Have you created your best tour yet, but you just don’t seem to be making the sales you think you should? Have you considered that it might be your tour description that’s holding you back?
Writing an epic tour description can be the difference between making your tour stand out from the crowd and selling out those tour spaces, and having an under-performing tour.
It’s not just about writing the details of the tour, it’s about selling it. You want to not just attract visitors, but also turn them into customers.
Use these tips to evaluate your trip page, and craft the best tour description that you can for your business!
Write for a specific persona
Have a specific persona in mind when you’re crafting your tour details. By doing this, you’re indicating the kind of customer that you expect to book the trip. Write to the persona of the type of person you want to buy the tour, and think about what will excite them about it.
Consider whether you want to describe the experience as thrilling or chilled-out. Describing it as slow-paced and relaxing has a very different effect than stating the tour is adventurous and challenging.
Have a tone of voice
You should maintain a consistent tone of voice throughout all of your business communications, including your website and social media.
This might be corporate, humorous, or friendly. If you’re a small business, you might want to form a more personal connection with your customers, so you may be less corporate in tone than a larger business.
Make it logical and easy to read
People are looking for various things when they read a tour description, so make it easy to read and address your major points in different ways.
Start with a brief opening summary that describes the tour, and includes your unique selling point (USP), follow this up with bullet points of the important points like dates, cost, locations, and exciting activities.
You can go on to describe a more detailed itinerary, especially if it’s a multi-day tour.
Outline the benefits, not just what it’s about
What makes your tour different from the rest, and what makes it the same? Make sure you outline the benefits of your tour in the description, not just what it’s about.
If you’re visiting a popular location but at a time of day when fewer people will be there, explain this, or if your tour has a unique experience make sure you include it! But remember you’re describing the experience, not telling them the logistics.
Tour guides are usually story-tellers, and you need to tell a story through your tour description. You want to engage their emotions because that can help you improve your sales.
For example, don’t just say the tour includes “dinner at a local restaurant”, describe the dinner as “a culinary experience where you’ll be treated to the delights of the local cuisine and learn more about the culture of the country”.
But be honest and upfront
Although you want to sell the tour in the best way possible, be careful not to over-promise and then under-deliver. Be realistic about what the tour offers. The last thing you want is reviews stating the tour wasn’t as good as described or what the customer thought it would be!
Don’t give away all your secrets (you don’t need to name the restaurants, exact locations etc)
While you need to be clear and descriptive, don’t give away all your trade secrets! For example, if you run a food tour, you don’t need to outline all of the restaurants you’ll visit or the exact locations of all activities.
Some people do use tour descriptions to research their travels, and you want them to feel like they should book your tour to have the awesome experience you’re describing, not just go off and do it on their own!
Be clear on exclusions and inclusions
It might seem blunt but it’s important you’re upfront about the exclusions and inclusions of the tour to avoid any kind of disappointment or conflict at a later date.
If tips might be expected, especially for any local guides, then they should be listed in the exclusions, along with things like transfers, or even water if that’s normally expected.
Use keywords for Search Engine Optimization
You don’t need to be an SEO expert to write your tour description with SEO in mind. Keywords are the things that people search for in search engines, and are actually phrases rather than singular words.
For example, “food tours in Spain”, or “group trips in Morocco”. You want to try and target relevant keywords throughout your tour description and your website as a whole. Think about what people will search to find your tour and include those phrases naturally throughout.
Include great photos
A picture really can be worth a thousand words, so make sure you include some amazing ones with your tour description! You want a potential customer to look at a picture and wish it was them in it.
Consider engaging a professional photographer to go along on your tours if you haven’t already, or even videos. Photos are also a great way to highlight your target audience and the type of people you expect to book your tour.
Proofread it!
It’s so important to proofread your tour description and make sure there are no mistakes. If you haven’t put time and effort into your tour description, how do customers know that you’ll really make the effort when it comes to giving them an amazing tour experience. Attention to detail can make a big difference!
Crafting an epic tour description should be at the top of your to-do list when it comes to things you can do to improve sales. The right tour description can make a big difference to your tour company, so use this checklist to make sure it’s not your descriptions that are holding you back!
Want more tips for your tour business? Check out our free resources for travel companies!
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