For tour, activity, and attraction providers, increasing visibility and driving sales are constant goals. While the importance of customer reviews is widely acknowledged, do you know the full extent of their impact on your business performance?
Our new Travel Experiences Trend Tracker report is here to put reviews in the spotlight so you can make them work for you.
Packed with data and actionable insights drawn from extensive research, this 53-page report is designed specifically to help operators like you optimize your offering and grow your business.
Let's dive into some key findings about the power of reviews:
The measurable impact of customer reviews on growth
The data leaves no room for doubt: reviews are a fundamental driver of success in the travel experiences sector.
Your star rating significantly impacts your conversion uplift. Improving your average rating from 3 stars to 4 stars can increase your conversion rate by nearly 40%. This demonstrates a direct link between perceived quality and booking likelihood.
Reviews drive trust more than any other factor. Social proof is paramount. Today, 91% of 18 to 34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family.
Reviews are an essential part of pre-booking research. Reviews are non-negotiable for most customers. Nine out of 10 travelers check reviews before making any booking decision.
They fuel search algorithms and boost visibility. Beyond influencing potential customers, reviews feed search results and platform algorithms. They signal popularity and trustworthiness, boosting your product's visibility.
Our data has found that activities with just 15 reviews are more likely to achieve ten times more bookings on average than an activity with none.
Experiences aren’t like other goods in that they cannot be “returned” — you only have one change to get it right.
Customers therefore rely heavily on the feedback of others to make informed choices. Reviews mitigate risk and build confidence, making them critical at every stage of the booking journey.
Understanding the 'why' behind review scores
Knowing reviews are important is one thing, but encouraging positive ones is another. In the new Travel Experiences Trend Tracker, we also share what truly delights customers and, crucially, identify common detractors across different activity categories.
- Universal delighters: High quality across all aspects of the experience is consistently valued.
- Category-specific detractors: This is where providers can find significant opportunities for optimization. The factors leading to dissatisfaction often vary depending on the type of activity. What disappoints a guest on a bike tour might differ greatly from the pain points experienced at a museum or theme park.
Our report breaks down these nuances, providing insights tailored to different segments of the experiences market. That way, you can pinpoint exactly where to focus your improvement efforts.
Actionable strategies to encourage more (and better) reviews
Here are practical strategies to generate more valuable customer feedback:
- Integrate physical review prompts: Don’t rely solely on digital requests. Include clear, simple calls-to-action on tickets, invoices, flyers, or strategically placed signs at your venue or tour conclusion.
- Optimize the timing of your reminders: Timing matters. Data shows that 50% of guests find receiving a review request within three days of their experience to be ideal. Sending timely digital reminders significantly increases response rates.
- Analyze competitor feedback: Look beyond your own reviews. Study the feedback your competitors receive – both positive and negative. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses provides invaluable context for refining your offering.
Unlock deeper insights with the full report
These highlights merely scratch the surface. Our comprehensive Travel Experiences Trend Tracker offers much more, including:
- In-depth analysis of review drivers (delighters and detractors) specific to your activity category.
- Extensive tips and proven best practices for review generation and management.
- Analysis of review trends across different global markets.
Gain a competitive edge by understanding exactly what motivates today's travelers.
Download your free copy of the Travel Experiences Trend Tracker report today.
Takeaway
By actively managing your online reputation and leveraging the insights from this report, you can improve visibility, build stronger customer trust, and ultimately, drive significant growth for your travel experience business.
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