Blog Posts
Industry & Trends
Navigating Personnel Shortages in the Leisure Industry: The Unavoidable Shift to Digital Solutions
The leisure industry is currently navigating a challenging landscape, with personnel shortages being a critical issue The growing demand for customer service in recreational facilities is juxtaposed against a backdrop of insufficient staffing, creating a pressing need for innovative solutions One ...
Tips & Advice
6 quick tips to get higher online visibility for Euro 2024
The 17th edition of the European Football Championship (EURO 2024) is taking place in Germany and kicks off in Munich on Friday 14 June ending with the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July As a result, Germany will of course be buzzing with excitement, but groups of domestic visitors and ...
Tips & Advice
Increasing conversion rates with the right online payment platform
Nowadays, the internet plays a major role in the preparation and organization of trips Even before leaving for the trip, 26% of travelers book cultural and leisure activities online If we then consider that 18% of bookings are made directly on the provider's website We are left with no doubt ...
Checklists
The top payment methods for experience providers in 2024
In view of the large selection of payment methods, experience providers are often faced with the question of which options to offer and, above all, how to keep an overview! This is where booking systems such as bookingkit come into play Not only do they offer an extensive repertoire of payment ...
Tips & Advice
How to write the perfect experience description and generate more bookings
Getting potential visitors to your website or your experience’s page on an OTA platform is only the first step towards a successful booking Engaging your audience and convincing them to click on the “Book now” button can be the trump card that will ensure that a user browsing for options ...
Tips & Advice
How short videos can boost visibility for the tours, attractions and activities industry
Most tours, attractions and activities providers are facing the dilemma of how to attract new guests, especially younger ones While it is undeniable that social media plays a crucial role in influencing GenZers and Millennials’ travel decisions, it is important to take a look at the short videos ...
Tips & Advice
All-round optimized voucher sales: How to save your Christmas business!
Selling vouchers at Christmas is definitely worth it - and especially this year! Because vouchers are not only perfectly suited for every age and interest group, but they are also flexible in terms of the redemption date But vouchers do not only offer a whole range of advantages to the presentee or ...
Tips & Advice
6 simple tips: How to increase bookings for Halloween
Halloween is one of the oldest festivals that still exists Even after more than 1000 years the spooky night has lost nothing of its fascination On the contrary, it has been growing stronger in popularity In fact, from Europe to the United States, it is undeniable that Halloween spending is going ...
Checklists
Booking Software for Amusement Parks: A step ahead in attractions industry
The attractions industry has been through unprecedented changes They are rapidly shifting towards a more digital landscape where online bookings became the norm The most recent data indicates that bookings made directly on the attractions’ website grew more than 70% from 2019 to 2022 This is ...
Checklists
The Zoo & Aquarium visitor experience of the future: The 10 most important booking features around tickets, visitors & occupancy.
Online tickets, instant access and all information always at hand! No other area of the in-destination activities industry has changed and digitized as dynamically in recent months as have attractions and cultural institutions For zoos & aquariums in particular, it is now important to improve ...
Checklists
Museums in the Digital Era: The 10 most important booking functions, including tickets, management & marketing.
Instant booking, direct access and always up to date! No area in our industry has seen as much change and digitization in recent years as that of attractions and cultural institutions For museums in particular, the key is now to adapt the overall visitor experience to the new possibilities and ...
Tips & Advice
7 COVID features of your booking system to maximize revenue after the lockdown
In recent months, many tour, activity and attraction providers have digitized their booking capabilities In some cases with great effort, and have deployed many new tools specifically intended when dealing with COVID-related constraints But what now What happens to features such as online booking, ...
Tips & Advice
How to optimize your revenue during the post-lockdown visitor rush
During the lockdown, the entire tourism industry faced the challenge of reaching that light at the end of the gloomy tunnel, which was void of customers, bookings and cashflow With the lockdown coming to an end and the relaxation of restrictions in many places, a whole new challenge is now ...
Industry & Trends
Reopening tours and activities – but at what price?
Nobody would have expected that we would still be dealing with so many restrictions and closures in mid-May 2021 Many businesses in the tours and activities industry have been in lockdown for many months However, it is beginning to feel like the "calm before a storm" One thing is ...
Tips & Advice
Late start to the outdoor season – get ahead with these tips
The late start to the outdoor season this year was not only due to the cold and rainy weather The long second lockdown in Germany also meant that many tours and activities providers had to open later this year The restrictions are being reduced slowly and people are booking outdoor season ...
