Whether you're a foodie, an artist, a sport enthusiast, or just need to get away, today's travel opportunities are fulfilling dreams and bucket lists to the nth degree. The modern traveler is embracing creative tourism, which encapsulates authentic, local travel experiences and differs from conventional tourism norms.Creative tourism provides a true cultural connection for travelers. Cultural workshops, classes from local experts or self-guided expeditions through the land unknown—all while traveling—are examples of this increasingly popular trend. Think of the evolution of fishing excursions, once a quick off-shore jaunt. Today, aspiring anglers are dropped by helicopter in remote villages where sourcing a meal is dependent on actively learning the art of fishing.

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Though long unlabeled, creative tourism has been around for many years. People with affinity to the arts, sport, or scholastics have long been exposed to the experience through exchange programs or studies abroad. Host families lodge visitors, providing an everyday life experience, complete with authentic cuisine in the way of good old-fashioned home cooking.

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Building off of this history, today's creative tourists—namely Millennials—want to do and feel, not just see. Where the conventional tourist perhaps takes a picture overlooking a peak, the creative tourist posts a selfie on top of that peak.

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The economic windfall for creative tourism is widespread. As popular destinations feed hungry adventurers with bold new itineraries, a lonely body of water off the beaten path becomes a paddle boarding delight. The doors open for lesser known places that can identify a unique selling point and transform. The experience doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg and locals have new confidence interacting with visitors who show genuine interest in their culture.

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The trend of locals and tour operators working together to become more than a dot on a map has morphed into a travel experience labeled "conspicuous leisure." Creative tourists feed the model by hitting destinations unknown and, by way of social media and online reviews, create awareness of novel getaways.

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But it's not just the younger generation: Baby Boomers, perhaps motivated by their children's cutting-edge travel, are getting in on the action. They dabble in creative tourism, too: hotel alternatives, spicing up vacations by bartering at local markets, cooking meals in a home away from home.

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As an activity or tour operator, how can your business cater to the creative tourist who seeks authentic, local, and creative experiences? These ideas will help you expand or build on your current offering to fully embrace creative tourism and attract the thrill-seeking traveler.

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1. Research

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There are two ways that your business can delve into information and better cater to the creative tourist: first, by further examining your competitors' offerings and evaluating how they do or do not provide authentic experiences; and secondly, by fully understanding the needs and desires of your target audience. Surely you are aware of your local competitors and how your services differ. Now, try creating a second draft of your SWOT analysis, solely from a “creative tourism" perspective. Ask questions of your competitors and your own business such as, How does the business incorporate the local culture? Do cobranding opportunities exist? Would cobranding with a local restaurant, boutique hotel or landmark operation uniquely position the offering? Are there any components of the tour that could be "done" instead of simply explained or discussed?

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‍Better appealing to the creative tourist also calls for an understanding of their interests, and how travelers go about booking experiences and trips. One way tour and activity providers can get a pulse on traveler interests is by searching their respective city on Meetup. See what interest groups frequent the town and determine how your offering could meet an existing need or generate demand. Furthermore, regular check-ups on traveler review sites and social media platforms like Twitter are imperative. Travelers are increasingly social and quick to provide reviews. About 40% of Millennials are likely to share a travel experience on social media during their trip and 80% have indicated that social reviews have impacted their travel decisions. Diligently scouring this information will provide a plethora of competitive intelligence on the creative tourist.

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Scour the information that Milennials have put online about their travel experiences to gain "insider" information

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2. Customer service and engagement

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Customer service must ALWAYS go above and beyond. Understanding that Millennial travelers are largely influencing the concept of creative tourism—and knowing that they are constantly plugged in, social and mobile—presents opportunity for activity and tour operators to excel at customer service. As discussed, Millennials are quick to share and rely on social reviews—plus are uniquely identified as loving their phones, being very social, and passionate about values. Harness this information to create unmatched customer experiences. For example, allocate an employee as responsible for personally responding to every social review your business receives—good and bad. Turn poor experiences into great experiences by confronting issues and offering the creative tourist complimentary experiences or invitations to solicit further feedback to help you improve the business. Leverage great experiences as a channel for gathering referral or new business. Ask the happy creative tourist to submit photo or video testimonial from their excursion with your business, and post this evidence to your website or social media platforms. Complement these testimonials with promotions, group rates and booking incentives to lure new travelers via an online booking software that allows you to design promotions and optimize pricing for peak seasons and dates.

