing a tour or activity business on your own takes a certain kind of determination. You wear every hat—guide, marketer, scheduler, customer service rep—and for a while, that scrappy approach works. But assuming it goes well, there will always come a point when doing everything yourself stops being efficient and starts holding you back.

Deciding to make your first hire can be really intimidating. Expand too early, and you risk stretching your finances. Wait too long, and you may burn out or miss opportunities to grow. So many operators put it off, waiting for a sign that expanding their business will be safe while missing the opportunities that are right in front of them.

If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to bring someone on, you’re not alone. Here’s how to recognize the signs, approach your first hires strategically, and avoid the most common pitfalls along the way.

Why Hiring Feels Like a Big Leap

For solo tourism operators, hiring isn’t just a business decision—it’s personal. You’ve built your operation from the ground up, and handing off any part of that responsibility can feel risky.

And it’s not just about anxiety, either. There are real concerns behind that hesitation. You’ve probably asked yourself questions like these:

• Will there be enough work to justify the cost?
• Can someone else deliver the same quality experience?
• Will managing someone else take more time than it saves?

These questions are totally valid, and they’re risks to plan for when making your first hire, but ultimately, you have to take risks to succeed. Growth means stepping out of the “solo operator” mindset and into the role of a business owner. That isn’t just a shift to doing more tours, it’s a change to how you view your business, and your role in it.

Five Signs It’s Time to Expand

There will never be a perfect moment to hire, but you don’t want to jump in too soon. Here are some of the clearest signals that it’s time (or past time!) to grow.

1. You’re Turning Down Bookings

If you regularly have to say no to customers because you’re fully booked, you need to think about hiring–and fast. Success can sneak up on a person, but missed bookings don’t just represent lost revenue. They can also mean lost long-term customers, dried up reviews, and missed opportunities. If demand regularly exceeds your capacity, you need help to capture that demand instead of letting it slip away.

2. Your Schedule Is Maxed Out

We’re not just talking about bookings, here. There are only so many hours in the day, and running your business takes a lot of work. Reflect on how much “free time” you truly have. Not time you’re squeezing in necessary admin or planning for the future, but time that you can actually stop and rest, relax, and recharge.

If you can’t take a day off without everything grinding to a halt, you’re not running a sustainable business, you’re racing yourself to burnout. That’s a big, flashing sign that you need to hire.

3. Admin Work Is Eating Your Time

Every operator hits a point where guiding tours or running activities is a less and less part of the job. You’re probably familiar with the rest:

• Responding to inquiries
• Managing bookings
• Processing payments
• Coordinating schedules
• And so much more

If these tasks are pulling you away from delivering great experiences or growing your business, it may be time to delegate, but it might also be time to figure out what you can automate.

This is where having a solid system in place makes a huge difference. Using a booking platform like Rezgo helps centralize reservations, automate confirmations, and keep everything organized. And when you do bring someone on, they’re stepping into a structured system, not chaos.

It’s tough to hire when your entire business is managed in your head, a half-dozen spreadsheets, and scraps of paper in very important piles, so investing a little time in migrating to modern booking software can help both now and as you grow.

4. The Customer Experience Is Starting to Slip

When you’re stretched too thin, small things start to fall through the cracks. And those small things add up to making or breaking your business.

For solo businesses, things can spiral in a hurry. Does any of this sound familiar?

• You can’t respond to prospective customers quickly, and by the time you get back to them, they’ve moved on.
• You don’t have time to offer the personal touch, and you can tell guests are losing interest.
• You can’t manage follow-ups, so your reviews start to slip. The ones you do get are from customers who are unhappy enough to seek them out.
• You’re rushing your tours to try to fit more in each day, and the experience is getting worse for it.
• You’re worried that corner cutting is going to cause serious trouble.

Your reputation depends on consistency. If you notice quality dipping, whether it’s in the booking process, customer service, or the activities themselves , hiring will help you maintain the top-notch experience that guests have come to rely on you for.

5. You’re Stuck in Maintenance Mode

If all your time goes into running tours and handling day-to-day operations, there’s no room left for growth. Too often, growing your business is an afterthought, something you’ve been meaning to do and will totally get to when you have a few minutes to spare. But if those spare moments never arrive, then you’re going to miss out on your the best outcomes for your business.

Freeing up time allows you to learn and implement new strategies. That might mean you can expand your marketing, dip your toes into digital advertising, or put in the face time that leads to new partnerships. It also means you’ll have time for product development, which is critical. You can’t get repeat customers if your offerings go completely stale, and it’s so easy to fall behind in an ever-shifting tourism market.

When you automate what you can and hire out the jobs that don’t absolutely require your personal touch, it leaves room to focus on creativity, reach, and growth.

How to Expand Without Overcommitting

Hiring doesn’t have to mean jumping straight into a full slate of full-time staff. In fact, easing into expansion is often the smartest approach.

Start with Part-Time or Seasonal Help

Tourism is generally seasonal, so your staffing strategy can reflect that. Bringing on part-time or seasonal guides has a lot of up sides:

• Testing demand without long-term commitments
• Scaling up during peak periods
• Reducing risk while learning how to manage staff

This is the easiest and most flexible way to make your first hire. Starting slow is important. The last thing you want is to overhire off the jump and struggle to get everyone trained and ready.

Hire for Your Biggest Bottleneck

Instead of hiring broadly, focus on the area where you need the most help. This doesn’t always mean you need a guide or instructor. If running your tours and activities is what you really love, maybe there are other areas that could make a positive impact on your business.

Ask yourself a few key questions:

• What tasks take up the most time?
• What tasks could someone else handle effectively?
• What work is preventing me from growing?
• What work would I regret delegating away?

For many operators, the first hire is another guide. It’s a role that can provide the most bang for your buck, as a new guide can open up your booking schedule and potentially brings in more revenue. But for others, it’s more important to find someone to handle admin or customer service. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—the right hire is the one that removes your biggest roadblock.

Standardize Before You Scale

Before bringing someone on, make sure your processes are clear and repeatable. Think about your business. What elements are critical for new staff members to understand?

• Tour scripts or key talking points
• Safety procedures
• Customer service guidelines
• Booking and scheduling workflows

Having everything documented makes training easier and ensures consistency. But if this sounds like a reason to delay the hiring process indefinitely, jump back to the last section of this article. Maybe what you need most is some help with developing and standardizing your processes.

And don’t forget: a system like Rezgo can support your hiring plans by giving your future hires a clear view of bookings, availability, and customer details. Instead of relying on scattered notes or memory, everything they need is in one place, clearly laid out and easy to find.

Brush up on Labor Laws and Practices

As a solo operator, it’s pretty safe to say that you don’t have to worry much about labor laws. No one’s going to come after you for not giving yourself a legally-required lunch break. But before you take on your first staff member, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself in for.

But don’t be scared–every business has to make this leap, and there are plenty of resources out there to help you get through it.

• Government organizations like the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• State and provincial hiring resources
• Local chambers of commerce and small business groups
• Corporate lawyers

Searching online is a good start, but don’t rely on AI recaps for advice on anything as critical as labor laws. AI services often mix up jurisdictions and can give very confident-sounding legal advice that won’t protect you if you get it wrong.

Build a Simple Onboarding Process

Your first hire won’t know your business the way you do. A structured onboarding process helps them get up to speed quickly.

Depending on what roles you hire for, your onboarding will look a little different. Here are a few ways you can onboard new hires:

• Shadowing you on tours
• Practicing key parts of the experience
• Learning how to use your booking system
• Reviewing common customer scenarios
• Practicing scripts

The smoother the onboarding, the faster your new hire becomes an asset. Just remember to plan for onboarding to take some of your time, too. New hires should eventually take work off your plate, but for the first while, they’ll add work on. That’s why you shouldn’t wait until you’re in desperate need of help to make your first hire.

What to Look for in Your First Hire

Skills matter, but for tour and activity businesses, attitude and personality often matter more. Communication skills, comfort working with all kinds of people, and flexibility–these are skills that will serve your business the most.

To find out more about what specific traits to watch for, and how to identify them when interviewing, check out our article on the nine traits to look for when hiring guides and other tourism staff.

Remember, technical skills can be taught. The ability to create a great guest experience is harder to train.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring

Expanding your team is a big step, and there are a few mistakes that can make it harder than it needs to be.

Hiring Too Late

Waiting until you’re completely overwhelmed can backfire. When you’re already stretched thin, you may not have the time or energy to train someone properly. If you’re consistently at capacity, it’s better to start the hiring process before things become unmanageable.

If you’re worried that it’s already too late for that, consider how you can free yourself up to manage a new hire. It’s an investment, after all.

Hiring Too Fast

Rushing to hire without a clear plan can also create its own problems. Before you go into hiring, make sure you have the budget, defined roles, clear expectations, and enough demand.

Even part-time or seasonal hires should have a well-thought-out purpose.

Not Charging Enough

No, we’re not talking about invoicing your hires, no matter how amazing the experience you offer might be. One of the biggest barriers to hiring is financial pressure. If your pricing doesn’t account for labor costs, expanding your team will feel impossible.

Take a close look at your pricing structure. If demand is strong, there may be room to increase prices to support growth while maintaining profitability.

Failing to Let Go

Delegation is often the hardest part. It’s totally normal to want to double-check everything, step in too quickly, or hold onto tasks you should be handing off. This can limit the effectiveness of your new hire and keep you stuck in the same workload.

Trust takes time, but giving your team room to operate is essential for growth.

Lack of Systems

Bringing someone into a disorganized operation creates confusion and inefficiency. Having clear systems saves time on training, reduces mistakes, and improves communication.

Using online booking software like Rezgo helps create structure. With centralized bookings, automated communications, and clear scheduling, your new hire can step into a well-organized environment from day one.

The Role of Technology in Scaling Your Team

On that note, let’s talk about tech. Hiring isn’t just about adding people—it’s about making sure those people can work effectively.

Technology plays a key role here.

With the right tools in place, you can:

• Give staff real-time access to bookings and schedules
• Reduce manual tasks through automation
• Keep communication consistent
• Track performance and capacity

Rezgo’s booking software is designed with this in mind. It allows you to manage bookings from multiple channels, automate notifications, and give your team controlled access to the system. That makes onboarding smoother and day-to-day operations easier to manage as you grow.

Instead of relying on spreadsheets or scattered systems, everything is centralized—so your business becomes easier to run, even as it becomes more complex. Not sure if it’ll help? You can try it for free.

Making the Transition from Solo Operator to Team Leader

Hiring your first employee marks a shift in how your business operates. You’re no longer just delivering experiences, you’re responsible for enabling others to deliver them too.

It can be a scary shift, and it takes some willingness to let go. But the results speak for themselves: your business will be able to grow, and you’ll be able to grow with it.

Once you’ve gotten over the hurdle of this first hire, it gets easier in a lot of ways. As you grow your team, though, new challenges can arise. So check out our article on hiring strategies for tourism businesses to learn more about expanding your business and retaining talent.

Why Growth is Worth The Effort

Expanding your tour or activity business doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a gradual process that starts with recognizing when you’ve reached your limits as a solo operator.

If you’re consistently booked, overwhelmed with admin, or unable to focus on growth, it may be time to bring someone on. It’s good for your customers, good for your business, and most importantly, good for you. No one can do everything alone.

But it’s important to make sure that you don’t overwhelm yourself. Start small. Focus on your biggest bottleneck. Put systems in place before you hire. And use tools like Rezgo to keep everything organized as your team grows.

The goal isn’t just to get more bookings—it’s to build a business that can grow beyond you, without sacrificing the quality and experience that got you here in the first place.

The post Overbooked and Overwhelmed? When to Make Your First Hire as a Tourism Operator appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Every time someone visits your website, sends a tour inquiry, or books a tour, they are deciding whether they trust you.

They’re not only evaluating your itinerary – they’re evaluating your communication, your clarity, your responsiveness, and your professionalism. Before guests ever step foot on your tour, your customer service has already shaped their expectations.

That’s why customer service in tourism plays such a critical role in your success. It influences whether someone clicks “Book Now,” whether they leave a five-star review, and whether they come back next season with friends.

Customer expectations are shaped by the seamless digital experiences they have every day, comparing your responsiveness and booking flow to other online retailers. You’re not only competing with other tour operators, but with the best digital experiences your customers encounter elsewhere.

If you meet those expectations, you build confidence. If you fall short, potential customers move on quickly. Understanding why customer service matters in travel allows you to strengthen every stage of the guest journey and turn one-time bookings into long-term growth.

This guide will help you strengthen every touchpoint in your customer journey so you can build trust faster, increase repeat bookings, and create experiences guests recommend.

Customer Service Shapes the Entire Traveler Journey

Great customer service doesn’t start when something goes wrong. It starts the moment a traveler discovers your business.

When someone lands on your website, they’re looking for clarity. For instance:

• Can they easily find pricing? 
• Do they understand what is included? 
• Is it easy to check availability? 

If your information is organized and your responses are timely, you reduce hesitation. If they struggle to find answers, uncertainty grows.

Customer service also influences how confident tour goers feel about committing their time and money to your experience. Experiences are not small purchases. Guests are investing precious time, coordinating with family or friends, and often traveling long distances. That level of commitment raises the stakes.

During the booking process, your systems will either build trust or weaken it. A smooth checkout, secure payment options, and instant confirmation show that you run a professional operation and contribute directly to a stronger tourism customer experience.

Empowered Teams Deliver Better Guest Experiences

The systems you use matter, but your people define the experience. Your frontline staff often manage time constraints, group dynamics, and guest expectations all at once. Without clear guidelines and support, even your most experienced team members can start to feel overwhelmed. Opposingly, when they feel micromanaged or uncertain, hesitation shows in their interactions with guests.

In travel industry customer service , consistency builds credibility. When every member of your team reflects your values and standards, guests notice. That’s why great tour experiences start with an investment in customer service skills training for your staff. 

Your team should understand not only your tours and policies, but also how to communicate clearly, listen actively, and respond confidently. Providing scenario-based training and clear service standards allow your staff to handle both routine questions and unexpected challenges.

You also set the tone internally. When your team feels supported and empowered to make decisions, handle late arrivals, complaints, or last-minute changes they act faster, respond more consistently, and approach potentially prickly group dynamics with confidence. 

Seamless Booking Experiences Build Trust

Before guests ever meet you, they interact with your booking system.

Travelers expect mobile-friendly checkouts, clear cancellation policies, and immediate confirmation. Rising traveler expectations mean that even small friction points can impact conversions. When you streamline your booking flow, you remove friction. That makes it easier for potential travelers to say yes. If the process feels simple, transparent, and secure, confidence increases immediately.  

Technology plays an important role here, too. With a platform like Rezgo, you can centralize bookings, automate confirmations, and reduce manual errors. Automated reminders and organized guest information also help you stay proactive instead of reactive, strengthening your overall customer support tourism efforts.

It’s also important to consider how booking friction affects your bottom line. Many travelers abandon purchases when the process feels confusing or time-consuming. When guests can see availability in real time, complete payment quickly, and receive immediate confirmation, they feel secure in their decision-making. You’re also sending a clear message that you are organized, reliable, and ready to deliver a great tour.

Personalization Turns Travelers Into Loyal Customers

Travelers want to feel recognized. When you treat every booking the same way, you miss an opportunity to build deeper connections.

Personalization can be simple. If a guest booked a food tour last year, you can recommend a related culinary experience this season. If someone leaves detailed feedback, you can reference it in your follow-up communication.

When you collect and use guest data thoughtfully, you create more relevant interactions, which, over time, strengthens loyalty. Guests are more likely to return when they feel understood.

Feedback loops also help you improve. When you ask for reviews and actually adjust your services based on what guests say, you demonstrate that you value their input. This also reinforces strong customer service best practices which tourism operators rely on to remain competitive.

Strong personalization supports customer support in tourism because it anticipates needs before they turn into questions or concerns.

Effective Problem Solving Builds Trust

With tourism comes unpredictability, including potential:

• Weather shifts
• Transportation delays
• Scheduling changes

What matters most is how you respond. When you communicate early and clearly, you reduce frustration. When you take ownership and present solutions, you reinforce professionalism. Even small gestures, such as offering a small compensation or acknowledging inconveniences sincerely, can change how guests feel about the situation.

You can also prepare in advance. Training your team to think critically, creating backup plans, and monitoring potential risks all strengthen your ability to respond quickly.

Guests remember responsiveness and whether you kept them informed. By handling challenges thoughtfully, you turn difficult moments into opportunities to reinforce trust.

Real-Time Support Enhances the On-Trip Experience

Today’s tour goers expect immediate communication. If they have a question about meeting points, timing, or last-minute adjustments, they want an answer fast. When they can reach you easily and receive clear updates, stress decreases.

How you handle this expectation is up to you. Some operators provide cell phone numbers, some ensure they always have staff available to answer questions in a hurry. Some operators employ chatbots, accepting a certain loss of personal touch and accuracy in exchange for 24/7 availability. With Rezgo, you can also minimize the amount of hands-on time you spend, as it lets you message event groups directly, automate notifications, and personalize your reminders.. This keeps everyone aligned and informed throughout the leadup to the tour.

Real-time communication improves logistics, but it also improves comfort. When guests feel supported in the moment, their overall perception of the experience improves. That often translates to stronger reviews and recommendations.

Post-Trip Engagement Boosts Retention & Reviews

Your interaction with guests should not end when the tour finishes. Following up with a thank-you email, requesting a review, or offering a personalized promotion keeps your business top-of-mind. When you maintain communication, you increase the likelihood of repeat bookings.

Customer relationship management (CRM) tools allow you to track guest preferences and booking history. In turn, this data helps you send relevant, timely messages instead of generic promotions.

Repeat guests are valuable. They are familiar with your brand, easier to convert, and more likely to refer others. When you nurture those relationships intentionally, you strengthen long-term revenue.

Delivering the Experience Your Guests Expect 

Customer service in tourism directly shapes your reputation, your revenue, and your growth. When you streamline booking, train and empower your team, personalize your communication, solve problems proactively, and provide real-time support, you create experiences that guests trust and recommend.

Travelers notice when you are organized. They notice when you communicate clearly. They notice when you respond quickly and follow up thoughtfully.

Tools like Rezgo support you in delivering consistent, professional service across every touchpoint. With the right systems and a strong service mindset, you can meet rising traveler expectations and strengthen your position in a competitive market.

Ready to strengthen your customer service? Rezgo helps you streamline your tour bookings, automate traveler communications, and deliver a more seamless experience at every stage of the guest journey. Book a free demo today!

The post Why is customer service so important in tourism? appeared first on Rezgo.

2026 could be a bit of a turning point for the tours and activities sector. The world always moves quickly, but things are changing a bit faster these days. Advances in technology, global and local economic factors, and the changing needs and wants of travelers are all directly influencing how people discover, choose, and book experiences.

Here’s a quick rundown of key global travel trends in 2026:

• Increased use of AI-powered travel planning
• Ongoing cost-of-living pressure and price sensitivity for many travelers
• Widespread feelings of burnout and “decision fatigue” due to global uncertainty and modern life pressures
• Continued rising demand for personalized travel experiences
• A shift toward meaning, memory, and identity-driven travel

What does this mean for tour and activity operators? These changes affect everything from your travel product and experience design to customer service to pricing and booking flows. Understanding these trends is a great first step to staying competitive in 2026.

Quiet travel & digital detox experiences

“Quietcations” and “hushpitality”

As a direct response to all the “noise” in many peoples’ lives these days, people are looking for trips designed to help them disconnect from screens, crowds, 24/7 news, and constant notifications. 

The continued rise of quiet travel is one of the most obvious global travel trends in 2026. Whether you call this kind of travel “quietcations” or “hushpitality,” this trend reflects the growing demand for travel experiences that turn down the background noise for a while.

Examples include:

• Silent or semi-silent retreats
• Off-grid cabins and eco-lodges
• Low-connectivity or “digital detox” stays

Slow, restorative, nature-based activities

People don’t just want quiet accommodations or peaceful locales. This trend also impacts tours and activities. Travelers are increasingly choosing:

• “Forest bathing” and guided nature walks
• Mindfulness-focused outdoor experiences, like yoga retreats
• Wildlife viewing and low-impact eco-tours

Some destinations even promote quiet zones and sound-level standards. For example, Lisbon in Portugal has designated “quiet zones” with enforced decibel limits and fines for non-compliance. Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park is the world’s first Urban Quiet Park, in an effort to preserve natural soundscapes near a dense city. 

How to respond to this travel trend

Tour operators can respond by:

• Creating relaxation-focused or low-energy travel experiences
• Clearly labeling “quiet,” “slow,” or “no-tech” experiences to get people’s attention
• Designing itineraries with fewer stops and more immersion

Quiet travel was once a bit of a niche trend, but it’s becoming much more of a mainstream booking consideration.

AI-powered travel planning 

AI-driven travel itineraries  

In 2026, AI travel planning tools will play an increasingly large role in how travelers discover tours and activities. Easily-accessible platforms like ChatGPT can:

• Build detailed day-by-day itineraries
• Recommend activities based on timing, location, and preferences
• Handle translations, accessibility needs, and logistics

For tech-savvy travelers, AI-generated planning can be much faster than doing research by browsing multiple websites.

Hyper-personalized planning

AI-driven planning is also becoming more personal, and tailored to individuals, which is a feature AI platforms promote heavily. Tools are beginning to match activities based on what AI users tell the platform about themselves, including:

• Travel goals, such as rest, adventure, or learning
• Mood and energy levels
• Budget and timelines
• Life stage
• Personal interests

This is driving demand for hyper-personalized tours instead of one-size-fits-all experiences.

How to respond to this travel trend

Hyper-personalization can be challenging to respond to, but using a booking system with robust resource management tools can help. With Rezgo, you can offer many potential tours that dynamically share resources, so your availability is only taken up when the resource is booked.

But that’s just one piece of the AI travel-planning puzzle. The main challenge for tour operators is how to make their offerings visible to people using AI tools for research. How to be “AI-discoverable” is a huge and developing area, similar to the early days of search engine optimization (SEO), but some of the basic things you can do include:

• Clearly defining your audience
• Use structured, detailed product descriptions
• Incorporate Q&As, or FAQs, into your product detail web pages
• Highlight unique value and context and include things, like these trends, you know people are searching for

In 2026, being AI-discoverable can be as important as being SEO-friendly. Doing these things will give you a chance of showing up in AI-generated itineraries. 

Curated “no-decision” experiences

Mystery tours and surprise bookings

Many people these days experience something called “decision fatigue.” Everyday life often involves so many micro-decisions that some travelers just want to delegate that decision-making to someone else. 

This has led to growth in:

• Mystery tours
• Surprise activity bookings
• Pre-designed itineraries revealed just before travel

How to respond to this travel trend

In an effort to keep travelers’ stress low, many tour operators offer end-to-end experiences, where they handle all of the key choices at the planning and decision-making stage, as well as scheduling and logistics for the trip. This can take a lot of the heavy lifting involved in planning a trip off the shoulders of travelers.

“Surprising and delighting” your customers, while offering to do the heavy lifting for them, could be a good mantra to live by in 2026. These types of curated experiences provide benefits like:

• Higher perceived value
• Stronger trust in the operator
• More opportunities for upgrades and add-ons

Road trips and ground travel 

The “roadtrip rewired” trend

Road trips have been making a serious comeback since the COVID pandemic, and the joys of ground travel continue to attract travelers. Air travel prices remain unpredictable, leading to many travelers preferring to drive. This makes regional activities more appealing and accessible, especially in road-trip friendly regions like North America and Europe.

Travelers are looking for:

• Flexible road trips
• Shared travel with friends or family
• AI-assisted route-planning to the most scenic spots

How to respond to this travel trend

Tour operators can jump on this trend by offering:

• Regional activity bundles
• Local attraction tours
• Self-guided audio tours
• Road-trip itineraries linking multiple experiences

Your key takeaway from this travel trend? Proximity and flexibility matter to travelers in 2026.

Ultra-personalized and niche experiences

Life-stage and emotion-focused travel

In 2026, look out for travel being increasingly tied to personal milestones, including:

• Divorce or separation retreats
• Grief and healing journeys
• Menopause and wellness-focused travel
• Landmark birthdays
• Retirement

These experiences are often small-group and can be priced at the higher end of the scale.

Special interest tours

Demand is also rising for trips based around quite specific interests, such as:

• Insect and wildlife observation
• Sports-focused retreats
• Culinary and craft-based experiences

How to respond to this travel trend

The underlying driver for this trend is the search for meaning. Travelers want experiences that reflect who they are and what they’re interested in. Look at what customers within your target audience might be interested in and offer trips based on more specialist interests. 

For example, 2026 is FIFA World Cup year in North America, with the US, Canada, and Mexico all hosting matches. Could you offer experiences based around matches in different host cities?

Off-grid and less popular destinations

Seeking the quiet and different

Continuing the quiet and stress-free travel trends, overcrowding and rising prices are pushing some travelers away from popular destinations and toward others:

• More rural, quieter destinations
• Secondary cities that are less crowded
• Less-promoted regions that offer something different

Travelers like to talk about their trips to lesser-known destinations and feel more of a sense of discovery, more so than when they visit the popular hotspots. With this trend, rarity and originality matter.

How to respond to this travel trend

Responding to this trend requires a bit of “thinking small and local.” The key is to find some hidden gems and promote local knowledge. Do some research to find less “touristy” places and activities that will help you to:

• Create micro-adventures to lesser-known spots closer to home
• Partner with regional communities to come up with hyper-local experiences

Culture-driven travel

BookTok, “romantasy,” and “fandom tourism”

Cultural travel revolving around popular books, online communities, and fandoms are also shaping travel demand in 2026. BookTok, for example, is a trend on social media platform TikTok that involves people sharing books they like with other book lovers. There are similar online communities on most social platforms and online forums. 

Popular tourism offerings that play into this trend include:

• Fantasy-inspired tours and activities
• Themed stays
• Immersive, story-led experiences

Film and series location tours

New film and TV adaptations continue to drive location-based travel, especially when paired with guided context and storytelling. People love to get behind the scenes and learn something new about their favourite show or movie.

How to respond to this travel trend

Think about the actual story, lore, characters, and narrative of a particular cultural phenomenon or popular book or film, rather than just facts like where it was filmed. Deep familiarity with the source material is a huge plus for this kind of tour. 

Perhaps one of the best examples is the tours and activities that sprung up around the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies filmed in New Zealand. Even though the last movie was released over 20 years ago, related tourism is still going strong, including:

• Half- and full-day trips
• Comprehensive multi-day tours
• Specialist tours and activities around costumes and specific locations
• Behind-the-scenes tours

Nostalgia travel

Memory recreation and “PastPorts”

Nostalgia-driven travel shows no signs of slowing down in 2026, now supported by new AI tools that can help travelers reconnect with meaningful moments from their past. Sometimes referred to as “PastPorts,” these experiences use technology and storytelling to turn memory into itinerary.

Travelers are increasingly using AI and digital archives to:

• Revisit childhood and other meaningful vacation spots or hometown landmarks
• Recreate memorable trips from earlier in life
• Restage old family photos in the same locations

Ancestral and heritage tours

Alongside nostalgia and memory recreation, ancestral and heritage travel continues to grow as online genealogy platforms make it easier for people to discover and visualize their family histories.

This has led to an increase in trips tied to:

• Ancestral towns or regions
• Cultural traditions connected to family heritage
• Historical records uncovered through DNA or archival research

How to respond to this travel trend

Nostalgic trips like these are typically highly personal—often private or small-group experiences—which can be priced slightly higher. There are opportunities to design experiences and tours such as:

• Guided “memory walks” or photo-recreation tours
• Personalized itineraries anchored to past addresses or family locations
• Nostalgic travel as part of slower travel experiences

Travelers still need human advisors…

With all this talk of AI and other technology taking over some of the travel planning, Travel Pulse notes that advisors and tour operators still matter—maybe more than ever. The travel publication advises that they are still needed to “serve as curators, decision-makers and trusted problem-solvers who bridge the gap between AI-generated possibilities and executed itineraries.” And tour operators can answer questions AI simply can’t.

Then there’s the fact that AI is still in its infancy and does make mistakes. Eiffel Tower in Beijing anyone? A cautionary article by the BBC provided examples of AI making up destinations and placing well-known landmarks in the wrong places. Just as GPS navigation devices have sometimes taken drivers down the wrong road, AI itineraries still need to be thoroughly checked.

However, AI technology is here and it’s here to stay. It makes sense for tour operators to explore the ways they can benefit from it.

… and a flexible booking system

It goes without saying that every tour operator should offer online booking and take a mobile-first approach to take advantage of the above trends, as well as any other innovative tourism business ideas. Even if customers have done some AI research and are coming to your website with a few ideas already in their heads, you need to make it easy for them to browse, book, and pay for tours anytime and from anywhere. 

Having an understanding of the latest trends and how customers are using AI as a research tool (why not try using it yourself?) will help you target the right products to the right customers. Learn more about how Rezgo’s booking software can help your tourism business thrive and adapt.

The post Global travel trends 2026: What tour and activity operators need to know appeared first on Rezgo.

Managing customer complaints effectively is more than just solving problems as they arise. It involves understanding why complaints happen, preventing issues before they occur, reading group dynamics, using professional communication techniques, and having clear frameworks in place for both everyday issues and times of crises. 

In this article, we’ll break down practical strategies for preventing and resolving guest issues in tourism, using psychology tactics, communication, teamwork, and technology to protect your reputation and most importantly, improve your guest experience.

Why Complaint Management is Critical in Tourism

Complaints in tourism often involve some level of emotions, given that travel is accompanied with high stakes and serves as a highly personal experience for individual travelers. A missed pickup or a crowded attraction can trigger anxiety or frustration that can quickly spread throughout a tour group. Post-pandemic, travelers are more tuned in to safety, hygiene, and scheduling changes, making it even more important to understand how to mitigate and address when complaints arise. 

Effective tourism complaint handling builds trust, demonstrates professionalism, and ensures your guests leave satisfied. It’s not just a reactive task; it’s a proactive investment in your brand and your relationships with your guests.

Why Complaints Happen in Tourism

Tourism complaints rarely happen without cause. By understanding the common triggers, your staff can prevent guest issues or concerns before they escalate.

Anxiety and stress 

While travel is equal parts exciting and exploratory, it can also bring with it stress and anxiety. Tight schedules, unfamiliar environments, and language barriers can amplify even the smallest inconveniences for your tour guests. Travelers may react strongly to delays, crowded attractions, or changes to their itinerary. Recognizing these triggers is key to knowing how to handle tourism complaints effectively.

Changing expectations 

Modern tour-goers and travelers expect clear safety measures, clean facilities, and responsible practices. Crowd restrictions or changing rules for attractions and accommodations can surprise your guests if not communicated clearly in advance. In turn, this increases the risk of customer complaints in the travel industry.

Operational issues 

Sometimes, problems are unavoidable, but the responsibility still falls squarely on you and your team to mitigate, minimize, and effectively treat any bubbling issues among your tour group. Weather changes, transport delays, or closures can disrupt plans. Even small miscommunications with vendors or your staff can create frustration. Being aware of these triggers allows you and your team to act quickly and prevent escalation, enhancing your tourism customer service best practices.

The Importance of Managing Expectations Early

Managing expectations before your guests arrive for their tour reduces the chance of customer complaints and improves satisfaction. Clear, proactive communication sets a positive tone for the experience, serving as a cornerstone of tourism complaint handling.

Prevention always beats correction

Prevention is the first step in managing customer complaints in tourism. Share detailed itineraries, rules, and limitations before your guest’s arrival. Make sure your guests understand exactly what to expect from your tours, activities, vendors, and partners. 

Set realistic expectations

Clearly explain the different inclusions and amenities your tours offer from previous years or pre-pandemic standards. Highlight any limitations or changes that might affect your guest’s experience. Honest communication builds trust and increases your chances of resolving guest issues.

Consistency across the whole tourism team

All of your staff, from your guides and drivers to restaurateurs and accommodation partners, must communicate consistent information. Mixed messaging can confuse guests and trigger complaints.

