Personalizing Customer Experiences: 8 Tips for Travel Business Owners

Rising incomes and lower airfares have resulted in Filipinos traveling more than ever before. Indeed, international travel has evolved in the past decade from being the pursuit of the wealthy into something obtainable for most people. Even within the Philippines, more destinations and experiences have become more accessible, creating a healthy domestic travel industry.

With the travel industry now booming, a lot of newer players have started to get into the game. As this happens, it’s clear that older “one-size-fits-all” strategies have become less effective at earning and retaining customers. Travel customers now expect tailored or, at least, flexible services. The rise in competition also means there is little reason to rebook with a travel agency for a generic experience. For most smaller travel businesses, personalized customer experiences have become the only winning strategy.

Fortunately, there are quite a few actionable tips for travel business owners who want to meet these emerging challenges. See if you’re already doing any of these small, yet impactful customizations below:

1) Make It Easy for Customers to Pay

Filipino travelers are now on the cutting edge of digital finance, with the vast majority being regular users of at least one digital wallet. Credit card use is also on the rise, reflecting a more sophisticated attitude towards finance. Yet, despite this, many businesses continue to insist on cash, checks, or inconvenient transfer methods, limiting the options travelers can use. As a result, many travelers would rather abandon the transaction and try their luck elsewhere, costing the travel business a sale. 

Knowing this, you must cover all local payment methods, especially if you want to accommodate international travelers. Consider getting card terminals and integrating a secure payment gateway on your website. To cover more of your bases, offer payment links from a reputable payment provider like Maya Business to facilitate secure transactions of any kind over email or social media messaging apps. You can also offer installment payment options to encourage travelers to commit to a trip.

2) Use Data Analytics to Understand Customer Preferences
Regardless of whether you use a website or do business in person, it helps to understand your customers on a deeper level. Collect and analyze customer data to gain insights into their preferences, paying close attention to past travel behaviors and purchasing patterns. If you have the resources, invest in an automated customer relationship management (CRM) system so that you can maintain detailed, up-to-date records of customer interactions.

Once you have some kind of system set up, you can then use customer information to craft personalized offers or recommendations. For example, if a customer seems to prefer specific things like historical spots or hiking adventures, you can later email them recommendations for similar experiences at other destinations.

3) Learn How to Take Feedback Constructively

Not all the things you will hear about your business are going to be positive. If and when you do get negative feedback, see if it’s valid before anything else. If so, use it to identify areas for improvement. Customers will notice if you’re serious about customer satisfaction, so be sure to do your best to communicate and fix any errors.

4) Offer More Targeted Travel Itineraries

While there is certainly a market for generic package tours, this is fast diminishing as contemporary travelers look for more special experiences. Be prepared to offer a few alternatives and to mix and match experiences depending on their tastes. 

Conversely, if a customer tells you they’re not into something, don’t bother convincing them to try it. They may rightly feel that you’re not listening to them, resulting in a negative experience. Not only might they take their bookings elsewhere; they might even recommend against your business.

6) Invest in Serious Social Media Marketing

Gone are the days when Filipino travelers learned about their options by visiting travel agencies. These days, they are probably going to invest hours of independent research before they even contact anyone to help. Indeed, many Filipino travelers are likely to skip travel businesses altogether and do all the bookings and paperwork themselves.

Knowing this, you must take advantage of social media to engage with your audience and showcase the special kinds of travel experiences that you’re able to deliver. In other words, social media allows you to make an effective argument for booking through your business. And because social media is a two-way form of communication, you can even use it to get insights into what travelers are into these days.

7) Personalize Your Customer Communications

It’s a small touch, but addressing customers by name in emails and private messages goes a long way in earning their trust. It signals that you are serious about your commitments to them and helps them get more emotionally involved in your transactions which, for many, will seal the deal.

8) Team Up with Local Businesses

If you offer a tour in a given location, get in touch with local vendors, restaurants, and tour operators to offer experiences unique to each destination, particularly ones that your customers are interested in. This local touch can help travelers feel more in tune with the destination, creating powerful experiences and, hopefully, future bookings for your business.

Tailor Travel Experiences Today, Reap Repeat Bookings Tomorrow

Travel businesses in the Philippines know that Filipinos may not have the world’s most powerful passport, but also that they are undoubtedly among the world’s most widespread and sophisticated travelers. For that reason, relying on generic experiences is not going to be a winning strategy for very long, and you’ll want to look into bespoke adventures to remain relevant. 

Once you implement these tips, you will already be ahead of your competition. Start with the simplest yet most impactful changes, like streamlining your payments system. By the next season, you should start seeing your rebookings and referrals hit their best numbers yet.