The travel industry is evolving, with technology playing a crucial role in reshaping tours and tour revenue. Self-guided tour software is at the forefront of this transformation. It provides multi-day tour operators with innovative ways to increase revenue while offering travellers greater flexibility and enriched experiences. These software solutions unlock new revenue streams, streamline operations, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Tour operators often turn to Odyssey for help in providing custom tours that maintain profitability. We hear comments like - “self-guided tours are more labour intensive. I could earn 30x more in groups and do 10% of the work "
The reality of the changing tourism market is the trend towards personalised travel. More often travellers seek customised itineraries and prefer not to be bound to a tour group. FIT (free independent travellers) at one extreme, do their own planning and booking. However, there is an adjacent group that wants the freedom to do what they want, while relying on a tour operator for planning and support. They are the self-guided tourists.
A self-guided tour is a travel experience where the individuals follow a predetermined or customised itinerary with the support of a tour operator handling the accommodation, activity bookings and tour logistics. The operator may also provide equipment, like bikes or outdoor gear for use on the tour, along with mobile itinerary and navigation tools. Self-guided tours provide the feeling of individual discovery, while having the back up of a tourism professional.
Self-guided tours offer an enticing growth opportunity for tour operators. Potential new revenue streams include:
Unlocking a New Market Segment
With the correct multi-day tourism software solution in place you will be able to cater for both guided and self-guided tours. The ability to meet the needs of travellers who desire unique experiences will allow you to access a larger potential customer base.
Dynamic Pricing and On-Demand Access
Unlike traditional tours with fixed pricing, self-guided tour software allows for dynamic pricing. Operators can charge different rates based on demand, seasonality, or exclusivity. Travellers can also access tours on-demand, increasing sales outside of peak tourism seasons.
Premium Upgrades
There is the opportunity to offer accommodation upgrades or unique dining experiences. A welcome massage at the end of a long hiking tour, or a kayak day trip in the middle of a cycle tour all add to total revenue.
Extended Itineraries
Your tour portfolio may offer several destinations, which you can organise in segments. When joined together travellers can buy regional extensions, or personalised routes. This maximises revenue potential without increasing operational costs.
Tour operators who have jumped in on these opportunities without the right software system in place, have learnt that profitability soon erodes. Spreadsheets that served a fixed group tour model will become unmanageable. With the number of customised itineraries, communications and logistics, errors will creep in.
If you are considering a technology upgrade to cater for self-guided tours, be it walking tour software, cycling tour software, or other outdoor adventures, here are the features you should ensure are available:
Proposal Generation
Selling bespoke, self-guided itineraries is easy if you can quickly create and send an attractive Proposal. This introduces the highlights of the tour, provides an estimate of the cost and outlines the inclusions. If possible, a Proposal should come from a Master, and be held in Enquiries until the customer pays a deposit. Converting a Proposal into a Tour Departure should simply be a press of a button.
Itinerary Masters
Masters are the nirvana for multi-day and self-guided tour management efficiencies. This is because when you find a tour that works for 80% then you should create this into a repeatable product. This shouldn’t mean copy past out of a spreadsheet. By using software that stores Masters Templates you can quickly modify the tour to your customers special needs.
Mobile Itinerary
Customers expect to receive their tour details on their mobile devices ahead of the tour. Make sure the app you use is designed for the ‘older’ generation to use… they will use it but only if they can see it.
Itinerary information should include:
day to day timings
locations for activities
accommodation details
points of interest
vouchers
briefing notes
It should be easy to push updates from your self-guided tour software to the app. This ensures all information is up to date.
Not all destinations have reliable internet access, so also offer offline functionality. This allows users to download maps, their itinerary and other essential content before embarking on their trip.
Navigation Support
Clear, interactive maps guide users efficiently through their self-guided tour. They should include route navigation (turn by turn is valuable), and wayfinding features. The distance to the destination, route options, and markers for key points of interest with information are helpful.
The best mobile apps offer integrated mobile itineraries and navigation functionality.
Luggage and People Transfers
Support services like luggage and people transfers need a special set of features. Firstly, the transfer data needs to seamlessly align with your self-guided tour operator CRM (one source of truth for data). When you change accommodation or add extra luggage, the system automatically updates the luggage label data and driver manifests.
The driver manifest is key to accurate and timely transfers. Clear manifest reports detailing bags, bikes, and people movements can avoid the stress of missing luggage.
Luggage labels have always been challenging to make robust, clear, and professional-looking. Odyssey offers a unique luggage label system that combines Odyssey data with your branded logo to create a practical label. Your customers will know their luggage is well taken care of.
Emergency support
Being able to reach your customers and know where they are on the journey is key to managing emergency situations. For example, if bad weather is coming, you need to know who it will affect and have a system to send important messages.
Capturing contact details in a CRM is a base level requirement. Moving into more advanced self-guided tour software like Odyssey provides a ‘Where are they now’ feature, and direct SMS texting.
Here at Odyssey we offer simplicity when you need it, and great depth as you grow. This means that we provide the right size solution for your stage of growth. We take the time to understand your business and offer the right selection of modules to match your needs. That includes our self-guided vs guided and fixed vs flexible departure date management solutions.
