Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast Connectivity Series: Multi-Day Tour Connectivity - Past, Present & Future
May 2, 2025
Kelly Tompkins, Founder & CPO of ReserveX and a veteran in travel technology, shares his insights on multi-day tours with host Peter Syme. They discuss the industry's evolution towards smaller, intimate tours, driven by changing customer behaviors, particularly among Gen Z. Kelly highlights the need for better API connectivity to enhance distribution and streamline booking. He also explores how AI is set to revolutionize travel planning, urging operators to embrace tech to stay competitive. Unique experiences remain key to overcoming digital challenges.
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Multi-Day Tours Are Catching Up Online
- Multi-day tours lagged behind hotels and flights in online traction but are now accelerating as experiential travel demand grows.
- Younger travelers and boomers increasingly seek multi-day, experience-driven trips which expands market potential.
Small-Group Travel Is The Dominant Trend
- The dominant trend is a shift to smaller-group, more personalized multi-day experiences rather than large coach tours.
- Even traditional big operators are adopting small-group models to capture demand for intimacy and personalization.
Mobile Booking And High Repeat Rates
- Mobile bookings dominate for younger travelers and repeat bookings are strong when tours deliver clear value.
- Higher perceived value yields strong repeat purchase behavior in multi-day segments.