A traveler’s first trip with you is important. Their next trip with you is game-changing.
Why? Because that means you’ve established one of the most important things you can as a travel business owner: customer loyalty. Loyal customers are a business’s biggest asset because they’ll be coming back to you for travel experiences their whole lives — and convincing others to do the same. That can multiply one great trip into countless others, giving your travel business a steady foundation and years of success to come. But it’s about more than high-quality products; it’s about building relationships.
Here are five tips to help you build customer loyalty.
1. Create a Community
Travelers develop loyalty when they stop feeling like mere customers and start feeling like members. Developing a community for your travelers to belong to fosters a shared sense of identity with you and boosts connections among your travelers. Building this community can start before the trip, with virtual meet and greets, introductory webinars or social media groups where members can make posts introducing themselves or answering fun questions. It might seem counterintuitive, but while you’re on the trip, breaking up the larger group into smaller groups for activities can allow for closer relationships to develop between travelers. Finally, creating specific traditions on your trips (such as a signature group game on the bus) gives travelers something to look forward to again and again — something they can only enjoy as members of your community.
2. Deliver High-Touch Service
Delivering top-notch service is always going to earn your travelers’ compliments. But high-touch, personalized service will make them feel special and boost their sense of loyalty to your company. One way to do this is to keep detailed traveler profiles on each person. It’s your job to know if one of your travelers has an allergy, but if you remember their favorite allergen-friendly snacks, you’ll earn their loyalty. Another way to personalize the travel experience is having handwritten notes waiting for them in their hotel rooms, especially if you include details from the last trip they took with you or a comment about any information they provided when signing up for the trip because it shows you paid attention. Anticipating needs is another way to build customer loyalty. For example, if one of your travelers usually buys art or large souvenirs on your trips, pack shipping labels for them next time.
3. Recognize Repeat Travelers
Repeat travelers are well on their way to being your brand’s biggest fans. You know this because they already recognized the value of booking with you once, and they did it again. But that doesn’t mean you should take them for granted. On the contrary, recognizing their loyalty is a surefire way to keep building it. You can recognize them informally, by offering them repeated booking discounts or other rewards, like $100 off the third trip they book with you. Or you can take it a step further and recognize their commitment to your company with memorabilia, like a T-shirt. Even a shout-out on the group social media page or in a speech at dinner is a way to show them you appreciate their loyalty and to keep it coming.
4. Let Your Travelers Spread the Word
Encouraging your travelers to spread the word about why your company is the best will reinforce it in their minds, too, because it turns them from everyday travelers into your brand’s most effective ambassadors. When someone advocates for something, it deepens their attachment and emotional investment, effectively reinforcing their loyalty. Referral programs are a great way to make your travelers your strongest allies. Offer them gifts, discounts and shout-outs in exchange for bringing new travelers on board or for giving standout testimonials. It’s also an extremely effective marketing technique because word of mouth is a very powerful form of endorsement.
5. Maintain Engagement Between Trips
Sending your travelers home from another successful trip doesn’t mean it’s time to lay low and wait for them to reach out to you the next time they’re interested. You should keep your business top of mind for them by continuing to reach out and by keeping your travel community alive. Keep posting in social media groups or group chats and sending promotional marketing materials. For a particularly strong client, you can even send a personal email or postcard to invite them to travel with you again. Letting them know you’re thinking of them, reminding them of incredible upcoming travel opportunities and giving them the first access to your content is a way to keep their interest piqued. You can even hold occasional online events like webinars or meetups to facilitate groups staying in contact. By keeping your travelers engaged, they’re bound to make more travel plans with you in the future.