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3. Use the tech tools available

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Just as the tech industry booms with innovation or reinvents the wheel, so has the travel industry begun to ride the wave. With this has come a number of technology solutions that tour and activity operators can adopt to further promote the business, while keeping organized. Knowing that the creative tourist can be found online, using social tools like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and travel review sites to engage with past and future adventurers is an excellent marketing advantage. Use existing social media research studies to help you evaluate which social tools will be most effective for your business, helping you to prioritize marketing efforts. Once you've attracted the business, staying organized is key. Equipment rentals and bookings delivered in an efficient manner will elevate your brand and facilitate a wonderful experience for both the consumer and for your business. Online booking platforms designed specifically for activity and tour operators, such as Peek Pro, will help you manage reservations, accept bookings 24/7 and offer additional products at checkout, marking opportunity for up-sell and further revenue generation.

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Read about King's Landing and their experience moving onto the Peek Pro booking system

As a tours and activities operator, you want to effectively communicate all highlights of the experience to your customers. That doesn't just mean detailed descriptions of what sets your tour or activity apart from the rest. It also means providing customers all the nitty gritty of the provisions and terms associated with the booking or reservation. For example, what happens in the event of inclement weather? What's your cancellation policy? How do you honor requests for a refund? Laying these—and other key elements of the transaction—out clearly in the Terms and Conditions section of your website can reduce conflicts, freeing you from certain liabilities when dealing with an unhappy customer.‍

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If you're unsure of how to start crafting your Terms and Conditions statement, use this guide to get you on your way.

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Basic Outline: Your Terms and Conditions Page

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First things first: Your Terms and Conditions page or section needs to begin with a brief introduction stating the full company name, address of headquarters, and the statement that this is a contract between the company and the customer. (If means allow, it may help to speak with a small business lawyer to draft this section to identify all parties involved and use a professional tone throughout.)Take a look at IGLU Cruise's Booking Conditions page for a great example of a formal introduction identifying all parties and what the references throughout the Terms and Conditions page mean.From there, you'll need to cover at least the following sections to ensure your customers are fully aware of your policies:

• Bookings and Reservations
• Payment
• Changes and Cancellations by the Company
• Changes and Cancellations by the Customer
• Limitation of Liabilities
• Customer Special Requests
• Safety
• Behavior or Code of Conduct
• Complaints
• Data Protection

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In Depth: What to Include in Each Key Section

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While to some extent each section will need to be relevant to your particular type of tour and activity, you'll need to include specific details relevant to your target market so that you cover all of your customer's needs.Here's a breakdown of what to include under each section of your Terms and Conditions page.

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BOOKINGS AND RESERVATIONS

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Begin by outlining exactly what the booking and reservation process looks like both online and offline. Use a step-by-step guide that walks the guest through the process, providing an example of what happens when the guest books online, over the phone, or in person. This serves as your booking and reservation policy and should indicate that the reservation is a binding contract between the guest and your company once a deposit or full payment has been received.

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PAYMENT

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Outline all forms of payments accepted and your expectation of any deposits (if any). Also inform guests that they'll receive a confirmation email or message with a reservation number, an invoice of any remaining balances, and how much they will be charged if a debit card transaction fails or a check bounces.

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CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY THE COMPANY

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This is where you can outline how you handle different situations and scenarios—say, if one of your tour guides gets sick or the trip is canceled because of inclement weather—and what options the customer has for re-booking or receiving a refund. Ideally, you want the customer to re-book for another date or choose another trip you have available, so make sure you encourage that in this section.

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CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY THE CUSTOMER

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Identify what your policies are for refunds before your cancellation period, and how you handle cancellations overall. This varies significantly from business to business, so present a table with a breakdown of acceptable timelines of changes and cancellations, along with the amount that will be refunded. Outline exactly what the customer has to do to request a cancellation, refund, or changes to their booking. Do they need to call or email you directly? Send or fax something in writing? Be as clear as possible about what the process is so there are no questions.

