If you run a tour company or an experience-based business, you’ve probably heard about email marketing. Maybe you’ve even sent out a few emails promoting your tours. 

But email marketing and email automation aren’t the same thing.

And if you’re juggling bookings, answering guest questions, and trying to keep everything running smoothly, automation can save you a lot of headaches.

Let’s break it down.

Email Marketing: Like a Digital Brochure You Send Manually

Traditional email marketing is pretty straightforward—you write an email, pick a list of past or potential customers, and hit send. It works well for things like:

✅ Promoting a new tour or seasonal package (like announcing your new summer whale-watching adventure)
✅ Re-engaging past guests (like inviting last year’s zip-lining guests to check out your new canyon tour)
✅ Sending newsletters (like sharing travel tips, local event highlights, or special offers)

It’s great if you have repeat customers who want updates and promotions. But here’s the thing—for many tour operators, guests don’t book the same experience twice. They book, they take the tour, and they move on.

That’s where automation comes in.

Email Automation: Like Having a Smart Assistant That Works 24/7

Automation makes sure the right message goes out at the right time—without you having to do a thing.

The first major mistake operators make is not engaging with their subscribers immediately after they sign up. They rely on newsletters which may go out weeks after sign-up. Instead, you should send an automated Welcome Series right after you get their email address. This is a series of emails with the sole intent of converting them to a customer. A good number of emails works best – 6 or 7 perhaps. The first email should be a general overview of what you have to offer, and subsequent emails provided detailed info about each offering.

But wait – there’s more. Automation also works well to re-market to your customers.

For example, with TourAdvantage, you can schedule emails before the tour even happens:

🚀 One week before – A “Get Ready for Your Adventure” email with a packing list, meeting location, and upsells like a premium drink package or insurance.
🚀 Three days before – A weather update, last-minute travel tips, and a reminder to confirm any dietary restrictions.
🚀 24 hours before – A friendly reminder with check-in details and a contact number for any day-of questions.

These emails don’t just save you time—they cut down on no-shows, reduce last-minute questions, and make the whole experience smoother for guests.

Most email tools can send follow-ups after a tour, but TourAdvantage is the only system designed to send those crucial pre-tour emails automatically.

Why Automation Makes Sense (Even If You Don’t Need Email Marketing)

Some businesses rely on email marketing—like a vineyard that sends monthly updates about special tasting events. But even if you don’t send promotional emails, automation is still a game-changer.

Imagine how much easier your life would be if you could:

✅ Automatically send pre-tour instructions so guests show up prepared (instead of calling with last-minute questions).
✅ Remind guests about their tour so they don’t forget or cancel at the last minute.
✅ Upsell add-ons before arrival, like upgrading to a VIP tour or adding a professional photo package.
✅ Send a feedback request right after the tour while the experience is still fresh.

This isn’t just about saving time. It makes the whole experience better for guests—and brings in extra revenue without extra work.

Email Marketing vs. Automation: Which One Do You Need?

📩 Email Marketing = Best for repeat customers & promotional campaigns
🤖 Email Automation = Best for all tour operators since it reduces manual work and improves the guest experience

Most tour operators don’t have time to sit down and send emails every day. That’s why automation wins every time.

And with TourAdvantage, you get the only tool that schedules those pre-tour emails exactly when you need them.

Want to see how it works? Let’s chat. 🚀

Lesli Peterson
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