Most tour operators think they need more traffic. But what if the real problem is your website isn’t converting the traffic you already have? In this episode of The Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down how to turn your website into a booking machine by focusing on conversion rate optimization, not just design or SEO.

You’ll learn how small changes in clarity, trust, and user experience can dramatically increase bookings and revenue without increasing traffic. If you’re getting visitors but not seeing results, this episode will show you exactly where to look and what to fix.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: nikki@resmarksystems.com

00:00 – Why your website isn’t converting visitors
02:30 – Traffic vs conversion: what’s actually the problem?
04:00 – Biggest mistakes tour operator websites make
06:40 – How to audit your website for conversions (5 steps)
11:00 – How to make your website clear in 3 seconds
15:30 – How to build trust on your tour website
23:50 – Why your booking process is losing customers
29:30 – How to improve conversion rate with testing and data

Most tour operators think about marketing from their own perspective. But what actually happens inside the mind of a traveler when they start dreaming about a trip?

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we flip the perspective and hear directly from a real traveler. Corey Jay, Marketing Director at Zebulon, joins us to walk through how she actually discovers, researches, and decides to book tours and experiences.

Corey works with tour operators professionally, but she’s also the exact type of guest many operators are trying to attract. In this conversation, she breaks down what sparks the idea of a trip, where she goes first when researching experiences, what builds trust with a tour company, and what instantly turns her away.

If you want to understand how your future guests actually think during the Dreaming Stage of the customer journey, this episode gives you a rare look inside their decision process.

If your marketing doesn’t build trust during the dreaming phase, your ideal customer will simply move on to someone else.

🎙️ Learn More About Zebulon
Website: https://zebulonllc.com

Follow Zebulon on Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zebulonllc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zebulonllc/

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🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com

Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote

Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: nikki@resmarksystems.com

00:00 Why the Dreaming Phase Matters
01:05 Meet Corey Jay from Zebulon
03:00 What Actually Sparks the Idea of a Trip
04:45 Where Travelers Go First When Researching Tours
07:00 What Content Builds Trust Before Booking
09:10 How Corey Evaluates Reviews and Red Flags
12:00 Do Ads Actually Influence Travelers?
15:00 Booking Behavior for Day Tours vs Multi-Day Trips
19:00 What Travelers Look For When They Land on Your Website
22:15 Why Storytelling Builds Long-Term Brand Trust
24:30 The Problem With Constant Sales Messaging
27:15 The “Secret Shopper” Strategy Tour Operators Should Use
30:05 The One Thing Tour Operators Must Get Right in the Dreaming Phase
31:20 What Zebulon Does for Tour Operators

Grand Canyon Expeditions has been guiding trips through the canyon since 1964. Over the years, their marketing has evolved from print ads and travel shows to SEO, social media, and digital campaigns.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we sit down with Allison Carlin, Marketing Director at Grand Canyon Expeditions, to talk about how tour operators can build marketing that works not just for a season, but for decades.

We discuss how their team combines referrals, SEO, social media, paid ads, and even print to stay visible and inspire travelers long before they book. Allison also shares lessons from nearly 20 years in tour marketing and what operators should focus on if they want to win in the dreaming phase.

In this episode:

• How tour marketing has evolved over the last 20 years
• Why SEO requires long-term commitment
• How social media helps inspire future guests
• Why the best strategies combine multiple marketing channels

Learn more about Grand Canyon Expeditions: https://www.gcex.com/

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🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com

Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote

Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: nikki@resmarksystems.com

00:27 Meet Allison from Grand Canyon Expeditions
01:53 Growing Up in a 60-Year Tour Company
03:56 How Tour Marketing Worked Before the Internet
06:15 Why Print Marketing Is Making a Comeback
10:08 Why SEO Is Critical for Tour Operators
14:11 Direct Bookings vs OTAs
19:20 Social Media Strategy for Tour Operators
27:14 How AI Is Changing Tour Marketing
35:11 How Tour Operators Win in the Dreaming Phase