What's In a Compelling Tour Description?

So, you’re ready to go to market with your upcoming tour or retreat and want to put together an eye-catching booking page with WeTravel.  Great timing, we have some tips for you on how to write a tour description that sells!

The write up is going to have to win over potential clients straight away, especially if they're new to your business. If it doesn't sound appealing, give enough information, or is badly written, chances are your Book Now button won't get as many hits. Also, it's not likely that anyone will return to visit the web page or link again.

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How To Write A Tour Description That Sells

As your tour description is essentially marketing content, it needs to lay out the land and explain the unique purpose and selling points of your trip. When travelers read it, they should be able to get a feel for the tour and have enough information to compel them into booking their spot.

Now, as we mentioned, it is especially critical to get this right if you’re planning on selling trip spaces to people who don’t know you or haven’t booked through your travel company before. While you may be afforded more grace by travelers who know you personally and trust you, the same can’t be said for those who don’t.

Here are some ideas on how to tackle your tour description to engage travelers with compelling and well-formatted copy.

Write With Your Target Client In Mind

Think about exactly who it is you want to lead on your tour or retreat. Are you looking to target beginner or advanced yoga students, the health-conscious traveler, busy professionals who need a break to disconnect, etc?

Once you know who these people are, write your tour description using language, images, tone, and length that speaks to them in particular.

Know What’s Great About Your Tour, And Include It In The Description

You know what makes your tour or travel experience great - write it down and include it in the description. Potential clients are going to want to know what makes yours stand out from the rest, so be sure to answer that directly in the copy.

If you have video footage from previous trips, be sure to post this onto your booking page as well. Being able to visualize the experience as well helps travelers to get a clearer view of what they will be in for.

Include Keywords For SEO

Identifying and including keywords naturally into your tour description will help potential clients find it online. It will also let them know at a glance what your travel experience is about.

For example, if you are offering a Pilgrimage to India or Foundational Yoga Teacher Training, use these in the tour headline, sub-headings, images, and throughout the text (without over-optimizing) so that it is clear what the experience is centered around.

Come Up With A Great Title

Even though you want your keyword to be in the tour title, it’s not to say you can’t jazz it up a bit.

Think about how you can take your unique selling points and use them in a way so as to share important features of the trip in the title. That said, be careful not to make a paragraph out of it – rather keep the title concise and catchy.

Keep The Description Engaging And To The Point

In the main tour description, you want to include as much information as you can to help travelers make an informed decision. However, you need to find the line between writing a book about it, and being helpful and informative in what you include.

It's always worth spending a bit more time on your introduction. Be sure to include the important highlights in easily digestible copy. This will be the point where travelers decide whether or not to continue reading.

As you go along, consider whether the person reading the copy will find the information you provide useful for their decision. If not, leave it out or include it in a more detailed downloadable brochure that can be accessed on request.

Overall, be specific about the benefits of booking with your company. Highlight the value that the traveler will receive and write it in a way that makes the opportunity impossible for them to turn down.

Also, keep your writing to short, easy to read sentences. The longer they are, the more difficult they can be to take in, and you risk losing the reader's attention.

Layout The Highlights

Some people like to include this section at the beginning of the tour description. Others towards the end. Whatever your choice, use it to provide easily skimmable bullet points that layout the highlights of your tour.

At a glance, these should identify what potential clients can expect without them having to read the entire tour description.

Show What’s Included and What’s Not

It’s always good to let travelers know right away what the inclusions and exclusions of a tour are.  This could be airport transfers, travel insurance, meals, tips, tourism taxes, etc.

Clarifying these points will help to avoid any confusion or disappointment further down the line when you are more deeply rooted in the organizational process.

Don’t Forget Images

Earlier, we mentioned adding in video to your tour description. However, even if you don't have video footage, you need to add some great photos at the very least. They are, and always have been, a marketing tool to engage and attract potential clients to your tour. With eye-catching images, your chances of landing a booking increase substantially.

Final Thoughts

Failing to write a compelling tour description can lead to you not selling spaces on it. You know that you provide a life-changing experience, you just need to get that message across to potential clients as well. Knowing how to write a tour description that sells is one way to do exactly that.