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Outline exactly what the customer has to do to request a cancellation-be as clear as possible

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Take a look at this summary of the cancellations and amendments policy by Walks of Italy, a tour operator that provides a variety of tours of Italy. A snippet from their policy: "For cancellations made between 4 and 30 days (in Venice, between 8 and 30) prior to tour commencement: Cancellations subject to a $10.00 USD per person cancellation fee."

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LIMITATION OF LIABILITIES

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This section needs to contain the legal information related to compensation in the event a guest dies or becomes injured or ill before they can take the trip. You will need to clearly state how—or even whether—your company provides compensation, or if you can offer guidance in the event that this situation occurs. The goal of this section is to clearly express what you are and what you are not responsible for in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

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CUSTOMER SPECIAL REQUESTS

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List here any specific policy or guidelines for handling customer requests, such as accommodating travelers with disabilities, food allergies, and other situations that may interfere with the activity. Encourage customers to contact you directly (in writing or via email) at least a week or more before the booking date to make any special requests.

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SAFETY

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Safety clauses for tours and activities operators will vary significantly depending on the type of activity taking place on land, water, or air. But you'll need to include information on what your safety protocol is, what state safety rules and regulations you are in compliance with, and how guests can best protect their personal safety, health, and well-being by being adequately prepared for the tour and experience. Include a disclosure that states that the company is not responsible for any health issues, accidents, and other safety-related issues that occur, so the traveler must assume full responsibility for any injuries or health issues that arise. Again, working with a lawyer to identify specific situations relevant to your tour or activity operation will help to identify who is responsible in the event of an accident.

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BEHAVIOR OR CODE OF CONDUCT

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Highlighting the fact that you expect customers to behave responsibly during the trip, refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages (unless they are served as part of the trip), and to respect other guests and the tour guide throughout the trip, are all important points to list here. Creating a simple and straightforward code of conduct that applies to all guests can help to set a standard and expectations on behavior.Also, outline what steps you'll take if a guest fails to follow the basic behavioral codes of conduct. For example, the tour guide has the right to ask a guest to leave the tour or activity if they are not behaving responsibly. The company may also have the right to cancel all future bookings or reservations by a disruptive customer at their discretion.

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COMPLAINTS

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List the basic steps a customer can take to file a complaint in the event they are unhappy with the tour or need something resolved during the tour. This section can include a customer service phone number and email address, as well as step-by-step directions for filing a formal complaint when the customer goes home.

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DATA PROTECTION

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If you collect data from your customers, such as their email address, IP address, or other information for marketing purposes, make sure to include your data protection and privacy policy somewhere in this document. Entrepreneur Magazine recommends checking to see whether your state laws require full disclosure of the privacy policy, such as the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003.

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

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Some other topics you may consider adding to your terms and conditions pages are:

• Publicity and image use rights—all photos taken by the company during a tour are the company's property and may be used for marketing purposes without the customer's permission
• Email communications policy—agreement to receive emails from the company about a reservation, company updates, special offers, etc.
• Accuracy of information listed on the website—website material or content can be changed at any time at the company's discretion

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Your Terms and Conditions page needs to be clearly visible on your website and needs to be reviewed by the customer before completing a booking or signing a contract for a reservation. Make sure to include a link to this page during the checkout process so the customer has a chance to review it before they are able to complete the booking. If you are completing the transaction in person, have a physical copy of this document available for the customer to review and sign before they complete the reservation. This way, everything is documented and there are no questions.

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Read about Dylan's Tours and how they became one of the largest operators in San Francisco

Major brands and corporations invest a significant amount of their marketing and operations budgets towards online reputation management. And even if you don't have millions to spend as a small business owner working in the tourism industry, you may may want to take a page from their book.The need to monitor your online presence becomes abundantly clear when considering the stats: almost 90 percent of travelers are already surfing the web for signs of negative traveler experiences and low ratings, according to Statista. Results of a 2013 survey reveal that 86% of respondents in the United States confirmed that they "sometimes or always read online travel reviews before traveling." And, as experts at Alpen-Adria-Universität found, “negative reviews were regarded as being more trustworthy and more useful than positive reviews."As a tour and activities operator, it is your responsibility to make sure those reviews are not hurting potential business. So to help you ward off negative reviews and resolve a situation before it turns into a full-fledged crisis, here are some of the best practices when handling negative reviews online.