Understanding Guest Needs and Group Psychology

Group tours are social by nature. When guests spend hours together in close quarters, individual attitudes and expectations start to influence the experience for everyone. Understanding your group’s dynamics and individual differences helps prevent complaints and resolves issues more smoothly.

Every tour group functions as a system

Guests share spaces and experiences, so one frustrated tour-goer is all it takes to influence the mood of others in your group. Recognizing this early can help your staff manage group energy and reduce the chances of customer complaints.

Identify functional vs. dysfunctional groups

Functional groups are cohesive, cooperative, and adaptable. Dysfunctional groups show tension, blame-shifting, or frequent conflicts. Spotting these signs early allows your employees to intervene, either by separating frustrated guests, resetting expectations, or addressing concerns privately, before problems escalate.

Individual guest differences

Motivations, cultural backgrounds, and personality traits all influence your guest’s behavior. Some guests are planners, some are spontaneous, while others may be extroverted or introverted. Tailoring your tour’s approaches can help reduce guest misunderstandings and enables your staff to handle tourist complaints effectively.

Why psychology matters for complaint prevention

Reading emotional cues early allows staff to address dissatisfaction before it becomes a formal complaint. Guests are more likely to accept adjustments from you or your staff when they feel understood, making proactive psychological insight a key tactic in preventing customer complaints before, during or after your tour offerings.

Communication Skills for Handling Complaints Professionally

Professional communication is essential for resolving complaints. In fact, tourism staff who are able to control their emotions, actively listen to guests, and demonstrate cultural awareness are better able to prevent conflicts from escalating. Let’s look at a few handy communication skills you and your team can actively develop to ensure your guests have the best experience while on tour with you:

Emotional intelligence is key

Your staff need to be able to control their own reactions to guests and avoid taking complaints personally. Remaining calm not only sets the tone for a constructive conversation; it also improves outcomes and positions your tour business as respectful, understanding, and empathetic.

Active listening and empathy techniques

Demonstrate understanding rather than defensiveness. Reflect back your guest’s concerns to confirm you understand their issue. Phrases like “I understand why that would be frustrating” can de-escalate tension and steer the conversation towards resolving your guest’s issues.

Cultural awareness in communication

Adjusting your tone of voice and behavior to match the cultural expectations of your guests can have real benefits. Remain mindful during guest interactions that some tour goers may prefer direct solutions, while others will likely respond better to a gentle yet reassuring approach.

The LE CAFÉ Method for Resolving Complaints

The LE CAFÉ method provides a clear step-by-step method for handling guest complaints efficiently and professionally. Let’s explore each step below.

L – Listen

Allow your guests to express their concerns fully. Don’t interrupt or rush the explanation.

E – Empathize

Acknowledge your guest’s feelings and validate their experience.

C – Clarify

Ask questions to understand your guest’s real issue. This often runs deeper than the initial surface level complaint.

A – Act

Offer solutions, involve partners and vendors if necessary, and implement changes quickly to mitigate further escalation or conflict.

F – Feedback

Finally, ensure your guest feels their concerns have been addressed. Follow up if need be to confirm their satisfaction. 

Crisis Handling Using the AAA Framework

Some situations require rapid, structured responses. The AAA framework guides teams through crises efficiently, making it a critical strategy for managing customer complaints in tourism.

Anticipate

• Plan ahead by checking weather reports, road closures, transportation, and staffing schedules.
• Prepare backup plans for potential disruptions.

Act

• Respond quickly to minimize impact.
• Communicate calmly and only with relevant parties involved.
• Avoid over-explaining or speculation.

Account

• Document incidents.
• Gather evidence.
• Report outcomes.

Why AAA Matters

Using AAA demonstrates professionalism, builds confidence with your guests, and ensures lessons are learned for future tour offerings and trips.

Team Coordination Improves Complaint Management

Aligned teams prevent miscommunication and reduce customer complaints. Everyone from guides to restaurant staff should share information and support each other. Below are a few additional tactics you can use to reinforce complaint management throughout all facets of your tourism business.

Everyone must be aligned

Consistent messaging across all touchpoints ensures guests receive the same information.

Sharing information prevents issues

Regular communication within the team prevents conflicting instructions and avoids guest confusion.

Supporting each other under pressure

Professionalism while experiencing guest frustration is essential. Teams that remain calm and cooperative model positive behavior for guests.

Technology’s Role in Better Complaint Handling

Tech can prevent complaints by keeping guests informed in real time while also supporting staff in their coordination and communication efforts. 

Real-time communication tools

Use SMS updates, automated notifications, and itinerary changes to reduce unexpected surprises.

Keeping guests informed reduces complaints

Remain proactive in your handling of customer complaints by informing your guests of potential delays, weather changes, or schedule adjustments promptly. This enables your guests to consider their options and make informed (rather than emotional) decisions.

Rezgo’s role in modern complaint prevention

Rezgo provides automated messaging, updated tour manifest logs, and faster guest outreach. Using  booking software like Rezgo helps tour owners and their teams respond efficiently and consistently.

Turning Complaints Into Opportunities

While complaints can pose a detriment to your tour business, they’re not all bad. Complaints provide valuable feedback that can help improve your service offerings, generate guest loyalty, and protect your business’ reputation. Here are a few mindset shifts to help you and your team view complaints as an advantage to your operations.

Complaints reveal how to improve your service

Patterns in complaints can actually highlight operational gaps or communication weaknesses. Regularly look over the complaints your team receives to improve your tours.

Recovered customers become brand advocates

Properly handled complaints have the potential to turn frustrated guests into loyal advocates of you, your business, and your brand.

The reputation multiplier effect

While complaints can work in your favor, a single negative experience shared widely can have a significant impact on your business. Satisfied customers tend to tell two to three people about their positive experiences, while dissatisfied customers can share double that, with even greater reach for online complaints.. Managing complaints effectively protects your reputation and is a key part of handling tourism complaints.

Professional Complaint Management: A Competitive Advantage

Managing customer complaints in tourism serves as both a challenge and an opportunity. By understanding the emotional triggers of your guests, tour group dynamics, and communication strategies, tour operators can prevent issues before they arise and handle complaints professionally when they occur. With structured methods like LE CAFÉ and AAA, strong team coordination, and technology like Rezgo, operators can turn complaints into actionable insights, protect their reputation, and generate loyal guests.

The post Managing Customer Complaints in Tourism: A Practical Guide for Tour Operators appeared first on Rezgo.

Picture a platform that automates repetitive tasks, ensures smooth customer interactions, and provides insights to generate more sales and income. With such a system, guests can easily book a food tour on their phones. In contrast, a flawed system disrupts this ease and creates inefficiencies.

Many operators tolerate booking issues until they spiral out of control. Not the smartest business move. This post identifies clear signs it’s time to switch booking software. You’ll also learn what to look for in a better solution.

It’s Costing You Time Instead of Saving It

Too many manual processes bog down your business. Entering data twice across spreadsheets or dealing with clunky interfaces eats up hours unnecessarily. These are issues to address swiftly in travel, tourism, and attractions. Your staff shouldn’t be wasting time correcting errors, like wrong tour schedules, when they could be delivering memorable experiences for guests.

Imagine spending more time fixing errors than running tours as a tour operator. A member of your team catches a double-booked wine tour because the system didn’t sync properly, for instance. The catch is beneficial. But every minute spent on workarounds pulls focus from working on core business activities. Automation is supposed to make your day easier, not harder.

Inefficiencies hurt productivity and stress your workers. Look at daily tasks. If they feel like a slog, consider switching booking software.

Customers Complain About the Booking Experience

Guests will often bring attention to flaws in your booking process, and this is not something to ignore. Confusing booking flows make it hard to reserve a spot on a whale-watching tour. Long checkout processes frustrate users and slow them down. A system not optimized for mobile leaves people struggling on clunky phone screens.

These weaknesses result in lost sales due to poor user experience. Customers give up mid-booking when steps feel too complicated. Reviews might call out a tough reservation process and hurt your reputation. On the other hand, simple navigation keeps guests happy.

Pay attention to what customers say on your website or social media. Complaints about tricky bookings signal a problem, but switching booking software can quickly resolve it. After all, you want your guests to come back.

Limited Features or Outdated Technology

Old systems can’t really keep up with today’s business needs. Without mobile management, you’re stuck at a desk, unable to update a river rafting schedule on the go. No dynamic pricing limits your ability to adjust rates for ski lessons based on demand. Poor reporting hides key trends about museum tour bookings. These are all excellent reasons to upgrade to Rezgo.

Competitors use advanced tools to offer conveniences, such as real-time updates for guests. On the flip side, limited features hold you back from adding new services or reaching more customers. Missing out on top sales channels puts you at a disadvantage, while staying current keeps you competitive.

Check your system’s tools. If they lack mobile access, pricing options, or clear data, they’re outdated. Switching booking software corrects this. Modern features help you compete and grow. Don’t fall behind — pick a system that moves with you.

Support Is Unhelpful

Unresponsive or inadequate support slows you down when issues hit; you need a dependable system. Support is commonly outsourced, but outsourced teams may not know the software. That forces you to explain the same problem repeatedly to new contacts who don’t understand your business. You’re stuck waiting. This hurts most during busy times, such as during Vancouver ziplining seasons.

Poor customer service leads to lost revenue during peak season. Example: A payment glitch for ferry bookings goes unresolved, cancelling trips and upsetting guests. Quick fixes matter. Good support knows your setup and solves problems rapidly so tours stay on track.

Track incidents and response quality. If answers feel generic or slow, it’s a red flag. You should probably start looking at switching booking software to rectify the situation. Reliable support makes sure your business runs smoothly.

Scaling Your Business Feels Impossible

Growth stalls with a shabby online booking system. It’s not able to handle multiple locations, which is problematic. Then you also have higher booking volumes overwhelming and crashing systems during busy events. Adding new products, such as scuba diving classes, requires tedious manual steps. Issues like these curb your potential and can make scaling feel out of reach.

You can’t take on more customers or launch fresh offerings without a capable platform. Growth is limited by your software instead of being supported by it. Meanwhile, competitors scale easily with better tools and grab market share.

Examine your setup. If it struggles with new sites, high demand, or added offerings, switching booking software is the way to go.

Schedule a demo today to explore Rezgo, an online booking and reservation system that grows with your business.

Using the Wrong Booking System Can Be Costly

A bad booking system causes major losses that hurt your bottom line. Here are the costs you face:

• Lost revenue from abandoned bookings: Guests quit if the process is lengthy, challenging, or confusing.
• Frustrated staff and higher turnover: Constant issues push employees to leave, raising hiring costs.
• Missed growth opportunities: You can’t expand services, like adding new bike tours, with a weak system.
• Falling behind competitors: Businesses use premium tools to win customers with easy bookings.

The problems above drain your business. Cut losses and team stress by investing in superior booking software.

What to Look For in a Better Booking Software

The best software delivers an intuitive, mobile-friendly booking experience for simple navigation on any device. Robust features and automation simplify tasks and save you time. The system removes complexity and improves operations.

Look for transparent pricing with no hidden fees to manage costs. Smart tools make it possible to provide reliable and knowledgeable customer support fast. Scalable features for operators of all sizes allow adding tours easily for hassle-free growth.

A strong system increases bookings and customer satisfaction. If you’re thinking of switching booking software, Rezgo offers a host of tools to get and keep your business thriving.

Book your free personalized demo here to discover how Rezgo tour software can enhance your business.

The post How to Know It’s Time to Switch Your Booking Software appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Tourism is set for a record-breaking year in 2026. The World Travel and Tourism Council expects international visitor spending to reach $2.1 trillion, about $164 billion more than before the pandemic. The sector’s overall contribution to the global economy is forecast at $11.7 trillion, which is just over 10% of global GDP.

In short, there’s money being spent, and there’s a big opportunity to get in on the growth. If you have local knowledge, an innovative idea, or a passion for showing people your region, you can turn that into a profitable, sustainable business. Strong demand won’t replace good planning, but it does make the effort well worth your while.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to start a tourism business. We’ll walk you through the steps one at a time.

Define Your Niche & Value Proposition

First up, you need to define your niche. What’s a part of the tourism market you can own?

A niche can be location-based or audience-based, such as solo travellers seeking connection or corporate teams looking for structured team-building.

There’s room for growth in both areas, so consider which fits your expertise and resources.

Once you’ve locked down your niche, you can come up with a value proposition. This is the reason a traveller books with you instead of another operator. It might be in-depth local curation or a zero-waste operating model that appeals to environmentally conscious customers.

Market Research & Feasibility

You’ve got an idea. But will it actually work in the real world?

Find out whether or not there’s demand for your service before you invest in your business. For example, you might check seasonal visitor data from tourism boards and compare it with local flight arrivals, cruise ship schedules, and major event calendars. Or, identify quieter months where you could offer packages that fill capacity.

Write down all of the operators working in your target category, noting their inclusions, pricing, marketing approach, and customer feedback. Look for insights that show where they excel and where they miss opportunities.

Finally, compare these findings with broader trends such as learning-focused trips or the increase in companies booking outdoor experiences for teams. This gives you a crystal-clear picture of demand and potential competitive gaps to fill.

Business Planning Essentials

Now comes the logistics side of starting a business. This will include:

Legal & Operational Foundation

Register your business with the right authority and get the licences and permits your activities need, such as marine operation approvals or park access permissions. Secure insurance that covers public liability and the specific risks of your tours.

Financial Modelling

Write down all startup costs, from equipment and permits to marketing, recruitment, and training. Build a cash flow forecast that reflects your busy and quiet periods. Remember, your prices should cover all of your costs while still being competitive. You’ll need to be careful to protect your profit margin, too.

Direct Booking Setup

Choose a booking system that handles payments and resource allocation all in one place. This makes your life so much easier. A platform like Rezgo’s direct booking software also manages waivers and reservations, so you can make sure operations are running smoothly and give guests a consistently positive experience.

Product Design and Packaging

You need to decide what you want to offer before you promote your business. Build itineraries with clear durations, such as a two-hour city walking tour or a full-day wine route.

If your activity requires it, include equipment rentals like bikes or snorkelling gear.

Packages should work for different customers, too, from single-day and multi-day options to bundles that combine a rental with an experience. Everyone has their own preferences, so brainstorm how you can cater to them.

You might like to offer customers ways to upgrade with private guides, premium seating, tastings, or some other kind of bonus activity. During busy periods, experiment with upsells and dynamic pricing to adjust your rates based on demand and maximize your revenue. For more details, see our guide on How to Create Amazing Tour Packages.

Marketing Strategy and Sales Channels

You can have the best experience in your city. But if no one knows about it, no one can book it. Here’s how to get the word out with a marketing strategy.

Online Presence

Many tourists research and book experiences online. So, create a website that showcases your tours and makes booking easy (and secure). Optimize it for niche search terms — think about what your ideal client would Google to find you, and use those phrases on your site.

Include content that attracts and engages visitors, too, like blog articles, travel tips, photo galleries, and customer testimonials.

Distribution Channels

Accept bookings directly through your own booking software so you control payment and customer data. You can also reach new markets by listing on selected third-party channels like OTAs or Google Things to Do, and integrating those with your booking software for centralized channel management.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships can broaden your reach and introduce you to new audiences.

Strike a deal with local hotels to set up referral packages, or offer commission-based arrangements to travel agents or tour desks.

You could even partner with influencers who can post about your tours on their social media platforms.

Think about combining your tours with other operators to create bundled experiences for corporate events or multi-activity days.

Operations and Customer Experience

Now, let’s take a look at the business end of your launch.

Staffing and Guides

Your guides set the tone for the entire experience. Hire people who know your location or activity in detail. During peak demand, seasonal freelancers can cover extra departures without increasing permanent payroll. Consistent training across all staff makes sure service standards stay high. Remember, even one bad review can cost your business paying customers.

Resource Management

Equipment needs to be available and in working order when the tour starts. A fixed maintenance schedule prevents downtime for assets like bikes, kayaks, or safety gear.

Rentals can add revenue and appeal to independent travelers who don’t bring their own equipment.

Guest Experience Flow

The full journey should be planned before your first booking goes live. It might include things like:

• Customers receive accurate confirmations and timed reminders.
• Digital waivers reduce delays at check-in.
• Upsell offers are sent in pre-arrival emails, when they’re most effective.
• Feedback is collected after each tour.

Map out the flow from start to finish.

Launch Strategies and Growth Tactics

A soft launch allows you to refine and perfect your operations with limited tours and early-bird pricing. Plus, verified reviews and strong testimonials build trust for your main launch.

And as for growth tactics, low-season activity can include targeted local promotions and content that keeps your audience engaged.

Scaling and Innovation

The sky is the limit!

Your offer can grow into virtual tours, self-guided experiences, or corporate event packages. Newer technologies like AR or VR previews can expand your reach, while sustainability-focused experiences can strengthen your brand identity.

Use your passion and creativity to shape an experience to remember.

Ready to start your tourism business? Sign up for free to see how a booking system can support your growth with no upfront cost.

The post How to Start a Tourism Business | From Marketing to Operations appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Running tours isn’t always a straightforward task. It puts a strain on staff time and your systems on busy days. Bookings arrive from all different places — websites and partners — your phones are ringing, and guides are looking for real-time updates. And that’s not to mention refunds and taxes, which pile up come month-end.

The right tools reduce all this friction that comes with daily tasks. Real-time inventory prevents overbooking. Integrated payments shorten checkout and reconciliation. Shared dashboards keep owners aligned with on-site teams. Mobile access lets staff manage check-ins and refunds from the field.

This guide curates the top tools for tour operators across core categories used by operators each day:

• Booking and reservation management
• Marketing and customer engagement
• Reporting and analytics
• Payment and accounting

Let’s take a closer look.

Booking & Reservation Management Tools

Tour bookings can change at the drop of a hat, so your booking and management system must be accurate and up-to-date. Its goal is to centralize and automate the process. In addition, real-time inventory and clean checkout processes make a big difference. So, too, does dependable admin access across different devices.

Here are some of the options on the market.

Rezgo

With Rezgo, you get bookings, payments, and inventory in one system, and it’s made specifically for tour, activity and event operators. Staff can publish products and process secure card payments through integrated gateways. Revenue reports group sales by product and date. No manual exports or extra spreadsheets needed! Waivers, vouchers, and reseller bookings are viewable in the same dashboard, and mobile tools allow quick availability checks, on-site check-ins, and refunds.

FareHarbor

FareHarbor offers fast mobile checkout and a familiar brand for online activity catalogues. Teams can compare features and fees before switching, and review onboarding steps before committing. Compare Rezgo and FareHarbor.

Checkfront

Checkfront connects multi-channel bookings with CRM and marketing integrations. Operators can sync products across multiple systems so their information is consistent. Compare Rezgo and Checkfront.

What to Look For

• Confirm real-time availability updates across your website, POS, reseller channels, and more.
• Go for mobile access for bookings, check-ins, refunds, and reporting.
• Verify integrations for payment processing and advertising platforms.
• Review pricing and support terms, including per-booking fees and support channels.

Remember, your booking software is the foundation of your operations and revenue workflows. Review this category first when scanning the top tools for tour operators list.

Marketing & Customer Engagement Tools

Marketing and customer engagement tools connect you with your audience. They help you win new leads and ensure a positive customer experience from start to finish.

Check out:

• Mailchimp. Segment audiences by product and season. Automate follow-ups and reactivation campaigns.
• Meta Ads Manager. Retarget site visitors and build lookalike audiences from confirmed purchasers.
• Google Ads. Capture high-intent searches using exact and phrase match targeting. “Whale watching tour near me” is an example.
• Canva. Be consistent with your brand colours and logos. Use pre-made templates to post on social media.

Here’s a pro tip for you: Track each campaign with UTM parameters on every link. That way, you know exactly how the user found you.

For example: www.yoururl.com/?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=whale_watching_summer&utm_content=video1.

Reporting & Analytics Tools

You need to know what’s working and what just isn’t. That’s where reporting tools for tour operators come into play. The insights they offer guide decision making on all aspects of your business — staffing, training, pricing, tour design, marketing spend… the list goes on.

Consider these tools:

• GA4 with Looker Studio. Track site traffic, booking events, and source attribution. Build dashboards for trends, targets, and owner updates.
• Rezgo Reports. Review booking volume, channel performance, revenue, taxes, and payouts without manual merges. Export date-bound summaries for accounting.

Consider setting up a weekly KPI baseline. You might review:

• Conversion rate from session to booking, segmented by source and device
• Average booking value by product category and channel
• Cost per acquisition by campaign and ad set
• Refund rate by product and source, with notes on common reasons

Reviews & Reputation Management Tools

Strong ratings improve visibility and persuade undecided buyers with verified proof.

Use the following:

• Review platforms like Rezgo Verified Reviews, Feefo, and Google Reviews. These display verified reviews on public and owned listings. Include a short review link in receipts, confirmation emails, and cards with QR codes at check-in to encourage more reviews.
• Management and automation solutions like Reputation.com and Birdeye. These monitor all profiles in one dashboard. You can flag low scores for investigation and automate messaging.

Here’s a bonus tip: Ask for reviews after the tour while the experience is fresh. People are more likely to comply. You can also automate the process so you never forget!

Team Collaboration & Productivity Tools

Clear communication makes sure operations run smoothly and everyone stays informed and on the same page.

There are a few different facets to team productivity and collaboration, including:

• Communication. Use Slack with named channels like #ops, #guides, #resellers, and #weather. Set alert words for “refund,” “overbook,” and “vehicle.” Use scheduled send for time zones and Slack Connect for trusted partners.
• Work management and docs. Examples include Trello or ClickUp with Google Workspace. Create one board per tour or activity. Use lists for “Ready,” “Scheduled,” “In Market,” and “Complete.” Store SOPs, manifests, and waivers in shared drives. Share a team calendar for guide shifts and blackout dates, or manage them centrally in booking software like Rezgo.

Payment & Accounting Tools

Payments must be secure, fast, and easy to reconcile. Accounting records must be clean and accurate. It’s not the most exciting part of running a tourism operation, but it is essential.

When it comes to payment processing:

• Try Stripe or Square for online and in-person payments, integrating with Rezgo’s booking flow.
• Enable tap-to-pay, set refund rules, and confirm 3-D Secure where needed.
• Map payout schedules to your cash-flow plan.

For accounting:

• Use QuickBooks or Xero for income, fees, taxes, and refunds.
• Create accounts for each product category and tax rate.
• Reconcile payouts twice weekly and export monthly summaries for owners and accountants.

Invest in Tools That Make Work Easier

The right tools save you time and improve the customer experience. They equip you with insights you can use to take your business to the next level and reach your growth ambitions.

Choose tools that match your budget and booking volume. Once your core workflows work well across web, POS, and partner channels, add integrations that extend your reach and insight. Pair these with the reporting tools you already use. Sign up for a free demo to see Rezgo in action.

The post Top Tools for Tour Operators: Reporting, Marketing & More appeared first on Rezgo.

How can you leverage the power of your destination to drive more conversions? By positioning your region as the reason to travel, and then weaving your experience into that bigger story.

In this article, we’ll explore how tourism and destination marketing strategies interact to uplift a region’s profile and drive more bookings in the process.

Let’s get started.

Why Smart Marketing Strengthens Your Destination Strategy

Smart marketing strengthens a destination strategy by attracting visitors who want what you offer and connecting them with your business.

A destination marketing strategy works best when campaigns match real experiences on the ground. That includes the tours people can take or the food they can eat. When the message reflects what’s actually available, travelers flock to the region — and local businesses see stronger demand.

Without that alignment, campaigns may reach broad audiences but get little in return. Visitors show up looking for the wrong things or skip over what the region does best.

That’s where smart tourism marketing strategies come in. They attract the right kind of visitor, the individual or group whose expectations, preferences, and budget are a match.

Strong destination marketing strategies often include:

• Seasonal offers and itinerary ideas that match visitor demand
• Profiles of local guides, hosts, artists, and producers
• Listings with direct booking links across trusted tourism sites
• Co-created content between DMOs, DMCs, and operators

What Destination Marketing Is and How You Fit Into It

A place is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the people who live there. It’s the unique landscape or the year-round good weather. It’s the culinary specialties and cultural customs.

Destination marketing attempts to capture all of these facets and communicate the value of a place as a whole.

It’s a totally different approach to tourism marketing. Business-level campaigns promote an activity, a restaurant, or a hotel. Destination marketing connects all of the dots and presents them as one multi-layered, unique experience.

A coordinated destination strategy supports key players in tourism, including:

• Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
• Destination Management Companies (DMCs)
• Hotels and attractions
• Tour operators and small businesses

As a tour or activity operator, your offer gives the destination its detail and texture. Travelers want to know what they can expect when they arrive. What will they be doing? What kinds of experiences can they expect? The answers to these questions influence how long people stay and whether they come back.

What DMOs and DMCs Do, and Why It Matters

DMOs promote travel to a region. DMCs take care of planning for group trips and events. Both connect travelers with places that are ready to welcome them.

They give operators access to:

• Larger marketing budgets
• International travel networks
• Recognized branding and credibility
• Ongoing campaigns tied to seasonal demand

Tour operators can take part in that reach by:

• Joining marketing campaigns that feature the destination
• Adding listings to official tourism websites
• Attending trade shows to meet potential partners
• Designing tours that match themed travel initiatives
• Producing brochures for the DMO to distribute

These connections put your business right in front of travelers who are already planning trips. They also give you tools to adjust your offer based on demand, season, timing, and more.

Build a Tourism Marketing Plan for Your Tour Business

You understand the importance of tourism marketing. Luckily, you don’t need a big campaign budget to use destination marketing strategies in your own initiatives. Many of the same principles work well for smaller teams and independent operators.

To get started, define your audience. Who are they? How old? How much money do they have to spend? Be specific.

Then, choose a few measurable goals, like increasing weekday bookings or improving booking conversion.

Next, choose your marketing channels based on how your audience searches and books. For example:

• Use search ads during peak travel windows.
• Run targeted social ads around local events or holidays.
• Add listings to your regional DMO website.
• Share space with hotels or restaurants that reach the same travelers.

Track your results weekly and make changes based on what performs well.

Here’s a sample mini-plan for a two-hour walking tour:

• Audience: Couples visiting from out of state on weekends.
• Goals: Grow fall bookings and increase referral volume.
• Channels: Facebook and Instagram ads geotargeted by location and travel date.
• Tactics: Join a bundled package with a nearby museum and restaurant, and offer limited-time pricing during city events.

Use Destination Marketing to Increase Visibility

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is how you compete with other operators. You can strengthen it even further by leaning into how your destination is marketed overall. For example, let’s say your city heralds itself as a foodie haven. You can leverage this by celebrating the local tasting plates on your walking tour.

What’s more, you can expand your reach by sharing costs and content with destination partners. This might look like:

• Running digital ads with your DMO or DMC
• Taking part in seasonal or themed campaigns
• Creating packages with restaurants or events
• Publishing short-form content with local creators or guests

Success Stories: Campaigns That Included Local Operators

Ask Guðmundur — Iceland

In 2015, Iceland’s tourism board launched a campaign called Ask Guðmundur. Instead of an algorithm, real locals answered visitor questions online. Each representative came from a different region and shared tips tied to their home area.

The campaign reached millions and drove an increase in travel interest. Traffic spread beyond Reykjavík to smaller towns, where local operators reported more engagement.

Key takeaway: Turn local guides into visible public voices. If your region supports it, volunteer to be featured in social videos or travel content that connects visitors to your experience.

Why Guides — Oregon

Travel Oregon redesigned its campaigns to highlight locals through a series called Why Guides. Instead of promoting places with generic descriptions, the site featured real guides, chefs, artists, and other locals who explained why their area mattered.

Each story is connected to bookable tours, restaurants, or lodging. Visitors could filter by interest and access experiences in lesser-known areas.

Key takeaway: Get listed where your audience books. If your tourism board offers partner profiles or curated guides, request a spot. Make sure your listing includes a direct booking link and clear availability.

Embrace a Giant Spirit — Northern Ireland

Tourism Northern Ireland launched the Embrace a Giant Spirit brand to spotlight tours and experiences delivered by locals. To be featured, businesses had to meet quality and storytelling criteria.

One local guide, Eimear Flanagan, experienced a huge uptick in bookings after her cliff walking tour was aired as a campaign highlight.

Key takeaway: Align your offer with your region’s core identity. Whether it’s folklore or landscapes, show how your experience reflects local character.

Use Destination Marketing to Drive Direct Bookings

Direct bookings can lift your revenue and give you more control.

The good news is that destination partnerships can support your direct bookings when structured the right way. Here are some tips:

• Ask to be featured in seasonal or regional campaigns that include your business.
• Join content pieces that allow links back to your own booking page.
• Coordinate lead sharing on landing pages that collect contact information.
• Ask to be included in itineraries or digital guides with direct referral options.

Leverage the Nature of Tourism Marketing

Ready to put these tourism marketing strategies into action? See how Rezgo can help manage tours, resellers, and direct sales — all in one platform. Book a demo now.

The post Tourism & Destination Marketing Strategies That Work appeared first on Rezgo.

In This Article

When you run a tour or activity business, the pressure never stops. Seats to fill, guides to schedule, guests to keep happy — all while trying to keep an eye on the numbers. The problem is, most operators don’t have the right numbers at the right time. You might know last month’s sales, but not which tours are doing well this week or which channels aren’t quite pulling their weight. That gap costs you money.

With booking software reporting made for tourism businesses, you can see what’s working and take action while there’s still time to make a difference.

Why Reporting Tools Fuel Growth in Tourism Booking Platforms

Running a tour business without strong reporting is like steering a boat without a compass. You might keep moving, but you won’t know if you’re heading toward calm waters or straight into a storm. But, with booking software reporting, every decision is anchored in facts.

Tracking booking volume in real time highlights patterns and trends. Maybe weekend whale-watching tours fill up two weeks ahead, while weekday trips stay half-empty until the last minute. That’s your cue to adjust pricing or run targeted promotions. Reporting tools for tourism booking software make this data easy to understand.

Revenue tells its own story. A seasonal uptick might hinge on one high-value tour. With tour operator reporting features, you can see that clearly and expand capacity, market it harder, or replicate the experience. Tourism software dashboards also show top-selling products, margins, and best-performing channels.

Booking software analytics reveal customer behaviour — who books, when, how often, and whether they cancel. Add mobile reporting tools to the mix, and you can respond from anywhere.

With the right tourism data insights, you become proactive. You’re predicting and jumping on every opportunity for growth.

Essential Reporting Features Every Booking Software Must Include

Real-Time Booking & Sales Dashboards

Waiting for yesterday’s numbers is too slow. A tourism software dashboard that updates in real time lets you see exactly how many seats you’ve sold, how much revenue you’ve made, and whether you’re on pace to hit targets.

Those live metrics keep you alert to changes — like a sudden rush on your weekend bike tour — so you can adjust staffing or open more slots before the window closes.

Booking Trends & Demand Forecasting

Seasonality is summer vs. winter. But it’s also weekday vs. weekend, school holidays, or time of day. Booking software analytics show these trends over days, weeks, months, and years. With that data, you can forecast demand, plan capacity, and tweak prices.

Channel Attribution & Customer Segmentation

Reporting tools for tourism booking software should show where sales come from — examples include direct bookings, OTAs, or agents. That breakdown tells you which channels deserve more attention.

Pair that with segmentation by loyalty, demographics, and buying behaviour, and you have tourism data insights you can actually act on.

Product & Activity Performance Analysis

With tour operator reporting features, you can see which tours, packages, and add-ons drive the most revenue. If, for example, a package sells poorly, you can refine it or phase it out. Strong reporting also highlights upsell opportunities hidden in your existing bookings.

Mobile-Friendly Reporting Access

Business doesn’t pause when you’re out on the water or up a mountain. Mobile reporting tools give you responsive dashboards you can check anywhere. You can track performance and manage bookings in real time on the go.