Checklists
Quickly back to cash flow: The most important measures to take before and after reopening
For all providers of tours, activities & attractions, there is basically only one real and urgent goal in the course of an upcoming opening: the quick restoration of a steady income stream / cash flow While this is obvious and easy to say, it does require some systematics and prioritization ...
Tips & Advice
Vouchers as the ultimate anchor in your Easter business in times of Corona
As no activities can be carried out at present due to curfews and contact bans, there is only one obvious option for tour, activity & attraction providers: shift the timing of the actual experience in the future, but generate revenue now! This is achieved through voucher sales, which is an ...
Product & Partners
Tiqets Regional Director for Northern Europe Floor Remarks on the Company’s Role in the Industry’s Recovery
Floor Rameckers began working for Tiqets in 2015 when the Dutch-based travel and tourism startup had only 25 employees She started as a City Manager for Amsterdam She then moved onto being a Regional Manager, and in 2018, she stepped into the role of Regional Director of Northern Europe Tell us ...
Tips & Advice
International partner network & your own regional sales partners under one roof
In addition to selling through your own channels, especially your homepage and social media profiles and, if applicable, your own website, you have two other important pillars at your disposal to attract as many and new potential end customers as possible and thus multiply the reach for selling ...
Industry & Trends
Is your business ready for the "Vacation at Home" Wave?
Over the past few days, the media has published numerous reports and surveys on the subject of summer holidays: Where will people spend their holidays Which destinations are being considered Which countries are opening their borders How much money will people spend etcFrom this we can now deduce ...
Industry & Trends
Is Your Tour or Activity under Lockdown Again? Here’s What You Can Do Now
Amidst your personal frustration about a renewed closure of your Tour or Activity or Attraction, do not forget that your participants are also disappointed They were looking forward to a great experience, wanted to redeem a gift or treat themselves after the first lockdown Since we are all in this ...
Industry & Trends
7 best practice examples for tour and activity providers during times of crisis
The corona crisis has brought global tourism to a standstill and it will take some time before the sales figures of 2019 can be reached again The lockdown will not last forever and, in the meantime, attractions and leisure activities in Europe are slowly starting to reopen their doors to visitors ...
Tips & Advice
5 Steps to the Perfect Christmas Rebrand for Tour & Activity Operators
Christmas is and remains the most important sales occasion for the retail industry Revenues for the traditional festive season have been rising continuously for years In 2019 alone, Christmas sales in Germany exceeded 100 billion euros And, of course, suppliers of tours, activities and attractions ...
Tips & Advice
Generate more bookings despite Covid-19: The 5 most important features for operators to leverage this Christmas
Especially during this Christmas season, operators of tours, activities and attractions are faced with the big question of what measures they need to take to ensure the stability of their business in 2020 For many companies, December tends to be one of the months with the highest turnover, ...
Tips & Advice
A Chance for the TAA industry: Large company Christmas Parties become Small Team Events
There will be no big company Christmas parties this year Not only is the legal framework missing, but so is largely the “party mood” As a result, some, especially larger companies will postpone or simply cancel their Christmas party But alternatively, we expect a strong increase in company ...
Tips & Advice
How to attract regional customers – A conversion guide for tour and activity providers
You want to attract customers from the region with your experience and improve your local marketing, but you don't know how In addition to offline advertising, social media and online travel agencies (OTAs), one important point for your local success strategy is often neglected - your website On ...
Industry & Trends
The 10 “must-have” features of an online booking system
Whether you offer cookery courses, quad-bike tours or Exit-Games, you will certainly want to make the online booking process as innovative and easy for your customers as possibleWhy Because customers nowadays book hotels with their smartphones, reserve tables in restaurants and buy tickets for ...
Tips & Advice
Marketing partners as key to a successful business after the lockdown
Now that we've talked about what you can do for your business during the lockdown, how you can generate revenue now, how to deal with cancellations and how to get your voucher business up and running, it's time for a change of perspective! We don't just explain why it's always a good idea to work ...
Industry & Trends
How to cope with times of crisis in the tours and activities industry?
In times of crisis, such as the current one caused by the rapid spread of the coronavirus, providers of tours and activities worldwide face unexpected challenges Above all, the demand for tourist offers and leisure experiences evaporates virtually overnight Official travel restrictions are imposed ...
Tips & Advice
Guide to dealing with mass cancellations of tours & activities
Cancellations are by definition bad for business, as they result in loss of revenue regardless of the cancellation conditions At the same time, they also cause additional internal costs because they tie up your resources and, more often than not, your employees have to deal with processing them ...