Handling Negative Feedback on Online Review Sites

If your company is listed on business listing and review sites, you have the option of communicating with an irate customer directly or posting a response to their review or comments right on the site.Your first course of action, though, is to respond to the commenter privately. Keep things professional by introducing yourself, acknowledging the commenter's concern, and providing a possible solution. In some cases, it makes sense to publicly acknowledge the situation and offer a solution that you know will benefit the customer. This approach tells prospective customers that the business cares about their customers and is more than willing to take steps to remedy the situation.Another strategy for handling negative reviews on these sites—especially if you're receiving baseless reviews or attacks from an anonymous customer—is to encourage delighted customers to post on the same site, according to Inc.com. You could ask a customer to post a review before they leave for the day, hand out comment cards or a business card with information on where to post reviews, or simply send a follow-up email with a direct link to a review site you want to appear on. Encouraging happy customers to post positive reviews at every opportunity can enhance your online presence and negate some of the impact of negative reviews.

Managing Complaints via Twitter

Twitter allows an open channel of communication with current customers, prospective customers, complementary businesses, and industry professionals. But it's also an open channel for negative comments and feedback. Anybody can attach any message—whether it is based on a real experience or is posted to get your attention—with your Twitter handle and this will appear across multiple Twitter feeds and in basic search results.If you are the target of negative feedback on Twitter, do what you can to respond to the sender privately. This may require "following" the individual first so that you can send a direct message through the Twitter platform and make an attempt to remedy the situation. If this doesn't work—or you are tagged in a series of negative comments—you may need to disengage altogether. Vertical Response recommends ignoring hostile comments but taking the time to respond to legitimate concerns. If a customer is simply berating the business or an employee without explaining what happened or requesting contact from management, they may just need to vent. If a customer talks in detail about a negative experience and requests a solution, this is your cue to step in and remedy the situation.Don't be afraid to acknowledge that they are being heard and ask them for contact information—or provide them with a customer service phone number of email address—where you can address the issue privately. This will take communication out of the public feed and give both parties a chance to resolve the situation professionally.

Handling Negative Feedback on Facebook

If you maintain a Facebook Page for your business, encourage customers to post a rating and review of their experience shortly after their tour or activity experience. This helps to boost your ratings score when a prospective customer first "likes" your Facebook page. A series of positive reviews and high-star ratings may even deter some people from posting negative reviews since they will stand out among all the positive commenters.

A series of positive reviews and high-star ratings may even deter some people from posting negative reviews since they will stand out among all the positive commenters.

If you do end up receiving a very poor star rating or someone posts a negative review directly on your Facebook Wall, you have three options: ignore them completely, delete the comment, or respond professionally privately and/or publicly.Take a look at how Zappos, an online retailer, addressed a negative comment on Facebook. They responded to an angry customer with genuine concern and offered to do something to rectify the situation. This is one example of managing negative Facebook comments effectively. You can also "flip the script", as Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing and CEO of The Marketing Zen Group, explains in an article published on Forbes: “Turn the comment around by highlighting your strengths", she says. This means you could simply apologize and highlight the fact that you have been providing highly-rated tours and activities for several years.If you decide to delete the comment or ignore the comment, consider following up with the individual with a private message so they do not retaliate with more comments or point out that they are being ignored—a major snafu that could damage your online reputation.If more than three-quarters of the traveling population is turning to online reviews before making a reservation, it's imperative that you monitor reviews and make sure your tour and activity business is presented in the best possible light. You need a strategy to handle any negative reviews or publicly-published complaints on review websites, as well as on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Use these tips to protect your online reputation and increase the chances of more bookings each season.

Whether you're rewarding loyal customers for repeat business or enticing people to give you a try, there are plenty of reasons to offer promotional codes for your experiences. The best reason, though, is that customers want them. The majority of adult Internet users—more than 100 million people—redeem online promo codes, and 54% of travelers search for coupons while on vacation, according to research by eMarketer and ILoveCoupons.com.So if offering promo codes is great for marketing, how do you get them into your customers' hands? Here are 10 ideas—some traditional and a few creative—for distributing your promo codes and boosting your bookings.

1. Social media

Twitter followers and Facebook fans have already expressed an interest in your business, making these social media platforms the perfect place to post coupon codes. More than half of travelers use social media for inspiration, and half of travel companies say that social media has been directly responsible for bookings, according to Tnooz. Post promo codes as a regular part of your status updates, and track this platform as part of your marketing efforts.

