How To Write Trip Itineraries That Sell
Online Marketing • Travel Website • January 8, 2018 • Rebecca
A travel itinerary is a tour description in a way. It explains exactly what travellers can expect when on a trip – where they will be on any given day, what things they will see or do and any route-related information. The purpose of a travel itinerary is to clearly communicate what will happen on the tour on a day-to-day basis.
It highlights what your travel products contain. A tour itinerary not only keeps travellers informed. It also, speaks about your capacity to provide a unique experience. You can even prepare your tour itinerary with images and/or infographics, if your tour website design supports it, to make your offerings stand out.
But first, let’s begin with the basics. Here are 5 things you must include when writing trip itineraries to make them informative and engaging enough to sell more trips.
1. Focus on the highlights first
When researching for their holiday, people tend to scan websites instead of reading long paragraphs. Make it easy for travellers to know what cultural and experiential things are available for them on your tour.
Prepare a list of sights they must see, order them in terms of priority with a brief description about the place, entry fees and other pertinent information. Keep the heading short but interesting at the same time.
For e.g.
- Explore the ruins of Kakanmath Temple
- Swim with the Dolphins in Cancun
2. How are they going to get around?
Getting from one place to another can be quite a hassle for a new person in an unknown city. Provide details related to local transport, bus stops and cabs and the routes they take. Also, give detailed directions on how to get from any place, say the city centre, to a tourist spot. Simplify all the information by embedding Google Maps if your tour website design allows this feature.
3. Is it going to be cold? Should they bring sneakers? Will they have to cover their heads in a temple?
Ensure that your tour description covers local information related to temperature, any local customs or traditions and any food restrictions. The last things travellers need is to be caught by surprise. Prepare them in advance by listing down all such information in your tour itineraries so that they know what to expect and what to pack in their baggage.
4. For the inquisitive ones, include links to more resources
You will want to keep your trip itinerary concise. So if there is any related information, say regarding the weather or local festivals that will be running during the course of your trip, include a section on resources with links to relevant articles for the readers to learn more.
5. Use strong verbs when writing itineraries
Knowing how to write an itinerary is just as important as knowing what to write about. When people read an itinerary they are actually visualizing themselves on the tour. This is why you should make use of strong, descriptive words that convey action and adventure.
For e.g., instead of saying, ‘Wander through the ancient street’ try saying, ‘Walk on cobblestones 2,000 years old.’
Besides having an itinerary on your website, also email it to prospects who send an expression of interest. Attach the itinerary when a booking confirmation or tickets are sent via to the customer by your travel booking software.
READ MORE: The Tour Operator’s Guide to Mastering Google Search
To get more of such interesting tips and learn how you can book and sell more tours, call our experts for a free consultation. You can even sign up for a free trial of Vacation Labs – a comprehensive travel booking software and tour website design expert. We love technologically enhancing tour businesses and we’d like to do the same for you.
