In the increasingly competitive travel industry, tour operators can’t afford to take customer loyalty for granted. Retaining clients isn’t just a bonus, it’s the key to maintaining a thriving travel business – but what actually drives repeat bookings? 

Vamoos partnered with Sapio Research to investigate exactly that. The result? A handy 28-page guide, ‘Customer loyalty myths and what to do about them: exclusive research for tour operators,’ packed with tips and techniques to inspire true client loyalty. Read on for a run-down of the findings…

Customer loyalty myths and what to do about them: exclusive research for tour operators

Check out the full guide below, or read on for a handy breakdown of our customer loyalty research.

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Travel companies overestimate their clients’ loyalty

Vamoos’ research unveiled something shocking – a major disconnect between travellers’ loyalty, and the way tour operators perceive it. While 81% of travel companies surveyed believed their customers were loyal, only 51% of travellers described themselves as such. The issue? Securing new customers is a drain on company resources, particularly for travel companies with an extensive onboarding period, and is far more taxing than securing repeat bookings from existing customers. The value of client loyalty is clear, but how can travel companies foster it? As it turns out, you can’t just hope to win a customer’s loyalty – you have to inspire it.

Before the trip begins

Making the most of the pre-trip period is a great way to instil loyalty in your clients from the get-go. If you want your customers to keep coming back again and again, you need to prove that you understand how they think, and can proactively solve their problems before they impact their travel experience. So what are travellers really thinking before their trip begins?

51% of travel companies surveyed ranked uncontrollable factors, like strikes and terror attacks, as the number one cause of pre-travel anxiety. In contrast, 44% of travellers ranked packing as the most stressful factor, while 35% were most anxious about getting to the airport. In reality, travellers were less concerned with incurring a catastrophic stroke of bad luck, and more worried about forgetting their toothbrush or getting stuck in traffic on the way to the airport!

It may surprise you that your clients are most focused on the smaller details of travel, but with so many moving parts, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What if your clients could access packing checklists, personalised destination insights, and flight information, all in one place? The Vamoos Travel App delivers that and so much more, replacing your clients’ pre-trip anxiety with a sense of excitement about their upcoming adventure. Turning something stressful into fun – that’s the sort of magic that has customers rebooking for years to come.

Read now: The essential pre-travel communication guide for travel companies

During the trip

As a travel provider, the trip itself is your chance to shine. You may think that you need to be there every step of the way, armed with expert advice to ensure your clients are getting the most out of their trip. That type of attention secures customer loyalty for years to come… right? Well, don’t be so sure.

While it’s natural to want to check in with your customers, data suggests that most travellers prefer a more ‘hands-off’ approach. Of the travellers surveyed, 44% craved more destination information, 41% wanted to know more about their accommodation, and 35% desired recommendations for things to do on their trip. In an ideal world, all the trip information travellers could possibly need would be available at their fingertips, so they’d never have to contact their travel company at all. 

What’s more, 51% of travel companies surveyed believed surprise perks like complimentary wine and room upgrades would be key in driving rebookings, but just 35% of travellers said it would impact their decision. While travellers may enjoy unexpected extras and available support, true loyalty comes from seamless service, achieved through careful planning and accessible trip information, allowing them to explore with confidence.

After the trip

The period after a trip is an important moment in the relationship between you and your travellers. It’s a golden opportunity to support your clients upon their return, and secure their loyalty for the future.

After an unforgettable adventure, you may expect your clients to return feelings refreshed and recharged, ready to return to their daily lives. In reality, research revealed that travellers’ stress levels before and after a trip are nearly identical, with 24% reportedly feeling anxious when their trip ends, similar to the 25% who experienced pre-trip jitters. Shockingly, while the post-holiday blues reportedly affects 27% of women and 20% of men, 95% of travel companies hadn’t even realised their customers felt this way.

The good news? This opens up an excellent opportunity for travel companies to impress their clients with outstanding customer service. Why not prompt your clients to leave a review when they return, shifting the focus back onto the incredible trip you organised. Or dazzle them with your other holiday offerings, to inspire their next adventure. You could even introduce a loyalty scheme with exclusive discounts – a sure-fire way to secure repeat bookings. These simple steps go a long way when it comes to elevating your client satisfaction and building long-lasting client loyalty.

Read now: Turquoise Holidays give clients a better journey, with fewer steps

What causes clients to rebook?

Research suggests that it costs 7x more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one – so if you’re not focusing on client loyalty, you’re missing out on an easy way to maximise your revenue. Retaining your clients is crucial, by what exactly turns one-off bookings into lasting relationships? During the study, 49% of travellers said they would rebook if a trip went to plan, 38% would return if their tour operator was easy to reach during booking and 37% would do so if all the information they needed was provided in advance.

If you’re organised, communicate clearly with clients and use travel tech to put key information at your clients’ fingertips, you’re right on track to secure life-long, loyal customers. Capitalising on your time with clients after their trip is also crucial to secure repeat bookings. Don’t think that your work is over as soon as they come back through customs – the period immediately after a trip is decisive in inspiring customer loyalty.

As a tour operator, your relationships with your travellers are so much more personal than customer relationships in other industries. Once you really know a client, and they trust you, it doesn’t take much to secure them as a customer for life. Focusing on the little details of each trip, offering loyalty schemes and asking for feedback are great ways to retain loyal customers, for years to come. 

With the Vamoos Travel App, it’s never been easier to inspire long-lasting loyalty in your clients. Book a meeting now to find out how, or get started with a FREE trial of Vamoos.

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