Beyond AirBNB: Essential Marketing and Partnership Strategies for Tour Operators

Visit tourpreneur.com for more show notes.Tourpreneur is hosting two conferences! Join us in November in Marrakesh, Morroco for CONNECT:Multi-day, and in February in New York City for CONNECT:Profit. More info here.In this episode, Lia Garcia, CEO of Practical Wanderlust and Louisville Food Tours, shares her journey from starting a blog to becoming one of the largest travel blogs in the world. She discusses her monetization strategy, which includes ad revenue and affiliate marketing. Leah emphasizes the importance of authenticity, trust, and storytelling in content creation. She also provides insights on partnering with bloggers and tour operators, highlighting the value of building relationships and offering competitive commissions. Leah advises tour operators to focus on personal storytelling and finding ways to differentiate themselves from OTAs. Lia Garcia shares her strategies for affiliate marketing, SEO, email marketing, and scaling a food tour business. She emphasizes the importance of using native affiliate links and leveraging bloggers to promote tours. Lia also discusses her use of keyword research tools like KeySearch and her preference for simple tech tools like WordPress, Flowdesk, and ConvertKit. She highlights the effectiveness of lead magnets in building an email list and explains how she uses automated sequences to target customers at different stages of the buying cycle. Lia also talks about the challenges of scaling her business and the importance of establishing trust and authenticity through storytelling.TakeawaysAuthenticity, trust, and storytelling are key in content marketing.Building relationships with bloggers can drive sales and conversions.Tour operators should differentiate themselves from OTAs and offer competitive commissions.Personal storytelling and partnerships with bloggers can be effective strategies for tour operators.Consider the audience and buying cycle when selecting content creators. Consider using native affiliate links and partnering with bloggers to promote toursUse keyword research tools to optimize content and improve SEOCreate lead magnets to incentivize email sign-ups and use automated sequences to target customers at different stages of the buying cycleChoose tech tools that are user-friendly and meet your specific needsScaling a business comes with challenges, such as scheduling and finding the right balanceEstablish trust and authenticity through storytelling to build credibility with customers00:00 — Introduction and Background04:42 — Leah's Journey from Blogging to Content Marketing08:17 — Monetization Strategy: Ad Revenue and Affiliate Marketing11:48 — Partnerships with Tour Operators and Bloggers16:33 — Developing a Blogging Strategy for Tour Operators23:12 — Selecting the Right Content Creators for Partnerships26:38 — Utilizing Booking Software and Automating Processes29:28 — Differentiating Between Bloggers and Social Media Creators33:05 — Optimizing SEO with Keyword Research35:19 — Effective Email Marketing Strategies38:15 — Choosing User-Friendly Tech Tools45:14 — Challenges and Strategies for Scaling a Food Tour Business53:25 — Building Trust and Credibility through StorytellingMentioned in this episode:Join us for our TourpreneurCONNECT conferences!November...

With AirBNB removing many tour operator experiences out the blue, Peter, Mitch and Chris explore the recently turbulent landscape of AirBNB Experiences and what it means for operators depending on digital platforms.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

Guests Sherri Brown and Cherrye Moore discuss their experiences and the strategies that have helped them target new markets, focusing on both local and corporate sectors.Host Peter Syme shares his insights on effective pricing strategies, managing business growth, and best practices for training and integrating new team members.Throughout the episode, topics such as adapting to market changes, optimising group tour logistics, and customising experiences are explored.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

In this episode, our host Peter Syme dives deep into the intricate world of tour operations with our guests, Sean from Taylor Made Tours in Ireland, Luksa from Rewind Dubrovnik and Edin from Meet Bosnia Tours.Today, we're exploring the unique challenges and opportunities that come with expanding tour operations, integrating technology, and adapting to market demands in the dynamic travel industry.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

Peter McGovern, a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for international education gives us his forward-thinking approach to building successful teams.From creating detailed scorecards for potential candidates to embracing diversity and fostering strong internal communication, Peter and Nikki explore the practical strategies and wisdom necessary for nurturing an international team and the critical role of company culture in achieving sustainable growth.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

