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Nothing’s more exciting than planning a trip. That’s why people spend over five hours on social media researching their next destination.
Part of that research? Everything others are saying about their experience—travelers “happy with their tour,” overcoming their “fear of snorkeling,” sharing photos for their “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” etc.
These are not just keywords. They’re social proof tour operators can use to change their offers and learn more about what people want.
In this article, we’re exploring how tour operators and activity providers can use social proof like guest reviews and testimonials to significantly boost bookings. At the end, you’ll know just how to ask for feedback and add social proof into your next marketing strategy.
Why does social proof matter for tour operators?
It’s not just the tourism industry. It’s human nature.
While there are various ways in which you can get a person’s trust, one of them is through genuine recommendations. Simply put, people prefer to make a purchase when they have some sort of recommendation coming from others (strangers included!).
That’s exactly why using social proof in the tourism business is worth it: It taps into the very essential mechanism behind how a traveler makes a decision. By convincing people to analyze an offer, the mere existence of online reviews and testimonials builds trust by getting rid of common fears such as getting scammed or not enjoying the experience.
Depending on where you decide to promote your tours, activities, or events, how many reviews you have also plays into the algorithm for each tour platform. The more (and preferably the better) reviews you have, the higher your chances are to increase your visibility and improve conversions.
How well do reviews serve as social proof?
Things have changed in time though. With new websites popping up every day, people have started to become more careful when it comes to believing just about anything they read online. So travel websites have adapted to fight this and give customers safe and real reviews.
Some platforms, like Tripadvisor, now mark reviews they’ve checked or add disclaimers on their trust and safety policies:
But a single bad review can deter consumers. So your main goal with building on social proof should remain to get as many positive reviews as possible.
On the same note on the importance of reviews for bookings, positive reviews act as endorsements from previous customers, validating the quality of a service. Studies show that consumers are willing to pay 31% more to book with businesses that have favorable reviews.
This trend emphasizes the need for tour operators to not only gather reviews but also ensure they’re consistently updated.
If you’re not actively managing your listings and the social proof attributed to them, you risk ending up with fake reviews from people who didn’t even purchase your services. You also miss out on an opportunity to address potential customer concerns and a “ghost” listing can make it seem like you don’t care about your customers in the first place.
How can you make the most of your reviews and social proof
Before all else, focus on getting that social proof out there. We’ve noticed this is most often going to be a lot of manual effort from your end, especially if you don’t have a booking system that can automate some of the process. You’ll have to personally encourage past customers to leave a review following an experience. You can send them an email to do this or–depending on your platform’s terms– incentivize them to leave some form of social proof in exchange for a gift or promo code.
But don’t worry. Doing the heavy lifting is perfectly normal. And so is the review management process.
One of the core best practices for managing reviews for bookings is always keeping an eye on them and making a list of the best ones. You can choose to highlight top reviews on your website and promotional emails or repurpose them for ads and extensive user-generated content (UGC) campaigns.
Testimonial examples on group tour seller website
Not sure which reviews to prioritize? Think about your core priorities. For instance, you can use the highlights to answer common questions prospective customers might have. Similarly, you can pick testimonials that remove fears customers often mention or give more insights into what the experience truly is like.
Don’t forget about interacting with your customers by responding to their reviews.
Here comes the hard part: You have to respond to negative reviews too. We recommend creating an emergency response plan that will tell your customer support team how to answer different negative scenarios (e.g. person not happy with the tour, somebody complaining about not being able to get in touch with you).
You should also follow up on these reviews to make the most out of the social proof you have. For instance, if reviews point out the tour was too short, it’s time to consider switching up the tour’s timeline and talk to the guide to improve your offering.
Example of how to respond to a negative review on Google Maps
Got a client who’s very, very happy? Reach out to them and ask for something extra like a video or social proof in exchange for a small reward.
Video testimonial used as extra social proof by tour agency
Tip: While you want to stay consistent as you’re building your own brand, don’t keep things boring. Opt for social proof formats that define your business. This gourmet cycling tour provider, for instance, opted to make a quick video during the actual tour to capture real-time feelings:
How Rezgo’s integrated review management tools help
Tour operators can use Rezgo’s reputation management solution to manage reviews from a single place. Its built-in verified review system lets you gather and showcase reviews on your booking websites.
Whenever a customer takes part in your tour, Rezgo automatically sends them a review request on behalf of your business. You’ll get to see the reviews that come in on your booking site so you can reply to them directly or hide text in case incorrect or personal information was shared.
This is a quick way to make sure that valuable customer feedback is visible to potential clients and playing its part in increasing your brand’s visibility.
Book a free demo today to start gathering authentic customer reviews for your own tours and activities!
Written By | Alexandra Cote