Product & Partners
How Adrenaline Hunter Can Help Tour & Activity Operators Grow Their Reach
Adrenaline Hunter is France's top up-and-coming booking platform for recreational and sports activities The startup platform offers more than 7,000 adventure and extreme sports activities to choose from — including workshops, classes, camps and adventure trips — with the goal of giving ...
Tips & Advice
NEW: How to Turn Customer Ratings into More Sales
bookingkit now makes it possible to leverage your customer ratings and reviews from Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook to help convince more customers to book your tours and activities This means potential customers can now see directly in the embedded bookingkit window on your website how satisfied ...
Reports
Essential Activities Facts for 2018
Wanting to know the best activities facts for 2018 Of course, that's why we made you this list to check on: The biggest sales days in 2018 When it comes to the sales highlights of the year, Christmas pretty much takes the cake December alone accounted for 23 of the 30 highest performing days in ...
Tips & Advice
15 Simple Tips to Help You Sell Vouchers Online
Vouchers and gift certificates are something everyone is familiar with We've all given them as gifts before, and we've all purchased them online at least once And given their ubiquity, it's only logical for operators in the tours and activities industry to get on board on how to sell vouchers ...
Tips & Advice
How to Improve Your TripAdvisor Ranking Quickly and Easily
TripAdvisor, the self-proclaimed largest travel community in the world, brings in 455 million unique visitors every month and has over 96 million registered users In reality, TripAdvisor isn't just one website — it's actually a collection of 48 sites offered in 29 different languages And with ...
Tips & Advice
The 6 Best Ways to Boost Revenue This Easter
In just a few days one the year's biggest holidays for family vacations, events and activities will be underway: it's Easter! And it's high time to start prepping your tours, activities and events Take full advantage of this great opportunity to boost revenue and rope in new customers If you ...
Tips & Advice
Kick off the Year with Your First Big Sales Day: Valentine’s Day
The year 2019 is off and running, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's time to start prepping for one of the most important days of the year when it comes to sales In just under a month, on February 14, friends, family and lovers the world over will be exchanging heart-shaped gifts ...
Tips & Advice
bookingkit Marketing Challenge: Essential Marketing Measures for Tour and Activity Operators
Already have a great selection of tours, activities and events up and running Already using booking to manage your listings, bookings and resources With these two major business boosters already out of the way, you might find yourself wondering what other marketing tools and measures there are out ...
Product & Partners
A New Marketing Tool to Help Tour and Activity Operators Create GDPR Newsletter
Making sure your activities are filled to capacity with both new and return customers requires frequent and effective marketing communication One of the best ways to stay in touch is by sending GDPR compliant newsletters to customers who are already familiar with your products and services with ...
Tips & Advice
Get the Most out of the Holiday Sale Season with Custom Christmas Vouchers
Every year around this time, you can count on bookingkit to provide you with a range of high-quality, festive Christmas templates to give your vouchers a touch of the Holiday spirit and take full advantage of one of the year's best sales opportunities All you have to do is select the template you ...
Product & Partners
How to Run Special Voucher Campaigns to Boost Revenue and Grow Your Customer Base
Thinking about improving customer retention with an attractive 10% off voucher campaign How about growing your customer base with special deals aimed at first-time participants Or perhaps you're interested in using vouchers to get more people in the door on slow days With bookingkit you can do all ...
Tips & Advice
4 Ways to Improve Christmas Sales with Your Activities Website
Christmas is once again just around the corner and approaching fast And like every year, it will manage to catch some businesses off guard, forcing them to play catch up during the most lucrative sales season of the year But if you're reading this now, you still have time start thinking about how ...
Tips & Advice
7 Tips to Help You Start Prepping for the Company Christmas Party Season Now
It might seem a little strange to start thinking about Christmas now, but this is actually the time to start getting ready for company Christmas party bookings Behind the scenes here at bookingkit, we're already seeing an upward trend in the number of B2B bookings placed through our platform So ...
Tips & Advice
The 10 Best Time Saving Tips and Tools for Tour and Activity Operators
As an operator in the recreation and leisure industry, it's the little things that can often get in the way of what matters most to you: your tours, activities and customers Things like responding to emails, maintaining and updating your website, answering calls at the office and doing the ...
Product & Partners
The Pocket-Sized Office for Tour and Activity Providers: How the bookingkit App and Ticket Scanner Can Save You Time
Being able to carry your entire office around with you in your pocket is the dream of every modern entrepreneur And now this dream has come true for operators in the tours and activities industry thanks to the bookingkit app and the new Ticket Scanner feature Now you can track and manage your ...
