Guide to
Digital Marketing
for Tours, Activities,
& Attractions
Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours, Activities, & Attractions1Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours,
Activities, & Attractions
Introduction3
The Advantage of Direct (& Advance) Online Bookings 5
Digital Marketing 1016
o Facebook & Instagram 8
o Search Engine Marketing 9
o Display10
o Video11
o Multi-Channel12
o Website Optimization 13
o Insights14
Summary 15
Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours, Activities, & Attractions2Attractions, tours, and activities marketers face unique challenges within the
travel space. As a travel vertical that often deals with last-minute bookers and
walk-ups, and still invests heavily in out-of-home advertising solutions, online
marketing can seem daunting, time-consuming, or unnecessary. However, there is a
massive opportunity to capture online bookings: operators sold $44 billion worth of
experiences through their own websites and online travel agencies (OTAs) in 2019 1,
indicating that there are more dollars for the taking, and more ways to engage with
your potential visitors.
At Sojern, we work closely with hundreds of tour operators, in-destination
experiences, activities, and attractions, helping them with digital marketing and
driving direct bookings. We know just how difficult it can be for the attraction
marketer to do it all: keeping up with the latest marketing trends while also
answering phones, putting together new tours, balancing budgets, and ensuring
visitors are satisfied.To help, we’ve put together a digital marketing guide, with tips
and advice from experts in the industry.
Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours, Activities, & Attractions3In this guide, you’ll learn:
oThe importance of direct, advance, online bookings and how
marketing can help you capture more
oThe basics of digital marketing and how to get the most out of
each channel
oHow to take your current marketing efforts to the next level
Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours, Activities, & Attractions4The Advantage of
Direct (& Advance) With online digital advertising, you can find people looking to come to your market
and introduce them to your offering with ads. Those ads influence them to visit your
Online Bookingswebsite, and if your online experience is top-notch, they’ll book right there.
Digital advertising, then, is key to direct, advance, online bookings. These types of
bookings remain a top priority for 41% of attraction marketers.2
Today, more than ever, consumers are researching, shopping, and booking their
experiences online. Globally, 85% of travelers search for attractions 78 days before
their trip.3 Thus, reaching these travelers and winning their business directly, ahead
of their trip, is imperative. This allows you to:
o Generate higher net profit per ticket sales
o Win the direct relationship with your customers, and upsell your packages
o Build and generate more awareness of your brand
o Have more control over offers and promotions
o Continue engaging with customers after their trip
Having a digital presence and online marketing strategy is a must in order to
capture your travel audiences’ interest and encourage them to book early and
directly with you.
Guide to Digital Marketing for Tours, Activities, & Attractions5