Advanced Reporting Capabilities for Flexibility & Clarity

Customizable Reports & Scheduled Exports

Get the insight you need and set up a customized report. Pick the date range, product, guide, location, and channel. Save it once, and reuse it daily. You can then export the result of your custom report as CSV, so the data is accessible offline with your team. 

You can then:

• Open it in Excel or Google Sheets.
• Share it with your team.
• Annotate it in a collaborative setting.

Better yet, automate the reporting process. Set a schedule and send segmented reports to the right people. For example, daily sales to the GM at 6 p.m., capacity by tour every Monday at 8 a.m., or channel mix to marketing on the first of the month.

These are tour operator reporting features that cut busywork. They also reduce errors. The best reporting tools for tourism booking software support filters by OTA, agent, promo code, and guide. You get rock-solid tourism data insights without manual wrangling.

Integrations with Third-Party Tools

Services like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) allow businesses to track and better understand user behaviour across websites and apps. Some booking software like Rezgo takes this a step further by integrating directly with GA4. That integration extends your view beyond your booking software. You can:

• Track the path from ad click to checkout.
• See which campaigns start sessions, which pages stall, and which devices convert.
• Use GA4 analytics with tourism software dashboards to layer cohorts, compare periods, and drill into sources.
• Apply dynamic charts and quick filters to explore trends fast: day vs. hour, desktop vs. mobile, city vs. country, direct vs. OTA.
• Check results in the field with mobile reporting tools.

Strategic Use Cases: Turning Data into Revenue

Every tour and activity business produces signals. They show up as booking spikes, slow days, repeat customers, or seasonal rushes. When you know how to read those signals — and act on them quickly — data stops being a report you check once a month and starts becoming a revenue engine.

Take booking trends. If your tourism software dashboards show that Friday sunset cruises sell out two weeks ahead, you have leverage. That’s the perfect spot for a dynamic price increase or a premium add-on.

Similarly, if Tuesday morning bike tours always lag, you can drop a midweek promo right when it will get the best response.

Customer segmentation takes this further. Thanks to booking software reporting, you can identify loyal guests, first-timers, locals, or high spenders. Each group can get a different offer: early-access invites for repeat customers, “come back soon” discounts for first-timers, bundle upgrades for families. Targeted campaigns convert better because they match the customer’s intent.

Then there’s forecasting. When your booking software analytics predict a seasonal surge, you can scale staff, add departures, or expand inventory before the rush. If the forecast shows a dip, you can change up marketing spend or partner promotions.

The advantage is speed. With tourism data insights in real time, you can turn observation into action while the window is still open. That’s how data becomes revenue.

Automation & Operational Efficiency Powered by Reporting

When your booking software reporting is tied to automation, routine tasks stop eating into your day, and small gaps in your process close before they cost you money.

Automated reminders are a powerful tool, whether it’s card abandonment notifications, post-tour review requests, or simply a reminder of an upcoming tour to reduce no-shows.

On the operations side, booking software analytics help you deploy resources strategically. If the report shows tomorrow’s morning kayak tour is full and the afternoon tour is only half booked, you can reassign a guide or move equipment around before the first guests arrive.

You can also set thresholds for staff coverage, vehicle use, or group sizes. And with mobile reporting tools, you can check and adjust from anywhere.

Want to try it out yourself? Sign up for a free demo now.

The post The Reporting Tools Your Tourism Booking Software Needs appeared first on Rezgo.

That makes sense. Airbnb creates trust and expands your reach. It’s also convenient. However, Airbnb is not a great fit for every kind of provider. The system is set up differently from OTAs like GetYourGuide or Viator, and Airbnb does not work like a professional booking software. Once businesses get into the nitty-gritty, they find that the limitations of Airbnb can be restrictive.

This article will consider the pros and cons of Airbnb Experiences so you can decide whether promoting your tours on Airbnb is worth it.

The Pros of Airbnb Experiences

Global Visibility and Traffic

The scale is hard to match. Airbnb has millions of users around the world, most of whom are already thinking about spending money on travel. When you list an experience, you don’t start from zero. If you struggle to get web traffic or have issues with search engine optimization (SEO), Airbnb is a bit of a cheat mode for visibility.

Also, when people book accommodation in your city, they are being nudged toward nearby activities, meaning you’re not necessarily creating demand from scratch.

Trust and Credibility

Travelers know the Airbnb brand, and that recognition lowers the perceived risk of booking a tour with an unknown business. If you operate a brand-new kayak school, the Airbnb badge can have value. Guests trust the consistency of paying through a platform they know, and benefit from cancellation and refund policies they already understand.

Easy Onboarding

There is little technical barrier to getting set up. Airbnb created its onboarding experience for individuals, home cooks, artists, and local guides — not for someone who has ever run a tour business before. You write descriptions, upload photos, set a schedule, click ‘post’, and you are live.

For a smaller-scale operator testing a brand-new concept, that low barrier to entry is tempting.

Convenience for Travelers

On the traveler side, bundling makes sense. They grab their accommodation and activities in the same cart, which removes friction and increases impulse bookings. For example, a couple booking a loft downtown can add craft beer tasting without leaving the platform. That integration into the accommodation search journey is Airbnb’s biggest advantage.

The Cons of Airbnb Experiences

No Integration with Booking Software

This is where professional operators get themselves in trouble. Unlike most popular OTAs, Airbnb does not integrate with reservation systems. If you are using booking software like Rezgo, which manages operations for you, you will need to update Airbnb manually. That causes double work.

A seat sold on your website won’t update availability on Airbnb, which brings a risk of overbooking. Staff need to manually reconcile calendars, and with growth, that gets old quickly.

Lack of Flexibility

With Airbnb, listing an experience is very straightforward. You pick your dates and times, set a price, and upload photos and details. 

Booking software can offer a lot of freedom in how you offer your activities. You can tie your availability to resources, like rentals, vehicles, or staff. You can offer early-bird pricing, or raise your rates dynamically as your experiences book up. These flexible tools aren’t available in Airbnb Experiences.

You’re also beholden to Airbnb’s policies around cancellations, booking cutoffs, reviews, and refunds. All of these can cost you time and revenue, and make it hard to run your business the way that works best for you.

Limited Branding Control

Airbnb owns the customer relationship. The guest gets their communication from Airbnb, not from you. You don’t have access to the user’s email, either. This alone makes it essentially impossible to build a mailing list and drive repeat business.

What about upselling? It’s also very limited. The listing design and layout follows Airbnb’s rules, and differentiating your brand identity is nearly impossible.

Commission Fees

Airbnb takes a large cut of your sales. For many operators, margins are already tight after covering expenses like guides, transport, marketing, and insurance. Losing another cut to a commission forces operators to either raise prices or take lower profits.

Some operators are not aware of the damage until the monthly payouts come back lower than expected.

Competition and Restrictions

Airbnb decides which attractions are qualifying experiences. The platform usually lists unique, small-group, host-led activities. Large sightseeing tours, or anything that seems close, are often rejected.

Even if you get approved, your experience is lumped in with dozens of other similar experiences. The only way to stand out is to pay attention to your experience photos, reviews, and price.

Reliance on a Single Platform

If you rely heavily on Airbnb for income, you are definitely exposed. It is easy to forget how fast policy can change and, even more importantly, how quickly you could find your account suspended if your listings weren’t following the new policy. 

Airbnb frequently removes listings, and has even moved away from experiences entirely in the past. And if short-term rentals get regulated in your region, like they are in many destinations around the world, Airbnb’s main advantage dries up.

Online Booking Software vs Airbnb Booking

Airbnb and booking software solve different problems. Airbnb puts your tours in front of global travelers looking for a place to stay. Booking software is essential, as it builds the infrastructure behind your business.

It doesn’t have to be either/or. Airbnb can help you get started, while OTAs and booking software can secure your growth, streamline your operations, and increase your revenue in the long run.

Booking software like Rezgo is built for control:

• With Rezgo, operators can automate their bookings and payment processing so that every reservation flows into a single calendar without needing to update anything manually.
• Operators keep their customer relationships, too. You still have the ability to capture the guest information, provide confirmation, and follow up with marketing campaigns.
• Admin work is reduced, and, at the same time, you can do all your reporting, waivers, and financial tracking in one platform.
• Sales don’t stop at your website. Rezgo connects to your offline and partner channels, providing you with multiple direct booking sources.

Airbnb may provide you with new guests, but Rezgo will put these guests into a system made for long-term sustainability. And while traffic is important, independence is more important in the long run.

Best Approach for Tour Operators

The majority of tour operators who are successful on Airbnb do not consider it their one and only funnel. They may have a listing on Airbnb to sell to the travelers who are already booking accommodation there, but they can manage the trips through a professional system like Rezgo.

The two-pronged approach allows you to maintain diversified exposure while also controlling the customer relationship. If Airbnb changes its commission rate or alters eligibility, your own sales channel will continue to operate.

Consider it a lead generator. Like OTAs, Airbnb can connect you with travelers who may not have discovered you otherwise. From there, you can convert those guests to repeat customers. If you can move that relationship from Airbnb Experiences to your direct channels, you’ll benefit from higher margins and more predictable demand. Your booking software will handle the rest, including payments, reminders, and marketing follow-ups

Airbnb Experiences is advantageous in terms of visibility and scale; however, visibility without an embedded infrastructure creates more problems. Operators who intend to scale their business need more than just eyeballs. They need systems that duplicate capacity, safety, compliance, and growth requirements.

A booking system handles these concerns. It removes the administrative headache, gives accurate reports, and ensures you retain ownership of your customer data.

Airbnb can bring guests in the door, but Rezgo helps you manage your tourism business smoothly and sustainably. Try Rezgo today with a free demo.

The post Pros and Cons of Promoting Tours & Activities on Airbnb appeared first on Rezgo.

The Global Operator Landscape survey shares insights on market trends, changes in consumer behavior, and the state of the travel economy that will shape the future of your tour or activity business, and Arival’s Douglas Quinby is here to walk you through what you need to know in this webinar recording.

About the speaker:

Douglas Quinby is CEO and co-founder of Arival. Douglas partnered with Alex Kremer and Bruce Rosard to establish an independent platform to serve the business needs of creators and sellers of Tours, Activities & Attractions – a segment long overlooked by the global travel and tourism industry. Arival advances the business of creating awesome in-destination experiences through events, insights and community for Tour, Activity & Attraction providers.

What will you get from this webinar?

• Explore the highlights of industry-leading research based on surveys of thousands of travelers and tour and activity operators
• Understand essential trends in traveler booking behavior and preferences
• Learn strategies to grow your sales and boost direct bookings
• Discover key lessons on profitable growth from the most successful operators

The post Insights Into The Biggest Global Booking Trends appeared first on Rezgo.

Each edition provides valuable insights into the things that matter most to businesses like yours, so we’re very excited to participate once more–and we hope you are, too! Your participation is key to the survey’s success, and your input can help shape the future of the tourism industry.

Here’s Arival CEO, Douglas Quinby, introducing the survey in a short video.

Since the survey is industry wide, you might also receive invitations from other Arival partners. If you do, please only take the survey once.

Already interested? Take the survey here.

Why should you participate?

Your time is valuable, so if you need more reasons to participate, here are six:

1. This survey is short (it should take about 10 minutes).
2. It’s interesting! It covers the things that are really shaping your business, including your priorities, challenges and more.
3. It’s confidential. Arival will never share your individual responses.
4. You get a copy of the results along with an exclusive webinar on the key findings with Arival CEO Douglas Quinby. Please make sure to provide your contact information–you don’t want to miss out.
5. You will receive a 10% discount to any Arival conference in 2025-2026.
6. You will be able to select a language – French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.

Make your voice heard

Click here to take the survey today.

We really appreciate your participation, and so does Arival. Thank you.

If you have any questions, please email Arival at insights@arival.travel.

Arival’s Privacy Policy

Arival vigorously protects the data of its survey responses and its partners. Arival shall only publish the results of the research in aggregate, and does not share the responses of any individual company nor the results from the list of partners.

The post Make Your Voice Heard In the Global Operator Landscape Survey appeared first on Rezgo.

If you’ve been exploring the preview of this update over the past weeks, the wait is over. The preview toggle has been switched off, and Rezgo 14 is live. We’re so grateful to everyone who took the time to test things out and share feedback. Your input helped shape this release, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

So, what’s new in Rezgo 14?

Rezgo Looks Better Than Ever

Rezgo 14 brings a fresh new look to the Rezgo back end. We know that any change in appearance can take a little getting used to, but this update focuses on subtle but impactful improvements to make your experience better than ever. The redesigned interface follows accessibility best practices, works beautifully on mobile, and feels smoother and more intuitive throughout. Best of all, this release lays the foundation for even more powerful improvements in the future.

You’ll find that nearly all of Rezgo’s features are right where you expect them. A few settings have been moved into more intuitive locations, and some pages have been streamlined so the most important details are front and center. These adjustments are about making your day-to-day simpler, clearer, and faster—without disrupting the workflows you rely on.

Because our team is small and hands-on, updating all of our guides, videos, and documentation to reflect the new design will take a little time. We’re working hard on it, and we’ll continue rolling out updated resources as they’re ready. In the meantime, our in-house support team is just a message away if you need help.

Now, onto the exciting new features in Rezgo 14!

Work Faster With Split Pane View

Want to power through your tasks even faster? The new split pane view makes multitasking a breeze. Just click the split pane button in the header, and you’ll have two panes to work with side by side. For example, keep your bookings list open in one pane while making updates to individual bookings in the other. No more jumping back and forth. It’s simple, smooth, and a big time-saver.

Set the Scene With Dark Mode

Whether you’re checking on bookings late at night (no judgment!) or you just prefer a softer screen, Rezgo’s brand-new dark mode has you covered. With a quick toggle, you can switch the Rezgo admin to a sleek dark background with coordinated colors—and flip back to light mode just as easily. You’ll find the toggle right in your user menu at the top-right of the Rezgo admin.

Simplify Your Booking Label Management

For businesses that use a lot of booking labels, managing them just got much easier. Labels are now centralized, so you can edit them directly without digging through your inventory options. Everything’s in one convenient spot, saving you time and clicks.

Edit Templates With Ease

Updating your templates just got a major upgrade. With the new system, you can save changes as you go without publishing, take snapshots to revisit later, restore previous versions, and even compare different versions side by side. Plus, you can preview your updates before they go live, so you can tweak and test until everything looks exactly the way you want.

Surface Your Custom Forms

Need to make sure your team sees key details from your guests? Now you can highlight specific checkbox-type form fields on your Dispatch and Daily Manifest. It’s a simple way to make sure critical information stands out where and when it matters most.

And Much More…

There’s even more packed into Rezgo 14 than we’ve covered here. Here are a few more highlights:

• Upcoming Events: See your next few events at a glance on your dashboard
• Itinerary Variable: Itinerary links can now be shared in custom notifications.
• Point of Sale: Streamline your POS checkout flow by adding inventory to orders and checking out in one step.
• Saved Search Labels: Label your saved searches to find them quickly in your lists and pins.
• Itinerary Report: Keep track of what itinerary items have been added to your orders with an easy overview.
• Please note that some account billing features will be limited briefly while we put the final touches on our internal billing upgrade. This only impacts our ability to invoice and charge our clients, so it’s unlikely to affect your workflows, but if you have any concerns, please reach out.

Be sure to check out the full release notes for all the details on smaller changes, organizational updates, and usability improvements that can make a big difference day to day.

Our team is already busy building the next round of exciting features, but your feedback is an important part of that process. If you have any questions about Rezgo 14, or just want to share your thoughts, reach out to our support team. We’re always happy to help.

The post Rezgo 14: New Look, New Tools, And So Much More appeared first on Rezgo.

When the world feels shaky and uncertain, whether that’s due to rising prices, high interest rates, political upheaval, or major global events, it’s only natural to worry about the effect on your business. 

However, it’s important to remember your customers still want to get away to relax, have new experiences, and make lasting memories. Global data backs this up. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that international tourist arrivals rose by 5 percent in the first quarter of 2025, despite considerable uncertainty. 

While demand might stay steady and even increase, your customers may just be a bit more selective and thoughtful about how and where they travel, and how much they spend. For tour and activity operators, signs of this may be reflected in a more drawn-out booking window and more questions from customers. In a recent episode of the  “Behind the Numbers” podcast, analyst Rachel Wolff said, “People are literally waiting as long as they can to make those [summer vacation] decisions.”

The key to keep your business thriving during times like these? Focus on value instead of defaulting to discounts that could harm your bottom line in the long run.

How economic uncertainty shapes travel spending

When times are uncertain or budgets tighten, the cautious and late booking behaviour travellers display may stem from waiting for a better deal, or from hesitating due to political instability, weather events, or other unknowns. You might notice that travellers:

• Cut back on long-haul or luxury trips in favour of domestic or short-haul travel
• Spend less on extras like shopping or high-end dining
• Look for experiences they consider worth the investment, even if they cost more

The focus for travellers during more uncertain times isn’t just on spending less, it’s also on spending better. They’re simply being more thoughtful and selective. Instead of filling their itineraries with every possible add-on, they’re more focused on spending their travel budget on moments that feel unique, memorable, and meaningful. This is where the opportunities can open up for savvy tour operators.

What travelers still spend on

A 2025 Mastercard global travel trends report found that tourists prioritize meaningful experiences to ensure that the money they spend on travel goes as far as possible. The research shows that travellers are willing to pay for things that feel special, unique, or stress-free. This could include more adventurous activities, cultural immersion, or unique local activities over more conventional “touristy” things. Other ideas include:

• Small-group or private tours for a more personalized experience
• Activities that connect them to local culture or nature
• Bundled experiences that offer convenience and clarity on what’s included

In the US, a GetYourGuide report found that experience spending like this increased by 32 percent between early 2019 and 2025. 

Delivering value without discounting

Discounts can be tempting when you want to attract more bookings, but they can also eat into your profits. Long-term, customers might become so used to them that they always wait for the lower prices. It can lead to a downward spiral in terms of your profits, especially at times when your own costs might be rising.

Instead, consider focusing on increasing perceived value. You want travellers to feel that your tour is going to be worth every hard-earned dollar. Sure, they may be more budget-conscious than usual, but they also want quality and value. The trick is helping them see that your tours deliver both. 

Here are some tips for doing this:

Package and bundle experiences

For example, if you run a walking tour, consider adding a local snack and drink at the end. For adventure activities, offer transportation or equipment rentals in the price. Bundling makes your offer more appealing without lowering your base rate.

Tell your stories

People connect with people and love human stories. Through content marketing and social media, share why you do what you do, how your guides are trained, or what makes your region or activities special. All this can help travellers choose your tours over another operator they may not feel so connected to.

Offer flexible pricing options

Deposits, tiered pricing, or seasonal rates make it easier for travelers to say “yes” without feeling pressured. Rezgo’s deposit feature, for example, lets customers secure their spot with a smaller upfront payment. You can send an automated request for the balance later on.

Highlight what’s included

When people are in a more budget-conscious frame of mind, trust and transparency becomes more important than ever. List exactly what customers will get, from entrance fees to refreshments, so there are no nasty surprises. This reassurance can even be more persuasive than a discount (when customers may be worried about hidden extras).

Bonus benefit: clarity in your listings is a big help in getting your activities to appear in AI-powered searches.

Here’s a quick example of how all of this can fit together:

Imagine you’re a kayak tour operator and have been promoting your overnight treks as “budget-friendly.” Instead, you switch to focusing on value. Each booking costs a little more, but now includes premium gear rental, locally-sourced gourmet camp meals, and a guided hike by a local tour guide. From a perceived value perspective, a customer now gets a much more memorable experience, including local, tasty food, reassurance that their gear will be high-quality, and an experience with a local person. Their travel experience has shifted from budget-focused to value-focused.

Practical steps you can take to keep your business thriving

If all of this makes sense to you and your travel business right now, what can you do straight away? The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your business to adapt to changing traveler habits. Start with small, practical steps you can take whenever the economy or world gets a little stormy and uncertain:

1. Review your booking data to see which tours are most popular and when customers are booking
2. Adjust your offerings to highlight higher-value options, such as small groups, private add-ons, or exclusive experiences
3. Refresh your marketing to focus on benefits like stress-free planning, expert guides, unique access, or authentic local insights
4. Make booking easy with flexible payment options, clear availability, and mobile-friendly booking and checkout

By focusing on transparency and flexibility—and, above all, value—you can attract travelers who are ready to invest their travel budget in what they feel confident will be unforgettable experiences. And with the right tools in place, you can make sure every booking works harder for your business, with no deep discounts required.

The post Discounts Aren’t the Answer: Smarter Strategies for Tour Operators in Uncertain Times appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

An online booking system is a digital platform that allows your customers to book experiences with your business. These software systems make it simple for guests to reserve a spot for your services quickly and securely. Choosing a date, making a payment, and receiving a confirmation are all handled digitally in one place. It goes beyond basic functionality to become a true experience enabler, enhancing the journey from initial interest to the final activity.

Think of booking software as the bridge between your services and your customers’ convenience. Booking a sightseeing tour, outdoor adventure, or cultural attraction becomes a quick, smooth, and professional experience for everyone involved. When the booking process is easy, customers are happy from the first moment to the last.

Online Booking Is the New Standard

If you’re still wondering what an online booking system is and how it can help your business, it can be helpful to understand the digital-first mindset of many customers.

Today, guests expect a simple and seamless online booking option for everything they do. The absence of digital booking options can cause frustration and drive potential customers to choose competitors who offer a more convenient experience.

Businesses that rely solely on phone calls or emails to manage reservations risk falling behind and losing valuable revenue. Those who modernize their booking experience can stay at pace with the competition or surpass them entirely.

How Does an Online Booking System Work?

Booking through an online system is straightforward for your customers and incredibly efficient for your business. An online booking system empowers your customers by offering them everything they need without ever having to pick up the phone. With an online booking system, customers can:

• Visit your website’s booking page: A clean and user-friendly page invites them to begin their reservation.
• Browse available dates and times: Real-time availability ensures they only see what’s open and available.
• Select the service they want and make a secure payment: Transactions are handled smoothly through protected payment gateways.
• Receive an instant confirmation: They know right away their reservation is complete and accurate.

Behind the scenes, the booking system updates your internal calendar, processes the payment, and triggers an automated confirmation email or text. At the same time, you receive all the necessary information to prepare for the guest’s visit. This automation reduces administrative tasks and sets both your team and the customer up for a great experience.

Core Features of an Online Booking System

Modern booking software offers a range of essential features that streamline your operations and elevate customer satisfaction. Just a few of the most popular features of online booking systems include:

• Real-time availability and calendar sync: Keeps your schedule accurate and up to date across platforms.
• Self-serve booking interface: Empowers customers to make their own bookings with minimal effort.
• Secure online payments: Ensures safety and trust through encrypted transactions.
• Automated confirmations, reminders, and notifications: Keeps your customers informed and reduces the chances of no-shows.
• Customizable booking flows and branding: Allows you to reflect your brand and personalize the booking journey.
• Back-end admin tools: Offers customer management, staff assignment, reporting, and more, so you can manage bookings efficiently.
• Mobile optimization: Ensures a smooth booking process on smartphones and tablets.

Key Benefits for Tour and Activity Businesses

If your business offers experiences or activities, the right booking system can dramatically improve your efficiency and your guest satisfaction. When you set up an online booking system, you can enjoy benefits such as:

• 24/7 availability for customers: Bookings can happen anytime, even while you sleep.
• Improved booking accuracy: The software reduces double bookings and human errors.
• Time savings for staff: Automation allows your team to focus on delivering memorable experiences.
• Data-driven decision making: Built-in reporting tools help guide smart business growth.
• Improved customer trust through transparency: Instant confirmations and detailed receipts reassure customers.
• Scalability for growing businesses: Perfect for businesses expanding to multiple locations or managing higher volumes.

Who Needs an Online Booking System?

Many different types of experience-based businesses can benefit from implementing a booking system. Just a few businesses that benefit from online booking systems include:

• Tour guides and operators: These businesses can streamline reservations, reduce administrative work, and provide a professional, polished experience from the first click to the final goodbye. The system also makes it easier to manage group sizes, schedules, and payment collection.
• Museums and attractions: Timed entry, guided tours, and special event tickets are all simpler to manage with an automated system. Guests benefit from shorter wait times and more predictable visits.
• Event Planners: From workshops to large-scale festivals and much more, these tools help keep everything organized by managing attendees, payments, and reminders in one place. This leads to smoother events and happier clients.
• Outdoor adventure providers: Activities such as paddle boarding, hiking tours, or zipline experiences benefit from real-time scheduling and easy online payments. Customers can plan their adventure without the need for calls or emails.

Today’s travelers, especially those from the Millennial and Gen Z generations, prefer digital-first interactions. A streamlined, mobile-friendly booking experience is not just a convenience—it’s an expectation.

Why Rezgo Stands Out from the Competition

Rezgo offers a variety of convenient booking features with new features added all the time. Rezgo was built specifically for the tour and activity industry, not retrofitted from software designed for restaurants or hotels. This tourism-first approach means every feature is thoughtfully designed for tour and activity operators, not just adapted for them.

With PCI-compliant payment processing and support for multiple payment gateways, Rezgo ensures every transaction is safe and flexible. The platform also boasts a clean, user-friendly interface that makes booking simple for customers and managing operations stress-free for staff.

Exceptional support is another key part of the Rezgo experience. From personalized onboarding to responsive customer service, users get the help they need every step of the way.

Rezgo also offers built-in tools for working with resellers, affiliates, and distributors, making it easier to grow your reach and drive more bookings. For businesses focused on providing memorable experiences, Rezgo is a trusted partner that helps everything run smoothly behind the scenes.

An online booking system is no longer optional for experience-based businesses—it’s essential in a world of digital-first booking options for nearly every industry. Rezgo delivers a powerful, tourism-focused solution that helps you simplify operations and delight your customers.

See how Rezgo can transform your booking process.

The post What Is an Online Booking System & Why Do You Need One? appeared first on Rezgo.

In this 45-minute recorded webinar, our host, Stephen Joyce, walks you through his top five pricing strategies that have been proven to increase profits for tour and activity operators like you. You’ll learn how to leverage seasonal pricing, adjust pricing based on demand, offer bundles and group pricing, and create promos that sell.

Dynamic pricing can be the key to optimizing your pricing strategy, staying competitive, and increasing your profit margins. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how to make the most of it!

About the speaker:

Stephen Joyce is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, currently serving as a Global Strategy Lead at Protect Group. He most recently served as VP Content at Arival in the experiences industry and as Executive Director for OCTO, and has worked as VP of Solutions at Holibob. He’s also a Rezgo expert, as a co-founder of the company and its previous CEO.

What will you get from this webinar?

• Discover five proven pricing strategies tailored for tour and activity operators.
• Learn the steps to setting up dynamic pricing rules in Rezgo.
• Explore the pros and cons of dynamic pricing strategies.
• See how dynamic pricing can increase revenue.
• Get practical tips for choosing the right strategy for your business.

The post Boost Your Bookings With Dynamic Pricing Strategies appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

For many small to mid-sized tour and activity operators, deciding whether to pass booking fees to customers can feel like walking a tightrope. On the one hand, you want to protect your bottom line. On the other, you want to keep your guests happy and your booking experiences seamless.

Booking fees for tour operators, whether they come from credit card charges or booking systems, can add up quickly. But should those costs be shared with customers, or absorbed into your pricing? In this article, we’ll walk through the pros and cons of absorbing vs. passing on booking fees, current industry trends, tour business profitability tips, and how online booking systems like Rezgo give you the flexibility to make the best choice for your tour business.

What are booking fees and where do they come from?

Booking fees are the additional charges that arise when a customer books a tour or activity online. These aren’t random or hidden costs. Rather, they exist to cover the services and technology that make secure, convenient online transactions possible.

Tour operator service fees often include credit card processing fees (usually between 2-3% of the transaction), fees from your booking system, and charges for any third-party integrations or payment gateways you use.

What types of fees do tour operators commonly face?

Tour and activity businesses deal with a variety of both fixed and variable fees, but credit card fees for tour operators are one of the most common. Every time a guest pays online, your payment processor or bank deducts a small percentage of the transaction, typically around 2-3%. While these fees might seem small individually, they add up quickly when you’re handling dozens or hundreds of bookings each month.

In addition to payment processing costs, you’re likely paying fees to your online booking system. Some platforms charge a flat monthly fee, while others, like Rezgo, operate on a per-booking model that only charges you when you make a sale. This performance-based structure helps keep your overhead predictable and aligned with your business growth.

If you use Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Viator, GetYourGuide, or Booking.com to boost exposure, you’ll also be paying commission fees. These can range anywhere from 15 – 25% per booking, or higher. Finally, if you’ve added third-party tools like automated review requests, upselling software, or customer relationship management (CRM) tools, you might face separate subscription or usage fees for those services, too.

Understanding which of these expenses are essential and which are optional can help you decide where (and if) you need to recover costs through customer fees.

What are the pros of passing booking fees?

Passing booking fees onto customers offers several advantages for tour operators, particularly those looking to improve profit margins without raising their base prices. 

Cost Recovery

One of the biggest benefits is cost recovery. By charging a booking fee, you offset transaction costs without needing to increase your advertised tour rates. This keeps your core pricing competitive while still covering your expenses.

Pricing Transparency

This approach also promotes pricing transparency. Rather than hiding the cost of technology and payment processing within your tour price, a line-item fee shows customers exactly what they’re paying for. Many tour guests appreciate this clarity, especially if the fee is explained as covering secure online bookings or credit card usage.

Pay-per-Booking

Another benefit is that the fee is only charged when a customer actually books, meaning you only pass on costs when you generate revenue. This way, you’re not building fees into your pricing unnecessarily or paying upfront for services not in use.

Rezgo’s booking system supports this model by giving you the tools to customize how fees are presented. You can choose when and how fees are shown, and update your pricing structure as your strategy evolves.

What are the cons of passing booking fees?

While passing on booking fees can help protect your profit margins, it’s not without risks. 

Booking Abandonment

One potential downside is booking abandonment. If customers encounter unexpected fees late in the checkout process, they may second guess their purchase and exit before confirming the booking. This is especially true in price-sensitive markets or when competing businesses appear to offer “all-inclusive” pricing.

Trust Erosion

Another challenge is how these fees can impact your brand perception. Even small extra charges can be seen as nickel-and-diming, particularly if they aren’t clearly explained. This can erode trust and make your business appear less customer-focused, especially when compared to competitors who offer simpler pricing models.

Operational Complexity

From an operational standpoint, managing and justifying line-item fees may also introduce complexity. Your customer service team might field more questions about why certain charges appear. You may also need to spend extra time clearly communicating your pricing structure across your online platforms. And depending on which fees you plan to pass on, you might need to look into regulatory requirements.

How do fees impact customer perception and satisfaction?

For most customers, it’s not the existence of a fee that causes dissatisfaction; it’s how and when that fee is revealed. Studies in consumer behavior show that travelers are more likely to accept service or booking fees when they are disclosed upfront and when the value provided is obvious.

UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business found that drip pricing – the practice of revealing fees later in the buying process – significantly reduces customer satisfaction and decreases purchase rates by up to 21%. Inversely, when prices were made transparent from the very start, consumers reported higher trust and were more likely to complete their transactions.

Customers tend to respond positively when online booking system fees are explained clearly. For example, as a cost associated with secure credit card processing or supporting a robust online booking experience. On the flip side, surprise fees at checkout can feel like a bait-and-switch, especially if they aren’t mentioned during earlier steps in the booking flow. This can result in frustration, reduced trust, and even negative reviews.

One way to reduce this friction is to bundle fees into your base tour price, creating a single all-inclusive rate. While this may slightly increase your listed price, it simplifies the customer experience and can lead to higher conversion rates, particularly among guests who value simplicity and convenience over itemized detail.

What are the industry trends around booking fees?

There is no industry wide consensus on how to handle booking fees, but some clear patterns have emerged. One major trend is that OTA commissions are almost never passed on to customers. This sets a strong consumer expectation that online prices include all costs, even if a portion goes to a third party.

