After 18 months of a pandemic and dramatically curtailed travel, those who are venturing out are determined to make the most of their trips — and this presents an opportunity for tour operators.
Travel in 2021 remains well below 2019 levels, with fewer travelers taking fewer trips, but those who are traveling want to make each trip count. In Arival’s recent study of 1,000 U.S. travelers in association with Go City, Today’s Tour Taker, travelers are taking longer trips, they are spending more, and they are taking more tours.
So we asked travelers what matters most to them for tours. As they are planning their travel in 2021 and 2022, what elements of a day tour factor most into their decision of which tour to take. The results may surprise you.
Want Experience, Will Pay
Travelers place a much higher priority on the content of a tour, as well as how it fits into their overall trip schedule. Price, while not unimportant, is clearly secondary for today’s experience-starved travelers.
We asked travelers to weigh the relative importance of the following attributes when choosing a tour: price, itinerary and content, guide, reviews, schedule and group size. We then indexed the results on a scale of 0 (not at all important) to 100 (the most important).
Operator Takeaway: Offer More, Charge More
Focus on delivering quality experiences, not on discounting. Travelers are looking for longer, richer experiences with smaller groups, and they are willing to pay for it.
Get the Report: Today’s Tour Taker
This report highlights key trends in traveler behavior and expectations for day tours and experiences. It features actionable recommendations for operators across product, marketing, distribution, pricing, and operations.
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