1 Aug 2014 How To Get Families to Book Your Tour or Activity

As a tour operator, you want to be chosen as one of the activities a family will engage in when they go on holiday together.

Why?

• 84% of Americans say the most important part of a vacation is spending time with family and friends (Source).
• 50% of Americans say they always take at least one long vacation lasting a week or more each year because the opportunities for togetherness can’t be matched at home (Source).
• As a group, families take more trips per year (4.5) than business travelers (3.9), Gen Y travelers (3.9), or Gen X travelers (3.5) (Source).

So it’s clear that family-friendly tours are one type of package that you can’t ignore. Here’s how to get traveling families to book with you.

1. Know what motivates families to travel

Tapping into each family member’s desires is necessary for creating a tour product that is suited to their needs.

• The top reason for families to travel is to gain an authentic experience in new destinations, followed by rest and relaxation, and personal enrichment (Source).
• Among the most popular activities that families indulge in are visiting a historic site, museum, national park, and amusement or theme park (Source).

If you find that your family package will be a bit pricey, there’s no need to worry. Families are willing to pay the price for a once-in-a-lifetime trip that provides them with a lifetime of memories.

2. Know how families travel

To attract families, you need to have a clear picture of who you’re structuring your tour or activity for. So what does a traveling family look like?

According to Travel Market Report there are different categories:

• Traditional family. There are one or more parents and one or more children.
• Multi-generational. There are multiple generations involved and more than one nuclear family grouping. About 44% of adults bring children and grandchildren along on leisure travels.
• Variations. Grandparents may take grandkids on vacation, or adult siblings and their spouses may travel together and leave their kids behind.

You might want to consider marketing to honeymooners as well, so that they remember you when they have children and come back to the area.

3. Delight families with your service

Step one is to create a family-oriented offer. This means that the hours are appropriate, the content of your tour is appropriate for children, and there are plenty of toilet breaks (if it’s a long walking tour).

Then, you need to deliver by making it a seamless experience:

• Make it easy to pay for the tour as well as all extras (eg. meals).
• Make it easy to get there and back (ie. offer hotel pickup).
• Track all of their specific requirements (no notes lost between shifts, you have centralized communications and it’s all on the manifest so they don’t have to repeat themselves).

Do you have the tools to deliver?

If you aren’t equipped with the booking technology required to service customers in this way, then your business is in danger of getting left behind.

Rezdy’s online booking software allows your customers to check availability, book and pay for your tour in a few quick clicks. You can cross and up-sell extras, and get organized with your customer communications so that no knowledge is lost.

To see it in action, start your free trial today.

Topics families, industry research, marketing, traveler