How to prepare for peak season – 4 tips for tour & activity providers

Introduction

Summer is finally here! This is traditionally the busiest time of year for most businesses in the leisure industry, bringing an influx of customers eager to experience the best a destination has to offer. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to stand out from the competition, especially at a time when most tourists are looking to reduce their discretionary spending due to the effects of inflation. Fortunately, there’s still time to improve your online presence, which is crucial to attracting more customers. That’s why we’ve put together a checklist that covers everything you need to know about how to prepare for peak season. With our help, you can easily boost your holiday sales and optimize your business for the months ahead.

Keep in mind that, in order to follow the four steps we’ll describe in the following paragraphs, you need to use Regiondo, the leading booking system for tour operators and activity providers. For more information, visit Regiondo’s homepage by clicking here.

Tip #1: Update your offers for the summer season

To prepare for peak season, start by logging in to your Regiondo account and navigate to your listings from the dashboard. Make sure that your listings catalog is up to date for the current season by following these steps:

• Update and/or optimize the content of your offers.
• Verify whether the price lists are up to date.
• If the dates have expired, enter new validities here in order to reactivate your calendar online and make your experiences bookable on your website.
• If necessary, update the images inside the listings.
• Increase your sales opportunities by activating the gift option; this way your customers can choose to book a date or buy a product voucher for their friends or relatives.
• If you don’t offer value vouchers, you can create them and display them on your website – make sure you give them plenty of visibility, as they are one of the most effective tools to increase your sales.

Tip #2: Review your Regiondo integration

To stand out from the competition and successfully prepare for peak season, it’s critical to have an engaging website that showcases your company and the experiences you offer. Your website serves as your virtual storefront, and if it doesn’t meet customer expectations or is outperformed by your competitors’ sites, it means that your online presence is falling short.

Make sure that your Regiondo integration is easily accessible and that the booking process is seamless for your online customers. Consider creating a dedicated landing page with all your offers that can be linked to in emails, newsletters, flyers, social media posts and more. Include a clear call to action (CTA), such as a “book now” button, to entice visitors to click through and explore your online store.

If your Regiondo integration is no longer present on your site (e.g., because it has been removed), we recommend using our new widget editor to create custom widgets and integrate them into your site. Click here for instructions on how to use this tool!

Tip #3: Make use of OTAs during peak season

OTAs offer your business the amazing opportunity to promote your experiences to an enormous number of consumers from all over the world.

If you have not yet considered it, now is the time to explore the possibility of increasing your bookings by connecting with our partners.

If you’re already selling on OTAs, make sure your connection with Regiondo is active. Please note: it is not enough to click on the “Activate Channel” button in order to sell and connect your offers on OTAs. To do this, please follow the guidelines provided in the top left corner of each channel page.

Another important prerequisite for starting the connection in the Channel Manager is to verify that your offers are categorized. You can do this directly from your Regiondo dashboard by clicking here.

Tip #4: Promote your experiences on Social Media

When preparing for peak season, don’t forget about your social media accounts! They can be a powerful tool for your business and can help you drive more customers to your website. To do this, be sure to promote your products on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms where you have a profile.

Facebook: We recommend changing your default action button to “Shop on Website” or “Learn More” to direct users to your online store. You can go to your FB page, click on your button and edit it with one of the two above.

Instagram: You can use this social media platform to promote your offers in several ways, and with little effort, you can increase your conversion rates.

The most important thing is to always include a link to your online store in your bio! For example, use may a call to action like “Book your class now ⬇️”, followed by a link to the page where your offers are listed.

Additional marketing tips on how to prepare for peak season

Create irresistible offers

• Focus on value: Highlight the unique aspects of your tours and activities by focusing on what sets them apart from the competition, especially the value customers receive by choosing your services.
• Offer limited-time promotions: Create a sense of urgency by offering special, limited-time promotions. This encourages prospects to make a quick decision and book with you.
• Bundle services: When possible, combine different tours and activities into packages that offer a more complete experience at a discounted price. This not only saves customers time and effort, but also provides a better value for their money.
• Use compelling language: Create compelling headlines and descriptions for your offers by using persuasive language. Your goal is to highlight the benefits of your offers and create a sense of anticipation.

