This is part 1 of a two part series on blogging for tour operators, updated in May 2023. Click here to read about blogging ideas to get you started.
To blog or not to blog? This is the question that a lot of tour operators ask themselves. We here at Tourism Tiger certainly find ourselves answering it time and again when consulting with new clients, whether they are established tour operators or are just getting their business off the ground(opens in a new tab). We have even created a blog writing service(opens in a new tab) to help with this important task.
The quick and dirty truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. As a tour or activity operator, there’s no dire need to blog; your main focus is and always should be on creating and leading the very best tours and activities for your customers. That being said, a strong online presence will attract a consistent flow of customers, which ultimately contributes to the growth of your business.
Ideally, you already have a website that is working for you(opens in a new tab). We at Tourism Tiger know this is the most important way to establish your presence online, increase bookings, and put a face to your ratings across the web. While a website is finite, a blog is not — it presents ever-growing opportunities to build relationships, establish yourself as an authority, and increase your rankings on search engines. Your blog can be a valuable addition to your website by allowing you space to:
1. Highlight your unique selling point by showing, not telling.
Your website gives little bites of valuable and easily digestible information, but your blog can illustrate some of the things that set you apart from other tour operators in your location and help readers choose you. Are you a family-run or family-focused business? Are your tours highly customizable? Are you dedicated to environmentally friendly tourism? These are niches and unique selling points that you can easily highlight on your blog.
2. Prove what you know without giving away your secrets.
As a tour operator, you are equipped with unparalleled expertise on your destination. Share the wealth! There’s no need to reveal your tour itineraries since there are plenty of other topics to cover — several of which we dive into on part two. The posts on your blog are a unique place that allow you to establish yourself as an authority in your field, be it all-things-tourism in your location, or something more specific like cycling, hiking, or kayaking in your location, or something else entirely. It’s totally up to you!
3. Create more opportunities to convert site visitors to customers
Every single blog post can and should include some sort of a “call to action,” or a CTA. A CTA is a prompt (in the form of a phrase or a button, for example) that urges readers to take action rather than just passively perusing your site. In this case, you should be urging readers to visit the rest of your site, check out your tours, or book a specific one. You can do this in the middle of the post or at the end, but it should always be introduced organically. Here’s a great example of a CTA in Devour Tours’ blog post on Eating Gluten Free in Madrid(opens in a new tab):
“Want an all-encompassing gluten free experience? Our food tours(opens in a new tab) are completely adaptable for gluten free guests! So you can join in all the foodie fun, without the worry of not having appropriate alternatives to suit your dietary needs! We hope to see you in Madrid soon!”
4. Boost SEO and get on Google’s good side
The more pages you have on your site, the more Google trusts you. In many cases, Google also loves fresh content as it’s likely more relevant to searches than something outdated. Since the amount of tours you offer is finite, a blog is a great way to create more pages for your site. Blog titles can also be optimized to show up as results for highly searched terms. “Things to Do In Madrid” or “Where to Eat in Chicago” can draw people to your website without them directly searching for a tour, since many tourism-related topics have built-in keywords. Read this article(opens in a new tab) to learn a bit about the basics of SEO.
5. Save your own time answering frequently asked questions
Your site should have an FAQ section that answers questions you are frequently asked about your tours. But all too often, tour operators’ inboxes are chock-full of inquiries about general information about your town: “Where should I stay? I only have a few days, where should I go? What should I do on X day of the week?” These questions aren’t necessarily about your tours, but they’re ones you probably have answers for. Rather than answering each inquiry individually, you can write a blog post on the matter and send the link to anyone who still inquires about this. Having these posts on your blog and indexed in Google means two things: More people will find your site and fewer people will ask you the same repetitive questions. A double success!
6. Build relationships with others in your destination and industry
This is always a good business practice. Blogs provide an excellent platform to give shoutouts to local businesses (for example, you could write a blog post just featuring your favorite local coffeeshop and why you love it, or what makes it the best) and ways to engage with other tour operators in other destinations. Maybe you’re an eco tour company, and you see another tour company doing something really cool. For example, Secret Paradise Maldives(opens in a new tab) is leading sustainable and thoughtful tours in the Maldives; you love their approach so much that you write a blog post about how much you admire their ideas, and you ask your blog readers for other ideas for how you can incorporate these strategies into your local outreach plan. That way, not only do you give your fellow tour operators some nice exposure and therefore build a rapport with them, but you also show your community that you care and want to be involved with them, therefore deepening your relationship with locals. A delightful win for everyone!
7. Get into potential customers’ field of vision
Before a trip, many travelers will do some research starting with a simple Google search. If you’re hitting the right keywords(opens in a new tab), you’ll likely show up in those searches. The sooner you get on a traveler’s radar, the longer they’re thinking about you, the more they trust you, and the more likely they are to book with you.
8. Give them something to talk about
Blog posts are great fodder for social media! Your articles are a great thing to post on your own social media channels, which open opportunities to engage with readers in a more personal way (social media is definitely more personal than email) and make it easy for people to share your site.
We hope we’ve given you some things to consider and ultimately help you decide whether or not blogging is for you. If you’re leaning towards blogging, check out the second part of this blog post: 15 Blogging Ideas for Tour Operators(opens in a new tab)!