Many small to mid-sized businesses choose to absorb booking platform fees, viewing them as a cost of doing business. Others, particularly those in niche markets or offering customized experiences, prefer to pass these fees on to customers, especially when platforms like Rezgo make it easy to do so transparently.  Either way, your booking system should support your choice.

What are successful tour operators doing?

Successful tour operators often take different paths based on their goals, brand, and audience. For instance, larger operators or those in highly competitive markets may choose to absorb all fees to maintain a frictionless checkout experience and higher conversion rates. These businesses rely on volume to make up for thinner per-booking margins.

On the other hand, specialty operators that offer high-end, boutique, or niche experiences, often pass on fees as a way to communicate transparency and maintain healthier margins. In these cases, guests may expect a more itemized breakdown, especially if the experience feels personalized or premium.

Some operators take it a step further by testing both approaches. They experiment with passing on fees for a few months, monitor conversion rates and customer feedback, and compare performance to periods when all fees were bundled. The common factor across successful strategies is consistency, communication, and a willingness to adapt based on what works best for their audience.

Don’t want to pass on fees? Here are other ways to manage costs

If passing booking fees to your customers doesn’t feel right for your business, there are still many effective ways to promote customer-friendly pricing for tours while continuing to protect your margins. 

For starters, encourage direct bookings through your website or social media. This can reduce booking costs by reducing your reliance on OTAs, therefore allowing you to keep a larger share of each sale.

You might also consider bundling fees into your tour price by adjusting it slightly. This way, you’re still covering your costs, but in a way that feels more seamless to your customers.

Operational efficiency is another lever. By streamlining check-in procedures, automating follow-ups, and reducing manual administrative work, you can save time and money on every booking. You might also benefit from negotiating lower credit card processing fees with your provider or comparing platforms to find the best rates.

Should I charge customers booking fees?

Some businesses thrive by passing fees on to their customers with full transparency, while others find success in bundling all costs into one price for a smooth, all-inclusive experience.

What matters most is understanding your true costs, knowing your audience, and choosing a pricing strategy that aligns with your values and brand promise. The key to success is not in choosing the perfect approach, but in communicating clearly and adapting as your business grows.

Looking for a booking platform that lets you stay in control of your pricing and fees? Connect with Rezgo today!

The post Should You Pass Booking Fees to Your Customers? Pros and Cons for Tour Operators appeared first on Rezgo.

In this 30-minute recorded webinar, we move beyond generic email blasts and delve into personalized communication techniques that resonate with your audience. Learn how to use the emails you’ve captured effectively to open a new marketing channel in your business. Plus, gain access to exclusive free templates for cold outreach and discover new methods to connect and convert.

About the Speaker:

Joe Martin is the founder of UpLevel Tourism, where he helps tours book more corporate groups. His powerful ideas have been featured on WGN, FOX, and the TEDx stage.

Watch to learn how to…

• Organize your email list to send messages with maximum impact.
• Personalize your email remarketing for quick–but valuable–wins.
• Improve your outreach approach to reach new markets.
• Fine tune your automated emails and CTAs to increase bookings.

The post Turn Emails Into Bookings With These Email Marketing Tips appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way people do many tasks — including travel planning. Travelers are increasingly using AI to find inspiration for places to go and things to do, and even to get recommendations for hotels, tours, and activities to book. 

AI travel planning is just getting started, but already 10% of Gen Z and 7% of Millennials are using AI to plan their vacations. And this will probably increase as AI tools improve and more people adopt them.

So, how can you capture those bookings? While search engine optimization (SEO) aims to get your website to the top of search engine results, what’s sometimes called generative engine optimization (GEO) or AI search optimization (AISO) aims to get your business to appear in AI search results. 

And, while similar, it requires a few different techniques from traditional SEO. Below, we’ll run through what you can do to get your business to appear in AI-powered results and get found by travellers searching there.

How Are People Using AI for Travel Planning? 

First up, how is AI changing the travel planning game? There are two main ways people are getting travel information and recommendations through AI: 

• AI overviews
• AI chatbots  

AI Overviews

AI overviews (AIOs) appear at the top of some Google searches and searches on other websites. They provide an AI-generated answer to a search query. This could include a short explainer, a summary of the search results, or a list of recommendations. There are usually links to relevant third-party websites. 

For example, if someone searches for “best Northern Lights tour Iceland,” they might get a list of recommended tours in the AIO. This can include a short description of tours companies offer and links to their websites. People can follow these links to learn more and potentially book a tour directly. 

AI overviews don’t appear for every search, but they’re popping up more frequently.

AI Chatbots 

You’ve probably heard about (or use!) ChatGPT and other AI chatbots like Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. 

As well as AIOs, travellers are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for travel research. They might plug in the same query they’d put into Google, ask a more specific question, or have a back-and-forth conversation to get recommendations tailored to their needs.

For example, they might ask: 

• “Can you recommend a list of tours to see the Northern Lights in Iceland?”
• “What’s the best tour to see the Northern Lights from Reykjavik in November?”  

Either way, AI chatbots can include specific tour or activity operators in the generated responses. These often link to the companies’ websites, allowing travellers to learn more and potentially make a direct booking. 

And instead of a simple list, AI chatbot responses may compare tour companies against each other, or highlight the top choice depending on various factors.  

Why Optimizing for AI Search Is Important 

Taking steps to get your tour or activity company to show up in AI-powered search results isn’t just about capturing more bookings. 

The way people find information online is changing. Almost 72% now use AI tools for search, and 55% believe AI-generated results can make it easier to find products and services online. 

As more people use AI for travel planning, they may never hear about your business if it’s not showing up in AI responses. 

And depending on the search, people can get answers from AIOs or AI chatbots without clicking through to a third-party website. Even if your website ranks on page one of Google, it may now sit further down the page as an AI overview takes up real estate.

This means you might notice declining traffic from search engines and familiar marketing methods, like SEO, might not bring in as many customers as they once did. 

Optimizing for AI search can help you stay up to date with how some customers are now finding tour and activity operators.

How to Get Featured in AI Overviews 

Let’s start with AI overviews. According to Google itself, many SEO best practices you’d use to rank well in traditional search can help get your business featured in AI overviews. 

Here are some simple steps you can take to get started. 

1. Create High-Quality, Human-First Content

When you’re creating your web pages, product descriptions, and blog posts, make sure you keep your ideal customer in mind at all times. 

All content should read naturally, be easy to skim, and be genuinely useful. It should also answer key questions your potential customers would have in a clear and concise way. 

This is especially important when describing your tour or activity offerings — content AI may pull from when referencing your business. 

If you’re using AI to create content (like Rezgo’s Smart Tour Descriptions) be sure to double-check everything is factually accurate and in line with your brand’s tone of voice before you hit publish. 

2. Demonstrate EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)  

Demonstrating EEAT can improve visibility in traditional search, AI overviews, and AI chatbot responses. 

You can display EEAT by: 

• Showcasing your brand as an expert in your topic: One way to do this is by publishing high-quality blog posts about relevant topics. So, if you offer Northern Lights tours in Iceland, you might publish blog posts on: “how to photograph the Northern Lights,” “the best time to see the Northern Lights in Iceland,” and “what causes the Northern Lights.” 
• Sharing first-hand experiences and expert tips: Share anecdotes, behind-the-scenes info, or advice from experts in your content. This could be tips from your on-staff photographer or your own data on when guests get luckiest seeing the Northern Lights. 
• Use high-quality, original images and video. If possible, shoot your own visuals to showcase your offerings. The more unique and engaging, the better. 

3. Keep Your Business Info and Content Up to Date 

AI-generated responses pull from fresh, up-to-date information. So, any outdated info — either on your own website or on third-party sites — can hurt your chances of getting featured in AI overviews.

Use tools like Rezgo to manage availability, inventory, and pricing across multiple platforms, helping you stay on top of all of your offerings.

Beyond information about your tours or activities, regularly check and refresh blog content to make sure everything is up to date. Adjust the publish date when you make changes.

How to Appear in AI Chatbot Responses

Getting your tour or activity business to appear in AI chatbot responses involves similar steps to getting it into AI overviews. But here are a few specific steps you can take to improve your visibility in AI chatbot search.

1. Use Natural Language 

If SEO is all about keywords, AI search is all about natural language. Specific phrases matter less and it’s more about context. 

In your web pages, product descriptions, and blog posts, write conversationally and use phrases your customers would use when travel planning.

Bonus tip: Publish FAQ or Q&A style content that clearly answers questions people might have when searching for tour operators. Check questions your customers ask over email or social media, and use tools like Answer the Public to find out what people are asking.

2. Encourage Good Reviews (and More of Them!)

Potential customers aren’t the only ones looking at reviews — AI might be too. A high number of positive reviews makes your business look more trustworthy (to both AI and humans). And AI tools sometimes draw language from reviews and recommend specific tours with a high number of good reviews.

You can encourage reviews by: 

• Sending thank-you emails asking for reviews (you can automate these with software like Rezgo)
• Offering incentives to your guides to encourage good customer service and asking for reviews
• Sharing a QR code in person that links to your Tripadvisor page or Google Business Profile 

3. Get Mentioned on Third-Party Sites 

The more your business is mentioned by trustworthy, third-party sources, the higher the chances of it appearing in AI recommendations. 

Backlinks (links from a third-party site to your website) are important in traditional SEO. But mentions and general brand awareness may be more important for AI search.

You can increase mentions from high-authority sources by: 

• Encouraging more reviews on third-party sites  
• Listing your tours on online travel agencies like Viator or Get Your Guide 
• Connecting with local tourism boards or directories that may mention your business 
• Reaching out to bloggers, media outlets, and industry publications with unique data or insights to encourage features (such as in a round-up, profile, or travel guide) 

Final Thoughts 

It’s worth noting that the world of AI search is changing rapidly, and how you get your business in front of people might change too.

To get started, focus on building a good foundation of: 

• Publishing high-quality content
• Keeping all your business information and content up to date
• Getting more reviews
• Increasing brand mentions and awareness 

The good news is most of these steps can help your business get found in traditional search and AI-powered searches. That means people can find your business wherever they’re looking for it, and your bookings will benefit, too. 

The post How to Get Your Tour Business Noticed by AI-Powered Travel Searches appeared first on Rezgo.

Are you a tour operator new to the travel market? Or perhaps a seasoned tour and activity business owner looking for new ways to get more sales? Below are 10 actionable approaches to increase sales and revenue in tourism.

1. Optimize Your Online Booking Process

Direct bookings play a pivotal role in maximizing revenue. A tour booking engine like Rezgo increases direct sales by offering:

• Lower third-party commission fees: By encouraging direct bookings, operators don’t need to rely as much on online travel agencies (OTAs). With less OTA reliance, you get to keep a larger share of the income.
• Convenient 24/7 online bookings: An always-available-to-all booking system caters to global customers across different time zones. This ensures there are no missed opportunities for business.
• Smooth user experience: A user-friendly interface simplifies the booking process. It makes bookings quick and easy, reducing cart abandonment and increasing conversion rates.

Investing in Rezgo technology streamlines your operations. The software can contribute a lot to boosting revenue.

2. Improve Your Website and SEO for More Traffic

A well-designed and mobile-friendly website serves as the foundation for attracting and converting visitors. So carefully consider the following if you want to increase sales and revenue in tourism for success:

• Mobile optimization: With a significant portion of users browsing on mobile devices, your site should be optimized. You’ll want to make sure it is easy to navigate and responsive for accessibility and user satisfaction.
• Search engine optimization (SEO): Targeting keywords like “[Your Destination] Tours” or “[Your Activity] Near Me” improves visibility on search engines like Google. The more visible your site is, the more organic traffic you’ll get.
• Content creation: Maintaining a blog with insightful articles about your offerings and destination can be very beneficial. You can build credibility, establish authority, and attract prospects.

These efforts collectively enhance your online presence. They lead to increased visibility and customer interaction.

3. Leverage Google Things to Do & Local Listings

Using platforms like Google Things to Do positions your services in front of travelers during their research phase. Take advantage by:

• Optimizing your Google Business Profile: Ensure accurate information, high-quality images, and prompt responses to reviews.
• Encouraging customer reviews: Positive feedback builds trust and influences potential customers’ decisions.

In marketing campaigns, these actions make you more visible in local searches and land you more travel and tourism bookings.

4. Offer Upsells and Add-ons to Boost Booking Value

Adding value to each booking can drastically increase returns. Strategies to increase sales and revenue in tourism include:

• Premium package offers: Offer exclusive experiences or additional services at a higher price point.
• Merchandise sales: Sell branded items or souvenirs as part of the booking process.
• Simple checkout upsells: Present extra options during booking to raise the average transaction value.

Implementing these tactics encourages customers to spend more, thereby boosting revenues for tour operators.

5. Use Dynamic Pricing to Maximize Revenue

Adjusting prices based on demand, seasonality, and last-minute availability will often optimize revenue in the travel industry. Tools like Rezgo allow for the automation of dynamic pricing strategies, enabling:

• Higher prices during peak demand: Maximize income when interest is high.
• Lower prices during off-peak times: Draw price-sensitive customers during slower periods.

This approach aligns pricing with tourism market conditions. It positively affects profitability for tour and activity businesses.

6. Run Strategic Promotions and Discounts

Thoughtfully designed promotions can stimulate demand and bring repeat business. Think about making available:

• Limited-time offers: Create urgency and prompt immediate tour bookings.
• Early booking discounts: Incentivize customers to plan ahead, so there’s steady cash flow.
• Loyalty programs: Rewarding repeat customers fosters brand loyalty and inspires future bookings.

The above marketing strategies can effectively boost customer retention and increase sales and revenue in tourism.

7. Expand Sales Channels with Online Travel Agencies

Partnering with OTAs like Viator and GetYourGuide can really broaden your reach. What that will mean for your business:

• Exposure to new customers: Access to a larger target audience typically results in more people booking tours.
• Paying commission fees: Balancing the cost of commissions with the benefits of higher exposure is important.

OTAs drive bookings. But for better profit margins, balance reliance with direct bookings through a strong booking engine.

8. Invest in Paid Advertising for High-Intent Travellers

Targeted advertising and retargeting campaigns can reach travellers actively seeking experiences. The best ad platforms are:

• Google Ads: Capture users searching for specific tours or activities.
• Meta Ads: Reach audiences interested in travel through social media.

So your marketing efforts are worthwhile, set up conversion tracking to measure return on investment (ROI).

9. Partner with Hotels and Local Businesses

Partnerships with local entities increase sales and revenue in tourism. That’s a good reason to look into:

• Referral programs: Offer commissions to hotels and attractions that refer customers to you.
• Package deals: Create bundled offerings with local businesses to provide added value.

Rezgo facilitates the management of such partnerships. It has features for managing concierge relationships and bookings.

10. Prioritize Customer Reviews and Social Proof

Positive reviews and testimonials influence potential customers in a big way. Actions to take:

• Encourage reviews: Request satisfied customers to share their experiences on platforms like Google and OTAs.
• Display testimonials: Feature user-generated content on your website and social media to build credibility.

Strong reviews serve as a powerful marketing tool that establishes trust and persuades new customers to book. Responding to reviews — both positive and negative — also shows great customer service. This further strengthens your reputation.

Final Thoughts

To increase tourism revenue, tour operators should focus on improving direct bookings, optimizing their online presence, and actioning revenue-boosting strategies like upselling and dynamic pricing. Starting with quick wins like bettering the booking process and leveraging customer reviews can lead to immediate improvements.

Do you want to streamline direct bookings and maximize revenue? Try the Rezgo booking engine. You can get started here.

The post 10 Strategies to Increase Sales and Revenue in Tourism appeared first on Rezgo.

Here’s a sneak peek of our upcoming upgrade:

A Fresh Look With a Familiar Feel:

We’re excited to share an updated Rezgo experience that’s designed to look better, work smarter, and make your day a little easier.

This update brings an upgraded interface and helpful new tools—but rest assured, the core layout and workflows you rely on haven’t changed. We’ve made only subtle adjustments to improve accessibility and mobile performance, so everything will still feel comfortably familiar.

Here’s What’s New and Improved:

New productivity boosters: The refreshed interface introduces handy optional features like split screen and dark mode—making it easier (and more comfortable) to power through your day.

Upgraded template editing: Updating your Rezgo website has gotten easier. Save changes without publishing, compare versions, and even swap between different designs.

Smarter booking layout: Key details are now front and center, and the new Full Order view puts everything you need about a booking just one click away. We’ve also got a new label manager to make organizing your bookings much easier.

Streamlined navigation: Finding your way around is faster than ever, with a cleaner layout and new, dedicated sections for some of the most-used tools and settings.

Preview the New Experience:

You’ll get a chance to explore the new UI before it rolls out to everyone. A preview version will be available very soon, giving you and your team time to get familiar with the changes at your own pace.

We’ll share an announcement as soon as it’s live—and you’ll find a link on your Rezgo login page and dashboard when it’s ready to try. We can’t wait to introduce you to the powerful new tools and user experience improvements coming with this update!

The post Coming Soon: A Smoother Rezgo Experience, Built for You appeared first on Rezgo.

In this webinar recording, you’ll learn to navigate the complex world of tour and activity distribution. Whether you’re new to working with resellers and OTAs or looking to optimize your current strategy, this session will provide the knowledge and tools you need to expand your reach, boost bookings, and grow your revenue.

The speaker, Rachel Neal, is a seasoned hospitality technology executive with extensive experience in product management, strategy, and operations. As Chief Product Officer at Redeam, Rachel leads innovation in connecting travel experiences through cutting-edge technology.

learn the answers to these Important questions…

• How do you select the right OTAs?
• What’s the formula for the ideal sales mix?
• How do you price your tours for distribution platforms?
• How do you differentiate products for direct bookings and OTAs?

The post Maximize Reach & Revenue With Help From A Tour Distribution Expert appeared first on Rezgo.

For tour and activity operators, this shift presents a massive opportunity: show up where your future guests are already scrolling. Whether you’re new to TikTok or looking to expand your marketing strategy, this guide will help you tap into the platform’s unique potential to drive tour bookings, build brand visibility, and connect you with the next generation of travelers.

The Importance of TikTok for Tour Operators

More than a trendy social media platform, TikTok now operates as a trip planner, advisor, and trend-setter.

With visual storytelling and social proof at its core, TikTok helps tour and activity operators build trust, showcase real experiences, attract new business, expand reach, and tap into changing TikTok trends. 

68% of TikTok users say it’s the most helpful source for travel inspiration—whether planning a big trip or a weekend activity in their local area.

TikTok marketing offers a unique advantage given its broad reach to younger audiences—particularly among Gen Z and Millennial users. Authentic, fast-paced video content especially resonates with modern travelers and allows your brand to show up in fun, relatable ways throughout every stage of the tour booking journey. 

TikTok Marketing Tips for Tourism and Travel Businesses

Below are six tips for making the most of TikTok marketing for your tourism or travel business. Depending on your digital marketing strategy, you can adopt these pointers to suit your target audience and content needs.

Tip 1: Leverage User Generated Content (UGC)

User generated content is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it offer organic content to share with your followers; it builds trust and authenticity, as potential customers see real experiences from fellow travelers. 

Start by creating your company’s own unique hashtag. This makes it easy for your guests to tag your tour or activity on TikTok and reshare their content. This will help position your TikTok content in front of your target audience, depending on your tourism marketing goals (i.e. a call to action that links to your website, building community, or showing off scenic locations throughout your tour). 

Also, encourage your guests to create their own TikTok videos, highlighting your tour offerings and provide incentives for content that is likely to boost engagement. For example:

• Get 10% off your next tour when you share a TikTok featuring your favorite moment.
• Win exclusive tour merch (like hats, water bottles, or tote bags) for the most creative videos.
• Monthly spotlight: Top video each month wins a free local excursion or add-on experience.

Example: Singapore’s Tourism Board used #MadeInSingapore to invite creators to showcase unexpected elements of the country. From quintessential attractions to less recognizable locations—this approach attracted new audiences and unlocked new narratives for future marketing efforts.

Tip 2: Highlight Unique Selling Points with Short Videos

Your differentiators deserve the spotlight and can be great to showcase via engaging TikTok videos. Highlighting your unique selling points not only piques the interest of new customers; it also helps your service offerings to stand out. 

Capture the best moments in 15—30 second video clips. For example:

• Behind-the-scenes tour prep.

• Golden hour views from scenic spots.
• Spontaneous guest interactions.

Tip 3: Use Trending Sounds and Hashtags

TikTok’s algorithm favors content that taps into trends. In fact, the platform has officially stated it determines content to promote based on several factors, including trending sounds and hashtags. A trending sound refers to a popular audio clip—such as a song snippet, movie quote, or original user recording—that is being widely used in videos across the platform. When a sound gains traction, creators often jump on the trend by incorporating it into their own videos, increasing the chances of being discovered by a broader audience.

While there’s no guarantee your video will be positioned on the app’s Discovery page—which features algorithmically-chosen videos for users—using trending audio and hashtags can increase your video’s visibility, engagement, and virality. Since 74% of Gen Z use TikTok as their go-to search engine, applying this approach can also connect you to users searching for your specific type of content.

Pay attention to TikTok’s Discovery page and continually monitor top travel influencers for popular hashtags and sounds relevant to travel, tourism, your destination, or the experiences you offer.

Tip 4: Create Destination-Focused Content

Whether you’re highlighting scenic views, local culture, or seasonal events, your destination’s offerings can serve as focal points for your TikTok content. Tourists are especially drawn to scenery, culture, and atmosphere, so grant your potential travelers a taste of what’s available to experience.

Highlighting destination-specific content also encourages potential customers planning a trip to the region, to book a tour or activity with you, in turn bringing value to your search discoverability. 

And remember–even if your location seems mundane to you, it’s a destination for someone. Locals like to get the pulse of their home town, too.

Example: The Turin Tourism Bureau, Turismo Torino e Provincia, teamed up with digital agency BTREES to boost the city’s presence on TikTok using the platform’s ad features. The campaign showcased engaging content highlighting the city’s key cultural attractions through snappy, human-centered videos. 

Aimed at a wide-ranging audience, the content struck a balance between entertaining and informative, leveraging catchy hooks, trending topics, quick edits, and emotional storytelling.

Tip 5: Engage with Your Audience

44% of travelers say they trust information from someone who works for a travel provider—be that trusted source.

TikTok Lives are a great way to interact and engage with your followers. This feature allows creators to livestream directly to their audiences, fostering more immediate and personal engagement. You can hold Q&A sessions to address frequently asked questions and connect with users interested in visiting your area or region. By doing so, you build valuable relationships with potential customers and enhance your brand’s presence on TikTok.

Tip 6: Collaborate with Influencers and Micro-Influencers

Influencers not only boost your brand’s credibility and reach, but can also drive stronger engagement with loyal niche audiences, generating interest and trust.

Micro-influencers (10k to 100k followers) are the sweet spot to connect with a smaller audience. Despite their reduced fan base, their audience engages at higher rates than larger influencers at a fraction of the cost.

Identify influencers who align with your brand values and location. In return for promoting your account or business, offer them free tours or experiences, generating even more UGC content to share and promote along the way.

Example: Turin’s Tourism Bureau partnered with local influencers to ensure their campaign’s content not only felt authentic, but also resonated with audiences. Micro-influencers included:

• @FoodFede
• @NoeTheExplorer
• @Carlambra
• @Isidaurum

Each creator brought their unique personalities to the campaign, in turn strengthening its local relevance.

Putting TikTok to Work for Your Travel Business

TikTok isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a growing force that can drive real engagement, brand awareness, and direct bookings. The key is to start small: experiment with different types of content, observe what your audience connects with, and stay consistent.

As you build momentum, make sure there’s a smooth path from discovery to booking—like linking directly to your online booking website. This can significantly increase conversions by making it easy for potential customers to browse and reserve their tours while interest is high.

Whether you’re highlighting destination-specific experiences, showcasing real customer moments, or jumping on a trending sound or hashtag, every TikTok post is a chance to build trust and brand visibility with your travelers.

The post TikTok Marketing Tips for Tourism and Travel appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

The New Era of Corporate Bookings

The tour operator landscape has evolved in the post-COVID world. Once upon a time, companies would rent out venues, order generic catering, and call it a day. But today, the game has changed—big time.

With remote and hybrid work models becoming the norm, organizations are on the hunt for experiences that bring teams together, build camaraderie, and create unforgettable moments. Goodbye awkward break-room parties, hello immersive team experiences that turn colleagues into a tight-knit crew.

For tour operators, this presents a massive opportunity. But success in this space isn’t about offering endless customization—it’s about curating streamlined, high-value experiences that make it easy for corporate clients to say, “Yes, this is exactly what we need.”

Why Curated Beats Custom in Corporate Sales

Too many tour operators believe customization is their selling point. They offer fully bespoke experiences, thinking flexibility is the magic ingredient that allows them to charge more. Even though we’ve rarely found tour operators who charge for their time to create such custom experiences. 

Most offer these customized experiences for only slightly more than their public tours. 

But corporate clients don’t want to design a tour from scratch. They want a proven, ready-to-go package that solves their problem: bringing their team together in a way that’s easy for them to set up.

Think about it this way—if you’re ordering sandwiches for the office, you don’t want to debate every ingredient for every sandwich for each employee. You want a few great options, easy to choose from, and guaranteed to satisfy your group.

Alyssa from Bites of Boston experienced this shift firsthand:

“Being able to look at it as a corporate offering versus more of a modified version of our public tour–I wasn’t necessarily considering it like that, but looking back, that’s actually what it was–I think that that’s helped us to really just offer something that makes more sense for the private groups.”

By moving away from slight modifications of public tours and instead presenting a clearly defined corporate product, you eliminate confusion and make the buying process frictionless.

All sales are about helping someone to make a decision. The easier you make the decision, the more bookings you’ll land.

The Data: What Corporate Clients Actually Want

Insights from the U.S. National Report on Corporate Bookings reveal key trends in corporate travel and event planning:

• Demand is skyrocketing – Companies are investing in team-building, with many planning 3-5 offsite events per year.
• Simplicity wins – Decision-makers value clear, pre-packaged solutions over fully customizable options.
• Experiences drive engagement – 20% of corporate outings focus on team building, followed by socializing, business strategy, and professional development.

Tour operators who align their offerings with these needs will win more corporate bookings—and do so more efficiently. 

When I work with clients at UpLevel Tourism, I often say, “Don’t sell your tour to corporate groups.” Instead, I want operators to sell corporate groups a “corporate group experience.”

This can be one of your regular tours but package it differently. Call it your Team Getaway, or the Team Outing Package, or the Impress Your VIPs package. Name it something that aligns with exactly what that corporate group coordinator wants to buy.

The Business Case for Corporate Groups

Pivoting toward corporate group sales isn’t just about filling tours—it’s about transforming your business model. Corporate clients:

• Spend significantly more per booking than individual tourists.
• Have a higher lifetime value due to repeat business and referrals.
• Offer predictable revenue, allowing you to plan ahead with confidence.

Consider this comparison:

A single corporate client can book multiple events per year and refer their colleagues, making them a gold mine for long-term revenue.

Jeff Woelker from Underground Donut Tour highlighted this shift in profitability:

“You know, we run all these small tours and we barely eke it by in terms of margin. And then you book one of these corporate tours and you’re like, well, we just blew it out of the water. Like, that’s crazy.”

Corporate bookings don’t just fill seats—they change the entire financial equation for tour operators. Learn how one Chicago tour went from less than 5% of their revenue in corporate groups to now, over 60% of their revenue comes from corporate. 

The difference in profitability between standard tours and corporate experiences can be night and day.

How to Sell More Corporate Tours

1. Build a Corporate-Specific Web Page

If your website treats corporate groups as an afterthought, you’re missing out. Create a dedicated corporate tours page that speaks directly to decision-makers.

Speak directly to the problems the reader has in their job

Use persuasive copy that focuses on outcomes, not just “what” is included

Streamline your inquiry form to ask as few questions as possible.

Get these tips for writing a persuasive corporate tour page.

2. Package Your Offerings for Corporate

Ditch the “customize everything” approach. Instead, create three to five curated packages that cater to corporate needs. Align your packages around why corporate groups are booking with you. 

From the U.S. National Report on Corporate Bookings, UpLevel Tourism has found the primary reasons companies book are:

Team Building – 20%

Socializing – 20%

Business Strategy – 13%

Planning – 12%

Training – 8%

Professional Development – 7%

Celebrations – 5%

Milestone Events – 5%

Networking – 5%

External Connections – 5%

Packages that align with “why” a person wants to choose your experience can eliminate decision fatigue and make it easy for companies to say yes.

3. Get Proactive with Outreach

Unlike traditional tourist bookings, corporate sales require direct engagement. Don’t wait for companies to find you or reach out again—go to them.

Reconnect with past corporate clients and offer your new packages.

Use LinkedIn to connect with HR managers and event planners. 

Attend local networking events to promote your new corporate offerings.

4. Make the Booking Process Frictionless

Corporate clients don’t have time for back-and-forth emails. Speed matters. Implement a low-friction booking system:

Use a streamlined inquiry form. 

Provide instant quotes with clear pricing. 

Automate follow-ups with a CRM to close deals faster and have fewer slip through the cracks.

5. Price with Confidence

Many operators assume corporate clients want deep discounts, and let’s be real—plenty of companies have asked for the lowest price. When every inquiry feels like a negotiation, it’s easy to believe that price is the only factor in their decision. But that’s not the full story.

The reality? Companies aren’t just looking for the cheapest option—they’re looking for the best option. Bonnie from Off the Eaten Track Tours shared her experience:

“I’ve booked multiple corporate groups since these last few things we’ve been in, and I think it really changed my mindset on how I respond and my pricing. I think that was the big thing…I used to heavily discount because I thought that’s what they wanted to see in order to get the sale to let them know like, ‘Hey, I’ll go low for you.’ But I actually went high and it booked even just as fast.”

When you undercharge, you send the message that your experience isn’t premium. Instead, position your tour as a top-tier investment in team engagement and culture. Companies will pay more for an experience that delivers value, simplifies planning, and meets their needs without a headache. The key is not just raising prices, but making sure your offering justifies them.

Bonnie put this into practice and secured a $15,000 corporate booking—the highest-priced group she’s ever hosted. By offering tiered options and positioning value effectively, the client chose the premium package without hesitation.

The Future of Corporate Bookings

The demand is there. 

The opportunity is massive.

Today, corporate tours aren’t just an add-on—they’re the future of profitable, scalable tourism businesses. Operators who embrace the shift from custom to curated will capture more bookings, generate higher margins, and create experiences that companies rave about.

If you’re ready to simplify your sales, attract more corporate clients, and grow your business, it’s time to make the shift.

Next Steps:

Optimize your website for corporate sales

Develop curated packages that align with real business needs. 

Get proactive with outreach and make booking seamless.

If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, UpLevel Tourism can help. Whether you want a do-it-yourself guide, a done-with-you strategy, or a fully managed approach, we have the expertise to help you attract and convert more corporate clients. 

Don’t let uncertainty keep you from growing—take the next step toward a more profitable, scalable business.

Want to learn more from Joe Martin? Check out our recent webinar with him, Change This One Sentence To Boost Your Bookings. And for tips on handling large group bookings, including corporate bookings, read our recent article on the topic.

The post Selling Corporate Bookings: The Shift from Custom to Curated Experiences appeared first on Rezgo.

As you plan, consider using a tour booking and management system. For example, Rezgo is comprehensive booking software that can help you to streamline operations, optimize your business, and increase direct bookings. 

To learn how to manage a tour business through operations, bookings, and growth strategies, read on.

Optimize Your Booking and Reservation System

If you intend to manage your bookings manually, perhaps it’s time to think again. This approach could lead to missed sales, a lot more work, and potential overbookings. So, instead, you might want to consider Rezgo’s online booking system. It allows you to accept direct bookings around the clock, synchronize your availability in real time, secure incoming payments with fraud protection, and automate tasks. When you use this system to deal with confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups, you’ll get a lot more time to focus on growing your business.

