The digital world is interesting and competitive too. Customers today are aware and informed. Also, they are looking for unique travel experiences at competitive prices.

Travel companies, tour operators and destination management companies focus on offering the best tour packages to their clients. New marketing methods, ideas and tools are available to market their trips.

Festivals and special occasions are great opportunities for tour operators to promote and sell their tour packages. In fact, they should make the most of these occasions to boost their sales.

How can tour operators take advantage of festivals & special occasions to boost sales?

1. Promoting events to niche audiences

• There are many events held around the globe that could interest your audiences like music festivals, theatre festivals, art-based events, or exhibitions.

• You can pitch these events to art, and culture lovers. There are fun events that could be promoted to families as well.

• Each event has a distinct audience. You have a list of your customers and their details. Pull out the necessary information about your customers and target specific events to them based on their interests and passion. 

• Use social media platforms to promote these events and occasions to the target audience.

• Trigger their interest and keep them engaged by sharing with them the events that they would love to witness and participate in.
  

2. Discounts for events

• On the occasion of festivals, tour operators can offer discounts and vouchers that can encourage and attract festivals.
  
  
• Discounts can be offered on flight tickets, hotel reservations, or an offer like a discounted ride around the destination they choose or a free dinner voucher.
  
  
• Tour operators can think about organizing festivals to promote certain destinations.
  
  
• In these festivals, they can pitch the most desirable destinations and holiday spots at discounted rates

3. Festivals – witnessing celebrations

• Festivals are times that attract travellers to various destinations.

• Many festivals are celebrated around the world.

• Travellers might not have all the information to take up the journey.

• Tour operators have the advantage of running social media campaigns across various platforms informing their audiences about the significance of festivals. 

• After all, each traveller is curious to know more about countries, their culture and festivals. So, satiate this curiosity by sharing valuable information about events and festivals on social media.

• You can build curiosity and get travellers interested in festivals.

   

   

4.  Birthdays and anniversaries: Granting a wish!!

• Thanks to the CRM software and the data you maintain, you have as much information about your customer.

• Utilize this information by sending wishes on special occasions (birthdays or anniversaries) well in advance and sharing plans about your new trips or a customized trip for the customer.

• You can provide a few choices or alternatively ask the customer about their bucket list or places they wish to travel and activities they have always craved to pursue. 

• Make their wishes come true on their special occasion. You can get in touch with their spouse or family member to plan a surprise trip as well.

   

5.  Celebrate the journey

• Let’s say a year back your customer completed a trip to Europe. Share your customer's feedback on your account and revive those memories.

• It’s a special feeling of celebrating the most memorable moments and a trip of their lifetime.

• You can also send an email to customers which can be a collage of special moments that would revive memories of the trip.

• Along with this share information about the trips lined up in the next few months.

   

6. Travelogues

• Publish an online booklet of around 40 to 50 pages that contains information about trips arranged during special occasions.

• The book can have a lot of photographs of the trip and customer feedback.

• Share how you made your clients feel special, and their experiences. This should be a free gift (free download on your website) to customers.

• Why do we need this kind of unique marketing tool? Customers choose your travel service for the experience they hope that you will create.  

• When they watch customers living those experiences, they too want to wish to experience these special moments.

• It’s a marketing tool that requires effort but leads to sure-shot conversion.
  
  

7. Cross-selling

• Let’s say customers have booked a tour to India with the aim of experiencing the Kumbh Mela. You can pitch for some other temples or destinations of cultural significance so that your customers can make the most of the trip, while they are in India.

• If a traveller is visiting Thailand for Songkran, which is the Buddhist new year, then you can plan for your traveller to visit some iconic temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha Temples.

• A bit of research would be necessary but it is one of the wisest ways to market your trips during festivals and events.

• You have a customer base so make the most of it to boost your business.

• Know your customers, and understand their psychographics, preferences, hobbies, passions, likes and dislikes.

• This is possible through an intelligent CRM software that can render a clear picture of your customer base, analyze it and maximize returns from it.

• So, CRM software is vital for a tour operator where customization is the 

Our travel CRM software for travel agents gives a consolidated view of your customer base and also details about each customer. This information can be channelized to create and launch packages as per the preferences of customers.

A customized approach to designing a tour package certainly leads to better conversions.

Customers are ensured that their choices have been taken into consideration.

ETOS is a travel software company that provides online travel technology solutions and destination management solutions for tour operators and travel agents.


It facilitates and streamlines the destination management process and the entire travel business so that your team can focus their efforts on strategizing and planning.

Visit our website https://www.etosglobal.com/ to know more about our products and get in touch with our team for a FREE DEMO.