2. Your email list

If you send out e-newsletters, include promotions that are exclusive to your subscribers. Emails that contain a coupon have an average open rate of more than 14 percent, an increase in unique clicks of 34 percent, and a transaction completion rate increase of 27 percent, according to Experian Marketing Services's Email Benchmark Report.

3. Partnerships with hotels and restaurants

If your business attracts travelers, why not work together with other businesses that serve this market? Print coupons that can be handed out at local hotels and restaurants. Better yet, partner to create special offers. For example, you can create a getaway package with a hotel that includes your tour or activity and a two night stay. Or work with an area restaurant to create a promotion that includes your tour or activity and lunch. The more value you can offer customers, the more excited they will be to book with you.

4. Bloggers

Enthusiasts who blog about your industry or location love to give things to their readers. Offer a special discount code that is exclusive to their blog. Make sure you create a call to action by including an expiration date to your deal.

5. Local tourism boards

Check your local tourism board to see if it has listings for area tours, events and rentals. If so, offer a special discount code for their visitors. OC Helicopters, a company that offers helicopter tours of California's Orange County coastline, offers a 35-percent discount on three of its tours by posting discount codes on Caladventures.com, an online resource for fun adventures.

6. Thank you gifts

After a customer participates in your tour or event or books a rental, thank them by offering a discount on their next purchase.

After a customer participates in your tour or event or books a rental, thank them by offering a discount on their next purchase.

You can hand out a code on the spot, or send a follow-up email inviting the customer to come back. If they had a great time, chances are they'll take you up on your offer.

7. Coupon websites

Submit your promo codes to sites like Retail Me Not that offer consumers lists of discount codes. Nearly three-quarters of consumers search online coupon sources to look for discount codes, according to a study published in Internet Retailer magazine.

8. Mobile billboards

Don't underestimate the power of the visual ads. Drum up business during your slow period by hiring a mobile billboard company that will drive around town advertising your business and code on its truck. The technique will get you noticed and you just might fill up spots and rentals that might have gone unused.

9. Random acts of coupons

Give your employees cards that offer promo codes to be passed out at their discretion. Encourage them to give them to family, friends and strangers who look like they might enjoy your tour, activity or rental. These surprise discounts will brighten the day of both the giver and receiver.

10. Local newspapers

Reporters are always looking for interesting stories; why not call your local newspaper and tell them about your latest tour or event? Then partner with them to provide a special discount code for their readers.With an online booking software like Peek Pro, you can create, manage, and start allowing customers to redeem promo codes in just a few clicks. Learn more below.

The first thing potential customers will find with a basic online search: reviews and ratings of your business. How many of those customers are going to find information that shows you're the best in the business or that customers are extremely satisfied with their experience?Customer reviews posted on business listing sites, Facebook, and even on your booking site can influence a customer's decision to book—or just move on to one of your competitors. Harvard Business Review reports that peer-to-peer information sharing has made it easier than ever for customers to consider other people's opinions when making a decision, and 81 percent of travelers find user reviews important. Taking steps to encourage customers to post positive reviews and rate your business can support your marketing efforts and help you stand apart from the competition. Your challenge is to solicit these reviews without pressure.

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Seven simple ways to ask customers for reviews without annoying them.

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1. Create a strong, professional presence on online reviews sites.

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Make sure you are active on major listing sites where customers are posting reviews. Add photos, respond to comments, and fill out the "About Us" or description boxes so that it looks like the listing is professionally maintained—and the business cares. Grab the URLs to all these sites so you can easily share the link on Facebook and Twitter, email it directly to a customer as part of your thank you letter (see #2), or include the link on any physical marketing collateral such as comment cards or brochures.

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See Also: Best Practices for Handling Negative Online Reviews

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2: Send a personalized 'thank you' email to every customer.

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Email is one of the easiest ways to follow up with a customer.