Structure Tour Operations for Efficiency

An efficient tour operator relies on well-thought-out structures. For example, Rezgo’s availability management features can track tour capacity and guide availability. You’ll be able to automate your check-ins and get your clients to sign waivers in advance. You’ll also be able to onboard staff securely, so you can run operations as smoothly as possible. With Rezgo, you’ll get a centralized dashboard to improve operations, help reduce errors, and deal with contingencies.

Understand Your Target Market and Customer Preferences

Get to know your target market as well as possible, so you can tailor your marketing and improve your business offerings. There are several ways to do this, such as:

• Use Rezgo’s reporting tools to analyze booking trends.
• Identify your high-value customers to see if you can get repeat business.
• Send out post-tour surveys to gather valuable information.

When you take a data-driven approach to decision-making, you can give your customers memorable experiences and look for additional bookings in the future.

Develop a Unique Value Proposition

The tourism industry is nothing if not competitive. And to stand out, you need to have a USP (unique selling proposition). There are many ways to develop this, such as highlighting the benefits of tours and activities that only you can provide while detailing your exclusive experiences. Tell everyone about these USPs through your marketing channels, and make sure that your branding, websites, and socials communicate this clearly.

Expand Sales Channels and Partnerships

The more channels you choose for marketing as you start a tour operations business, the better your visibility and potential revenues. So, choose these channels carefully and be sure that you are always visible. Consider some of these additional expansion strategies:

• Take a listing on OTAs like GetYourGuide, Expedia, and Viator for wider reach.
• Talk to hotels and local businesses and compensate them for referrals.
• Use a tool like Rezgo to manage all these sales channels as efficiently as possible.

Still, remember that direct bookings could be the most profitable of all, and you can always use Rezgo to manage those effectively.

Optimize Pricing Strategies for Higher Revenue

Put in place smart pricing strategies to maximize revenue without extra marketing costs. For example, consider dynamic pricing that will adjust rates based on demand, or run promotions and discount codes from time to time. With Rezgo, you can access tools to help you optimize revenue.

Leverage Digital Marketing for More Bookings

Turn to digital marketing for additional strategies as part of your business plans. Both SEO and content marketing are powerful tools to help you drive organic traffic, while social media is perfect for engaging audiences. With additional budget, you can run Google and Meta ads to target high-intent travellers. Also, consider that Rezgo has great marketing and tracking tools too.

Use Customer Reviews and Social Proof to Build Trust

Make the best of your delighted customers by soliciting reviews and using these reviews through your social channels. This could increase credibility and help you attract more clients. 

Reviews can be posted on Google, Trip Advisor, or OTAs, and if needed, give the customer an incentive to help you increase engagement. Bear in mind that Rezgo can automate review collection.

Manage Finances and Cash Flow Efficiently

Be prepared to monitor cash flow and profitability ratios on a regular basis. It will help you to keep your financials in check, so you can operate a sustainable business. Rezgo has a handy reporting feature that can track revenue trends.

Ensure Compliance, Safety, and Risk Management

Before you run your tour business, get the necessary licences and permits. Always comply with legal and safety requirements to protect your business and customers. Then, draw up and implement clear safety protocols for each activity and use the digital waiver solution through Rezgo to handle your liability management.

Use Analytics for Continuous Improvement

When your business is ticking along, use analytics solutions to help you fine-tune your operations. For example, you should monitor your key performance indicators like booking volume and revenue trends. Monitor your profitability and make adjustments if necessary—use Rezgo’s built-in analytics for real-time insights.

What You’ll Need to Grow a Profitable Tour Business

To run a successful tour business, you’ll need to have an efficient booking management engine, streamlined operations, strong marketing, and stable financials. The good news is there are powerful tools available to help, and Rezgo’s booking and management system will entirely simplify this process. This will allow you to focus on delivering great experiences to your customers while maximizing revenues along the way.

Read more about what it takes to make a successful tour operator. Or get in touch with Rezgo today for more information about managing a tour business.

The post How to Manage a Tour Business by Focusing on Operations, Bookings, and Growth Strategies appeared first on Rezgo.

In this recorded webinar, you’ll learn everything you need to know to break into corporate tours and events. You’ll learn how to find a corporate niche that aligns with your business, design packages that truly resonate, navigate the decision-makers and gatekeepers behind corporate bookings, and build a scalable menu tailored to your business’s capacity.

Our speaker, Kelsey Tonner, is the founder of Guest Focus Tour Business Coaching. For two decades, he’s been helping tour business owners as a mentor, consultant, speaker, experience designer, guide trainer, and award-winning tour leader.

Watch To learn the answers to these questions…

• How do you get started in the corporate booking market?
• What sorts of packages are corporations looking for?
• How do you reach the decision makers who matter?
• What goes into creating a scalable corporate menu?

The post Book More Corporate Tours With These Tips appeared first on Rezgo.

Here’s what’s new:

Faster Check-Ins With Apple Wallet

With Rezgo 12.23, guests can now add their tickets directly to Apple Wallet. That means no more searching through email inboxes at check-in—just a quick tap and scan, and they’re on their way.

This update makes your check-in line move faster, keeps your team free to focus on service, and gives your guests a more polished, tech-friendly experience.

And the best part? You don’t need to change a thing—Apple Wallet support works seamlessly with your existing digital tickets.

Bonus: Google Wallet support is coming soon for Android users, too!

Streamlined Payments With Automation

Need to collect payments closer to the event date? Now you can do it automatically.

With automated payment requests, you set the schedule and Rezgo takes care of the rest. These customizable requests let you:

• Choose when to send (up to 14 days before the event)
  
• Personalize your message
  
• Select specific inventory
  
• Set expiry dates
  

If a booking still has a balance by the time you’ve selected, the billing contact will get a professional, secure payment request by email. Guests can pay through your usual payment gateway, just like they do when booking online.

It’s effortless for your guests—and hands-off for you.

Simplified VAT Setup

If you collect VAT, setup just got easier.

You can now configure VAT directly in your settings. Once it’s added, the VAT percentage will be automatically displayed to customers where it needs to appear. It will also be calculated for you in booking reports.

When you set your prices, just include VAT in the total. Rezgo will handle the calculations behind the scenes.

Smarter Waiver Management

Getting waivers signed and attached to bookings is easier than ever.

Now, from the Manage button on your Bookings list, you can view every waiver that’s available to attach to bookings—all in one place.

We’ve also added a Copy Waiver Link button on the waiver signing page. Guests can easily share the link with the rest of their group, so everyone signs in time and shows up ready to go.

More Control Over Scheduled Reports

Need your scheduled reports to send, even when there’s no data to report? Now you can choose to have them go out every time—so you’re never left wondering if something went wrong.

You can also now edit existing scheduled reports, including changing individual fields, so you don’t need to recreate reports for every small update.

And a Few More Helpful Tweaks…

• Let guests pay in full (and offer a discount): If you accept deposits, you can now choose to give guests the chance to pay in full—and optionally offer an incentive for doing so.
  
• Add notes to itinerary providers: You can now leave helpful info on your itinerary providers that will be shown to customers who are visiting them.
  
• Clearer tax display: Taxes and fees can no longer be grouped into a single line item, in alignment with regulatory requirements.
  
• More details on price sheets: If you include specific inventory on a price sheet, you’ll now see a count of how many options are included—making it easier to review at a glance.
  

We hope these updates help make your day-to-day a little easier—and your guests’ experiences even better.

As always, if you have questions or need help putting any of these new features to use, our support team is just a message away.

The post What’s New in Rezgo: Smoother Check-Ins, Smarter Payments, and More appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Not everyone has a posse of friends or family group to travel with, making going solo their only option. However, many travelers are increasingly choosing to explore the world alone for any number of reasons—from improving their mental health to exploring their personal interests and passions. Solo travel has appeared in one form or another in our annual round-up of tourism trends for the last couple of years, and the clamor for tours and experiences catering to solo travelers isn’t letting up. In fact, demand is increasing.

Forbes called 2024 the “year of the solo traveler,” highlighting its evolution from niche market to a considered choice for many travelers. The same year, a Skyscanner report into the growth in solo travel concluded, “There is no longer any stigma attached to taking a trip on your own, and many tour companies cater specifically to this market.” Solo travel again featured prominently on Forbes’ annual Travel Trends Report for 2025, and Hilton’s Annual Trends Report for 2025 found that 47 per cent of global respondents “often travel by themselves.” 

Who is traveling solo?

The answer is… it could be almost anyone. In their 2024 report, Skyscanner found that singles and divorcees ranked highly for being ready to take a solo trip. However, don’t confuse solo travel with “singles” travel. There are specialist companies that marketthat do market to singles, such as Contiki, but not everyone traveling solo is doing so in the hope of meeting a partner or even making a friend.  

Arival’s 2024 U.S. Tour Taker report found that that the preference for independent travel increases with age, with 38 percent of people over 55 preferring to go it alone, compared with 26 percent of the 18-34 group. ​This indicatesindicated that older, more experienced travelers, who are often more affluent, prefer small group and independent travel. ​Research by Solo Traveler World backed this up with findings that showed the majority of solo travelers to be aged between 30 and 50. 

However, they are now being joined by younger generations. Hilton’s report found that Gen Z (55 percent) and Millennials (51 percent) were more likely to travel solo on a regular basis. The American Express 2024 Global Travel Trends Report found solo travel “to be a major trend among young travelers, with 76 percent of Millennials and Gen-Z planning solo trips this year.”

Women travelling on their own or with other women also continues to be a growing trend. In “The Rise Of The Female Adventurer,” Forbes highlighted one survey that found that 71% of solo travelers are women. The report also quoted the founder of founder of the largest hostel chain in Europe as saying, “There has been a remarkable increase in solo travelers since last year across the portfolio. Notably, we’ve seen a significant bump in solo female travelers. This trend continues to grow at such a rapid pace that we’ve added a significant additional number of female dorms to our hostels.”

What’s behind the solo travel trend?

What’s driving this rise in solo travel? The Hilton named the trend “MeMooning,” reflecting that many people simply want some “me time.” This could be for stress relief, self-discovery and general mental wellness, or just to enjoy the freedom to do what they want and pursue their own interests. 

Solo trips are also easier to plan. Travelers don’t need to worry about what the rest of a group wants to do, or be held back by scheduling conflicts. They can create their own, personal itinerary. With no daily “So, what will we do today?” or “Where will we eat dinner?” discussions, solo travelers are free to march to the beat of their own drum. That can be a big draw for many people frustrated with the compromises that often have to be made when traveling with a group. 

In fact, Solo Traveler World found that 58% of solo travelers prefer going alone simply because it allows them to do what they want, when they want.

What are solo travelers looking for?

The American Express trends survey found just over half of respondents prefer short and sweet weekend getaways rather than a long solo trip. Close to a third preferred to travel solo to a new city to explore its attractions and soak in its atmosphere. The same report highlighted “deep relaxation, developing a new interest, or meeting new people” as big drivers in the rise of social travel.

Solo doesn’t mean unsociable. A recent LinkedIn article highlighted that tour operators should “help solo travelers feel like they belong without requiring them to blend in.” Solo travelers enjoy opportunities to meet others like them through small group tours, food experiences, and other relaxed activities. 

Many solo travelers are looking for opportunities to immerse themselves in local culture, often through a relevant activity such as studying art or taking cooking classes. When it comes to booking a tour, solo travelers often prioritize flexible and last-minute bookings.

Putting safety first

Safety and comfort can also be top priorities for solo travelers, especially women. It’s up to tour operators to reassure travelers that they can enjoy their vacation without worrying about their safety. Here are a few tips:

• Communicate clearly: Detailed information about what to expect can be very reassuring for solo travelers, including where to meet, how to get around, what to be careful of, and emergency contacts.
• Provide support: Guides who understand the needs and concerns of solo travelers can ease the anxiety some travelers might experience. 
• Prioritize safety: Think about safety when finalizing venues, transport routes, accommodation, and other tour elements.

Pricing tours for solo travelers

Historically, the dreaded “single supplement”—that extra charge for travelers not sharing a room or activity—has put off solo travelers, or left them feeling undervalued and even unwanted. Consider:

• Waiving or reducing single supplements
• Offering opportunities to “buddy up” solo travelers or otherwiseother ways to save on single supplements
• Providing things of value to solo travelers like booking flexibility and no or low penalties for cancellation or rescheduling to offset any extra costs

How to attract solo travelers

Developing tours for solo travelers is no different from targeting any other market. It means being aware of their specific needs and concerns, and designing and marketing tours and experiences appropriately. Here are some examples of tours for solo travelers:

Interactive, engaging, and immersive experiences that can be enjoyed independently, while still offering opportunities for socializing, are big draws for solo travelers. These include:

• Food and drink tours
• Educational and cultural workshops and experiences
• Adventurous activities
• Wellness, mindfulness, and self-care experiences

When it comes to marketing tours to solo travelers, tweak your messaging and content to include mentions of safety, opportunities to socialize, and all the other things solo travelers value and prioritize. Here are a few specific marketing tips:

• Feature solo traveler-focused visuals
• Emphasize the (optional) social aspects of tours
• Share testimonials that talk to things solo travelers value, like safety and flexibility
• Optimize your website for relevant search terms, such as “solo tours,” “tours and activities for solo travelers,” or “traveling solo” 

Solo travel is definitely here to stay. Tour companies that ignore the benefits of catering and marketing to solo travelers could miss out on a valuable market segment. 

At Rezgo, we always have our ear to the ground when it comes to the latest tourism trends and business opportunities. The Rezgo booking system is a comprehensive platform that enables you to become a more profitable business. It can also help you future-proof your business so you can develop and grow as the tourism industry changes. Book a demo today or sign up for free and start using Rezgo.

​

The post The Rise of Solo Travel: How Tour Operators Can Tap Into a Growing Trend appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

While tour and activity businesses operate in the offline world, many of us spend a lot of time in the online world. One place in particular? Our inboxes. 

And, despite the growing influence of social media, email marketing still remains an effective tool to nurture potential customers and keep in touch with old ones. Tour and activity operators can use this marketing method to drive bookings, increase brand awareness, and foster loyalty.

This guide walks you through how to use email marketing for your tour business, including how to build an email list, which types of emails drive revenue, and the best practices to know before you hit send.  

Benefits of Email Marketing for Tour Operators 

There are so many revenue-driving and customer retention strategies, so what makes email marketing so special for tour businesses? Here are just a few reasons it’s worth considering.

It Can Drive Bookings 

Email marketing is an effective way to promote your business and nurture new customers. You can also use email to stay in touch with past customers, driving reviews, word-of-mouth referrals, and repeat bookings. 

In 2024, 53% of small businesses in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia said they use email marketing as their most frequent strategy for gaining and retaining customers.

It’s not just about promoting your current offerings, either. Email is an effective way to promote early bird offers, discounts, or new tours. This information might get lost in a sea of social media posts, but with email, you’re reaching guests directly in their inbox. 

Sending regular emails increases brand awareness and loyalty too by keeping your business’s name top of mind. 

It’s Cost Effective  

Advertising can be expensive, especially for small businesses, but email marketing is a cost-effective option. 

The return on investment (ROI) of email marketing is $36 for every $1 spent, which can make it a smarter investment than paid online ads or print advertising.

Unlike these marketing methods where you pay per click or print run, email marketing has fixed running costs (usually just the price of your email platform). This means you can reach your entire email list for a lower price compared to other channels. 

People Have Opted in to Hear from You 

The beauty of email marketing is that everyone on your email list has chosen to be there. You have a direct line of communication with people who want to hear from your business, so you know there’s potential to convert them into customers. 

The flip side of this is that you need to encourage people to sign up for your emails in the first place. Unlike social media or paid ads, you can’t pop up in front of them. 

We’ll cover how to do that next.

Email List Building for Tour Operators  

For email marketing to be successful, you need to have a list of people to send emails to. That can be tricky when getting started. 

Here are some tips to start and grow your email list: 

• Let customers know you have an email list: Have an email opt-in widget on your website, let guests know in person after their tours, and share a sign-up link in your social media posts, booking confirmations, and follow-up messages. To encourage sign-ups, highlight your mailing list as a great place to learn about new tours, early bird discounts, or exclusive deals.  
• Offer a lead magnet: A lead magnet is something you offer to entice people to sign up for your emails. It could be a PDF guide with travel tips for the area, an upgrade on their booking, or a promo code for their next booking (a 2023 survey found 73% of people are willing to sign up for emails to get a 20% off coupon). You can also partner with local businesses and offer discounts to nearby restaurants or activities. 
• Run a competition: Choose a prize (like a free tour or a gift card for your business or an online retailer) and give people the chance to enter a draw to win by joining your mailing list. Once the competition is over, focus on crafting engaging emails to keep people subscribed. 

What Types of Emails to Send

There are endless types of tour business email campaigns you could run, and your emails should reflect your business, brand, and personality. 

That said, there are a few types of emails that can help you build relationships and encourage bookings. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Welcome emails: Say thanks for signing up and share the incentive you used as a lead magnet (if any). Example: “Welcome & claim your 10% off discount code”. 
• Tour updates or highlights: Let guests know about the tours or activities you offer, special events, or exciting changes in your business. Example: “Sunset kayak tours are back for the summer.”   
• Offers and discounts: Promote early bird discounts, group booking bundles, last-minute deals, or seasonal offers to drive bookings. Example: “Book now and save 10% on all walking tours.”
• Customer stories: Share testimonials or real customer experiences. Don’t forget to ask for permission if you’re sharing personal stories. Example: “How we helped Rob propose in a Hudson Valley vineyard.” 
• Behind-the-scenes of your business: Share your founding story, team updates, or interviews with inspirational staff.  Example: “Meet Julie, our hiking guide who’s training for the Appalachian Trail.” 
• Educational emails: Share helpful travel tips to your area, how to prepare for your tours, and any other useful information that’s relevant to your guests (or future guests). Example: “5 tips for biking across Iceland (from our local guides).” 
• Thank you emails: Send these out after a guest has attended your tour. As well as showing gratitude and fostering a warm relationship, it’s a great time to ask for a review, share a guest survey, or offer incentives to encourage a second booking or word-of-mouth referral.  

Email Marketing Best Practices & Tips 

Email marketing can feel like a minefield. These tips can get you started. 

Subject Lines 

Reaching a guest’s inbox is half the battle. You also need them to open your email. 

Here are some email subject line best practices to keep in mind: 

• Keep it short — there’s no hard-and-fast rule, but aim for a maximum of about 60 characters 
• Create urgency (example: “five spaces left”)
• Be descriptive and tell customers what to expect inside the email  
• Test subject lines to see what gets the best open rate 
• Harness personalization to include the customer’s name

Email Copy and Design 

Decide on the tone of voice you’d like to use based on the type of activities you offer and the guests you want to attract. Keep that brand voice consistent in all your emails (and other marketing too!). 

Most of the time, a warm and friendly tone with simple language beats anything complex or jargon-filled. 

Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and high-quality images or videos to break up your emails and make them easy to scan. Avoid clutter and slow loading times with a clean and simple design. Many people check emails on mobile, so readability is key.

Include a clear CTA (call to action) in promotional emails telling readers what you’d like them to do next. That could be “book your place” or “claim your 10% discount.” 

Laws and Regulations 

Comply with relevant data protection and privacy laws and regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR. 

There are quite a few rules to follow. Here are a few of them: 

• Get permission before emailing people — this will usually come from a sign-up form, checkbox, or booking opt-in
• Include a clear unsubscribe link in every email
• Don’t use deceptive subject lines 
• Include your postal address in your emails 

Rezgo collects marketing consent for you during the online booking process. And any email marketing tools — like Mailchimp, Hubspot, or Brevo — have additional features to help you stay compliant. 

Segmentation 

Segmentation allows you to split your email list into groups and send relevant emails that are more likely to convert or nurture the relationships. 

For example, you might segment your list into:

• Locals vs. tourists
• Past customers vs. new subscribers 
• Customers who booked a hiking trip vs. a food tour 

You can also give subscribers the option to self-segment when signing up for your emails. This could be tick boxes asking what they’re interested in hearing about from you.

You can set up segmentation in your email marketing tool of choice.

Automation

Email automation for travel companies is a huge time-saver, opening up more space in your calendar for other outreach and email marketing tasks. You can set up emails to go out automatically in certain situations, including: 

• A welcome email when someone signs up to your email list 
• An email with a lead magnet you’re sharing 
• A thank you email asking for a review or sharing a discount  
• A cart abandonment email when someone starts a booking but doesn’t complete the purchase 
• A birthday email with a special promo code, if you collect birth dates

You can use a tool like Rezgo to automate many of these types of emails. Rezgo’s canned message feature lets you create templates for emails you send regularly, like sending payment requests or gift cards.

How to Monitor Results from Email Marketing 

There are a few metrics you can track to know if your email marketing efforts are paying off. Once you know what’s working well and what isn’t, you can make tweaks to improve your strategy.

Consider these metrics: 

• Open rate: This is the percentage of people who opened your email. Try tweaking your subject lines if you have a low open rate.  
• Click-through rate (CTR): This is the percentage of people who clicked a link in your email. If your CTR is low, try making your copy more engaging, test different topics or offers, and make your CTA stand out with clear, bold buttons.
• Conversion rate: This is the percentage of people who converted and completed your desired action, such as making a booking. Increase your conversion rate by creating a sense of urgency, using social proof, and making sure your online booking process is as quick and simple as possible. 
• Unsubscribe rate: This is the percentage of people who are unsubscribing from your mailing list. A high rate could mean you’re sending emails too often or they aren’t relevant enough to your audience.

Travel and Tourism Email Marketing: Final Thoughts  

Email might seem old school in the world of marketing, but it can be a cost-effective, high-ROI tool to drive bookings for your tour or activity business. 

It helps you stay connected with past guests, nurture new ones, and keep your brand top of mind — all without spending a fortune.   

With email marketing tools and booking software like Rezgo, you can harness segmentation and automation to make email an even more targeted and efficient way to grow your business. 

The post Mastering Email Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Tour and Activity Companies appeared first on Rezgo.

Setting Up Your Boat Charter Business

Before you begin, sit down with a sheet of paper and choose what type of business you want to present. There are several choices, such as fishing trips, luxury weekend adventures, group tours, or fully private charters. This work will help you focus on your clientele.

Then, build out a business plan. Consider all your startup costs, marketing channels, target market, and pricing parameters. Paint a picture of how you intend to grow as the months and years go. And don’t forget that you will likely need to obtain permits from local authorities and must always follow stringent maritime regulations. Talk with an insurance broker to get a quote.

Managing Bookings and Reservations Efficiently

Now, think about how you will manage the boat rental business as efficiently as possible. Of course, you will want to take on as many bookings as possible to maximize the opportunity, but think carefully about handling this manually. After all, there’s a risk that you could double-book or miss some of those valuable opportunities. You may certainly take on too much work in trying to handle administration.

Instead, consider a booking system like Rezgo. It’s got numerous benefits, including:

• The ability to accept bookings around the clock
• Automations, such as the acceptance of payments, the signing of waivers, and confirmations
• Real-time synchronization, so you avoid overbookings
• Flexible pricing structures, so you can offer different tour options or have different prices during high and low seasons

You’ll find that a system like this helps you save time—and a certain amount of your sanity as well!

Maintaining Your Fleet and Ensuring Safety

Now, turn to your vessels and figure out how you’re going to maintain them so they always work when you want and are as safe as possible.

As a boat owner, you know that regular maintenance involves periodic engine and ancillary checks and regular cleaning. You may also need to schedule inspections as laid down by the regulator.

Safety is paramount, so you need to procure the latest and best safety equipment and always keep it in good condition. Make sure that passenger guideline signs are accurate, comprehensive, and in clear view. Also, remember that your captain will need a current licence and, ideally, a good amount of experience.

When it comes to safety, ensure that all your passengers are happy but also release you of any liability. You can use Rezgo to handle the digital waivers.

Creating a Strong Marketing Strategy

If you’re ready to go from an operational point of view, you can now turn to marketing. There are many ways to approach this, but some good channels include:

1. Search engine optimization (SEO), where you can use target keywords such as “boat charters in [insert your ideal destination].” This is known as geotargeting and can be highly effective in helping you find people looking for exactly the service you offer. You may also need to optimize your website so that Google and the other search engines can link your site with those keywords.
2. There are many social media sites these days, as you undoubtedly know. Think about creating your own content and get testimonials from some of your customers. You can then showcase their experience using high-quality images and their own written words.
3. With an additional budget, you can run paid ads on Google, Meta, or Instagram. These ads can help you track travellers who are searching for boat charters.

Pricing Strategies to Maximize Revenue

Pricing strategies can be difficult in the early days as you find your feet, but you’ll probably need to adopt a dynamic pricing strategy based on demand and seasonality. You can offer group discounts or package deals in return for extra volume, and you can always offer some upsells. Here, you could offer fishing gear through a joint venture with a gear provider, while other upsells could be private sunset tours or simply drinks and snacks on board.

Remember that Rezgo’s pricing tools can help you create and automate dynamic pricing strategies for best effect.

Delivering an Exceptional Customer Experience

When you’re ready to welcome your first customers on board, think through the entire process. You can send them automated reminders ahead of time. You can also automate the check-in process using mobile check-ins and digital waivers. Try to personalize the experience as much as possible by offering them VIP services or putting together special packages that will resonate with your guests.

At the end of the trip, always ask them to complete a review and post feedback on Google and other channels. You can also use a review system that prioritizes trust through verified reviews, like Rezgo’s. If possible, ask your guests to spread the word among their friends and colleagues through referrals.

Expanding Sales Channels for More Bookings

When bookings are in full swing, you shouldn’t sit on your laurels but consider expanding your marketing and sales activities. Here are some additional ideas to consider:

• Appeal to a much bigger audience by selling on online travel agencies (OTAs) such as GetYourGuide, and Viator.
• Enter a more formal partnership with hotels, travel agencies, and concierge services, where they get something in return for referrals.
• Use the Rezgo system to manage multiple sales channels as efficiently as possible or prioritize direct bookings.

Tracking Business Performance and Growth

How well is your business doing? Rezgo will give you real-time insights and help you monitor revenue bookings and any trends. This will enable you to adjust your marketing and pricing strategies based on real-time analytics and good data.

What to Do Next

If you want to start a boat charter business, you’ll need to set it up properly and introduce smart management policies. This will help you maximize your bookings and present a seamless customer experience to your guests.

Rezgo can simplify all these operations and give you a means of handling bookings, payments, waivers, and analytics, so talk with Rezgo today. You’ll be glad you did as you launch your boat charter business efficiently.

The post How to Run a Boat Charter Business appeared first on Rezgo.

In this article, you’ll learn why joining forces with agents can help you grow your business. Direct bookings may yield greater profits and give you more control over the customer relationship. But they are not the only way to achieve sales.

Partnering with agents in tourism can help you reach untapped markets and increase your audience. This can complement your efforts to maximize revenue and make your business a success.

Rezgo is a solution that helps you manage your relationship with agents while keeping your direct booking strategy strong. While partnering with agents in tourism can help you grow your business, the benefits of Rezgo can help with much more than that.

How Agents Can Complement Your Direct Booking Strategy

Let’s start with a rundown of how partnering with agents in tourism can boost your business, empowering you to grow in new and unexpected directions:

• Expand your reach. Agents can introduce your business to customers you might not reach through direct marketing—for example, international tourists or niche audiences. You can take advantage of the agents’ established client base, while they get to offer activities tailored to the customers’ interests.
• Fill gaps during low seasons. They can also help you maintain bookings during off-peak times when direct sales might slow down. This helps even out your bookings across the year and avoid those off-season slumps.
• Boost awareness for first-time customers. Agents serve as a bridge for new customers who may later become loyal direct bookers. Partnering with agents is a great way to make new relationships, which can last into the long term.
• Take advantage of group and corporate opportunities. Large groups and corporate events can be your most lucrative business. Agents are often critical for securing these types of bookings, which may also be repeated.

Balancing Direct and Agent Bookings

Partnering with an agent while maintaining a healthy level of direct bookings is a balancing act. Approach it strategically to get the best of both worlds:

• Prioritize direct bookings on your website. Direct bookings are generally more lucrative than agent bookings, as you won’t be paying commission—so make them your priority. Offer incentives like discounts or loyalty programs to make direct booking the most appealing option.
• Be selective with agents. Partner with agents who target audiences you don’t already reach, avoiding overlap. This will also open up new and exciting markets that you may not have considered before.
• Use agents strategically. Position agents as a way to test new markets, expand awareness, or fill hard-to-sell slots rather than relying on them for regular bookings. This helps you work out new directions and goals for your business.
• Track agent vs. direct performance. Regularly review data to ensure agent bookings complement—not cannibalize—direct sales. With Rezgo, you can keep track of bookings by agents and use reports and analytics to understand how they compare to direct sales.

Why Direct Bookings Should Be Your Priority

It’s good to work with travel agents to capture those hard-to-reach audiences and help plug out-of-season gaps. But direct bookings should always be your priority—here’s why:

• Higher profit margins. No commission payouts mean you keep more revenue from direct bookings. Keep your focus on those higher profit margins to help you grow your business.
• Owning the customer relationship. With direct bookings, you control the customer data, enabling better follow-up marketing and loyalty-building opportunities. It’s a way of managing your business how you want.
• Brand trust and loyalty. A seamless direct booking process gives your customers what they want—a hassle-free way of booking their desired activity or experience. This helps to build your reputation as a trusted provider.

Rezgo’s tour operator software makes direct booking easy for you and for your customers. Branded, user-friendly booking pages and automated tools ensure that your business is easily recognizable and make the booking process smooth.

Customers can make their bookings any way they choose—through a desktop or laptop, their cell phone, or even by emailing or calling you.

Payment is secure and easy thanks to global payment gateways. You can also make secure payment requests for your phone and email customers’ peace of mind.

These features ensure that booking directly with you is safe and easy for customers and efficient for you.

How Rezgo Helps You Manage Both Direct and Agent Bookings

The beauty of Rezgo tour operator software is that it helps you manage both direct and agent bookings equally, eliminating manual work and reducing errors. Here’s what you can do with Rezgo to manage both types of bookings efficiently:

• Streamline booking management. With Rezgo, you can automate agent commissions and booking processes alongside direct sales in one platform. A single workspace helps you stay on top of admin and gives you a bird’s-eye view of all your activities.
• Use analytics and reporting tools. You can also gain insights into agent vs. direct booking performance, enabling you to optimize your strategy. Analytics allow you to identify top performers among agents, helping you to pinpoint successful partnerships and focus on areas for development.
• Personalize your site with custom branding for direct bookings. Rezgo lets you customize your direct booking site as much as you’d like, ensuring it’s attractive and easy to use. Using your branding makes you memorable to customers and helps you capture the most revenue
• Provide easy access. Depending on the complexity of your agent relationship, you can provide limited user access to your Rezgo account or use Rezgo’s reseller system to give agents full freedom to resell your activities.
• Avoid double bookings. Syncing your availability between agent and direct bookings is fully automated with Rezgo. This helps avoid conflicts and double bookings. It means customers benefit from a smooth booking process.

Get the Best of Both Worlds

Get the best of both worlds by optimizing both your agent and direct bookings. Finding the right balance between both types of bookings can help maximize your income and build your business to new heights.

Rezgo’s tour operator software offers all the features you need to harmonize agent and direct bookings. Get in touch to learn more about what Rezgo could do for your business.

The post Partnering with Agents to Complement Your Direct Booking Strategy appeared first on Rezgo.

This guide will give you the rundown of hiring in tourism, broken down into simple steps: identifying gaps in your team, hiring seasonal staff in tourism, looking for key skills, and managing a smooth hiring process.

By the way, if you’re looking to hire guides specifically, check out our article Five Steps for Recruiting the Best Tour Guides.

Assessing Your Hiring Needs

Start by working out where your gaps are and identifying essential roles.

