Once you move your business online, you may quickly realize that a booking system alone isn’t enough.
Even systems that tick all boxes for the must-have features for a travel booking website don’t help you sell better, work smarter, or understand your customers any deeper.
That’s where add-ons come in.
Think of them like power tools for your website. On their own, your booking system might help with simple tasks.
However, with the right add-ons, you can create more effective customer experiences, automate your tasks, and increase your revenue growth.
In this article, we’ll help you make the right pick. We’ll be reviewing a list of 13 add-ons for tour and activity providers for more sales.
These add-ons will help you improve user experiences, boost revenue, help with conversions, and also help you get more insights into user behavior.
Why You Need Add-Ons
Considering how tough the competition is today, your website needs more than just compelling visuals and unique experiences to book a tour.
This is where you need Add-ons.
Add-ons today have evolved so much more than just extras. The right add-ons help you address key aspects of your customer’s journey and help you effectively operate your business.
Here’s more of what they can do and why you need them:
- Elevate customer experiences: Offer flexibility and personalization with add-ons to create tailored adventures. This will boost customer satisfaction and positive reviews.
- Boost revenue per booking: Strategically present relevant add-ons during booking to encourage higher spending and increase your average order value (AOV).
- Improve booking success: Seamless, feature-rich booking with add-ons reduces cart abandonment and increases completed purchases.
- Simplify your operations: Automate tasks and gain insights with add-ons, freeing up your time to focus on delivering great experiences.
- Stand out from competitors: Unique add-ons differentiate your business and attract customers seeking comprehensive, convenient services.
- Gain customer insights: Add-ons reveal customer preferences and booking patterns, helping you refine offerings and marketing.
13 Must-Have Add-Ons for Tour and Activity Providers for More Sales
While there’s no one-size-fits-all for add-ons, there are several categories that benefit all tours and activities providers.
Check out these 13 must-have add-ons for tour and activity providers for more sales:
1. Secure Online Payment Gateways
In a time where frauds and scams occur almost daily, secure online payment gateways are non-negotiable.
You must cater to your customers’ expected payment methods, whether it’s credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, or local payment solutions.
Integrating with multiple reputable payment gateways ensures a smooth and trustworthy transaction process.
If you’re a new operator looking for the best payment gateways for your business, check out our article on 10 Best International Payment Gateways for Tour Operators to narrow your search.
2. Trip Scheduling
For any tour or activity, scheduling is very important for the operator.
You need to decide if you want to set a flexible schedule where your customers can choose from any date or set fixed starting dates.
A trip scheduling add-on is essential to effectively manage your resources and avoid overbooking.
Add-ons such as Trip Fixed Starting Dates allow you to assign a specific number of seats and block dates when your trip is fully booked, helping you avoid overbooking.
Plus, it also lets you set recurring dates so you don’t have to enter back dates manually.
3. Extra Services Add-On
You can often enhance your tour by offering supplementary services. Think about what would add value and convenience for your customers.
This could include options like airport or hotel transfers, equipment rentals (if not already included), pre-arranged meals, or snack packs.
By presenting these “extras” during the booking process, you not only increase your average order value but also provide a more comprehensive and hassle-free experience for your customers.
If this sounds like something you’d want to explore more of, check out WP Travel Engine’s Extra Services add-on.
4. Detailed and Engaging Itineraries
For any tour or activity, providing a clear and detailed itinerary is crucial.
This goes beyond just listing locations. You must describe the activities planned for each day (or hour), highlighting key attractions, mentioning any included amenities, and providing essential logistical information.
An engaging and informative itinerary helps you build excitement and trust. This allows potential customers to visualize their experience and make informed decisions.
You can learn more about how to write travel itineraries through our article, How to write a travel itinerary for your website.
With that said, most users may prefer downloading their itineraries to access them offline. In that case, you need an add-on that allows your customers to download itineraries.
WP Travel Engine’s Itinerary Downloader add-on lets your customers download your itineraries.
5. Accommodation Options
Offering accommodations can be a game-changer for your tour.
Your tour will attract more clients by taking the hassle out of manually searching for accommodation.
With the Accomodation add-on for WP Travel Engine, you can create all-in-one packages that offer tours, activities and lodging. You can also upsell your accommodation by offering premium and upgradable accommodation options.
You can also partner up with hotels or resorts to cross-market your business.
Overall, having an accommodation add-on will help increase the total value of your tour booking and your revenue.
6. Dynamic Pricing
If your tour prices stay the same year-round, you might be leaving money on the table.
With a dynamic pricing add-on, you can automatically adjust your prices based on demand, season, travel dates, or availability.
This means you can charge more during peak seasons and offer deals during quieter times.
You can get to know more about what such add-ons do through WP Travel Engine’s Conditional Price add-on.
Remember to display these changes clearly so your customers know what to expect and feel confident when booking.
In addition to this, you can set multiple packages to cater to diverse travellers, including budget, solo, honeymoon, and more.
7. Customizable Booking Forms
Have you ever abandoned a booking just because the form felt too long or confusing? Your customers feel the same way.
This is why you should get a customizable form add-on that lets you collect only the necessary information.
WP Travel Engine’s Form Editor is a great add-on to take control of your forms. You can add, edit, remove, or sort fields to ensure you collect the correct data without unnecessary fields.
8. Automated Email Communication
If you’re still manually sending out booking confirmations and reminders, it’s time to automate.
Email automation add-ons allow you to set up workflows for confirmations, payment receipts, pre-departure tips, and even follow-up emails.
This keeps your customers informed at every stage and saves you a ton of time. You can also personalize emails with trip names, dates, or helpful reminders to enhance the experience.
You can try out WP Travel Engine’s Per Trip Email to create a personalized experience for your customers with custom emails.
9. Customer Review Collection
Good reviews influence potential customers.
With a reviews add-on, you can collect and showcase testimonials directly on your website.
You can even automate review requests after the trip ends. This social proof helps build trust and reassures new visitors that booking with you is a good idea.
You can explore WP Travel Engine’s Social Proof add-on if you’re interested in this feature.
You can also add your good reviews from platforms like TripAdvisor, Google, TrustPilot, and more.
10. Multi-Currency Display
If you’re attracting international guests, showing prices in your local currency might confuse them.
A multi-currency add-on, like the Currency Converter add-on, allows customers to view your tour prices in their preferred currency.
This simple feature builds trust and reduces booking hesitation, especially for guests unfamiliar with your country’s currency or exchange rates.
11. Integrations with Business Tools
Running a tour business often means juggling different tools from email platforms, CRMs, invoicing software, and more.
An integrations add-on connects your booking system to the tools you already use.
This can help you automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual errors, and keep everything in sync across your business.
13. Partial Payment Options
If you’re offering high-value or multi-day tours, asking for full payment upfront can be a dealbreaker.
With a partial payment add-on, you can let your customers pay a deposit or break up the cost into installments.
WP Travel Engine’s Partial Payment add-on lets you collect a set amount or percentage for each trip.
This will help you attract more people who prefer flexible payment options and make more sales.
Conclusion
The right add-ons don’t just improve your website but also improve your business. From handling bookings to enhancing the customer experience, these tools help you work smarter and sell more.
Start with the essentials, then build from there as your needs grow. A few smart choices today can significantly affect how smoothly your tours run tomorrow.