Get ready for summer with a booking website that converts

• Clear and intuitive navigation: To efficiently prepare for peak season, make sure your site has a straightforward, user-friendly layout that allows visitors to easily navigate through different sections and find the information they need.
• Mobile optimization: With more and more people booking tours and activities on their mobile devices, it’s important to have a responsive website that adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and platforms.
• Fast loading times: Slow-loading pages can frustrate visitors and lead to lost bookings. Optimize your site’s performance by compressing images, using browser caching, and minimizing the use of heavy scripts.
• Engaging visuals: High-quality images and videos showcasing your tours and activities can create an emotional connection with potential customers and encourage them to book.
• Easy-to-find booking buttons: Place prominent “Book Now” buttons throughout your site to ensure they’re easily accessible and visible to users.
• Leverage social proof: Display customer testimonials and reviews to build trust with your audience.
• Multiple payment options: Offer a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and cash to accommodate a wide range of customer preferences.
• Transparent pricing and policies: Clearly display prices for your tours and activities, and make sure your cancellation and refund policies are easy to understand.
• Call to Actions (CTAs): Use compelling language and strong CTAs to guide visitors through the booking process.

Partner with OTAs

Online travel agencies (OTAs) are powerful platforms that can help travel and activity suppliers reach a wider audience and generate more bookings. There are no better partners when you’re looking for ways to expand your online presence, but their help comes at a price. As you know, they take a commission on all the tickets you sell through them, typically between 20% and 30%. For this reason, you may want to use OTAs to fill capacity during the off-season, while driving the majority of your summer bookings through direct channels, such as your own website.

Here are some best practices for getting the most out of your partnership with OTAs. To learn more about this topic, check out our blog post: 8 OTA Marketing Strategies to Increase Your Visibility & Sell More.

• Optimize your listings: To capture the attention of potential customers, create compelling and informative listings for your tours and activities. Use high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and highlight your unique selling points. Don’t forget to include relevant keywords to help customers find you.
• Encourage customer reviews: When you prepare for peak season, take into account that positive reviews can have a significant impact on your visibility on OTAs, as platforms often prioritize listings with higher ratings. Encourage your customers to leave feedback on your OTA listings by sending follow-up emails or offering incentives for their reviews. As always, respond to all reviews you receive, both positive and negative.
• Update your availability regularly: Keep your availability up to date to avoid overbookings and cancellations that can negatively impact your OTA rankings. For most OTAs, you can do this automatically thanks to Regiondo’s Channel Manager.
• Participate in OTA promotions: Many OTAs offer promotional opportunities, such as seasonal deals, that can help increase your visibility on the platform. In addition, some platforms have rewards programs or featured listings for businesses that meet certain criteria.
• Leverage analytics: Use the data provided by OTAs to gain insight into your listing performance, customer preferences, and market trends. Review and analyze this information regularly to optimize your marketing strategies and improve your visibility on the platform.
• Build strong relationships with OTAs: Developing a strong relationship with your OTA account manager can be extremely beneficial. They can provide valuable insight, advice and support to help you make the most of your presence on their platform.

Leverage social media marketing 

• Create engaging content: Share visually stunning images and videos that show your tours and activities in action. Use storytelling to create an emotional connection with your audience and highlight the unique aspects of your experiences. We recommend mixing in a variety of content types, such as behind-the-scenes posts, customer testimonials, and educational content to keep your followers engaged.
• Use hashtags: After conducting thorough research, use relevant hashtags and keywords in your posts to increase visibility and reach a wider audience. At the same time, be careful not to overuse them, as this can come across as spammy and reduce engagement.
• Work with influencers and partners: Consider partnering with influencers or other businesses in your niche to expand your reach and reach new audiences.
• Invest in paid advertising: Increase your visibility with paid advertising on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer targeted ad options that allow you to reach users based on their interests, demographics and behaviors. Start with a small budget and test different ad creatives and targeting options to optimize your campaigns for the best results.
• Interact with your community: As with user reviews, respond to your followers’ comments, questions, and messages to create an authentic connection with them. Also, take some time to engage with other businesses and influencers in your niche by liking, commenting on, and sharing their content to gain further visibility.

Conclusion

Preparing for peak season as a travel and activity provider requires strategic planning, effective marketing and optimizing your online presence to ensure you make the most of this valuable time. By following the best practices outlined in this article, you can create irresistible offers, improve conversions on your website, increase your visibility on OTAs and provide a seamless booking experience for your customers.

Investing in the right tools and strategies will not only help you attract more visitors during peak season, but also set your business up for continued growth in the long run. To learn more about Regiondo, the leading booking system in Europe, request a free demo with one of our experts.