• Identify talent gaps. First, conduct a skills audit of your current team by listing each member’s competencies. Then consider what roles or skills are missing. For example, you may not have any multilingual staff. Or your employees may lack customer service experience or technical skills, like using booking platforms.
• Prioritize critical roles. Consider your business type and pick out the essential positions to ensure it runs effectively. So, if you operate a tour business, you may need experienced guides. If you run a hotel, front desk staff or operations managers could be your primary focus.
• Weigh up seasonal vs. year-round hiring needs. Tourism is a seasonal business. So, make sure you understand the demands of your peak and off-peak seasons to determine appropriate staffing levels.

Seasonal Hiring: Best Practices

Let’s drill down on hiring seasonal staff in tourism by looking at recruiting, retention, and training strategies.

• Start planning early. Build a recruitment calendar for peak seasons to avoid last-minute shortages.
• Find effective recruitment channels. Check out effective ways to find the people you need. Reach out to tourism schools and attend local job fairs. Research seasonal job boards and employee referral programs.
• Create retention strategies for seasonal workers. Once you’ve found your people, make sure you keep them. You can make your package attractive by offering perks such as end-of-season bonuses, accommodation, or flexible schedules.
• Train seasonal staff quickly. Focus on short, impactful onboarding programs to get seasonal hires up to speed. This benefits your business and helps your recruits gain confidence quickly.

Defining Your Hiring Budget

Get the most out of your hiring in tourism budget by following these tips:

• Allocate for key roles. Prioritize your budget for roles that have the biggest impact on customer experience. These are likely to be customer-facing employees such as receptionists, guides, and destination managers.
• Understand total costs. Beyond salaries, include costs like training, uniforms, and employee benefits such as health insurance. You may also want to include things like subscriptions to software or tech tools that help your staff do their jobs.
• Problem-solve hiring on a budget. If your budget is tight, leverage free recruitment channels like social media and local networks. Interns or trainees from tourism programs are also a great choice, as they’re often keen to gain experience but don’t command a large salary.

Essential Skills to Look for in Tourism Employees

There are some skills that you can’t do without—check out our list:

• Customer service excellence. This is about going the extra mile for customers, giving them the best possible experience. It also includes advanced skills such as the ability to stay calm under pressure and handle customer complaints with professionalism.
• Adaptability and problem-solving. Employees need to think on their feet in unpredictable situations. Look for hires who demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.
• Teamwork and collaboration. Tourism relies on seamless coordination across roles. For example, guides work with booking staff to ensure a great experience for customers.
• Multilingual abilities. It’s essential that your staff can communicate effectively with a range of customers. Employees who speak more than one language are an asset.
• Tech-savviness. Hire staff who are comfortable using booking platforms like Rezgo or managing customer databases. They should be willing to learn new skills and undergo training too.

Non-Negotiables: What to Look for in Every Hire

Here’s our list of non-negotiables for hiring in tourism:

• Passion for the industry. Choose employees who display a genuine love of travel and hospitality.
• Reliability. Tourism businesses rely on punctual, dependable staff. Look for evidence that hires have shown commitment to previous roles.
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness. These are a must-have for working with diverse customers. Candidates can demonstrate that they’re culturally aware in a variety of ways, such as talking about their love for another language or culture.
• Work ethic. This is especially crucial for roles that require long or irregular hours. The tourism industry is 24/7, so make sure potential hires understand the shifts or hours they will be expected to do.

Streamlining the Hiring Process

Make hiring in tourism hassle-free for you and your recruits with a clear recruitment process and easy onboarding.

• Use clear job descriptions. Write detailed descriptions that outline responsibilities, skills, and expectations. This helps the candidates understand the role early on.
• Screen for key skills. Include role-specific scenarios or short skills assessments in the interview process.
• Make onboarding smooth. Provide new hires with training materials, a buddy system, or shadowing opportunities to integrate them quickly. This can help you improve retention rates and save you from having to hire again in a short timeframe.

Retaining Top Talent in Tourism

Once you’ve hired the right candidates, make sure you keep them by following these tips:

• Build a positive workplace culture. Celebrate successes, provide regular feedback, and encourage open communication. These actions help your employees feel valued.
• Offer growth opportunities. Use cross-training, certifications, or internal promotions to retain year-round staff. Create a growth pathway so they can progress in their career.
• Stay competitive. Regularly review your compensation packages and adjust them to meet industry standards. There are plenty of other employers out there, so be sure to offer your staff a reason to stay.

Final Thoughts

Your staff are the foundation on which your tourism company can grow. When you take time to understand your hiring needs and identify talent gaps, you have the knowledge to build a valuable team that aligns with your business goals.

Ready to grow your tourism business? Rezgo helps you save time on operations so you can focus on hiring the best team. Learn more today!

The post A Guide to Hiring in Tourism: Skills, Strategies, and Seasonal Staff appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

It’s a new year, which means a new deep dive into the travel and tourism trends you should be aware of in 2026, and a look at how tour businesses can capitalize on them.

2025 was a record-breaking year for tourism

We like to kick off our travel trend report with some positive industry news—and 2025 delivered exactly that. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), global travel didn’t just recover—it surged past pre-pandemic benchmarks. International tourist arrivals reached approximately 1.52 billion in 2025, a 4% increase over 2024 and firmly in line with long-term growth trends. In fact, global travel demand has now returned to (and in many regions exceeded) 2019 levels.

Momentum stayed strong throughout the year. Early 2025 saw international arrivals already running 3% above pre-pandemic levels, with around 300 million traveling in just the first quarter alone. The rebound wasn’t just about volume, either—traveler spending hit record highs, with total tourism export revenues reaching an estimated $2.2 trillion globally.

Many destinations reported standout growth. Countries like Morocco, Japan, and Brazil saw double-digit increases in arrivals or spending, while traditional tourism powerhouses such as Spain and France continued to post strong gains. Across the board, improved air connectivity, eased visa requirements, and sustained traveler demand helped fuel this continued expansion.

And yes—just like in 2024, the industry’s success brought back familiar challenges. “Overtourism” once again became a hot topic in major destinations, particularly across parts of Europe and Asia, as record visitor numbers put pressure on local infrastructure and communities. At the same time, shifting traveler patterns (including demand for off-season and less-crowded destinations) showed the industry is adapting as it grows.

Overall, 2025 wasn’t just a continuation of recovery—it marked a return to sustained, long-term growth. The travel industry isn’t just back. It’s evolving.

Let’s take a look at the travel trends that defined 2025—and the ones that are set to shape 2026 and beyond. As always, expect a few new portmanteaus along the way.

16 innovative tourism ideas for 2026

1. Friendtrips

2024 and 2025 saw a rise in group travel and “reunion” travel when people began to get together again, often marking the occasion with a trip. Now we have “friendtrips,” referring to the growing trend of young adults, particularly from Gen Z, turning to group trips as a way to travel with buddies—and even make new friends on what the New York Times called “friend-finding tours.” 

According to surveys by TravelPulse and Travel And Tour World, young adults crave travel that takes them away from their digital lives and helps them make new friends and enjoy new experiences with like-minded people. Despite the aim of disconnecting from social media, platforms like Pinterest are still popular ways for this demographic to find and discuss ideas for friendtrips. 

2. Skillcations

In previous years’ trend reports, we’ve highlighted the emergence of “hush trips,” “workcations,” and “micro-cations,” where people travel with the intention of combining a vacation with work. One related travel trend to look out for in 2026 is “skillcations”—when travelers use a vacation to also learn some new skills. These could be work-related, like enrolling in a professional development course in another country. Or they could be more related to personal interests, like learning cooking in Italy, painting in France, or, as the Huffington Post reported, “knitting your way around Iceland.” This is part of a broader trend where travelers are seeking more immersive experiences that involve some personal growth.

3. Frolleagues

If you thought “bleisure” was maybe one of the less poetic portmanteaus from our 2024 report, “frolleagues” might just have it beat. Bleisure (also see below) describes the trend of business travelers tacking on some leisure time to the end of business trips or just taking their family along with them. Now, as many people return to the office, there’s a growth in business professionals combining work and leisure travel with coworkers—or frolleagues (colleagues who are also friends). Hilton’s Trends Report reported that nearly 30% of global travelers often embark on leisure trips with frolleagues as a form of team-building to strengthen bonds in the office. This could include team-building retreats and off-site meetings in a destination or environment that takes people out of the traditional office space.

4. Bleisure

Talking of business travel, we haven’t seen the last of “bleisure.” Business travelers still like the opportunity to tack on a short leisure trip to a work trip to maintain some work-life balance. Forbes Magazine highlighted a few other business travel trends, including:

• Personalized and seamless booking: Travelers want intuitive, self-service booking platforms that offer tailored options aligning with their needs and company policies. 
• Technological integration: The use of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline booking processes, personalize travel experiences, and improve expense management.

5. Noctourism

When the sun goes down, that’s the signal for one of 2026’s rising trends to get going. “Noctourism” is a major trend to watch in 2026. Stargazing trips and activities, also known as “astrotourism” and “dark skies tourism,” continue to be popular, and this year is a big one with a total solar eclipse on August 12. If you’re in Iceland, Greenland, or northern Spain, take serious note. Other experiences include the March total lunar eclipse, an unusually strong year for meteor showers, watching the Northern Lights and going to an observatory. Some tour operators are piggy-backing this trend by creating what Vogue Magazine called “celestial retreats.” These offer activities such as stargazing and moonlit yoga sessions, allowing guests to embrace their cosmic side.

6. Sleep tourizzzm

Sleep is obviously also a popular nocturnal pursuit. Last year we highlighted how the travel industry had woken up to the opportunities offered by a rise in “sleep retreats.” This trend continues to grow with what the Hilton Trends Report dubbed “Sleep Tourizzzm 2.0: The Next Sleep Cycle.”  The report highlighted trends like “Hurkle-Durkling,” a Scottish term for just lazing around in bed, a growth in hotels catering to especially sleepy travelers, and wellness retreats that include a sleep component. Wellbeing Escapes is an example of one travel company looking to give its clients a good night’s sleep. “Our clients were coming to us saying they felt generally depleted, and this often seemed to be down to lack of sleep,” its founder told the BBC. “We try to incorporate elements of the local cultures into our sleep programmes.”

7. “Herstory” and other women-focused travel

Condé Nast Traveler reported an uptick in demand from women who want to take part in active travel pursuits on vacation, such as hiking, cycling, and other sports-related activities and adventures. Often this includes traveling as part of a group, including in women-only groups. Adventure travel company Intrepid Travel highlighted a growth in the popularity of all-women adventure groups, with a 37% growth. This is part of a general trend, including the aforementioned “friendtrips,” toward group travel. Condé Nast Traveler also coined the term “herstory” to describe another trend: cultural trips and activities that let people dive into women-focused history and “see the world through a female gaze.”

8. Staying longer

Look for travelers favoring longer stays on vacation in 2025, driven by a desire for more immersive cultural and local experiences while also enjoying time to just kick back and relax. This has also been referred to as “slow travel.” Examples include the continued rise of “skillcations” and other trends mentioned earlier, a desire to experience a destination like a local, and the popularity of train travel as both a means to travel and see more of a destination. 

9. Racketeering

“Racketeering,” a trend coined by Globetrender, describes the rising popularity of playing racket sports such as tennis, pickleball and padel while on holiday. As well as being fun activities people want to take part in during their downtime, racket sports is an example of learning a new skill on vacation. Some luxury resorts have built new facilities and offer coaching and tournaments to cater to the popularity of these sports. Tour companies are also getting in on the act: Pickleball in Paradise is an example of a travel company that caters to fans of this growing sport. 

10. Avoiding the crowds

Expedia’s travel trends report calls the trend toward seeking out less well-known, and therefore less crowded, destinations “detour destination” travel. These include places that are an easy side-trip from more popular destinations, such as Reims in France (from Paris), Brescia in Italy (from Milan), and Cozumel in Mexico (from Cancun). Tour operators can cater to this trend by offering add-on tours or adding less well-known locales to their destination list. Less crowded destinations can offer that relaxation and de-stressing element many travelers seek, while also providing a rewarding holiday to somewhere different.

11. JOMO and soft travel 

Move over “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) and the hectic itinerary that often results from it. It’s time for “JOMO,” the Joy of Missing Out. Instead of working through a list of “must-see” attractions and experiences, many travelers in 2026 want to visit more serene, calming destinations, such as a remote cabin or restful beach house, to disconnect and relax. JOMO is part of a broader trend toward “soft travel” that includes things like “forest bathing” to connect with nature, and “digital detox” trips to disconnect with modern life.

12. Time travel

We first highlighted “nostalgia travel” in our 2022 trends report, and it’s still a hit with travelers who want to get away by looking or going back. The Hilton Trends report highlighted how some hotels are offering themed accommodations and experiences to cater to this trend, such as the Aladdin’s Times Square Palace suite in New York. And Condé Nast Traveler reported how Pan American World Airways is  re-launching with a 12-day transatlantic journey in 2025, offering travelers a taste of the golden age of air travel. Other nostalgia-fueled experiences could simply involve revisiting the scenes of happy memories, such as childhood holiday and honeymoon destinations. Globetrender called this trend, especially popular with middle-aged Millennials, “New Heydays.” During what could be a volatile 2026, vacationing in the past could be a popular way to get away from it all. 

13. “Goccassions” and sports tourism

Travelers in 2026 will still want to combine their love of a particular sport or sports team with their passion for travel. The Business Research Company projected the global sports tourism market to grow from $583.14 billion to $649.73 billion. A sporting or other event can provide a reason for people to visit a particular location, even if they don’t have tickets, to sample the atmosphere and explore the sights. In travel circles, these trips are sometimes called “goccassions.” And 2026 is stacked—it’s one of those rare years where multiple mega-events overlap across continents, making it huge for both sports fans and travel experiences. We have the FIFA World Cup, the Winter Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, the World Baseball Classic and the Rugby League World Cup, among many others.

14. Gigtripping

Another type of gocassion is a travel trend that has been music to the ears of the travel industry for a couple of years now: “gigtripping.” For example, “swifties” flocked to cities hosting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour during 2024. CN Traveler called this the Swift Effect, as people travel to one-off gigs to see their favourite performer, as well as to established (e.g., Glastonbury in the UK and Coachella in the US) and new (e.g. Untold in Romania) multi-day music festivals. It’s yet another example of the broader trend of travelers seeking more immersive and memorable experiences during their vacation time.

15. Quiet travel and “calmcations”

Not everyone is looking for a transformational outcome from their vacation; many simply want to unwind and enjoy some quality “me time.” Continuing on from the 2024 and 2025 trends that saw more and more people wanting to unplug and recover from a busy world, we now have “calmcations.” These are holidays and quiet escapes that encourage travelers to leave their devices at home and embrace a quieter, unplugged approach to vacationing. This could include spending time immersed in nature to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being or even renting a tech-free cabin to hide away from all the digital and other noise for a while.   

16. Coolcations and “not so hot” spots

In the wake of rising temperatures and an increase in the number and intensity of wildfires in parts of North America, Europe and around the world, keeping cool is still likely to be top of mind for many travelers in 2026. Even among those who typically seek out the sun for their vacation. This has seen a trend toward people seeking out “not so hot” spots for their summer break. The BBC reported how one travel company saw a large increase in bookings to cooler countries like Finland and Norway. The desire to stay cool can even extend to the “noctourism” trend mentioned above, as nighttime activities can offer an escape from the heat during the day.

These are just a selection of travel business trends for 2026 that could open up new opportunities for your tour business. Want even more? This year, we’re highlighting more new global travel trends worth noting. And here are a few suggestions for how you could take advantage of them in your travel business.

How to take advantage of innovative tourism business ideas

In an ever-evolving landscape of travel and tourism, the trends for 2026 reflect a desire for authenticity, sustainability, and immersive experiences. From eco-conscious adventures to culinary escapades and everything in between, travelers are spoilt for choice when it comes to exploring the world in new and exciting ways. Embracing these trends promises to enrich the travel experience and create lasting memories for adventurers of all kinds.

The key to taking advantage of these innovative tourism business ideas and other tourism industry trends is to always be thinking of your next profitable business opportunity. Here are a few ways to keep on top of what’s new and interesting in the travel business:

Maintain an ideas file

Include those “out there” trends that seem absurd the first time you hear them. Think about some recent innovations that would have been dismissed with a laugh not that long ago: Self-driving cars, passenger space travel, drone deliveries… Even that Holy Grail of futuristic inventions, the personal jetpack, is getting closer to reality. All but the most outlandish trends are worth tracking in case there’s a germ of an idea for a new business opportunity in there. 

Listen to your audience

Hang out in online travel discussion forums, on social media, and in other places where travelers gather to swap notes and ideas or express needs and dreams. You might uncover a new business idea no-one else has come across yet.

Follow your competitors

Monitor what your direct competitors and others in the tourism business are up to. Subscribe to every industry newsletter you can, including those of your competitors, to keep up with emerging trends and help with your business idea generation.

Solicit customer feedback

Be proactive in asking your customers for feedback. Don’t just ask them what they liked and didn’t like about their experience with your company; ask them if there’s anything they would like to do that they currently can’t. 

Invest in the right booking system

It goes without saying that every tour operator should offer online booking and take a mobile-first approach. Not doing both of those things makes taking advantage of the above trends very difficult. The customer experience starts the moment they enter your website. Online booking enables them to easily browse, book, and pay for tours anytime and from is anywhere. Learn more about how Rezgo’s booking software is tailor-made for adventure companies.

At Rezgo, we always have our ear to the ground when it comes to the latest tourism trends and business opportunities. Rezgo’s booking software is a comprehensive platform that enables you to become a more profitable business. It can also help you future-proof your business so you can develop and grow as the tourism industry changes. Book a demo or sign up for free and start using Rezgo today!

The post 16 Innovative Tourism Business Ideas and Trends for 2026 appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

You love your tour offerings. Your staff are great too. But what do your customers think? You can get a rough idea from reviews and repeat bookings but besides that, it can be hard to tell how guests really feel about their experience with you. 

That’s where guest satisfaction surveys come in. 

With a guest survey, you can gather feedback about your business that you might not get otherwise. Most guests have opinions, but they may not feel comfortable or motivated to share them in reviews or face to face.

The valuable insights you get from surveys can then help you improve customer experience, reduce bad reviews, and increase repeat bookings and word-of-mouth referrals. Ultimately, your future customers will be happier, and your bottom line will be, too. 

Here’s how to get started with guest surveys and get the most out of them.

Creating Effective Surveys 

Let’s start with how to craft an effective guest satisfaction survey and some survey response tips to encourage guests to respond. 

Decide on Your Goals 

The first step to creating a guest satisfaction survey is to figure out what you want to learn about. 

That could be your:

• Booking process
• Tour or activity customer service
• Guides 
• Value for money 

It’s okay to have more than one goal, but knowing what you want to focus on will help you refine your questions.

Write Your Questions 

Once you know the kind of information you want, consider the best way to gather feedback from guests on these topics. 

You can choose from: 

• Binary questions: These are questions with a yes or no answer, such as “would you recommend this tour to friends and family?” 
• Multiple-choice questions: This could include questions like “how would you rate the value for money of this tour” followed by five options ranging from “very bad value” to “very good value.” 
• Open-ended questions: This could include questions like “how did you find the quality of your tour guide?” followed by a space for guests to give an answer in their own words.

Binary and multiple-choice questions are quick and easy for guests. They’re useful for gauging overall sentiment, but the insights are more limited. 

On the other hand, guests may be more reluctant to answer open-ended questions but, when they do, the answers can be much more useful as they provide more nuanced information about your business’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Consider making your survey a mix of all types of questions. 

Keep It Short and Simple 

Survey length is also important. Too short and you won’t gather enough meaningful information to work with. Too long and guests won’t want to fill it out. Data from survey platform SurveyMonkey shows the drop-off rate of surveys increases with each additional question you ask.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule here, but consider making your survey concise, taking only a few minutes to complete.

As well as considering the overall length, be sure to use clear and simple language when writing your questions. Avoid complex questions that could turn guests off from answering, and avoid double-barrelled questions that could muddy your data. 

For example, a multiple-choice question like “how would you rate the booking process and tour guides?” is really asking two different things. It would confuse customers and won’t provide you with any useful data as you won’t know what they’re rating exactly. 

Example Survey Questions 

To gather meaningful customer feedback for tour operators, consider questions like:

• How satisfied were you with your tour? Very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied. 
• How would you rate your tour guide? Excellent, good, average, poor, very poor. 
• How easy was the booking process? Very easy, easy, neutral, difficult, very difficult. 
• How did you feel about the pace of the tour? Too slow, just right, too fast. 
• Would you recommend this tour to friends or family? Yes or no. 
• What did you like most about your experience? 
• Do you feel like anything is missing from this tour? 
• Do you have any suggestions for how we could improve? 

You can also take this opportunity to ask guests how they heard about your business. This can give you great insights into whether you’re getting word-of-mouth referrals or results from your social media marketing or search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. 

Consider Survey Software Tools 

You can use software tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms to create your survey. Some tools offer custom branding, analytics features, or skip logic. 

Skip logic moves guests through custom flows based on their answers. For example, if a guest says they wouldn’t recommend your business to friends and family, an additional open-ended question box could appear asking why. This question wouldn’t appear if a guest says they would recommend your business.  

One final tip: Make sure your survey works well on mobile to increase the odds of guests completing it. Nothing stops a responder in their tracks quicker than a poorly formatted survey that won’t open on their mobile device.

Distributing Surveys for Maximum Response 

Now that you’ve got your survey ready, it’s time to send it. The ideal time to send a survey is soon after a guest finishes their tour or activity — think right after or one to two days after at the most. The experience will still be fresh in guests’ minds, so they’ll be more receptive to providing feedback.

You can send your survey via: 

• Email 
• Text message
• Whatsapp 

If you already send a thank-you message, this would be the ideal place to add a link to a guest survey. With Rezgo, you can set up messages that automatically go out to guests after their tour or activity is complete. 

If appropriate, staff could ask guests to fill out a survey once a tour is done by handing out a QR code. You can experiment to find out which method gets you the most responses. 

Even with a short survey, you’re still asking for some of your guests’ time, so you might need to offer an incentive to encourage responses. 

Go for something small enough that it won’t impact your bottom line, but big enough that it’ll get guests motivated to open and complete your survey.

A survey incentive could be: 

• A 10% discount on future bookings 
• Entry into a prize draw to win a free tour or activity upgrade 
• Entry into a prize draw to win a gift card for a local coffee shop or online retailer 

You can try one incentive and monitor your response rate to see if it increases, then switch it up if needed. The excitement of a prize draw may also increase newsletter sign-ups or social media followers. 

Analysing Survey Results 

The results are in! Now it’s time to see what your guests think. Refer back to the goals you had before starting your survey and see if you can get some answers. 

First, you can analyse data from your binary and multiple-choice questions to discover the overall sentiment toward different aspects of your business. For example, you might find out that 70% of responders said the pace of their tour was too fast, giving you great feedback to act on. 

You can then go through answers to your open-ended questions and look for common themes. You might notice your tour guides are always praised for their warm personalities and humor or that a few customers mentioned your kayaks are getting a little old. 

If you notice a question is often skipped, consider why this could be — perhaps it’s too long or complicated — and make tweaks to improve your response rate. 

Make it a habit to check survey responses regularly and compare data to see the impact of any changes you’re making in your business.

Taking Action Based on Feedback

To make the most of guest satisfaction surveys, consider how you can use the data you have to improve your business. 

With positive feedback, you can double down on what you’re good at, reward top-performing team members to boost morale, and include new themes in your marketing to drive bookings. 

For example, if you discover guests love the scenic coastal drive to your vineyard, you can include that in your wine tasting tour description as a selling point. 

With negative feedback, you can address common problems to improve tour reviews and increase customer satisfaction going forward. You can also carefully share poor customer service feedback with staff and use it to train or support team members. 

Finally, let your guests know you’ve listened to their feedback and made changes. This helps them feel heard, increasing trust and fostering brand loyalty. You could do this via social media or in your newsletter, for example, by announcing a change you’ve made based on customer feedback.

Final Thoughts

Guest satisfaction surveys are a great tool to discover what your customers really think about your tour or activity business. If you’ve never tried surveying guests before, start small and test different questions, incentives, and distribution methods to see what gets you the most responses and useful data. 

With the insights you get, you can improve your offerings and customer experience, attracting more bookings from guests new and old. 

The post How to Get the Most Out of Guest Satisfaction Surveys appeared first on Rezgo.

First, what is an OTA? OTAs are online platforms that provide a single place where people can search for travel products and experiences. This allows them to compare prices and travel experiences and make informed decisions. For tour operators, they open up opportunities to connect to a global audience.

You’ll find many benefits to listing your business on OTAs. Listing will instantly increase your visibility and lead to more bookings.

These two benefits alone make OTAs a critical tool for tour operators and vacation rental managers. And when they’re used in combination with a channel manager like Rezgo, your operations become quick, streamlined and effective.

Discover how OTAs work and how to get started in our latest article.

How Do OTAs Work?

Let’s look behind the scenes and learn how OTAs can help you sell more tours.

To get started with an OTA, you’ll need to create listings of your tours or activities on the booking platform.

Travelers look for services using the OTA’s search engine, according to their criteria. If they choose to book one of your services, they can do so through the platform. For each booking made this way, you’ll pay the host a commission.

The simplest way for you to manage listings and bookings and keep track of commission and other data is through a channel manager like Rezgo.

It’s an excellent choice since it integrates with top OTAs, allowing users to make direct bookings with ease.

Customers get a positive experience thanks to the easy booking process. Meanwhile, tour operators can use the reporting tools to see bookings made through OTAs and calculate commissions easily.

Top OTAs for Tour and Activity Operators

There’s a whole world of online travel agencies out there. To help you decide which are the best OTAs for your offering, discover our top picks:

• Viator: This is considered the world’s biggest online platform for tours and activities. Since Viator shares listings with its partners, you’ll get exposure on other sites too. Another reason to choose Viator is that it works perfectly for curated tours. Its platform makes it easy for travellers to pick out what they want to do, according to type. For example, you can choose tours for foodies, adventurers or learners.
• GetYourGuide: This platform is the obvious choice for global travellers. It claims to offer the world’s largest selection of activities, so wherever users are travelling to, they’re guaranteed to find a tour at their destination.
• Klook: Klook is the go-to platform for the Asia-Pacific market. It specializes in tours and experiences in this region as well as other international destinations. This platform offers useful suggestions and inspiration to help customers make their decisions.
• Project Expedition: For niche experiences, Project Expedition has you covered. Travellers looking for unusual or immersive experiences, such as dog sledding or gold panning, head over here.
• DoIreland: As its name suggests, DoIreland offers tours and activities in Ireland. It gives suggestions by region, type of activity, top destinations and more, making it easy to plan a trip to the Emerald Isle.
• Musement: Musement is the ultimate platform for anyone who loves cultural attractions, including museums and art galleries. Customers can book attractions all over the world, and there’s a firm focus on educational experiences.

Many of these OTAs integrate smoothly with booking platforms, so it’s easy for tour operators to start growing their business without delay.

Choosing the Right OTA for Your Business

There are plenty of online travel agencies to choose from, so how do you decide which ones are right for your business? These are the factors to check out:

• Target audience: Identify who the OTA is aimed at, whether that’s adventure seekers, families or cultural tourists.
• Type of offerings: What kind of services does the OTA support? These could be tours, activities or vacation rentals, for instance.
• Geographic reach: Ensure that the OTA offers bookings in your geographic area.
• Commission fees and listing costs: These can vary platform to platform, and some can be quite high. Check for hidden costs and ensure that total fees match your budget.

Maximize Bookings on OTAs

To get the best out of your partnership with your chosen OTAs, here’s what you can do to maximize bookings:

• Optimize your listings with quality images and descriptions. Include keywords in your title and description to improve search engine results.
• Encourage customer reviews to build credibility. Manage your reviews by setting up alerts for new entries and responding promptly.
• Use dynamic pricing methods to stay competitive. Adjust your prices according to demand to max out on profits.
• Use tools to sync availability and prevent double bookings. A channel manager like Rezgo offers centralized availability tracking to avoid this from happening.
• Track analytics to refine your OTA strategy. Choose Rezgo for data and reporting features that allow you to understand and improve your business.

FAQs About Using OTAs for Your Business

How do I avoid double bookings on multiple OTAs?

Use a channel manager like Rezgo with a centralized availability tracking feature to avoid double bookings.

What are the typical commission rates?

Commission rates can vary between 15% and 30% (or more) for the biggest OTAs and can be as low as 4% for the more niche platforms. It’s best to check with each OTA individually as part of your research.

Can I list on multiple OTAs at once?

Yes, you can! To keep track of bookings and avoid overbooking and double bookings, manage your OTAs through Rezgo.

How can I optimize my listings for better rankings?

• Use high-quality descriptions and visuals.
• Optimize your titles and descriptions for search engines.
• Employ competitive and dynamic pricing techniques.
• Participate in OTA promotions and campaigns.
• Display recent customer reviews and ratings.

The post Top OTAs for Tour Operators: How to Get Started appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

These days, more travelers are discovering and booking tours online. According to Research and Markets, the online travel booking market size grew by 12.7% last year. If you’re an online tour operator, you need the right features to help you make the most of this trend.

Google Things to Do is a tool specifically designed for the tours and activities industry, helping them reach millions more customers. It works in Google Search and Maps, so travelers can find activities of interest and book directly with the provider.

Let’s talk about the benefits of Google Things to Do and how it works. We’ll look at how to get started and increase your direct bookings through Google Things to Do listings and show you how an online booking system like Rezgo works with your Google Business Profile to grow your business and boost your bookings.

The Unique Benefits of Google Things to Do

Google Things to Do presents a host of benefits to tour and activity operators. It works alongside your Google Business Profile. It centers on direct tour and activity integration rather than your business’s general online presence so that you stay focused on achieving specific goals.

Compared to other channels, Google Things to Do is a game-changer for tour operators. It reaches travellers actively looking for experiences, especially those doing last-minute or in-destination searches. So, it captures customers at a point when they’re ready to book, increasing sales effortlessly.

Google Things to Do offers users a seamless journey, going from search engine to discovery to booking in just a few steps. Its simplicity and effectiveness make it attractive to both consumers and tour operators alike.

How Google Things to Do Works

Google Things to Do focuses on searched-for “points of interest” or POIs. These could be famous landmarks such as Niagara Falls or the Statue of Liberty. They could also be local attractions like parks or art galleries. Searches might be specific (“whale watching in Vancouver”) or more general (“activities near me”).

Search results appear after an organic search, in Google Maps or on travel-focused panels. Customers can then click through to options to buy tickets for the POI or for tours that are similar or nearby. They’ll also find useful information about opening hours and facilities at the attraction.

For optimal visibility, you can integrate Things to Do with with booking software like Rezgo. This allows travelers to make a quick and direct booking, improving their experience and helping you close the deal.

Getting Started with Google Things to Do

When you choose a connectivity partner like Rezgo to help you work with Google Things to Do, the first step is to load your inventory into the platform.

With the right booking software, you can load individual tours, events and activities, as well as bookable options. For example, if one of your tours is available in the morning and afternoon, you could create two different bookable options for that inventory. You can set your pricing and availability, along with automations to adjust dynamic pricing and availability.

Google connects with the information you have inputted and pulls out your specific data when a potential customer makes a search.

When writing your items or tour listings, spend some time optimizing them. They should sound both specific and enticing. Add relevant phrases like “kid-friendly” or “private tours,” so the customer knows what to expect and so you can find the right market for your tours.

Use strong imagery in your description to capture the experience. For example, if you’re offering a tour to Niagara Falls, instead of saying “Sail to Niagara Falls waterfall,” you could write: “Experience the majesty of the Falls. Feel the fresh spray and hear the roar of energy as you get a close-up view of one of the wonders of the world.”

Finally, make sure your pricing and availability information are accurate for the best possible booking experience.

