Be Intimate: Humanizing Your Tour Business Marketing

This is the fifth of our seven-video series on our VIP Marketing Method™, a unique framework we’ve developed specifically for tour, activity, and experience businesses. This method is built on our core philosophy of keeping your ideal target guests at the heart of everything you do. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into the ‘I’ of VIP—Intimacy—and how it can change the way you market your business.

The Power of Intimacy in Tourism Marketing

In our hyper-connected digital age, people paradoxically feel more disconnected and lonely than ever. This societal shift presents a unique opportunity for tour businesses to stand out by focusing on ‘being as human as possible’ with their marketing campaigns.

To appear bigger and more established, many tour businesses hide behind polished brand images, heavily designed emails, and very professional corporate language. But here’s the truth: without intimacy, without a genuine human-to-human connection, your potential guests can feel like they’re just another transaction or just another sale to be made.

People buy based on feelings, and connection is one of the strongest feelings there is. By fostering human-to-human authentic relationships, you set yourself apart in a crowded marketplace. You’re not just another tour business; you’re a group of real people with a mission, who care deeply about serving others at the highest possible level.

This kind of intimacy, trust, and rapport is the difference between doing okay with your tour business and absolutely crushing it. It turns browsers into buyers and transforms customers into lifelong superfans.

The Three Pillars of Intimacy

To generate intimacy using the VIP Marketing Method™, we focus on three broad categories:

1. Connection: This is about building emotional bonds with your ideal target guests with your marketing. It’s about showing the human side of your business, sharing your stories, your passions, and even your struggles. When guests feel connected to you on a personal level, they’re more likely to choose your tours over a competitor’s.
2. Community: This involves marketing campaigns that foster a sense of belonging and create a tribe of people with shared challenges or goals. When your guests feel part of a community, they’re not just buying a tour—they’re joining a group of like-minded individuals who share their interests and values.
3. Conversation: This pillar is about engaging in dialogue, listening, empathizing, and making your guests feel heard and valued. It’s about creating two-way communication channels with your marketing where guests can share their thoughts, ask questions, and feel that their input matters.

Real-World Examples of Intimacy in Action

Let’s look at how successful tour companies are creating intimacy at each stage of the traveler’s journey:

Dreaming Phase:

At this stage, potential guests are just starting to imagine their trip. It’s crucial to create personal connections right from the start.

Peter from Mystical Asia Tours does a fantastic job of personalizing his lead magnets. His free guide to Vietnam includes a personal note and photo, emphasizing that he’s a fellow Australian who’s been in the shoes of his potential guests. He writes, “G’day! Peter here, founder of Mystical Asia Tours. I created this guide to help fellow Aussies just like you to explore Vietnam effortlessly and make the most of your trip.”

Peter continues this personal touch across his inspirational content, including YouTube videos where he shares his genuine excitement about destinations. In one video, we see Peter on the Golden Hand Bridge in Vietnam, exclaiming, “All right, we’re finally here. Check this out. I am on the Golden Hand Bridge. For me personally, this is a dream come true.”

This approach allows potential guests to connect with Peter as a real person, not just a faceless tour operator. They can share in his excitement and begin to imagine themselves on one of his tours.

Planning Phase:

As guests move into actively planning their trips, maintaining that personal connection becomes even more important.

Backroads Tours excels at creating intimacy during the planning stage. Their founder, Tom, shares the story of how he started the company in their marketing materials. He tells potential guests, “I’ll tell you how I started Backroads. In 1979, I was living in Las Vegas, Nevada, working as an environmental planner, and about two in the morning, I woke up in the middle of the night with this idea that I wanted to take people on bike trips.”

Tom goes on to share the ups and downs of starting the business, including living in the garage that served as their first office. This personal narrative creates a human-to-human connection that sets Backroads apart from other bike tour companies. It allows potential guests to see the passion and dedication behind the company, making them more likely to trust Backroads with their vacation plans.

Booking Stage:

At this crucial point, intimacy can make the difference between a sale and a lost opportunity.

Patch Adventures, a multi-day tour operator, uses private Facebook groups to build camaraderie and communication between guests before the trip even begins. This approach not only creates excitement for the upcoming tour but also begins to foster a sense of community among the guests.

They also respond personally to online reviews, further strengthening their connection with past and potential guests. This shows that they value guest feedback and are committed to maintaining relationships even after the tour ends.

Experiencing and Sharing Phases:

During and after the tour, the opportunities for creating intimacy are abundant.

Companies like Backroads use custom trip apps to keep guests informed and engaged throughout their journey. These apps often include personal touches like local recommendations from guides and the ability to share photos with the group.

After the tour, many companies run photo contests, encouraging guests to share memories and stay connected with the brand long after their trip ends. This not only keeps the connection alive but also provides valuable user-generated content for future marketing efforts.

Implementing Intimacy in Your Marketing

As you create content for your tour business, always ask yourself these questions:

1. How can I add a layer of personality to this piece of content?
2. How can I create a human-to-human connection here?
3. How can I foster community and conversation with this marketing effort?

Remember, intimacy in marketing isn’t about grand gestures or oversharing. It’s about consistent, authentic interactions that make your guests feel seen, heard, and valued. It’s about showing the human side of your business and creating opportunities for real connections.

Whether you’re running food tours in Alaska, like Midgi Moore who proudly proclaims, “Nothing makes me happier than leading a group of visitors or locals to discover all the wonderful bounty of Alaska’s restaurants, fisheries, and breweries,” or offering multi-day adventures in Ireland like Walter from Walter’s Way Tours, these strategies can help you create deeper connections with your ideal guests.

Walter’s approach is particularly noteworthy. He shared that he would start each morning by having a cup of tea and engaging in Facebook groups dedicated to Americans planning trips to Ireland. Instead of hard-selling his tours, he simply listened and offered helpful advice. This strategy alone led to dozens of leads and over €300,000 in sales in just one calendar year.

The Value of the VIP Marketing Method™

By mastering the art of intimacy in your marketing, you’re not just selling tours, you’re building relationships. And in the tourism industry, those relationships are the foundation of a thriving, profitable business.

Remember, in a world where people are increasingly craving real connections, your willingness to be genuine, to show the human side of your business, and to truly engage with your guests can be your greatest competitive advantage.

It’s time to embrace intimacy in your marketing. Share your stories, foster community, and engage in real conversations with your guests. The results might just surprise you.