3 Tour Operator Instagram Pages Worth Following

Updated December 2022 – The tourism industry is without a doubt one of the more instagrammable industries. With just over 300M Instagram posts in 2022 related to travel photos, and an average of 21 minutes that Instagram users spend browsing on this social media platform, many tour operators have started to use Instagram as an effective tourism marketing tool to leverage their business.

In today’s article, we’ll go through some tips on how you can leverage your Instagram page and provide you with real-life examples of tour operator Instagram pages.

How Instagram is taking over the travel industry

There’s no doubt that Instagram is one of the leaders of the social media world, and it’s beneficial for tour and activity providers to focus on increasing their presence on this platform.

Instagram used to be a platform solely for sharing photos, however, in more recent years with they’ve started to introduce more features on their site. This has provided users with more avenues to create a diverse range of engaging content that resonates with their followers. And now, with over 300 million active users using the site each month, it’s an amazing way to increase your online presence and reach potential customers that you might never discover otherwise.

Instagram is also a great way to target the generation considered the highest spenders when it comes to travel – Millennials and Gen Z. Millenials and Gen Z dominate more than half of the active users on Instagram and use this platform as a way to gain inspiration when looking for new travel experiences. By harnessing Instagram, you’ll be able to target a wide range of people within this generational bracket.

Tips on how Instagram can boost your tourism brand

1. User-generated content VS branded content

User-generated content are content that is created by people rather than brands. These types of content generally feel more candid and raw, compared to polished and professional-looking branded campaigns.

According to a study by TurnTo Networks, 90% of consumers say that user-generated content holds more influence over their purchasing decisions than promotional emails and even search engine results. This is why travel bloggers and Instagram influencers have become strong voices on these platforms as many people turn to their content in search of honest, genuine reviews.

As a tour and activity operator, creating content that is true to who you are and your business identity is what your followers want.

2. Post more videos

With the rise in video platforms such as TikTok dominating the social media space, Instagram has introduced new video-based features to further compete with these platforms.

Instagram stories and Instagram reels are one of the most powerful tools Instagram has to offer.

Stories have their own section on Instagram, making them excellent for drawing the attention of new potential customers. In fact, many Instagram users believe these raw, fast-paced pieces of content often show a company’s more “human” side which is what many viewers want to see these days (i.e user-generated content).

Instagram Reels on the other hand is one of the most exciting new features offered by Instagram. This tool is great for capturing the attention of all kinds of audiences as it uses Instagram’s algorithm to determine the best audience for your videos, even if they don’t follow you. Inspired by the fast-paced video snippets on TikTok, Reels give you a fun and interesting way to connect with your audience.

3. Engage with your followers

As a tourism business, you want to ensure that you’re engaging with your followers and visitors. This means responding to any relevant comments, messages, and tags that come your way. By doing so, it will show that you’re active on your Instagram page and will further incline people to follow your page.

4. Hashtags & Geotagging

Geotagging and hashtags are highly useful add-ons to your Instagram feed as it allows you to expand your reach to more viewers searching for that particular hashtag or location.

Hashtags help you categorize your posts and ensure users can find them more easily when looking for the content they want. Examples of hashtags include #travel, #experiences, #tourism, or even #tavelgram. You’d be surprised at the number of people that search for these hashtags when seeking travel inspiration.

Geotagging is when you tag a location on your post. For example, if you’re a tour operator based in Norway or New Zealand, including your location in your Instagram post will allow you to promote your business to people who are browsing for content in that particular location.

3 examples of tour operator Instagram pages to follow

Leveraging your Instagram page can sometimes be a challenge and heaps of work. Here are 3 examples of tour operator who have managed to successful build their following and engagement with users on Instagram.

CoastXP

CoastXP combines the excitement of the coast with the thrill of water adventures such as whale watching into one unique activity.

The company’s Instagram page has over 5,000 followers, and that might largely be due to the fact that they follow a substantial amount of people.

When you are creating your Instagram account for your tour and activity company, follow as many people as you can. This will help increase your exposure and will encourage others to follow your page.

In addition, the company posts visually-appealing photos without heavy filters, giving users an accurate idea of what they can expect when they book a tour through them.

Calypso Star Charters

Calypso Star Charters offers travelers the chance to swim with the sharks in a cage-diving experience, and its Instagram account is about as active as the tours.

With 107,000 followers, this company owes its success on Instagram to the fact that it posts photos as frequently as possible.

The company posts about 2-3 photos each day, showing visitors examples of the amazing wildlife they see on their tours — including plenty of sharks, up close and personal.

Tour and activity providers will find that their followers interact with them more on Instagram if they post photos sporadically throughout the day, as this will help keep their posts higher up on the feeds.

Melbourne by Foot

Melbourne by Foot is a walking tour company that provides small groups with the chance to get to learn more about the culture of Melbourne.

The Melbourne by Foot Instagram account is active and informative, and each photo that is posted is interesting and invites further inquiries. The company’s photography style is eclectic, and the photos are designed to engage users on the site.

They earn lots of likes on the photos that they post, and they have more than 1,300 followers on their page. Tour and activity providers should be creative about the photos that they post, as it will spark interest and curiosity in their potential customers.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve gone through useful tips on Instagram for tourism operators and have seen real-life examples of tour operator who have managed to successfully build their Instagram pages, it’s important that you’re able to handle the increase in bookings coming your way. By investing in a reservation software designed for tour and activity operators, you’ll be able to streamline your booking process more efficiently.

For example, Rezdy is an online booking software that allows your customers to easily place bookings. From real-time availability viewer, automatic email communication, secure payment gateway integrations, and reporting tools to track your business’ performance, not only will you make it easier for your customers to book through your business, but you’ll also save time and reduce your admin duties so you can go back to doing what you love most – creating memorable experiences with your guests.

Curious to see how Rezdy is the right fit for your business? Start a FREE 21-day trial or request a demo so you can test-drive a high-quality solution for yourself.

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