Increase Direct Bookings Through Google Things to Do

Once you’re set up, you’ll want to get Google Things to Do to work straight away to increase your bookings. Here’s what you need to know:

• Understand customer intent.  You’ll need to cater to a range of traveller types, from those who plan their trips months ahead to spontaneous bookers. So, for last-minute bookers, you can use phrases such as “what to do in Toronto today.”
• Leverage seasonal trends.  Do this by tailoring your offerings and highlighting seasonal experiences during peak travel periods, such as offering trips to Christmas markets in December.
• Promote your unique selling points (USPs). Consider what sets your tours apart. Are they eco-friendly? Do they provide special access? Make sure you include these features in your descriptions.
• Encourage real-time reviews. Positive customer feedback influences bookings, so make sure current, complementary reviews are highly visible. Engage with reviews so potential customers can see you care about your customer experience.
• Use tools to measure listings’ performance. Enable analytics tools that help you understand metrics like how many clicks are coming from Google Things to Do. Monitor conversion rates and adjust your offerings or pricing accordingly.
• Employ strategies for testing your listings.  This will help you experience the booking process from the point of view of potential customers. Try out different versions to see which works best.

The Rezgo Advantage with Google Things to Do

If you’re looking for a cloud-based booking and management system that integrates seamlessly with Google Things to Do, Rezgo’s tour booking software is a great choice. By managing your tour and activity inventory through Rezgo and integrating Google Things to Do, you simplify your availability management and increase your visibility, which increases your bookings in turn.

Rezgo’s customers have been thriving with Google Things To Do. According to Craig Dodge, Director Emeritus of Sales & Marketing for Phare, The Cambodian Circus, using Google Things To Do with Rezgo has been great for Phare’s business.

“Off the top of my head, it would be insanity not to [use Rezgo’s Google Things to Do integration]. Any time we can get on multiple spots of Google search results is a good thing,” he says.

Dodge explains that Phare’s goal is to appear on the first Search Engine Result Page (SERP) as many times as possible. To do so, his team uses website optimization, Google Ads, a regularly updated Google Business Profile, and Google Things to Do, and they regularly encourage and engage with customer reviews.

“By doing these five things, Phare Circus’s direct sales rock!” he adds. By prioritizing these services, including Google Things to Do, Phare’s direct online sales for 2024 are 4.6 times higher than its top-selling DMC, and higher than the sales it gets from its nine top-selling partners combined.

And it’s been a savvy financial decision for Phare as well, as Dodge explains. “Maximizing direct online sales saves Phare a ton of money that would have been paid on commissions, even after considering the online booking fee, credit card merchant account fee and Google ads.” It’s not a small difference, either. Dodge estimates the commission fees for Phare’s OTAs and resellers average around 22 percent, while the costs associated with direct bookings are closer to 6 percent.

If you’re a tour operator looking to grow, Rezgo is your must-use tool. Customers can book the activities they want to do quickly and securely via Google Things to Do in an intuitive, streamlined process.

And as an operator, you’ll benefit from a flexible platform that helps you increase your direct bookings while taking the headaches out of pricing and availability management.

Book a demo to learn more about how Rezgo works with Google Things To Do and start optimizing your bookings today!

The post How to Get Direct Tour Bookings with Google Things to Do appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Picture this: Your high season is a distant memory and your tour business has been in its quieter months for some time. As the low season winds down, now is the moment to shift gears and focus on ramping up for the busy season ahead. 

Rather than coasting through your final stretch of downtime, this period serves as the perfect opportunity to set the stage for your most successful high season yet, by harnessing the power of early-season and pre-season bookings. In doing so, you generate a steady cash flow throughout the year, reduce off-season downtime, and maintain business stability even during your slower months. 

This article looks at strategies you can use in marketing, promotions, partnerships, and operational readiness to ensure a strong start to the season. We also provide tour business marketing tips to boost tour bookings ahead of your peak season.

Get Your Business Ready

As part of your travel season prep, your first step will be to ensure all operational areas of your business are in tip-top shape by conducting pre-season tour marketing. 

This includes reviewing your website, optimizing your existing booking software, as well as ensuring any visuals placed throughout your communication channels are up to date. Let’s dive into each of these areas a bit more.

Update Your Website

Your website should act as a reliable friend to your customers – it’s engaging, yet easily interactive and helpful in solving their problems. It should also be accessible, no matter your potential tour-goers’ computer or mobile device.

Displaying your latest tour offerings and available capacity in a clear manner helps your guests make informed decisions about their excursions. It also reduces friction or frustration in the event of sold-out tours and minimizes the risk of a poor user experience. 

Tools like Google Analytics determine your website visitors’ behaviour and overall website performance. This further assists when updating your website, in turn generating even more traffic from potential customers.

Optimize Your Booking Software

A vital part of your tech stack, tour booking software ensures smooth booking experiences for your tour-goers. It also needs to be mobile-optimized, so it’s responsive for guests on the go. 

Choose a tour booking software featuring an all-in-one platform for centralized management, that offers a user-friendly interface for any staff members updating your tour listings.

Refresh Visuals

Part of your website experience and overall tour booking process is about helping guests to visualize their excursion with you. Create this experience by updating your website’s photos and videos to reflect upcoming tours. 

Promote Early Booking Incentives

Give your early bird customers a sweet deal by promoting early booking incentives like discounts, deals, and exclusive offers. 

Let’s explore in more detail how these elements can boost bookings during your pre-season and prep your calendar well in advance for a busy season full of bookings.

Provide Discounts and Deals

By offering early bird discounts or bundled packages, you not only reward early bookings but you also encourage potential tour-goers to make their reservations ahead of time, to save their seat and recoup funds otherwise spent paying your full tour costs.

Set up early bird promo codes and utilize strong preseason calls-to-action strategically throughout your website to ensure you capture early bird bookings.

Create Seasonal Travel Offers

Entice tour-goers to book with you during the off-season and prepare for the high-season by offering unique excursion experiences only available during the early season. 

Promoting the exclusivity of tour offerings like discounted upsells and add-ons or free food and beverages as part of your packages is a great strategy for ensuring you have a balance of bookings throughout your low and high seasons. 

Furthermore, emphasizing limited time-offers generates urgency around your tour packages and encourages potential guests to purchase their excursions well in advance of their trips.

Launch Marketing Campaigns

So many marketing channels, so little time! Experiment with different opportunities by engaging with followers on social media, running email marketing campaigns, or testing out paid advertising tactics like Google Ads to see what works best for your tour operator business.

Harness Email Marketing

Email marketing connects you with your existing customers and new, potential tour-goers. From website sign-ups to click-throughs and calls-to-action via your social channels, email marketing is an ideal tactic to not only nurture potential leads, but also send compelling discounts, highlight tour offerings, and ensure your brand and company remains top of mind. 

Use email marketing to generate excitement ahead of your high season using customer testimonials, stunning visuals, or enticing videos. Or, highlight the benefits of joining a tour during your low-season, such as less crowds, more personalized experiences, and cheaper rates.

Hop on Social Media

Pre-season is the best time to post across your social media channels, engage existing followers, as well as build and maintain new audiences. Tour countdowns and behind-the-scenes posts are all fantastic ways to hook your audiences in, learn about your tour operating company, and generate excitement for their upcoming excursion with you.

Customer testimonials and reviews also serve as important social proof to your followers, often serving as a determinant for guests deciding to book with you or your competitor. Prepping canned responses to customer reviews (both good and bad!), cuts down on response times and showcases your customer service staff as responsive, reliable, and courteous.

Use Google Ads and Retargeting

Optimizing your tour booking site to align with search engine priorities can position your tour company among top search queries, improving your chances of tour-goers booking with you the closer you are to the top of Google’s search results.

However, there’s another way to use Google to your advantage, through paid advertising. This tactic targets your past customers and similar audiences through Google ads. These customer demographics are great for targeting during your slower booking months. Tour goers are likely already familiar with your brand and the tour experience you provide, increasing the likelihood of booking again with you and generating repeat business.

Encourage Repeat and Referral Business

Your existing or previous tour-goers will likely be a demographic you’ll lean on heavily during your off-season to generate early bookings. They understand your services and the experience you generate, so they know what to expect and can be a great audience to encourage repeat and referral business.

Loyalty Programs

Offering discounts or perks to your returning guests is a great way to reward them for their loyalty to your business. Take it a step further by creating a tailored loyalty program that rewards them with smaller discounts for every package booked, and a larger deal after every five or even 10 bookings

These exclusive incentives generate recognition and appreciation for your customers and encourage them to return soon.

Referral Bonuses

A loyal guest is more likely to refer their friends or family to you for their tour booking needs. As a thank-you, reward those customers with referral bonuses, offering select discounts to apply to their future tour bookings. 

Or, grant special upgrades for their next excursion, like free meals for all-day tours, additional time for activities like kayak rentals, and more.

Leverage Partnerships and Local Networks

Your greatest allies in your bid to generate pre-season bookings are often local businesses, community tourism boards, and similar organizations. By leveraging local partnerships and networks, you generate business opportunities during your low season, in anticipation of early bookings for the high season.

Partner with Local Businesses

A closer look at your Chamber of Commerce or region’s business directory will likely reveal countless mutually beneficial partnerships to drum up foot traffic for your business, convert potential customers, and increase sales. 

Sources for collaboration include:

• Local community organizations and nonprofits.
• Retail stores and boutiques.
• Fitness centers and wellness studios.
• Professional services like banks or real estate agencies.

By partnering with these, as well as entities beyond the realm of tourism, you diversify your partnerships and generate more eyes for your tour services.

Join Tourism Boards

A quick Google search will easily reveal your region’s local tourism boards and initiatives. Consider joining, volunteering, or organizing events with these outlets to help generate word-of-mouth interest for your tour company, while at the same time giving back to your community.

Off season is also prime time for local events and festivals too. Utilize these avenues to your advantage by signing up and participating. Offer exclusive tours and activity deals as part of your tour packages for anyone who stops by your booth during these events.

Your Best Season Yet with Rezgo

Begin planning your pre-season marketing now, testing different strategies along the way to see what works for you, and continually optimizing your various communications channels and platforms. 

By taking action early and building momentum through ample preparation and promotion before the peak season, you set yourself up for a profitable and successful start for your next high season.

The post Proven Strategies to Boost Early-Season Bookings for Your Tours and Activities appeared first on Rezgo.

Improved VAT Support: 

Rezgo now offers VAT support as a distinct part of our Taxes & Fees system. By adding VAT in your settings, your customers will be shown prices that include VAT, with additional details showing how much of the price it’s responsible for. Booking reports will also include it as its own field rather than including it in your total taxes and fees, making it easier to manage your accounting.

When you set up VAT, remember to exclude it from your inventory pricing, as it will be added to your retail prices automatically.

System-Wide Taxes and Fees:

Along with the update to VAT, we’ve overhauled Rezgo’s Taxes and Fees section. Now you can add taxes and fees as a system-wide setting that’s applied to everything you sell through Rezgo. If you need to collect unique fees for particular events, you can still do that by configuring line items at the inventory level, too.

When you add system-wide taxes and fees, don’t forget to remove any existing line items for them so you don’t double charge your customers.

Multiple Waivers for Individual Bookings

Do you offer rentals that are used by more than one person? Good news: you can now ask for as many waivers as you need on each booking you get.

For example, if you rent out double kayaks, you’d probably want them booked by kayak, not by the number of people in the kayak. But previously, that would mean that Rezgo would only send out one waiver to be signed. Now, you can set the number of waivers by price tier, so your single kayak price tier could ask for one waiver, while your double kayak price tier (or option) could ask for two.  

Your double kayaks, tandem bikes, and other multi-seated rentals will all be much easier to manage through Rezgo with this change.

Disabling Billing Addresses

If you don’t need to collect a billing address when your customer checks out, you no longer need to.You can streamline your checkout by disabling billing address collection in your system settings.

Just remember to check with your payment gateway first – if they require billing addresses and you disable them, your customers’ payments may stop going through. 

We’ve also simplified the checkout process. Previously, customers were asked for their name and email address as part of their guest information, then asked again when it was time to pay. Since these weren’t recorded separately, it was an unnecessary extra step for your customers. Now they only need to fill that information out once.

Other Recent Updates: 

Over the holidays, we also released Rezgo 12.20. You can find the full list of changes here, but here are some highlights:

• Dynamic pricing rule triggers: Dynamic pricing is improved with new rules that trigger based on total booked passengers and remaining availability.
• Custom domain improvements: Configuring a custom domain and sending notifications from your own domain have both been simplified.
• Quick rules: Creating common rules like blackout dates and promo codes is faster with quick rule buttons.

And more:

Rezgo’s 12.20 and 12.21 updates contain other minor improvements and fixes, as our team is always working to improve your Rezgo experience. Check out the release notes for more details!

The post Rezgo Update 12.21: Improved VAT, Taxes, Waivers, and More appeared first on Rezgo.

In This Article

Nothing’s more exciting than planning a trip. That’s why people spend over five hours on social media researching their next destination.

Part of that research? Everything others are saying about their experience—travelers “happy with their tour,” overcoming their “fear of snorkeling,” sharing photos for their “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” etc.

These are not just keywords. They’re social proof tour operators can use to change their offers and learn more about what people want.

In this article, we’re exploring how tour operators and activity providers can use social proof like guest reviews and testimonials to significantly boost bookings. At the end, you’ll know just how to ask for feedback and add social proof into your next marketing strategy.

Why does social proof matter for tour operators?

It’s not just the tourism industry. It’s human nature. 

While there are various ways in which you can get a person’s trust, one of them is through genuine recommendations. Simply put, people prefer to make a purchase when they have some sort of recommendation coming from others (strangers included!).

That’s exactly why using social proof in the tourism business is worth it: It taps into the very essential mechanism behind how a traveler makes a decision. By convincing people to analyze an offer, the mere existence of online reviews and testimonials builds trust by getting rid of common fears such as getting scammed or not enjoying the experience. 

Depending on where you decide to promote your tours, activities, or events, how many reviews you have also plays into the algorithm for each tour platform. The more (and preferably the better) reviews you have, the higher your chances are to increase your visibility and improve conversions. 

How well do reviews serve as social proof?

Things have changed in time though. With new websites popping up every day, people have started to become more careful when it comes to believing just about anything they read online. So travel websites have adapted to fight this and give customers safe and real reviews. 

Some platforms, like Tripadvisor, now mark reviews they’ve checked or add disclaimers on their trust and safety policies:

But a single bad review can deter consumers. So your main goal with building on social proof should remain to get as many positive reviews as possible. 

On the same note on the importance of reviews for bookings, positive reviews act as endorsements from previous customers, validating the quality of a service. Studies show that consumers are willing to pay 31% more to book with businesses that have favorable reviews.

This trend emphasizes the need for tour operators to not only gather reviews but also ensure they’re consistently updated. 

If you’re not actively managing your listings and the social proof attributed to them, you risk ending up with fake reviews from people who didn’t even purchase your services. You also miss out on an opportunity to address potential customer concerns and a “ghost” listing can make it seem like you don’t care about your customers in the first place.

How can you make the most of your reviews and social proof

Before all else, focus on getting that social proof out there. We’ve noticed this is most often going to be a lot of manual effort from your end, especially if you don’t have a booking system that can automate some of the process. You’ll have to personally encourage past customers to leave a review following an experience. You can send them an email to do this or–depending on your platform’s terms– incentivize them to leave some form of social proof in exchange for a gift or promo code. 

But don’t worry. Doing the heavy lifting is perfectly normal. And so is the review management process.  

One of the core best practices for managing reviews for bookings is always keeping an eye on them and making a list of the best ones. You can choose to highlight top reviews on your website and promotional emails or repurpose them for ads and extensive user-generated content (UGC) campaigns.

Testimonial examples on group tour seller website

Not sure which reviews to prioritize? Think about your core priorities. For instance, you can use the highlights to answer common questions prospective customers might have. Similarly, you can pick testimonials that remove fears customers often mention or give more insights into what the experience truly is like.

Don’t forget about interacting with your customers by responding to their reviews.

Here comes the hard part: You have to respond to negative reviews too. We recommend creating an emergency response plan that will tell your customer support team how to answer different negative scenarios (e.g. person not happy with the tour, somebody complaining about not being able to get in touch with you).

You should also follow up on these reviews to make the most out of the social proof you have. For instance, if reviews point out the tour was too short, it’s time to consider switching up the tour’s timeline and talk to the guide to improve your offering. 

Example of how to respond to a negative review on Google Maps

Got a client who’s very, very happy? Reach out to them and ask for something extra like a video or social proof in exchange for a small reward.

Video testimonial used as extra social proof by tour agency

Tip: While you want to stay consistent as you’re building your own brand, don’t keep things boring. Opt for social proof formats that define your business. This gourmet cycling tour provider, for instance, opted to make a quick video during the actual tour to capture real-time feelings:

How Rezgo’s integrated review management tools help

Tour operators can use Rezgo’s reputation management solution to manage reviews from a single place. Its built-in verified review system lets you gather and showcase reviews on your booking websites. 

Whenever a customer takes part in your tour, Rezgo automatically sends them a review request on behalf of your business. You’ll get to see the reviews that come in on your booking site so you can reply to them directly or hide text in case incorrect or personal information was shared. 

This is a quick way to make sure that valuable customer feedback is visible to potential clients and playing its part in increasing your brand’s visibility. ​

Book a free demo today to start gathering authentic customer reviews for your own tours and activities!

The post Social Proof for Tour Operators: How Reviews and Testimonials Can Drive Tour Bookings appeared first on Rezgo.

However, simply listing your tours isn’t enough to generate sales. Higher OTA rankings are key to standing out in search results, directly impacting visibility and ultimately boosting bookings and revenue. 

This guide is ideal for business owners in the tour and travel industry who want to optimize their OTA listings and improve OTA rankings to rise above competitors and increase sales.

How OTA Rankings Work

Knowing how online travel agencies rank listings is important for increasing visibility and bookings. They prioritize user experience by ensuring travellers see the most relevant and appealing options first. To achieve this, OTAs use smart algorithms.

Understanding OTA Algorithms

OTA algorithms are designed to match travellers with listings that best meet their needs. The platforms assess relevance, quality, and likelihood of conversion to optimize the user experience. For example, listings with accurate descriptions, positive reviews, and good prices are more likely to appear higher in OTA search results.

Factors Influencing Rankings

There are a number of factors that can improve OTA rankings. Common ones include customer reviews, response rates, and listing completeness, as well as pricing accuracy and engagement levels. A listing with lots of glowing reviews, reasonable pricing, and quick response times tends to rank higher than one without these qualities.

Different Approaches by Each OTA

While factors are similar across OTAs, every online travel agency has a unique approach to determining rankings. Viator, for instance, may weigh reviews and booking volume more heavily, whereas GetYourGuide might focus more on pricing and availability. You can consult platform-specific guides for detailed information.

Core Ranking Principles Across Platforms

Despite some differences, certain principles stay consistent across all OTAs, including Expedia, Viator, and GetYourGuide. These include prioritizing customer satisfaction, accurate information, and timely responses to inquiries. By focusing on these fundamentals, your listing can perform well with better OTA rankings and funnel traffic to your direct booking platforms.

Optimizing Your OTA Listing to Boost Rankings

The following strategies can help your business climb the search results and drive more bookings.

A. Complete and Optimize Your Profile

• Use High-Quality Photos: The first thing customers notice is the visuals. Using high-resolution professional images can capture attention instantly. Showcase your tours, unique experiences, and scenic spots to entice potential customers.
• Make Your Descriptions Compelling: Write engaging descriptions that clearly explain what your tour offers. Highlight great features, experiences, and what makes your service special. Avoid lengthy paragraphs — be concise to hold the reader’s interest.
• Provide Accurate and Detailed Information: Ensure your listing includes every detail a traveller might want to know, like availability, tour duration, amenities, and pricing. Missing information can lead to confusion, low OTA rankings, and lost bookings.

B. Encourage Positive Reviews

• Prompt Guests for Feedback: Reviews can make or break your ranking. Encourage customers to leave a review after their experience. A simple follow-up email or a gentle reminder after tours can get you more reviews.
• Respond to Reviews: Show that you care by responding to both positive and negative reviews. Acknowledging feedback, especially complaints, can cultivate trust and improve OTA rankings.
• Leverage Reviews for Rankings and Conversions: Listings with more customer reviews will usually rank better than those with few or no reviews. Having more reviews on your listing also helps with converting visitors.

C. Competitive Pricing

• Keep Prices Updated: OTAs tend to rank listings higher if they consistently provide up-to-date pricing. Also, make sure your pricing strategy matches current rates (particularly during peak seasons) and is competitive within the market. 
• Offer Deals or Discounts: Strategic discounts and limited-time offers can increase your visibility on OTAs. Promotions like early-bird deals or last-minute discounts encourage bookings and can temporarily boost your online travel agency ranking.

D. Maintain a High Response Rate

• Respond to Inquiries Fast: Tourists often have questions before making a booking. Replying promptly builds trust and may also boost your ranking. Many OTAs have response time as an OTA ranking factor.
• Use OTA Management Tools: Managing multiple listings across various platforms can be tough. Tools like Rezgo’s online booking system simplify this process by integrating multiple OTA accounts, so users are always on top of their bookings and customer information.

Improving Conversion Rates to Boost Bookings

Beyond ranking high on OTAs, you want to convert visitors into paying customers. Here are some ways to do that.

A. Provide Accurate and Transparent Information

Accurate and clear information helps set the right expectations and reduces lost sales. Provide up-to-date details about what the tour or activity includes, any restrictions or requirements, and what customers need to bring. Misleading or unclear descriptions can harm your OTA rankings if there are negative reviews.

B. Highlight Unique Selling Points (USPs)

Stand out by showing how your tours are unique. Do you offer exclusive access to landmarks, eco-friendly practices, or small group sizes for a personalized experience? Emphasize these aspects to grab attention.

C. Use an Online Booking Engine Connected With an OTA

An integrated booking engine, like Rezgo, allows customers to book directly from your website, while also centralizing pricing and availability by connecting with OTAs. This decreases booking friction, improving conversions. Rezgo’s price sheets can also help automate tour pricing and simplify online travel agency OTA commission management.

Next Steps

To improve OTA rankings and start increasing bookings, follow these steps:

Assess Your Current OTA Listings

Review your profiles for completeness and accuracy. You don’t want missed opportunities. See to it that you have high-quality visuals and engaging descriptions on your listings.

Check Amenities, Pricing, and Availability Fields

Make the most impactful updates first, focusing on images, descriptions, reviews, pricing, etc. Regularly request reviews and be sure to respond actively. Don’t forget to offer seasonal deals or discounts on tour offerings.

Track and Adjust

Monitor OTA rankings and booking rates vigilantly. Identify what is working and adapt your strategy based on results.

Streamlining operations with tools like Rezgo makes booking easier and helps capture conversions directly from online travel agencies. Investing time in optimizing listings leads to more bookings and more satisfied customers!

The post How to Improve OTA Rankings to Get More Bookings appeared first on Rezgo.

Read on to know more about online booking system requirements to consider. We’ll list the key factors in choosing a booking platform that can help you stimulate bookings, streamline operations, and maximize customer satisfaction.

1. Understand Your Needs and Objectives

The first step in choosing an online booking system is to define what you actually need and want. Identify the essential features you need based on your business model. For example, you may be looking for an online booking process that also allows customer communication and integrates with other tools.

Your chosen booking system should also align with your business goals to support your company’s growth and development. So, the system should help you maximize bookings, improve the customer experience, or streamline your internal processes.

2. Consider Your Budget

The next thing to consider is your budget. Define how much you’re willing to invest in a booking system and compare the potential return on investment. For example, your new system could save time, help increase bookings, or reduce no-shows.

Be careful to identify hidden costs. These could include set-up or transaction fees or costs for additional users or features, taking your chosen system out of your budget.

The Rezgo cloud-based booking and management system has no hidden costs or upfront fees. Our pricing plan is fully transparent with no surprises — you will only pay when you have bookings. You’ll get unlimited users and locations too, so you can make the most of the system without worrying about hidden extras.

3. Ease of Use for Operators and Customers

A booking system that’s intuitive for both staff and customers is non-negotiable. Look for an attractive and user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and is simple to use.

Your chosen system should also offer an efficient booking flow. Ensure it features a quick and seamless booking process in a few simple steps to minimize customer drop-off.

You’ll also need to consider how much training your team will need to operate the system effectively. And think about what technical support is available once you’re up and running. If you’re looking for comprehensive onboarding services, good documentation, and responsive, in-house technical support, you’ll find all these provided by the Rezgo team.

To explore all the ways Rezgo supports user-friendly operations and streamlines the booking experience, visit our main features page.

4. Flexibility and Customization Options

To deliver the best customer service, consider the flexibility and customization options available. Look for systems that allow custom branding, tailored booking flows, or additional options specific to your business needs. Being able to personalize your booking systems also helps you stand out from your competitors.

Online booking software should be configurable too. Confirm that the system you choose allows you to adjust booking policies and provide add-ons and other elements to match your services.

5. Integration with Existing Tools and Systems

Make sure the booking system you choose integrates with your current software. For a seamless experience, your system should link to essential tools like calendar services, OTAs and analytics tools.

Rezgo supports a range of integrations, including WordPress, mobile apps, payment gateways, and OTAs, ensuring that you maximize functionality and enhance your existing features.

Also, consider reporting capabilities for data-driven decisions to help you understand customer behaviour and plan your business’s future.

6. Mobile Compatibility and UX

Don’t forget that many customers book on the go using their phone or other mobile device. For this reason, your chosen booking system should be optimized for use on mobile devices and work glitch-free.

For a great user experience, consider online booking system design. It should be responsive to users’ needs and intuitive, offering easy navigation and a clean, uncluttered look. Simple design will also help your system to load swiftly, a feature that your customers will appreciate.

7. Security and Compliance

Find out what security measures your online booking system has in place. Robust encryption is essential to prevent unauthorized access and keep confidential details like credit card information and personal data safe. Check that your system is compliant with data protection regulations, such as PIPEDA, the Data Protection Act, and GDPR.

Secure payment processing is a must to protect customer information and build trust. Consider systems that offer solutions for secure payment requests for phone or email bookings. Rezgo uses a payment request system where requests can be made for full or partial payment via email or SMS, offering convenience and security in one go.

8. Customer Support and Reliability

Ideally, support is always available, especially during peak booking times. Make sure this is provided as a primary feature of the system you choose. Check whether it offers a range of methods — for example, a choice of email, phone, or live chat support. Support should be knowledgeable and responsive too.

Reliability is another essential feature. Disruptions can cost you customers, so your online booking system should come with uptime and performance guarantees as standard.

Start Optimizing Your Bookings Today

There is certainly a lot to think about when it comes to choosing a dynamic booking system that’s also user-friendly, reliable, and flexible to your needs. Rezgo offers all these qualities and more, thanks to its flexible tools that help you manage your business from anywhere.

Ready to streamline your booking system?  Sign up today to start optimizing your bookings.

The post 8 Things to Consider When Choosing an Online Booking System appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Black Friday is your golden opportunity to boost bookings and fill your calendar well into the coming year. While it’s traditionally seen as a day for discounts on electronics, Black Friday has grown to include travel and experience deals, with more people leaning toward giving and enjoying experiences over material goods. This makes it an ideal time to promote your tours and activities—and with the right strategy, you can stand out and bring in those Black Friday bookings!

Here’s how to make the most of Black Friday with a marketing plan that will help you connect with customers, offer tempting deals, and drive those online bookings.

1. Plan Irresistible Offers in Advance

Setting up a deal that stands out is key to grabbing people’s attention amid the Black Friday frenzy. You don’t want to go overboard–Black Friday bookings should be a money maker, so make sure your bottom line will be protected if your deal is more successful than you expect.

Here are a few low-risk options that work well for experiences:

• Discounts: While you don’t have to slash prices deeply, offering a modest discount (say 10-20%) can be very attractive. Or try bundling discounts for groups, families, or couples. Rezgo’s packaging system can help.

• Limited-time packages: Create special packages only available during Black Friday. These could include add-ons and perks like extra experiences, souvenirs, or added services, making the offer feel exclusive.
• Gift card bonuses: Many holiday shoppers are looking for giftable experiences. Offering a discount on gift cards or offering bonuses on purchases (e.g., spend $100, get a $20 bonus card by email) can encourage people to choose your tours as holiday gifts. And with Rezgo, you can sell custom gift cards for specific experiences to let your customers offer that extra personal touch.
• VIP experiences: For those looking to splurge, create a special Black Friday VIP package that includes exclusive extras—like a private tour, behind-the-scenes access, or even a small meet-and-greet with relevant experts.

2. Get Your Website and Booking System Ready

With more traffic and potential customers on Black Friday, you want your website to be easy to navigate and ready to handle a surge in bookings. That means ensuring that your website host can handle the increased volume, but also ensuring that you’re using a booking system that scales well, like Rezgo.

• Streamline your booking process: Ensure your booking process is intuitive and quick, especially for new customers. If you’re using Rezgo, you’re set up for a smooth, scalable and user-friendly booking flow that makes checkout easy.
• Mobile-friendly design: Many people shop from their phones during Black Friday, so double-check that your site is optimized for mobile. Fast-loading pages and easy navigation are must-haves all year, but they’re especially vital on big sales days.
• Highlight your offers: Don’t make customers hunt for your deals! Feature your Black Friday promotions prominently on your homepage with banners, pop-ups, or buttons directing them to your best offers.
• Special landing page: Creating a unique page just for Black Friday deals can help visitors find everything quickly and easily.

3. Send Effective Email Campaigns

Email is one of the best tools for reaching customers before, during, and after Black Friday. Despite its age, it’s still one of the most effective ways for people to connect with brands online. And customers who’ve already opted into your list

• Tease your deals: Send an email teaser a week or so before Black Friday to get people excited and prepared. Engaging subject lines like “Ready for Adventure? Black Friday Tour Discounts Drop Soon” or “Mark Your Calendar! Black Friday Deals Are On the Way” can pique interest.
• Segment your audience: Personalize your emails for specific groups. For example, long-time customers might get early access to deals, while new subscribers receive an email introducing them to the unique experiences you offer.
• Post-Black Friday reminder: Don’t stop with Black Friday—send a reminder email for Cyber Monday or the holiday season. Customers who are on the fence might just need a little nudge to take action.

4. Amp Up Social Media

Social media is your best friend for Black Friday, both in the lead up and the day itself. Assuming you’ve already built a bit of a following, that is. If you’re just starting your social media efforts, don’t rely too heavily on social media marketing to get your deals out–email marketing and word of mouth will get you further.

Here’s how to engage your followers and attract new ones:

• Countdown posts: Build anticipation with countdown posts leading up to Black Friday. Use striking visuals and engaging captions to grab attention. A sneak peek of deals never hurts, either!
• Create video content: Short videos that highlight the fun and unique elements of your tours or activities can attract attention more than a still image. Show potential customers the excitement they can experience if they book with you. After all, customers need to know why they’d want a deal, not just that a deal exists.
• Engage with followers: Black Friday is a busy time on social media. Be active in responding to comments, answering questions, and encouraging customers to share their own photos or tag friends.
• Boost key posts: Consider investing in paid social ads to promote your Black Friday offers to a larger audience. Target audiences like families, adventure-seekers, and couples for a more focused approach.

5. Collaborate with Influencers and Local Partners

Working with influencers or nearby businesses can expand the reach of your Black Friday offers, bringing in new customers who already trust that your activities will be worth their money.

• Partner with travel influencers: Connect with influencers who share your audience’s interests. Offering them a tour in exchange for a Black Friday shout-out can lead to wider exposure.
• Bundle with local businesses: Try collaborating with local restaurants or other attractions to create an all-inclusive experience. For example, pair a tour with a dining experience to create a compelling Black Friday bundle.

6. Retarget Lost Sales

Not every visitor will book on their first visit, but sometimes you can bring them back. A customer who’s already been on your website or started the booking process is further along the path to purchase than most–you just need to give them a nudge.

Use abandoned cart emails: If customers get partway through the booking process, your booking software may let you send out an automated email reminding them to finish their booking. This is a great chance to remind them of time-limited deals or to offer a last-chance discount.

