FareHarbor just shared that U.S. summer travel is down about 10% this year. That means fewer fly-ins… and more open spots on your calendar.

We know not every tour operator markets to locals. Maybe your guests are 90% fly-in. Maybe your tour doesn’t make sense for the hometown crowd. That’s totally fair.

But if your calendar has some gaps—and you’re open to trying something new—this might be a simple way to smooth out the dip.

You don’t need to run ads or launch a big campaign. Just one or two smart emails, a segment built from data you already have, and a message that fits the moment.

Three Ways to Market to Locals (Without Overhauling Your Whole Strategy)

Not every tour operator thinks of locals as a core audience—and that’s okay. But this summer, it’s worth experimenting. With travel bookings down, there’s a new opportunity to speak directly to the people already nearby—many of whom would love an easy, memorable thing to do (especially if it makes them look like the hero when family’s in town).

Here are three local-friendly strategies you can test with your email list:

“Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” Promotions

This one’s simple, and it works. Locals don’t usually think of your tour as something for them—until you invite them in. You don’t have to discount heavily to make it work. Try:

  • A limited-time offer just for locals (e.g., 10–15% off)
  • A bonus add-on (like a photo package or drink ticket)
  • A themed event: “Local Appreciation Weekend” or “Neighbors Night Out”

Frame it like a summer staycation. Something fun and easy they can do without planning a whole trip.

Help Them Entertain Their Out-of-Town Guests

This is the sleeper hit. Locals might not book a kayak tour for themselves—but when their cousins show up from Denver? They’re looking for ideas. Your email can be the nudge they need:

“Got guests coming this weekend? Let us take them off your hands (and make you look like a pro).”

This is especially smart around holidays, long weekends, and back-to-school time. Bonus points if your tours are family-friendly or beginner-friendly—that’s often what locals are looking for when they’re playing host.

Build a Local Email Segment with TourAdvantage

Even if you’ve never segmented your list before, it’s easy to start. With TourAdvantage, it’s pretty easy to tag your locals based on their Billing zip-code.

From there, you can:

  • Send weekend-only deals to nearby customers
  • Create “come back and bring a friend” offers
  • Build automated sequences just for your local list

This isn’t about blasting out coupons. It’s about showing up in the inbox with a message that feels relevant, timely, and easy to say yes to.

Why Email Is the Best Way to Reach Locals (Especially Right Now)

You don’t need to launch a whole new marketing strategy to try talk to locals—you just need to send the right message to the people already on your list.

Here’s why email is your secret weapon for this:

  • It’s fast. No designing ad creatives, waiting on approvals, or spending time in Meta’s backend. Just write the email, hit send (or schedule), and you’re done.
  • It’s cheap. You already own this list. These are past customers, waiver signers, or people who downloaded your lead magnet. You’re not paying to reach them again—they’re already listening.
  • It’s personal. You can mention your city by name, call out nearby zip codes, or even acknowledge specific tour types they’ve taken before. This isn’t “Hey everyone!” marketing. It’s, “Hey, [Name], we think you’ll like this.”

With TourAdvantage, you can segment by zip code, build locals-only automations, and schedule those emails to go out on Friday mornings—or whenever your last-minute seats usually open up.

You don’t need to shout or discount heavily. Just be timely, specific, and useful. The right message, at the right moment, to the right neighbor. That’s what fills tours—even in a soft summer.