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

Are OTAs helping your tour business grow or taking control of your bookings?

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we talk with Rhees Jackson, owner of Expedition Kanab in Southern Utah, about how he uses OTAs without relying on them.

Today, less than 5% of his bookings come from OTAs. Most come from SEO, Google Ads, social media, and direct marketing.

We break down how he made that shift, why he still keeps OTA listings active, and what tour operators should understand before building a direct booking strategy.

See the awesome things Expedition Kanab is doing:
https://www.expeditionkanab.com

🚀 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 OTAs Still Matter for Tour Operators
03:05 Starting a Tour Business During COVID
06:10 Which OTAs Actually Bring Bookings
09:20 Why Only 5 Percent of Bookings Come from OTAs
12:40 Why Many Travelers Still Trust TripAdvisor
16:10 The Real Goal: Building More Direct Bookings
20:00 Why Social Media Is Driving New Customers
24:30 The Lead Magnet Strategy That Captures Travelers
29:10 Turning Website Visitors into Future Bookings
33:30 Why Tour Operators Need to Learn Marketing

Many tour operators rely heavily on OTAs or website bookings and overlook one of the most powerful growth channels available to them: local partnerships and reseller networks.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we sit down with Josh Oakes of The Sunshine Tribe, a former tour operator who built and sold a multi-million-dollar tour company and now helps tourism businesses grow through smarter systems and partnerships.

Josh shares why most operators ignore reseller relationships, how strong partnerships can generate predictable bookings, and why building multiple sales channels is the key to sustainable growth. From hotels and travel agents to corporate groups and local organizations, these relationships can become a powerful engine for consistent revenue.

If you want to stop relying on a single booking channel and start building a stronger, more diversified business, this episode will show you where to start.

Local partners are not just referrals. When done right, they become one of the most reliable booking channels in your business.

**Free training Josh mentioned in this episode**
https://www.sunshine-tribe.com/optin-689955

Follow The Sunshine Tribe on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSunshineTribeWW
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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 Local Partnerships Are an Overlooked Growth Channel
02:45 Josh’s Journey from One Van to a Multi-Million Dollar Tour Business
06:10 Why Most Tour Operators Only Rely on OTAs and Direct Bookings
09:15 The Power of Diversifying Your Sales Channels
12:30 How Local Partners Can Drive Predictable Revenue
16:05 Why Most Partnership Efforts Fail
19:10 Building a Partnership Acquisition System
23:00 The Role of Email Marketing and Nurturing Partners
27:20 How to Track and Measure Partner Performance
31:20 Simple Steps to Improve Existing Partnerships
35:05 What a Strong Partner Pack Should Include
38:10 Capturing Guest Stories to Help Partners Sell Your Tours
40:00 How The Sunshine Tribe Helps Tour Operators Scale

Social media is not just a place to post photos. For tour operators, it is one of the most powerful tools in the Dreaming Stage of the Growth Engine.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down why social media matters more than ever for tour and activity businesses. You are not just competing with other tour companies. You are competing with cat videos, workout tips, and everything else fighting for your customer’s attention.

We cover how the algorithm actually works, why video outperforms static posts, what makes people stop the scroll, and how tour operators can build a repeatable system for consistent content. If social media feels overwhelming or like it is not producing results, this episode will help you rethink your strategy.

If your ideal customers are on social media, your business needs to be there too.

🚀 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 Social Media Is Critical for Tour Operators
04:15 You Are Competing With Cat Videos
08:40 How Social Media Fits Into the Dreaming Stage
13:05 How the Social Media Algorithm Actually Works
18:10 The First 3 Seconds and Stopping the Scroll
23:20 Why Video Outperforms Static Posts
28:45 Content Ideas Tour Operators Can Use Today
34:30 Behind the Scenes and Micro Education Content
40:15 Guest Moments That Drive Engagement
46:10 Scheduling Tools, Retargeting, and Final Strategy

Paid ads can help you grow faster or waste money very quickly.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down how paid ads actually work for tour operators and why they often feel risky or unpredictable.

This conversation sits in the Dreaming stage of the Growth Engine, where potential guests are discovering options and starting to form trust. Paid ads show up early in that journey, but they do not create demand. They amplify what is already working.

We cover:
- When paid ads make sense for tour operators
- Why paid ads fail when the foundation is not ready
- How budget, margins, and capacity affect results
- Why last-click attribution makes ads look ineffective
- How paid ads fit alongside SEO, OTAs, email, and referrals

If you are unsure whether paid ads are worth it for your business, this episode will help you set realistic expectations and decide your next step.

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 to learn more or talk through your tour business growth?
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

Chapters
00:00 Do Paid Ads Actually Work for Tour Operators?
02:05 Why Paid Ads Feel Confusing and Hard to Measure
04:10 When Paid Ads Make Sense for Tour Businesses
07:15 When Tour Operators Should NOT Run Paid Ads
10:55 Why Paid Ads Fail for Most Tour Operators
15:40 How Budget and Margins Impact Paid Ads
19:30 How Long Paid Ads Take to Start Working
24:45 Can Paid Ads Work If Your Brand Is Not Well Known?
32:20 How Paid Ads Fit with SEO, OTAs, and Email Marketing

SEO is not a tactic. It is the foundation of how guests find you.

Before someone is ready to book a tour, they are dreaming. They are researching destinations, exploring options, and gathering ideas. If your business does not show up in that moment, you are invisible.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down why SEO sits at the very beginning of the Growth Engine and why it plays such a critical role in long-term tour business growth.

This episode focuses on the Dreaming stage and how search has changed, including the growing impact of AI, zero-click results, and helpful content.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why SEO belongs in the Dreaming stage of the Growth Engine
• How guests search before they are ready to book
• Why helpful content matters more than keywords alone
• The most important on-site SEO basics tour operators miss
• How SEO reduces reliance on OTAs and paid ads

If you want more direct bookings and a growth strategy that compounds over time, this episode explains why SEO is foundational and where to focus first.

Chapters
00:00 Why is SEO important for tour operators?
03:10 What is the Dreaming stage in the Growth Engine?
06:05 How do travelers search before booking a tour?
09:30 Why does SEO matter before someone is ready to buy?
13:45 How has AI changed search and tour discovery?
18:20 What on-site SEO basics do tour operators miss?
24:10 How does SEO reduce reliance on OTAs?
29:05 What type of content helps tours rank in search?
34:40 Where should tour operators start with SEO?