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If you're using an online booking system like Peek Pro, you can automate custom emails to ensure every customer receives an email shortly after their tour or activity. You want to show your customers that you care about their experience, and this is also a great opportunity to drop links or hints to share a review on your top review sites. Simply embed a link directly to one or two review sites within the email or suggest that the customer shares a testimonial by emailing you back. Make sure to indicate that the customer's testimonial may be used for marketing purposes so that you can share those comments on your website, blog, or even on social media. Below is an example of a 'thank you' email you can personalize and send to your customer base:

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To: [customer name]

Subject: Thanks for joining us [customer first name]!

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[customer name], Thanks for joining us on our [tour name]! We loved having you and hope you enjoyed the experience. We want to keep providing amazing tours and experiences like the [tour name] and always welcome feedback. What did you like most about your visit? What can we do better? We want to hear from you!

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Send us a testimonial by replying to this email or give us a review on [review site link] or [review site link]. Come back and see us for even more exciting tours and experiences on your next trip to the area — we're always adding more adventures and are here to ensure you have an unforgettable experience.

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Cheers, [Your name]

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‍Disclosure: All written testimonials and reviews become the property of [company name] and may be used for marketing purposes.

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3. Offer a discount for reviews.

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Consider extending a 5-percent, 10-percent, or even 20-percent discount if your budget allows on the next booking in exchange for a review. Snagshout does this by encouraging Amazon users to post a review of goods discounted up to 90-percent off the list price for sharing their genuine opinion. It's a win-win situation for both parties and will encourage more customers to write up a review quickly.As a tour and activity operator, make sure you share this special offer in a way that encourages a positive review and highlights all the benefits of another tour or activity with your company—you want these customers to feel like they are earning a reward or getting a great deal, not being bribed. And, you want to include a disclosure statement that indicates the customer needs to share an honest review—not just a good review.

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4. Host a giveaway for reviewers.

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Encourage customer participation to post reviews by hosting a giveaway. You could offer a free tour, complimentary activity, or a package of activities and experiences as a grand prize. Reviewers would simply send you an email with a screen capture of the review they posted or provide you with information on where they posted the review to enter the giveaway. Macy's did this with its Bazaarvoice Sweepstakes earlier this year, encouraging customers to submit product reviews in order to win a $1,000 Macy's Gift Card.

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5. Run a YouTube reviews contest.

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Video reviews are among the most powerful types of reviews available online because they can feel more personal. Host a contest where customers post a review of their experience shortly after their activity or when they get home to be entered in the contest. Keep the guidelines simple: describe the tour or activity they booked, share what they enjoyed, and provide a few tips for other customers who want to make the most of the experience.Reward the best reviewers with a complimentary tour or activity, and be sure to showcase these reviews on Facebook and on your website to help future customers get an "insider's look" at your offerings. And, if you can ask the customer for full rights of the video—or capture the video testimonial when the customer is still with you so that you are taking the video—you can upload it to your own YouTube account and link back to your website to take full advantage of your YouTube marketing efforts.

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6. Make a big deal out of reviews you receive.

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Make the customer the star by spotlighting testimonials or reviews somewhere on your website, blog, or even on your Facebook Page. Share snippets of positive customer reviews on all your social media accounts and make sure the customer is recognized for their efforts. Many people may be inclined to post similar reviews when they know they will be publicly acknowledge—especially if you're posting on highly visible and interactive places like Facebook.

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7. Publicly thank and reward your reviewers.

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Make the customer the winner in these situations by posting a "thank you" comment on sites that allow for it or communicating to the customer that you are sending them a small gift for their efforts. If you decide to send a gift, consider something like a coupon or special discount for a future booking, a gift card, or a company pen or hat. You can advertise the fact that you reward your happy customers with gifts on your website and social media sites so that other customers are aware they may also receive something in exchange for writing a review.Customer reviews are extremely valuable to your tours and activities business so you need to take steps to solicit as many positive reviews as possible—without turning your customers off. Use these tips to generate more reviews each season.

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Learn the results of King's Landing's use of Peek Pro's SmartReviews+

As a business owner, you've probably heard that your most valuable asset is your time. The more time you have the more you can affect positive changes in your business. Yet often times as a business owner, you end up swimming in a sea of minutiae—from late night accounting to early morning emergencies to endless hours spent manipulating appointments—which is why it's more important than ever to automate and systematize what you do.Generic software like Google Calendar, Outlook and others fall short when it comes to the nuances of online activity and rental businesses. On the flip-side of the coin, many other solutions concentrate so much on the customer experience that they lack the nuts-and-bolts features needed to create a smooth operation in the back office.Sure you can have a streamlined booking experience for your customers, but what good is it if you don't have the tools to deliver a great experience once the customer booking experience is completed?Here are six absolute must-haves in any online booking software you pick for your operation.

