Many boat charter businesses emerge from the dreams of an enthusiast, who may love everything about life on the open water and makes the decision to monetize their passion. Yet there’s a lot more to running a boat tour business than simply owning the vessel. If you’re in this position, you need to become proficient in many areas. So what do you need to know about a boat charter business?
Setting Up Your Boat Charter Business
Before you begin, sit down with a sheet of paper and choose what type of business you want to present. There are several choices, such as fishing trips, luxury weekend adventures, group tours, or fully private charters. This work will help you focus on your clientele.
Then, build out a business plan. Consider all your startup costs, marketing channels, target market, and pricing parameters. Paint a picture of how you intend to grow as the months and years go. And don’t forget that you will likely need to obtain permits from local authorities and must always follow stringent maritime regulations. Talk with an insurance broker to get a quote.
Managing Bookings and Reservations Efficiently
Now, think about how you will manage the boat rental business as efficiently as possible. Of course, you will want to take on as many bookings as possible to maximize the opportunity, but think carefully about handling this manually. After all, there’s a risk that you could double-book or miss some of those valuable opportunities. You may certainly take on too much work in trying to handle administration.
Instead, consider a booking system like Rezgo. It’s got numerous benefits, including:
- The ability to accept bookings around the clock
- Automations, such as the acceptance of payments, the signing of waivers, and confirmations
- Real-time synchronization, so you avoid overbookings
- Flexible pricing structures, so you can offer different tour options or have different prices during high and low seasons
You’ll find that a system like this helps you save time—and a certain amount of your sanity as well!
Maintaining Your Fleet and Ensuring Safety
Now, turn to your vessels and figure out how you’re going to maintain them so they always work when you want and are as safe as possible.
As a boat owner, you know that regular maintenance involves periodic engine and ancillary checks and regular cleaning. You may also need to schedule inspections as laid down by the regulator.
Safety is paramount, so you need to procure the latest and best safety equipment and always keep it in good condition. Make sure that passenger guideline signs are accurate, comprehensive, and in clear view. Also, remember that your captain will need a current licence and, ideally, a good amount of experience.
When it comes to safety, ensure that all your passengers are happy but also release you of any liability. You can use Rezgo to handle the digital waivers.
Creating a Strong Marketing Strategy
If you’re ready to go from an operational point of view, you can now turn to marketing. There are many ways to approach this, but some good channels include:
- Search engine optimization (SEO), where you can use target keywords such as “boat charters in [insert your ideal destination].” This is known as geotargeting and can be highly effective in helping you find people looking for exactly the service you offer. You may also need to optimize your website so that Google and the other search engines can link your site with those keywords.
- There are many social media sites these days, as you undoubtedly know. Think about creating your own content and get testimonials from some of your customers. You can then showcase their experience using high-quality images and their own written words.
- With an additional budget, you can run paid ads on Google, Meta, or Instagram. These ads can help you track travellers who are searching for boat charters.
Pricing Strategies to Maximize Revenue
Pricing strategies can be difficult in the early days as you find your feet, but you’ll probably need to adopt a dynamic pricing strategy based on demand and seasonality. You can offer group discounts or package deals in return for extra volume, and you can always offer some upsells. Here, you could offer fishing gear through a joint venture with a gear provider, while other upsells could be private sunset tours or simply drinks and snacks on board.
Remember that Rezgo’s pricing tools can help you create and automate dynamic pricing strategies for best effect.
Delivering an Exceptional Customer Experience
When you’re ready to welcome your first customers on board, think through the entire process. You can send them automated reminders ahead of time. You can also automate the check-in process using mobile check-ins and digital waivers. Try to personalize the experience as much as possible by offering them VIP services or putting together special packages that will resonate with your guests.
At the end of the trip, always ask them to complete a review and post feedback on Google and other channels. You can also use a review system that prioritizes trust through verified reviews, like Rezgo’s. If possible, ask your guests to spread the word among their friends and colleagues through referrals.
Expanding Sales Channels for More Bookings
When bookings are in full swing, you shouldn’t sit on your laurels but consider expanding your marketing and sales activities. Here are some additional ideas to consider:
- Appeal to a much bigger audience by selling on online travel agencies (OTAs) such as GetYourGuide, and Viator.
- Enter a more formal partnership with hotels, travel agencies, and concierge services, where they get something in return for referrals.
- Use the Rezgo system to manage multiple sales channels as efficiently as possible or prioritize direct bookings.
Tracking Business Performance and Growth
How well is your business doing? Rezgo will give you real-time insights and help you monitor revenue bookings and any trends. This will enable you to adjust your marketing and pricing strategies based on real-time analytics and good data.
What to Do Next
If you want to start a boat charter business, you’ll need to set it up properly and introduce smart management policies. This will help you maximize your bookings and present a seamless customer experience to your guests.
Rezgo can simplify all these operations and give you a means of handling bookings, payments, waivers, and analytics, so talk with Rezgo today. You’ll be glad you did as you launch your boat charter business efficiently.
Written By | Rezgo
