Tour operators and destination management companies can now make profits during the off-season. The business will not slow down nor will it face losses. 

Let’s find out,

How can tour operators make profits all year through?

1. Create a systematic process

• Every business has to be managed on the basis of processes that work simultaneously but seamlessly.

• Observe your business while it’s still growing and set processes in place so that it would save your team’s time and effort.

• Also, there are functions that need not be manually operated.

• You can use various technologies to automate them.

• There is certain travel software in the market that can help you streamline processes and automate certain routine functions.

• ETOS deals in travel software that minimizes costs and maximizes business opportunities.
  
  

2. Create a delightful customer experience

• A customer is forever. Well, this might sound like an overstatement.

• How can we guarantee that customers keep coming back to us in this competitive world? It is possible only by creating an experience that is totally unexpected and unbelievable.

• Bowl over your customers by adding that extra effort into delivering an exceptional travel experience.

• For example, if they are travelling after many years as a family, surprise them with a free family dinner at the best restaurant at the destination they are visiting or send over a dessert to their hotel room as a present. Alternatively, you offer a discount for the next trip.

• These might be small gestures but can have a lasting impact on the customer’s mind.

• Above all, if the family is travelling together you manage to leave a lasting impression on everyone’s mind.

   

3. Be in touch with customers

• May it be social media, email marketing or regular flyers they all are a medium to keep in touch with your customers. Ask for a review or feedback immediately after the trip.

• They are excited and would love to share their feedback about the trip.

• Share these on social media because before people approach a travel agent or tour operator, they rely on their friends’ recommendations.

• The next thing they would typically do is check your social media and online presence.

• This builds your credibility and an online footprint that conveys the quality of service you offer.

• In the travel industry, it’s all about reviews, recommendations, and word of mouth.

• Since people love to have a unique experience, they first ensure that a tour operator can deliver it.

   

4. Create off-season packages

• You can have many customers asking for travel packages during the peak seasons or holidays.
  
  
• But during the off-season, it's necessary to attract them for short trips around the place they live.
  
  
• Also, during the off-season, people start planning for their next big trip.
  
  
• Start pitching for holiday packages and get them interested.
  
  
• You need to reach out to customers, as they plan for their next vacations.
  
  
• The off-season is not the time to rest, but to warm up for the coming season.

  5. Explore alternate revenue streams

• You can pitch for educational trips or religious trips.

• Corporate trips are another lucrative business opportunity for tour operators.

• They have a need throughout the year and you can sign a contract with them for regularly booking tickets for the employees and planning the entire trip.

• At times companies arrange leisure trips for achievers (maybe a team or an individual).

• These are trips that tour operators can start pitching.

• These are alternate revenue streams within the travel industry.

• Explore them and boost your travel business.

   

6. Plan your budget

• If you are not keeping a close watch on the budget it’s most likely that you will go overboard.
  
  
• Plan your revenue and expenses to keep a record of it.
  
  
• Generally, the entire picture of your finances gets revealed at the end of the financial year. But it might be too late then to repair the damage caused due to increased expenditure.
  
  
• So regularly monitor your expenses and income.
  
  
• In case you notice expenses that are totally unnecessary you can curb them immediately.

7. Offer online bookings and real-time information

• Sell your travel packages online. People are researching and finding information online.

• Quite a few of them would like to book their holiday packages right away.

• So, you can share information about the trips and enable customers to book online. This is the best way to close deals quickly.

• Your website should share the real-time availability of tours. So that they don’t have to waste time on booking if the trip is already fully booked.

• If you don’t have real-time tour availability then customers would have to send a query only to know that there isn’t availability.

   

8.  Find the challenges and fix them

• Observe the sales funnel and find out where the customers are dropping out.
  
  
• Are they dropping out due to pricing? Then it would be a great idea to approach them and negotiate.
  
  
• Let not an enquiry fizzle out at vital junctures.
  
  
• Find the bottlenecks in the business and eliminate them.

9.  Network with peers

• Collaborate with your peers to arrange a trip or a package that includes all your offerings
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• A package that is so self-sufficient that the customers would love it. Both of you can offer much more and get more referrals.
  
  
• A collaborative effort is a wise choice because you start working with many tour agencies interested in selling your travel service to their clients.

EOTS has worked closely with travel agents and tour operators to find out their pain points and streamline their processes.

Their ability to innovate has always resolved challenges to boost sales. Get in touch with our team now to know more.