• Retarget website visitors: Platforms like Facebook Ads or Google Ads let you create ads that target past visitors to your website. This keeps your Black Friday offers front and center in their minds.
• Add urgency: Include limited-time wording in retargeting ads and cart abandonment emails to create that final push—phrases like “Last Chance” or “Only Hours Left” work well.

7. Track Results and Adapt as Needed

As your Black Friday campaign rolls out, it’s best if you can monitor its performance and adjust if needed. This takes some technical know-how, but being able to make data-driven decisions is worth the effort.

• A/B test offers: Test to see which promotions drive the most bookings by running different promo codes, and focus on the best-performing ones. Remember the results for next year, too!
• Adjust ads: If an ad isn’t performing well, try tweaking it or reallocating budget to a top performer.
• Monitor bookings: Using Rezgo’s reports and notifications, you can track your bookings in real time to see the impact of your Black Friday marketing efforts.

8. Extend the Deals Beyond Black Friday

Black Friday is a great day to snag some sales, but why stop at just one day? Stretch out your Black Friday offers to keep the momentum going throughout the holidays.

• Cyber Monday deals: Extend your Black Friday deals into Cyber Monday to attract more bookings. Some people miss the initial rush but are still on the lookout for deals.
• Holiday gift promotions: Turn your Black Friday offers into holiday season promotions. Offering gift card specials or holiday-themed packages can keep customers interested and drive more bookings into the new year.

Wrapping Up

With the right planning, Black Friday can bring a serious boost to your bookings and help your business stand out in the holiday season. By preparing a clear strategy, making your website user-friendly, engaging customers through social media and email, and tracking your progress, you can make the most of this exciting shopping holiday.

Get ready to promote your best tours and experiences—this Black Friday could be your biggest one yet!

The post Maximize Your Black Friday Bookings: A Marketing Guide for Tour and Activity Operators appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

As every tour operator knows, travelers seek all types of experiences. Sun-seekers live for that hot weather. Adventurers crave that adrenaline rush. Culture vultures want that immersion in history. It’s your job to deliver experiences that are as smooth and stress-free as they are unforgettable.

Savvy tour operators know there is a lot of value in going that extra mile—from positive reviews to increased customer loyalty and more revenue. Anything you can do to make travellers’ experiences even more memorable or unique is more than worth the time, money and effort. But what if there was a way to enhance your customers’ experiences and increase your revenue—without extra staff and resources? 

Tour and travel add-ons are additional services or products you can offer alongside your main tours and activities. Let’s take a look at the benefits of offering add-ons, check out some examples, and share best practices for seamlessly integrating tour and travel add-ons into your booking process.

What are tour and travel add-ons?

Tour and travel add-ons can range from convenient pickup and drop-off services, to experiences like gourmet meals, photography packages, and VIP access to events or attractions. 

The use of add-ons as a strategy can be traced back to when airlines started “unbundling” services like seat selection, meals and baggage that were traditionally bundled with a flight purchase. This allowed passengers to tailor their flight to their particular preferences, and it led to a general unbundling trend across the travel industry. In turn, this has created a great opportunity for travel and tour operators to offer tailored add-ons.

Benefits of tour and travel add-ons

The beauty of add-ons as a tool for tour operators is their ability to both boost your income and increase customer satisfaction, without the hassle and expense of investing in additional staff or other costs and resources. Here are some key benefits of offering add-ons:

More income without the extra work: Add-ons provide the opportunity for customers to spend more of their vacation budget on things they want or need with you instead of another company. If you choose your add-ons carefully they can add significant income, without requiring you to hire more staff or affecting your operations in a negative way. 

Improved customer satisfaction: Enabling customers to customize their experience through add-ons means they’re more likely to be satisfied with the tour.

Pricing flexibility: Instead of bundling everything together under one price, you can provide different levels of pricing and enable customers to pick and choose the add-on services and experiences that appeal to them most. 

Standing out in the market: Add-ons can help you stand out from the competition. By offering a range of unique or exclusive experiences and services as add-ons, you can gain a competitive edge and broaden the target audience for your tours and activities.

Why travelers love add-ons

Those are the benefits of add-ons to your business. What about your customers? It’s all about choice, customization and feeling in control. Travelers enjoy having the option to feel more in control of their trip by personalizing it to their interests, budget and needs. Add-ons allow them to do just that. 

Personalization: Add-ons give your customers the freedom to choose to pay for what matters most to them, whether that’s convenient services, luxury upgrades, or something unique they hadn’t considered at the time of booking.

Convenience: Add-ons make the online booking process even more convenient for customers. Instead of having to arrange transportation, meals, gear rental, or other extras on their own, they can select the add-ons and options when they book.

Value: By giving your customers more choice of what they pay for or don’t pay for when booking their trip, they are more likely to feel they are getting a good deal—and an experience they are confident is customized to their needs. 

Examples of add-ons for tour operators

When selecting what add-ons to offer, the important thing is to know your audience and their needs and interests. You could even survey your customers to see what add-ons they might appreciate. Remember, it’s not just about making more money, although that is a huge benefit, it’s also about providing value and ensuring your customers have the best travel possible experience. You can also search for things you currently offer as bundled experiences and services, but that you could easily unbundle.

Here are a few travel add-on ideas to consider.

Pick-up and drop-off services: Getting to your accommodation on arrival can be one of the most stressful parts of any trip. Convenient pick-up and drop-off services can be very valuable to travelers arriving in unfamiliar destinations with limited public transportation or other options. You can also easily integrate this add-on into your Rezgo booking system by creating specific pick-up locations. Check out our guide to creating pickup locations.

Meal options: Food-related add-ons are always popular. They can include everything from daily breakfast to a packed lunch as part of a hike to a gourmet meal in a local restaurant. Rezgo allows you to easily add meal options as part of the booking process; customers just choose their preferences during checkout. 

Seasonal and activity-specific gear: Not everyone can or wants to buy specialist gear for a trip and many people like to travel light, especially when airlines charge for extra baggage. This creates an opportunity to offer seasonal or activity-specific gear as add-ons. This could be specialist gear, such as camping gear or wetsuits, or it could just be more everyday items people often forget, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, and water bottles. Other items could include umbrellas, branded towels, swimwear and first-aid kits to ensure travelers are prepared for anything.

VIP access: Consider offering VIP access to events and attractions, or exclusive experiences that enable your customers to treat themselves and customize their trip further. This could mean early access to a popular attraction, use of a private guide, or a behind-the-scenes tour that isn’t available to the general public.

Photography packages: Taking photos that make a trip live long in the memory is hugely important to travelers, especially in the social media age. A photography add-on for a trip or experience ensures they get professional-quality photos to remember their experience. Rezgo’s integration with Fotaflo enables you to offer automatic photo delivery as part of your efforts to provide the best customer experience possible, as well adding an additional revenue stream to your business.

Trip insurance and refund protection: Trip insurance is a very common add-on. It provides peace of mind to your customers and saves them shopping around for insurance themselves. From a business perspective, you save time and money by avoiding common refund issues. We make it easy to include enhanced refund protection.

Branded merchandise: “Need a hat for your trip?” A fun way for customers to remember their trip is through branded merchandise like t-shirts, hats, water bottles and towels. Rezgo’s Merchandise System allows you to easily and seamlessly manage and sell physical products as add-ons as part of the booking process.

Special occasion add-ons: Many people take a trip to mark a special occasion, such as a birthday, graduation or anniversary. These customers might appreciate the option to choose a tailored package that makes the occasion even more special, such as custom cakes, private tours, event tickets, and more.

As an example of how different add-ons can work for different travel businesses, and how you can sell the benefits to customers, an adventure activity company could offer the following add-ons with a whitewater rafting day trip:

• “Waterproof GoPro rental: Document your rafting experience with a waterproof GoPro camera to capture every thrill and—hopefully not—spill.”
• “Riverside BBQ lunch: Enjoy a gourmet BBQ lunch back at our HQ on the riverbank after your adventure.”
• “Trip insurance: Protect your booking with our refund protection, ensuring peace of mind in case of unexpected changes.”

How to make add-ons work for you—and your customers

To make the most of add-ons, they need to be easy for you to integrate into your business, especially your booking process, and easy for your customers to see the value in, browse, and select add-ons.

Seamless integration: Make sure your add-ons are easy to find and select during the booking process. Whether you’re using price checkboxes or dropdowns, your aim should be to ensure a smooth and straightforward booking experience for your customers. Learn more about Rezgo’s Custom Booking Fields.

Communicate the benefits: It’s crucial to clearly communicate the benefits of each add-on to your customers. Provide detailed descriptions and highlight the value of each option. This helps customers make informed decisions and understand exactly what they’re getting with each add-on.

Offer a range of options: Some customers may want to go all out when booking their trip, while others might prefer just a few carefully-selected extras. Cater to different customer needs and preferences by offering a variety of add-ons. 

Let technology do the heavy lifting: Part of the success of add-ons as a strategy is how easy it is to offer and sell them. Use the technology available to you to streamline the management and sale of add-ons. This not only improves the customer experience but also simplifies your operations.

Integrating add-ons into your business results in increased revenue and more satisfied customers. Rezgo provides the tools you need to manage and sell add-ons effortlessly, whether it’s through our merchandise system, integrations, or simple booking fields. 

The post Creating Value with Add-ons: A Tour Operator’s Guide to Success appeared first on Rezgo.

In This Rezgo Update:

Rezgo 12.17 is here! It comes with two headline features many of you have been hoping for: guest booking editing and Square support. Want to know more? Read on:

Let Guests Edit Their Own Bookings

Do you ever get overwhelmed by customer requests? A changed time here, an added guest there–it all adds up to a big customer service challenge.

Rezgo’s newest feature can take all that out of your hands, if you want it to. Self-Serve Booking Management lets your guests do it all: change the time or date of their bookings (in other words, rebooking), add or remove guests, and even cancel. They’ll be invited to manage their bookings from their booking confirmation, and you’ll be notified of any changes.

Of course, that’s not right for every tourism business—that’s why we’ve let you configure all of it to suit your needs. If you don’t want your customers touching their bookings, simply leave this new feature disabled and carry on as usual. Or, if you want to allow booking changes without cancellations, or cancellations without booking changes, you can tweak the settings to suit your needs.

There are a few things you’ll want to make sure are set up if you’re using this feature, like booking cancellation windows, so see our documentation here and talk to our support team if you have any questions.

Use Square As Your Gateway

Rezgo now supports Square. The popular payment service is fully integrated with Rezgo, so anyone with a Square account can set it up as a payment gateway.

With Square, you can take online payments, as well as in-person payments using the Square Terminal (not the Square app). For payments that aren’t taken on your Rezgo website or in person, you can also send payment requests. If you regularly take MOTO payments (running cards through your terminal without the customer present), you may find one of our other payment gateway options better serves your needs. For clients who want convenient terminal hardware and online booking payments, though, Square is a fantastic option.

For more information about setting up Square with Rezgo, see our documentation.

Refund Protection Updates

Refund protection is now available to everyone in supported regions, expanding the integration beyond the initial supported gateways.

Refund protection is exactly what it sounds like—it protects your customers, and you, in the event a refund is needed. After their booking is completed, customers can purchase refund protection to cover their costs if they need to cancel for unavoidable reasons like illnesses.

Refund protection is purchased directly from the insurer, and claims are handled by them as well, so you don’t need to do much to benefit from this add-on. Customers may ask about refunds, so you may want to learn how bookings with refund protection are flagged in Rezgo, and you might also want to note where to send customers if they need to make a claim. Learn about refund protection here.

And More…

As always, Rezgo Update 12.17 includes more great features, improvements and updates:

• Availability Report: Generate a report for a summary of your inventory availability by date.
• Booking Notifications:  Enable or disable notifications for specific integrations.
• Stock Order Management: Specify a Location or Desk to receive stock orders at the time of creation.
• Daily Manifest: Inventory options are now sorted by start time (when set), for clearer and more organized schedules.
• Print Receipts: The booking status and creation date are now included on both Booking and Order receipts.
• Various minor layout improvements and bug fixes.

Our team is always hard at work to improve Rezgo and make your job easier. Reach out to our support team if you have any questions about these new features and updates.

The post Rezgo Update 12.17: Self-Serve Booking Management, Square, and More appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

We’ve moved on from the days of cutting coupons out of newspapers, but promo codes remain an effective marketing strategy for many businesses. People love a good deal after all — research on U.S. shoppers found a whopping 92% used coupons in 2023.

As a tour operator, you can harness promo codes to drive more bookings and boost your bottom line. But promo codes can eat into your profits if you don’t use them strategically. 

Below, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of promo codes and how you can use them effectively to grow your tour business. 

What Are Promo Codes? 

First, let’s get back to basics. Promo codes — aka promotion codes, discount codes, vouchers, or coupons — are codes customers can use when making a booking to get a discount or special offer. 

For example, you might offer 10% off a tour booking when a customer enters “10OFF” at checkout. 

Promo codes can entice customers to book with your tour business over a competitor, encourage them to come back as a repeat customer, or convince them to make a larger booking.

It’s a win-win too. Customers save money and you make sales you might not have otherwise. 

Pros of Using Promo Codes

There are many potential benefits of using promo codes as part of your tour marketing. 

Promo codes can: 

• Drive more bookings: By offering discounts and incentives, you can attract customers who may not have booked a tour at full price. And promo codes on package deals, group bookings, and upsells can help you make even more sales overall. 
• Gain more direct online bookings: You can offer promo codes that only work if customers book directly through your website, rather than through an online travel agency like Expedia or Viator. More direct bookings = less commission and more revenue.
• Encourage repeat bookings: Giving existing customers promo codes can help foster loyalty and repeat bookings.
• Attract customers during quiet times: You can offer promo codes that are only valid for bookings during your quiet days or times, or during your off-season, making your revenue more consistent. 
• Secure bookings ahead of time — or last minute: Early bird discounts can entice customers to book weeks or months in advance. They get a better deal and you get secured income ahead of season. On the flip side, you can offer last-minute discounts to fill empty spots on tours before they run.
• Promote word-of-mouth referrals: You can give existing customers a promo code to pass on to friends and family, spreading the word about your business and expanding your potential customer base. 

The benefits of promo codes for tour operators could go on…and on. But you get the idea — promo code marketing is a great way to promote your business and get more bookings.

Cons of Using Promo Codes 

As with everything in life, promo codes come with a few potential downsides. Here’s what to keep in mind if you’re considering using them: 

• Promo codes can eat into your profits: When a customer uses a promo code, you make less money than if they’d booked without one. The key here is making sure that promo codes are winning you customers that would not have booked at full price, and not just offering lower prices to customers you may have captured anyway.
• Frequent discounting can damage your brand image: Offering promo codes too frequently could change how potential and existing customers view your business. Customers may believe your non-discounted tour prices are inflated or your tour offerings are low quality if they’re always on offer.
• Bargain hunters may not book without a promo code: Another downside of offering promo codes too regularly? Potential customers could catch on. It’s like a shopper the week before Black Friday — they know a better deal is coming, so won’t book your tour at full price.

How to Use Promo Codes to Drive Tour Bookings 

So, now you know the pros and cons of promo codes, it’s time to learn how to use them effectively to market your tour business. 

Here are our top tips.

Use Promo Codes for Specific Times or Customers 

You don’t need to offer 20% off everything all of the time — that’ll probably do more harm than good. 

Instead, use promo codes sparingly and offer specific discounts depending on your goals.

For example, if you want more word-of-mouth referrals, you could offer existing customers a discount code they can use to refer a friend or family member. 

This could be shared: 

• As part of an email campaign
• In follow-up emails after tours and activities
• On a printed leaflet when you wrap a tour in person 

Alternatively, if your goal is to reduce cart abandonment, you could set up automated cart abandonment emails offering a promo code to entice customers back to complete their purchase. 

Set Expiry Dates or Limit Usage so Codes Aren’t Abused 

In the wrong hands, promo codes can be overused, eating away at your profits. To avoid this, set expiry dates or usage limits on your promo codes. 

For example, NEWYEAR30 could get customers $30 off on tours booked between January 1 to 31 — a quiet month for you. Customers then wouldn’t be able to use the code during your high season in July. 

If you’re running a special deal, having a deadline also creates a sense of urgency, which could further encourage customers to make a booking.

You could also have a minimum spend that triggers a discount, enticing customers to book high-value tours, multiple tours at once, or make larger group bookings.

Top tip: With Rezgo, you can fully customize your promo codes, choosing the dates they’re valid for, how many times they can be used, and even which inventory they can be applied to. For a sleek customer experience, you can also create unique website URLs that automatically apply your discount.

Use Promo Codes to Build Your Email List

You can offer promo codes that customers can only access when they sign up for your email newsletter. 

Not convinced it’ll work? A 2023 survey found 73% of online shoppers are willing to sign up for emails to get a 20% off coupon and 67% would sign up for a 10% off coupon.

Once you’ve got customers on your list, you can keep in touch with regular email marketing to drive future bookings. 

Track Your Return on Investment (ROI)

Offering discounts is an investment, so you want to make sure it’s worth it for your business. 

One way to track your ROI is by using unique promo codes. This allows you to track where your bookings come from. 

For example, if you run a print ad in a magazine, you could offer a discount with the code SUMMER10. 

You could then partner with a local business and offer discounts for their customers with the code BIKETHENBEER10 — we’re picturing a bike tour operator partnering with a brewery here.

Finally, if you’re working on social media marketing, you could give an influencer a personalized code to share with their followers.

You can then use tools like your booking software to track the performance of each promo code and find out which marketing channels have the most success. 

Next Steps 

Promo codes can be a great tool to help you capture more bookings, expand your customer base, and reward loyal customers. 

As well as the tips above, be sure to experiment. Start small and get creative with which customer segments you offer promo codes to and where you offer them. 

You can then track performance and make tweaks to your strategy to get the most out of promo codes for your business. 

With a strategic use of promo codes, you’ll be boosting your bookings in no time.

The post Promo Codes for Tour Operators: How to Use Them to Drive Bookings appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

As a tourism operator, you’ll know the tourism industry constantly changes. New and emerging trends, unforeseen global events, and daily advances in technology, can feel overwhelming.

While change can sometimes feel constant, it doesn’t have to throw your entire operation into chaos every time it takes effect. 

Today, we’ll explore how to approach change in the tourism industry, strategies for remaining flexible during trying times, and how a stellar booking system can ease the impact of change on your business, while still enabling you to create a winning guest experience.

How change affects the tour industry

By the end of 2023, international tourism returned to a staggering 88% of pre-pandemic levels, as travelers and tour-goers sought to meet their jet-setting desires.

In today’s tourism climate, increased traveler numbers combined with the constant force of change, mold all facets of business for small tour operators, from daily operations to long-term strategies.

With technological developments rapidly emerging and shifting guest preferences towards personalized travel experiences, it can feel like a game of one step forward, two steps back.

To better prepare for tackling change as part of your tour operator business, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the potential drivers for change that may emerge.

5 primary drivers of change in the tourism industry

Technological progress, economic changes, market factors, and global events can all have a lasting impact on your business and the wider tourism industry. Let’s explore each of these a bit further.

Seasonality in tourism

If you’re a small tour operator with a few years in business, you’ll understand how the changing seasons affect your operations. Depending on your location and tour offerings, you might experience fluctuation as travelers come and go, especially from winter to summer and vice versa.

As guests flock to warmer climates and in turn, snowy escapes, your peak tour operating season shifts too, to reflect the travel patterns of your tour-goers. This impacts not only your business’ tour offerings, but your staffing numbers and revenue, too. 

It’s not all bad news, though. Check out our guide to making the most of your shoulder season and low season.

Global events affecting tourism

If anything emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, it was our collective ability to pivot at a moment’s notice.

Reflect on your personal experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Did you redesign your tours to suit smaller groups or outdoor settings as part of social distancing requirements? Did you adopt enhanced cleaning procedures and updated health protocols for the safety of your guests and staff?

While you might not be able to predict global events like COVID-19, it is a prime example of the importance of preparing contingency plans in the face of future widespread events.

Labor disruptions impacting tourism

Labor disputes and strike action have the potential to affect transportation to your city or region, or may even affect surrounding attractions in your area. Not to mention, staff shortages might also plague your business.

These disruptions can cause sudden changes in your tour-goers’ itinerary, requiring alternate arrangements or last-minute cancellations.

Technological advances benefiting tourism

You can’t talk about change in the tourism industry without addressing the advancements made in technology. In the last few years alone, we’ve seen the emergence of generative AI become even more prominent across the tourism industry, including for tours.

Small tour operators can use emerging technology to increase efficiency and improve their customer experience, leveling the playing field against bigger operations with larger budgets.

Market competition affecting tourism businesses

Maybe you once dominated your region with the very best in whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and mountaineering tours. Yet, you’re seeing more tour operators emerge throughout your area.

Suddenly, you’re at odds with new competitors disrupting your monopoly over the market. That’s because shifting markets and competition in your area as other small tour operators pop up, can also impact your business.

While new players are a part of life as a business owner, creating a one-of-a-kind guest experience for your tour-goers will set you apart as a pioneer in tourism leadership.

Advantages of adapting to change as a small tourism business

Regardless of the types of change your small tour operating business faces, either on a local or global scale, you can use these factors to your advantage. Adaptation to change showcases your agility and flexibility in your changing industry. It also helps you to make quicker, better business decisions.

There’s also the advantage of pivoting to target new trends within the tourism industry and emerging markets, enabling you to cater to your guests by offering targeted tours.

And remember, many other industries experience change. Your flexibility and the growth of your skill set as you adapt will help you stay on top of your own business, and also be valuable and transferable to future endeavors.

Strategies for staying flexible in a changing industry

Staying flexible and agile is helpful to your business during times of change. Let’s look at a few strategies to help you stay responsive and on your toes.

Diversify your tour offerings

As the demand for travel shifts to address new and emerging trends, your tour offerings and packages should shift too!

By diversifying your tour offerings, you invite a wider audience to book with you. With the rise of trends like “bleisure” travel, pivot your tour offerings to attract business guests in your region. Or adapt to the desire for private bookings by offering private, small group events.

Embrace continuous growth

As a small tour operating business, embracing continuous learning reduces stagnancy in your operations.

Remain up-to-date on industry trends by attending industry conferences, following leaders and professionals on LinkedIn, and subscribing to industry newsletters. By embracing a forward-thinking mindset, you anticipate change and jump on industry opportunities ahead of your competitors.

Support tourism staff education

Support your staff by fostering their growth and innovation, and encourage your employees to embrace continuous learning.

Provide opportunities to fine-tune their personal development and hone their leadership skills. For instance, supply teams with funds to attend industry workshops or tour webinars to ensure your staff remain engaged and informed.

How tour operators can help their teams navigate change

Start by embracing and implementing a workplace culture that encourages clear communication. For example, hold weekly staff meetings, or individual check-ins. Update them on incoming changes and walk through new strategies affecting your guests.

Also, acknowledge their feelings and provide emotional support throughout times of stress. This helps your teams navigate change while providing them with solace.

Your workplace communication is two-way. Foster an environment of open dialogue; encourage and listen to your team’s feedback. Your guides are with your guests day in and day out. They are your greatest source for insights from your tour goers while on their excursion.

A good booking system helps your business adapt to change

A booking system provides your small tour operator business with data-driven insights in the face of change. A booking system with real-time data helps you analyze booking patterns and trends. It also looks at customer preferences to cater your tour offerings and pivot your business strategies as needed.

By centralizing your sales channels in effective booking software, you can stay flexible. Your booking software should let you make on-the-spot adjustments to real-time availability, pricing, and more. From there, those changes can be reflected in your OTA listings, with your resellers, and for your agents. This gives you the freedom to be agile while your competitors are stuck making adjustments channel by channel.

Final Thoughts

Although change in the tourism industry can be intimidating, knowing the key drivers and understanding how change affects the tourism industry can better equip you and your business. Knowing the advantages of adapting during periods of change and how best to support your staff and guests can also prove helpful.

Rezgo’s tour booking software is the ideal choice to help you pivot your business during times of change. Remain agile yet open with data-driven insights and analytics, streamlined booking processes, and centralized sales channel management, and you’ll easily stay ahead of the competition when adapting to change.

The post How to Navigate Change in the Tourism Industry appeared first on Rezgo.

When you think about AI, you probably think about content creation–and it’s true, a lot of businesses are having great success using generative AI for marketing copy and custom images. But content generation only scratches the surface of what the thoughtful use of AI can bring to your tour and activity business.

Join us for a 45-minute recorded webinar that will revolutionize your understanding of what AI can do for you. Rohan Rath, AI Product Manager for Telus Health, is here to walk you through all the time-saving, idea generating potential you might be missing out on, even if you’re already using AI in your day-to-day operations. 

In this webinar, you’ll learn the answers to these questions…

• What are AI’s current capabilities and benefits?
• How can it make tour operators’ jobs easier?
• How do you craft prompts that get the results you’re looking for?
• What are the key rules you should follow to unlock the power of AI?

The post Unlocking the Power of AI: Going Beyond Content Creation appeared first on Rezgo.

Table of Contents

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made waves in the past year and for a good reason. Tools like ChatGPT are rapidly changing industries — including the tour industry.

For a quick explainer, AI is when a computer program can learn and perform certain tasks like humans. Generative AI is when a computer program uses AI to generate new content. That could be text, images, code, audio, or video. 

In real terms, you can turn to generative AI to create new blog posts, marketing images, or responses to frequently asked questions. It can save you time and money, so you focus on other parts of your business. 

But the prompts you give an AI tool — aka the instructions you give it — can make or break how well an AI tool will perform.   

Luckily, it’s a skill you can learn. Below, we’ll cover how to craft effective AI prompts to harness the power of AI in your tour business. 

What Are AI Prompts? 

First up, what even is an AI prompt? In simple terms, an AI prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. 

In your prompt, you’ll outline what you want the tool to do for you. You can ask a simple question or give a much more detailed set of instructions. 

In most cases, the more detailed your prompt, the better the response. 

Generative AI is still a fairly new technology and it can make mistakes or return generic, low-quality outputs. Giving AI tools the right prompts can help you overcome some of these challenges. 

Creating effective AI prompts is so important that there are even entire jobs revolved around it — this is known as prompt engineering. But you don’t need to hire or become a prompt engineer to write successful AI prompts. 

Crafting Effective AI Prompts 

Here’s what to keep in mind when crafting an AI prompt.

Provide Plenty of Details

Think of an AI tool like a junior employee. If you give them a vague or easy-to-misunderstand instruction, they probably won’t perform their best. 

On the other hand, if you give them a detailed set of instructions and all the information they need to complete a task, they can work their magic. 

For example, consider these two prompts: 

• Write me a tour description about a brewery tour in Portland.
• Write me a 100-word tour description about a brewery tour in Portland. The tour is three hours long and includes four different breweries. Guests will get a tour of each brewery and taste three different beers in each one. They’ll learn how beer is made, what local ingredients are used, and get a free glass to take home. Please write the tour description in casual language and include bullet points for the key points.

Which one do you think would help a junior employee do their best work? 

You might get a half-decent response to the first prompt, but the second prompt will get you much closer to a polished description you can use without too much tweaking. The same goes for AI.

You can also include examples of the kind of tone you’re looking for or certain things to avoid. 

The same advice applies when creating AI-generated images. 

“Generate a photograph of a person kayaking on a lake with mountains in the background. Use bright colours and a realistic style” will get you a very different image than “kayak.” 

Top tip: Rezgo’s Smart Tour Descriptions uses ChatGPT to generate marketing-friendly tour descriptions. You can generate these descriptions with a click of a button as you’re uploading your tours.  

Tell AI Who to Act Like 

As part of your prompt, you can tell an AI tool who to act like. 

For example: 

• Pretend you’re a social media manager at a small tour company. You’re in charge of creating a social media strategy, images, and copy. 
• Act like you’re a business coach for a small wine-tasting company. Go through these customer reviews and give me a list of common themes and ideas for how I can improve my business. 
• You’re a customer service representative for a whale-watching tour operator. You’re going to write answers to common customer questions as if you were answering customer emails. 

AI will then give you responses with this point of view in mind, making the outputs much more useful. 

Harness Custom Instructions

If you’re using ChatGPT, make the most of custom instructions. This feature is available to both free and premium users — you can find it in settings. 

You can tell ChatGPT how to act and what to consider in every prompt you give it, without having to provide these details every time. 

This can be useful if you always want ChatGPT to use a certain tone of voice, give you answers in bullet points, or create outputs from the point of view of a certain role. 

You can also tell ChatGPT about your tour business, so it can tailor all of its responses to your situation. Consider including what type of tours you offer, where you’re based, and how big your company is. 

Use Follow-Up Prompts  

You don’t need to get everything you want out of an AI tool in one prompt. Depending on how complex of a task you’re doing, that might not even be possible. 

Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions or provide more instructions to refine and tweak the answers you’re getting. As long as you’re staying in the same conversation, the AI tool will use the information you’ve already given it in each of its answers. 

Follow-up prompts include: 

• Rewrite this using bullet points for the key information.
• Give me five more versions of this booking confirmation email.  
• Now analyse the reviews and tell me recurring positive themes. 

If you’re having a long conversation with ChatGPT, be aware that it can sometimes lose the thread of a conversation — just like humans. You might need to reask or share some information again to get it back on track. 

Word of Warning: Double Check Everything  

Generative AI tools are great, but they’re not always accurate. Be sure to fact-check everything before you hit publish. 

As well as facts and figures, check for any biases or potentially offensive stereotypes that could come up in text, images, or videos.

This is also a great time to add a little human touch. Text generated by AI can sometimes be a little flat, generic, or just simply not sound like your business.

So, when using AI for tour marketing or customer service, adding in some human-written personality can go a long way. Think of it as AI getting you 80% of the way there, and you — or a team member — adding the final 20%. 

Improve Your AI Prompts 

Now you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to start getting better at AI prompts to upgrade your customer service and tour marketing with AI. 

Here’s what to do to develop your skills: 

• Experiment, experiment, experiment: There’s no right or wrong way to use AI. Experiment with different prompts and see what generates the most useful outputs for your business. The AI landscape is constantly changing and prompt engineering will too, so it’s important to stay creative and open to new ways of working. And don’t forget to try different tools. Some useful tools — beyond the obvious ChatGPT — include OwlyWriter AI for social media content and Chatfuel to build chatbots for customer service. 
• Create a prompt library: If you hit upon a successful prompt or find yourself using similar ones again and again, save them in a prompt library. Keeping a list in a Google Doc will do. A prompt library can save you time crafting prompts in the future and help you train team members on how to craft successful prompts themselves. 
• Stay up to date with new tech: AI is developing rapidly, so there are always new tools and features to try. To develop your prompt engineering skills, consider free courses like HubSpot’s AI Prompting for Marketers or Coursera’s Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT via Vanderbilt University.
• Don’t be afraid to re-prompt: This doesn’t technically help you improve your skills, but it’s a tip worth knowing. If you don’t get an output you’re happy with, ask again. AI often gives you a different answer based on the same prompt. This can be useful if you can’t think of ways to make your prompt clearer or if there aren’t any more details you can share. 

Wrapping It Up 

You can use AI prompts for tour marketing, customer service, or business development. But for the best output, you’ll need the right prompts. 

As well as following the tips above, remember to develop your own style. Experiment and make a note of prompts that work for you to start using AI to its full potential in your business. 

The post Mastering AI Prompts for Tour Marketing appeared first on Rezgo.

With the tourism busy season upon us, it’s essential to ensure you have clear goals for the year and a plan to reach them. In order to build a successful annual plan, you need to dial into your mindset, your KPIs, and your team.

In this webinar replay, Andrea Ross, a business growth expert from Cultivate Advisors, walks us through the components of an annual plan and reviews some best practices and methodologies to make this your best year yet.

In this webinar replay, you’ll learn about…

• Planning Mindset: How to think about planning
• Planning Elements: Goals, KPIs, leading indicators to track for success
• Planning Framework: The process to follow, connecting macro to micro
• Collaborative Planning Framework: Bringing the team into the planning process

The post Successful Scaling Strategies for Tour Operators: Make This Your Best Year Yet appeared first on Rezgo.