Mitch Bach talks with Brian Jewell, the Vice President and Executive Editor of Group Travel Leader, a media company representing tens of thousands of tour operators, travel agents, trip planners, many of whom have been in business for decades. Brian provides endless free resources for his community of small travel provider, and has learned countless lessons from decades in the industry.There's a whole community of small, outbound multi-day tour operators who have been in business since the years and decades after WWII, since the beginning of the explosive growth of mass tourism. Those operators are at the ends of their careers, and the companies they've built offer a huge opportunity for acquisition, and also have learned lessons about finding niche markets and solidifying their business through personal relationships.Show notesVisit Group Travel LeaderBrian on LinkedInMentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

In this episode, Dan & Casey from Untethered Media join Chris to delve deep into the strategies that make your marketing click.From the subtle art of Facebook ads that work like modern-day flyers, to the critical role of a well-designed website, we're covering all the bases.We'll explore why it's not just about selling but building trust with potential customers and how the first impression your site makes can be the deal-breaker.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

Mitch Bach talks with Corey William Schneider, founder of the New York Adventure Club, about his unique approach to building a tour business focused on delivering unique, special-access experiences to primarily a crowd of locals.From those experiences, which grew out of his personal desire to explore more of his home of New York City with other likeminded friends, he pivoted during Covid towards a wide variety of virtual tours.Today the Adventure Club still does both. Corey's story can help operators everywhere understand how to develop product lines aimed at locals, and ancillary high-profit revenues through virtual tours at scale.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

Mitch Bach speaks with Jessica Off, founder of Guess Where Trips, an e-commerce company creating physical and digital surprise road trips for customers across Canada and the U.S.Jessica is a serial travel entrepreneur, including work at G Adventures. In this episode, she talks about what led her to start an e-commerce product-based travel business, after looking into tour operating and multi-day trips.This episode will give tour operators the inspiration to think about ancillary product revenue streams that can complement their in-person business, utilizing the same destination knowledge and supplier connections to offer experiences to a new customer base!Visit Guess Where Trips home pageEpisode show notesWe talk about:the design thinking behind crafting self-guided tourswhy the element of surprise is so crucial to the experienceher experience working with content creatorshow B2C trade shows have worked out for her trying to sell her productwhy she decided to ditch multi-day surprise tripsthe importance of collecting email addresses at trade showsfinding the right market for the trips, and why big cities don’t workworking with local vendors to support themMentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google

In this follow-up episode, our hosts Chris Torres, Mitch Bach, and Peter Syme delve into the increasing use of AI in the travel industry, emphasizing its impact on creating new products and services. They discuss the strategic challenges of AI adoption and the potential for customized experiences at scale, while also stressing the importance of maintaining a human touch in the digital age.The hosts raise concerns about the commercialization of the travel industry and the potential negative impacts on destinations, while also providing valuable insights on business acquisitions, the future of travel, and targeting niche market segments such as cruise ship passengers. Throughout the episode, they emphasize the value of creating unique and engaging experiences, and provide actionable advice for operators looking to enhance their businesses. Plus, they share information about free resources and coaching opportunities to help operators take their businesses to the next level. Tune in for practical advice, expert insights, and thought-provoking discussions on navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the travel industry.Overview00:00 Pine discusses mass customization and AI opportunities.05:43 Consider hotels for city stays to personalize experiences.10:16 Embrace failure as part of creative process.13:41 Marketing hidden gems creates its own challenges.17:14 AI travel planner focuses on commercial experiences.21:54 Consider demographics, repeat customers, marketing strategy questions.24:45 Established business with cash flow & opportunities.28:52 Old businesses face opportunity in rejuvenation and acquisition.30:12 Boomers retiring and impacting business market.34:59 Creating useful, unique content is key.40:01 Personalized technology offers customized travel experiences.43:35 Use technology to create emotional, surprising experiences.47:26 Single operators may struggle to secure contracts.49:53 Cruises cater to least adventurous travelers' needs.54:17 Tailored marketing crucial for diverse cruise clientele.56:03 "Category Pirates" book encourages unique business strategies.58:48 Online audiences remain undervalued despite digital presence.Mentioned in this episode:Sponsored by Google 'Things to do'Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new Google locations. Learn more here: tourpreneur.com/google