Experiences are better when shared — which is why couples look for things to do with each other. Whether it’s for date night, an anniversary, or honeymoon, participating in a new and exciting activity can strengthen the bond and create meaningful memories. And since relationship milestones happen frequently, there’s an opportunity for tour operators to bring in more bookings while bringing two people together.
But how do you turn that one booking into two? How do you get couples walking hand in hand through your door? It comes down to offering what they’re looking for, helping them visualize the experience beforehand and throwing in the sweet extras.
In this article, we’ll show you how to design a tour for couples starting with:
Knowing what the romantic traveler wants
According to TripSavvy, foodie trips and beachside holidays are the most popular amongst American couples. But not every couple is the same — just like not every person is the same. While some couples love exploring the wilderness, others prefer discovering a city’s hidden gems.
That means there’s a good chance you’ll appeal to couples planning a romantic date or getaway whether you host a snorkel, hiking, beer tasting, or ghost walking tour. You just have to keep a couple of factors in mind.
Although couples enjoy different activities, they often look for the same things when booking a tour. For instance, a lot of couples want to enjoy each other’s company by getting away from the crowds. On top of that, they want to treat themselves to an experience they can’t have anywhere else.
The best way to check off those requirements and stand out to romantic travelers is to offer a private and custom tour package that’s exclusive to couples. Here’s what that can look like:
Create a tour package for couples
It’s not enough to take one of your offerings, make it private, slap on the label, “Tour for Two,” and charge double. The key is customization; otherwise, most couples would forego the private aspect and book the main tour with everyone else — even if it means compromising on alone time and having to hang back from the group.
To design a tour for couples, you need to add something extra to sweeten the deal, something that will turn their tour into a day-long date. A great place to start is to combine a couple of your products that pair well together. For example, if you run a wine tour and tasting, you can offer a sunset dinner and drinks in the vineyard followed by an after-hours tour of the winery.
Another good idea is to partner with one or two businesses in the area to create an authentic, local experience that meets a romantic and luxurious standard. That could mean including endless tapas at a renowned restaurant at the end of the tour, or starting the day off with a couple’s massage before setting sail on an island-hopping adventure.
Whatever unique tour experience you decide is best for couples in your target market, it’s easy to create the package in Checkfront for them to book. All you need is one item for the main draw, a preselected extra for that je ne sais quoi, and a couple of optional add-ons to make it so they can customize the experience — like adding a professional photographer to capture a proposal.
To see how you can create tour packages in Checkfront, request a demo today.
Promote your tour to couples
When it comes to promoting your tour to couples, it helps to get them to picture having the experience first. A great way to do that is to partner with a travel influencer couple. Seeing that influencers are relatable and authentic, as well as professional content creators, they naturally shape the travel shopping decisions of their large community of followers. That’s something you can capitalize on during an influencer marketing campaign.
After finding the right Insta couple, send them out on the couple’s tour package that you want to sell. During the tour, have them capture the experience and share it with their followers. That way, the couples who look up to them for travel advice will keep your tour and destination in mind for a future trip.
Want to reach out to an influencer couple? Download these 3 email templates to land the partnership.
While an influencer campaign is effective at brand awareness, there’s a way to generate more buzz with a social media contest. In fact, these two marketing strategies go well together. As part of the project, you can host a giveaway on your website and Facebook page and then have the influencer couple spread the word about the competition.
For example, you can get them to announce the contest and explain the rules with the content they create and share. If they’re successful at showcasing the tour experience as a perfect date idea for any occasion — like Valentine’s Day — you’re bound to get a bunch of couples liking, commenting, tagging and following for a chance to win.
Pay attention to the details
Just like in relationships, it’s the little things that matter. Even if the tour experience is outstanding, you can elevate it by adding a personal and thoughtful touch. Since many couples have a reason for booking an elaborate excursion — like becoming newlyweds — you can include a special something that fits with the occasion. How do you do that?
With Checkfront’s Guest Form, it’s possible to learn about a couple before they check-in. Along with asking for Name, Email, and Address, you can also include a form field labelled something like Tell Us What You’re Celebrating. By doing so, you’ll gather intel about their special day ahead of time so you can surprise them with themed balloons and champagne upon arrival. That’s just one idea — of course, you’re welcome to get as creative as you want.
Keep in mind that the small details extend beyond the romantic event. Love comes in all shapes and sizes. If you’re going to design a tour for couples, you should be inclusive and willing to go the extra mile for ALL couples. That also means your tour guides should be respectful and sensitive to members of the LGBTQ community.
Final thoughts
Hosting a private and customized couple’s tour is just one way to reach a demographic you may be neglecting. If you want to tap into other markets — like young families, large group bookings, students, or solo travelers — you can apply and modify the above strategies. And soon, you’ll have a tour experience that’s interesting and intriguing to everyone within your target audience.
Want to design a tour for couples with Checkfront?
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