Top Strategies to Attract More Tourists to Your Walking Tours

Walking tours offer travelers an intimate and enriching way to explore destinations, making them a popular choice for both locals and tourists. However, with growing competition, it’s crucial to employ strategies that set your tours apart and ensure a steady stream of participants. With Tourlist, a powerful tool designed specifically for walking tour operators, you can implement these strategies easily and effectively. Let’s explore how you can attract more tourists and boost your business—and how Tourlist can help every step of the way.

1. Leverage Online Visibility

In today’s digital-first world, your online presence is your storefront. Ensure your walking tours are easy to find and enticing to book by:

Optimising Your Website: Use keywords like “walking tours in [City]” and include detailed descriptions of your tours. Tourlist makes it easy by providing you with curated, professional content to embed directly into your website.
Engaging on Social Media: Post high-quality images and videos showcasing your tours. Tourlist helps you integrate your tour lists into your social media profiles with shareable links and engaging visuals.
Listing on Tour Aggregators: Platforms like Tourlist allow you to create stunning, easily shareable lists that attract more travelers while seamlessly linking to booking platforms.

Start building your online visibility today by creating your first list on Tourlist—it’s simple and quick!

2. Create Unique and Thematic Tours

Differentiation is key to standing out in a crowded market. With Tourlist, you can design and showcase themed itineraries such as:

Historical or architectural-themed tours.
Food and drink trails featuring local delicacies.
Ghost tours or seasonal experiences (e.g., Christmas markets).
Eco-friendly tours focusing on sustainability and nature.

Tourlist lets you highlight these unique experiences in curated, branded lists, making them more appealing to potential customers.

3. Collaborate with Local Businesses

Building partnerships within your community can be mutually beneficial. Consider:

Teaming up with local cafes or restaurants to offer discounts or exclusive experiences.
Partnering with hotels and hostels to promote your tours to their guests.
Joining forces with cultural sites or museums to create bundled experiences.

Tourlist makes collaboration effortless by providing tools to promote your partnerships directly through your lists. Drive traffic to your partners while boosting your tour’s visibility.

4. Invest in Professional Marketing Materials

First impressions matter. Tourlist enables you to present high-quality, professional-looking tour lists that include:

Stunning imagery and videos.
Detailed descriptions of your offerings.
Clear, branded call-to-action buttons.

These features help your walking tours look polished and trustworthy, encouraging more bookings.

5. Encourage and Showcase Reviews

Tourists trust peer reviews when deciding which tours to book. To make the most of this:

Politely ask participants to leave a review at the end of each tour. A simple reminder from your guide can go a long way.
Provide direct links to review platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, or Yelp in your follow-up emails.
Incentivize reviews by offering a small discount on their next booking or a freebie, such as a digital guidebook.
Regularly monitor and respond to reviews. Thank happy customers and address any concerns raised in negative feedback to show professionalism and care.

Remember, glowing reviews are often the deciding factor for new customers. By actively encouraging feedback, you’ll build trust and credibility for your walking tours.

6. Offer Flexible Booking Options

Tourists often plan at the last minute or have unpredictable schedules. Tourlist helps you cater to this audience by providing:

Easy-to-share booking links for instant reservations.
Customizable lists that include multiple tour options.
Integration with popular booking platforms to streamline the process.

7. Harness the Power of Word-of-Mouth

Happy customers are your best ambassadors. Encourage referrals by:

Offering discounts or freebies for group bookings, such as a complimentary spot for the organizer.
Designing a simple referral program where past customers receive a discount for bringing new participants.
Providing an unforgettable tour experience that naturally encourages participants to share with their friends, family, and on social media.
Offering personalized thank-you notes or small tokens of appreciation to past customers who refer others.

8. Stay Ahead of Trends

Keep an eye on what travelers are looking for and adapt your offerings accordingly. For example:

With the rise of eco-tourism, emphasize sustainability in your tours and highlight these features using Tourlist.
If culinary tourism is trending, create a food-centric walking tour list and share it widely.
Stay informed about local events and incorporate them into your lists to attract event-driven travelers.

9. Utilise Affiliate Partnerships

Tourlist connects you with affiliate partners who can promote your tours for a commission, expanding your reach without significant upfront marketing costs. Affiliates can include:

Travel bloggers and influencers.
Local businesses with overlapping customer bases.
Tour operators who cross-promote complementary offerings.

Learn more about how Tourlist’s affiliate integrations can grow your business on the Tourlist homepage.

10. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Nothing beats a great experience. With Tourlist, you can enhance your customer journey by:

Providing beautifully designed itineraries that customers can access anytime.
Offering personalized recommendations for follow-up tours or experiences.
Keeping your customers engaged post-tour with follow-up emails or special offers.

Ready to Get Started?

Tourlist is the ultimate tool for walking tour operators who want to attract more tourists and grow their businesses. By creating curated, professional lists, leveraging affiliate partnerships, and showcasing your unique offerings, you can take your walking tours to the next level.

Explore Tourlist today and create your first list in minutes. Start growing your audience and boosting your bookings now!