1. Activity, rental, or both?

Many online booking systems are built primarily for tour and activity merchants, leaving rental merchants (or even those who provide both activities and rentals) to handle the rental portion on their own.When you pull up the calendar feature of your online booking software, it just makes sense to have the option to view all areas of your business so you can manage staff, inventory, and time accordingly. Even if you don't currently offer both, your business may evolve in the future, and your software should be able to handle potential changes you make in the direction of your business. For example, in the screenshot below activities, tours, and rentals are all brought together in one integrated solution.

Your online booking software should make expanding into activities, tours, or rentals a no-brainer.

Your online booking software should make expanding into activities, tours, or rentals a no-brainer.

2. Overall business visibility at a glance.

While your employees may rely heavily on the dashboard of your booking system (or on a calendar planner) to prepare for upcoming events, it's crucial to be able to see more than just appointments on your calendar. For example, in the screenshot below, the standard calendar incorporates a view of availability and capacity, along with bookings you've already made.Your calendar shouldn't just tell you what events are happening (that's what free tools like Google Calendar are for); rather, it should give you an overview of everything you need to know so you can stay on top of things.See Also: 9 Effective Marketing Strategies for Tour and Activity Operators

3. Ability to dig deep, organize, and filter quickly

While overall visibility at a glance is an extremely helpful calendar feature, it is also important that you're able to view tours and activities differently from rental equipment.The calendar should have filtering capability that allows you to quickly and easily manage these two very different types of services in your business. This means the software should allow you to view activities and rentals separately, or eliminate one completely from view if one isn't needed (i.e. if you don't offer rental equipment, you should be able to avoid having that clutter up your visual area).Note that in the case of rental equipment, the software should allow you to group similar equipment together for ease of booking and management.

4. Simple navigation and easy last-minute booking features

Activity and rental merchants are no strangers to call-ins and walk-ins. When taking that call, you should not only be able to glance at the calendar and dig into specifics as needed, but you should be able to book that slot the moment the customer says they're interested.Your calendar should also have a quick and easy way to create new bookings on the fly. This way your employees can offer quick service and keep customers happy (and close quickly on new sales opportunities).See Also: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Booking SystemsFor example, if a customer calls in and asks if they can book something last minute, that particular time window may not be available. Any industry-specific booking solution should allow you to quickly and easily identify alternative times or durations at your fingertips to close the deal (like in the screenshot below).

5. Painless blackout capabilities

If you're no stranger to managing rental equipment, then you know equipment breaks down or may not be available due to a season change. A critical component to any solution for your rental business must have the ability to prevent equipment from being rented from time to time.Taking equipment offline for periods of time is an absolute must. Any successful solution in this space must have three critical blackout capabilities:

• Blackout the business. For example, maybe you want to close business for a day or more due to an unplanned event (i.e. building damage, holiday, etc.)
• Blackout a tour or activity. For example, the t-shirt and shorts bike tour is closed for winter or no longer available.
• Black out a piece of equipment. For example, one of the bikes you have is no longer available to rent because someone in a t-shirt and shorts bent the rim while riding on ice.

6. Seamless customer experience

Of course this goes without saying, but all of this has to come together in one simple, intuitive booking experience for your customers.

Conclusion

Your online booking software is arguably the most important solution your business will use. Since your calendar is used during each booking, a calendar that does it all will make your life easier when booking bike tours, renting kayaks, or planning your next escape room schedule.Remember that a business is something that runs when you're not there. To pull that off, you need software and supporting tools that are specific to the world of online tours, activities, and rentals. So before you get glassy-eyed with the customers' booking experience, make sure you're glassy eyed with your experience, too. Take the time for a much deeper look into the critical capabilities you'll need to successfully run your operation—from start to finish.With Peek Pro, the only online booking system that guarantees new customers, you'll have access to all of the features described above - and much more. Not only will you get our award-winning platform, you'll get online training, 24/7 customer support, and access to millions of potential customers who are looking to book an experience like yours.