6 Easy Fixes to Improve Your Tour Business Immediately
Dec 17, 2024
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The hosts share insights from their California Road Show, discussing shifting travel behaviors and the importance of food experiences in tourism. They reveal six easy fixes for tour businesses based on live audits, and explore the dynamics of direct bookings versus OTAs. Tactical advice on leveraging Google Ads, corporate partnerships, and optimizing websites for customer engagement takes center stage. Tips for maximizing potential with corporate tours and the vital role of partnerships to boost sales are also highlighted.
Incorporating valuable data insights about seasonal trends and customer preferences can significantly enhance a tour operator's marketing strategy and offerings.
Improving the quality of online listings, especially through better photography and optimized Google business profiles, is crucial for increasing visibility and bookings.
Deep dives
Exploration of California's Attractions
The podcast highlights a recent visit to various destinations in California, including San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles. Participants reflect on diverse experiences, with one speaker noting the contrasting landscapes, from breathtaking coastal views to unique attractions like ostrich farms. Another speaker expresses admiration for specific sites, particularly Monterey, mentioning its stunning scenery and family-friendly atmosphere. Overall, the discussions underscore California's blend of iconic landmarks and unexpected local quirks.
Valuable Data Insights for Tour Operators
The partnership with a data company provides tour operators with valuable insights that operators typically cannot access on their own. This includes information on seasonal trends and customer demographics that can guide marketing strategies effectively. A key takeaway from the data reveals an increasing demand for culinary experiences, indicating that operators should integrate food components into their tours. Additionally, the group discusses how these insights can help operators align their offerings with evolving traveler preferences influenced by climate change.
Effective Marketing Channels for Tour Operators
A survey reveals that direct website bookings are the most effective channel for over 75% of operators polled. Additionally, 60% report success through online travel agencies (OTAs), indicating that both channels can coexist and complement each other effectively. Use of paid Google ads emerges as a significant factor, with 60% indicating its effectiveness for driving bookings. The podcast emphasizes the importance of diversifying marketing efforts while ensuring that operators can reach different customer segments.
Common Areas for Improvement Among Operators
The discussion highlights critical areas where many tour operators falter, particularly in product listings and online presence. Poor photography is frequently cited as a major issue, with operators encouraged to showcase high-quality, engaging images that accurately represent their tours. Additionally, operators are advised to leverage their Google business profiles effectively to improve visibility and connect with potential customers directly. This calls attention to the need for continuous optimization of online listings in the competitive travel industry.
TP hosts Mitch Bach, Peter Syme and Chris Torres have just returned from their California Road Show, in partnership with GetYourGuide.
We spent a week hosting business development workshops in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, meeting dozens of operators in all sorts of verticals. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and to GetYourGuide who shared regional data on travel trends and customer behavior insights relevant to the local market. The Tourpreneur team paired that data with live business audits.
The results were surprising.
In this episode, we look at 6 easy fixes to your tour business that we repeatedly saw in the operators we audited, as well as the top 6 sales channels—according to the operators attending—that are working right now. We dig into the why of it all, and Peter does his best Grumpy Grinch impression.
All the resources and events we mentioned are available at tourpreneur.com
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