Product & Partners
NEW: Connect with Businesses from Your Area and Sell More — with Sell-a-Friend!
Ever thought about combining your tours and activities with other products and services from your area to give customers more to choose from This approach works a lot like shopping on Amazon We all know how the story goes: you head online to purchase a single item you need and end up tossing a book ...
Product & Partners
NEW! Optimized Visual Display for 24h+ Events
Looking to promote events and activities lasting longer than 24 hours or spanning multiple days No problem! bookingkit now makes it possible for customers to tell which of your events are 24h+ at a glance The new 24h+ event feature from bookingkit lets customers know right away which events or ...
Tips & Advice
A Brand New Booking Feature to Help You Get More Bookings for Your Escape Games
Those of you familiar with the industry may have noticed that escape games have entered something of an initial consolidation phase following the recent, and exceedingly fast, rise in the number of operators in the market What at first were largely experimental activity offerings are now becoming ...
Product & Partners
NEW! Improve Your Capacity Utilization and Boost Profits with Flexible Pricing
bookingkit's new flexible pricing feature makes it easy to fill your tours and activities to capacity while minimizing the amount of work required on your part Each tour, activity and event can now be assigned individualized automatic pricing adjustments at any time — right down to the hour This ...
Tips & Advice
Reach Millions with a Single Click: Automatic Marketing via Channel Manager
Let's face it — we can't all be natural born marketing gurus No matter how much you love what you do, sometimes you need a little help with the marketing part of your business so that you can focus on other things, such as managing customer relations and planning new tours, activities and ...
Product & Partners
Get up to 25% More Bookings with the New Optimized bookingkit
The brand new bookingkit comes equipped with two very important feature updates: Widget 20 and Checkout 20 Widget 20 features a cutting-edge look which is designed to attract more customers to your tour and activity listings on your website or Facebook profile Checkout 20, on the other hand, is an ...
Tips & Advice
Why Online Booking Is an Absolute Must for Tour and Activity Operators
If you've been playing around with the idea of offering online bookings for your tours, activities and events, then let us help you make up your mind: you definitely should Whether you offer skiing lessons, cooking classes or escape rooms, the goal is always to give customers an experience they'll ...
Tips & Advice
How to Avoid Overbooking (and What to Do if It Happens Anyway)
Overbooked tours, activities, hotels and flights are anything but rare in the tourism industry Given their frequency, you might be tempted to see overbooked events as an unavoidable aspect of your business, but even a luxury problem like this is still just that: a problem To avoid added stress and ...
Tips & Advice
Valentine's Day and Social Media: Selling Tickets Directly through Facebook
Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and time is running out to take full advantage of one of the biggest sales days of the year As we mentioned in another post, it's generally a good idea to specifically tailor your tours, activities and promotions to Valentine's But assuming you've already ...
Tips & Advice
Gain Asian Customers: The 5 Most Important Tips for Tour and Activity Operators
Without a doubt, Asian Customers and the Asian market present enormous potential for tour and activity operators in Europe In fact, Europe makes up 15% of all travel destination searches coming out of Asia, putting it firmly before the United States and South America In 2020 alone, 120 million ...
Industry & Trends
Per Capita Spending on Recreational Activities Averages 110 Euros in 2017: Action-Packed Experiences, Minigolf and Cooking Classes Most Popular among Men
Spending free time is often about spending money In 2017, consumers spent on average 146 euros per capita on rental equipment such as boats and approximately 125 euros on workshops, classes and culinary events Spending on wellness and lifestyle activities increased last year as well, coming in at ...
Tips & Advice
How to Boost Sales When Business is Slow
Even with the best booking software in the world, it's perfectly normal for particularly hectic periods of the year to be followed by sleepier ones And in the tours and activities industry, this seasonal ebb and flow of customer demand is an important part of how you manage your business But just ...
Tips & Advice
How to Accept Online Payments with Booking Software
The tours and activities industry is chock full of competition Staying ahead of the curve today is often about more than just offering the best activities at the best price Booking convenience, too, can mean the difference between making a sale and watching your competitors steal the show But ...
Product & Partners
Power Update: More Tours and Activities, More Options and Around-The-Clock Capacity Optimization
Get the most out of your tour and activity offerings with the new resource management feature from bookingkit! Twice the options, half the effort With bookingkit's intelligent new resource management tool, you can get your available tours and activities up and running online and automatically ...