Improve the guest experience to get 5 stars

There are several ways to improve the guest experience. You can make rooms comfortable and luxurious. You can offer special packages, and offers. You can host live events, and offer unexpected upgrades.

But how do you ensure a great guest experience even after they have left your adventure tour? How do you deliver customer delight even when they are not your guests? How do you make them remember you long after the holiday?

Through great tour photos.  

That’s how your guests will relive their experience again and again. Each time they look at their tour photos, they will be revisiting your brand and reliving that experience. And each time they relive that adventure, they are more likely to make plans to revisit or recommend it to others. 

That’s why experienced adventure tour operators know that great tour photos are one of the easiest ways to improve guest experience. They know that a great tour photo is a forever experience. They know that adventure tour photos can help them grow.

But what do guests feel about tour photos? Are they satisfied with the current level of service? At PicThrive, we designed our software to help facilitate great photo experiences for both the guests and the adventure tour operator. But to constantly improve our offerings, we needed to know what customers think. 

So we conducted a survey with over 600 guests from all over the world. The information we collected gave us a deep understanding of what guests loved and what they wanted to see improved. We began by asking why they wanted to buy tour photos in the first place. 

Top 3 Reasons Why Guests Say They Buy Photos

1. For the memories

If the photos tell the story of your guests’ adventure, whether it is scuba diving, rafting, or surfing, they will be willing to buy them. Guests want to remember their once-in-a-lifetime trip where mom, for example, was brave enough to speed down the zip-line or we, as a family, battled the rapids on a rafting trip.

2. For sharing

Guests purchase photos to share their memories with friends and family. They are connected via their phone through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social networks. Having a once-in-a-lifetime photo is more valuable now than ever before. Only if it’s shared on social media for friends and family to see did it actually happen. 

3. For the professional quality

Guests know that smartphones cannot produce photos of the same quality as a professional DSLR camera. All memories should be captured by a professional camera as they produce superior quality images that your guest will value and want to purchase. It’s simply something that they are unable to get themselves and brings them more value. Plus, it’s something they will be proud to share.

Top 7 Things Guests Want in Tour Photos

The PicThrive survey was a comprehensive assessment of how guests view the typical tour photos. We asked guests what they liked in photos, and what bothered them. Based on their answers, here are the seven things that guests want in their tour photos.  

1. More variety

Most tour photographers restrict themselves to certain locations that make the photos seem similar and uninspiring. One of the important things an adventure tour operator can do to improve the guest experience is to have more variety in their tour photos. Take photos from more than one location, for example.

2. Capture moments that the guests can’t

This is the primary reason guests want professional tour photos. They want quality photos of them engaging in adventures. They want to remember their expressions when they were on the zip-line or fighting the rapids. The tour operator can ensure these ‘action photos’ will score high above others.

3. Group photos

This will be the most important photo of the tour. It’s the one time that group of friends or family are together having the time of their lives. Capture that moment for them so that everyone is in the photo.

4. Individual and close-up shots

Other than group shots, guests are also interested in seeing themselves up, close, and personal. They may go as a family or a group but a tour is an individual experience at a fundamental level.   Capture their smile and excitement and you can bet that’ll become their profile picture.

5. Scenic photos

There’s a world of difference between amateurs attempting nature photography, and professionals capturing the scenery. Guests want scenic shots that they will be able to frame. It’s also an excellent way to advertise the beauty of your region.

6. Keep it organized

Quite often, guests miss out on professional tour photos because they don’t know where or when it is happening. Guides and staff should make tour photo opportunities known in advance by informing guests. 

7. High-quality images

Guests are paying for pictures that they are unable to take for lack of equipment or ability. This means guests don’t want to buy blurry, unbalanced, or poorly exposed photos. The majority of guests said they value high quality, sharp images.

The PicThrive Advantage

Knowing what the guests want in their photos will help you improve the experience. For adventure tour operators great photos are free advertising from your best guests. As more people engage with the photos online, there will be more interest in your brand. With increased awareness comes more bookings, and more revenue.

PicThrive simplifies the process for managers, staff and guests. It helps improve the guest experience and adventure tour operators amplify their digital marketing without any investment.  It also helps properties find an additional revenue stream so you can invest more in your guest experience.  These are the benefits of photo marketing for tour and activity operators.

Guests want their photos to narrate a story. They want photos to remind themselves of an exceptional experience even years later. They want to share their joy and relive the tour.

For them, a good photograph is a rectangular time machine. It takes them back to that time and place of joy and wonder. It reminds them of things they thought they had forgotten. PicThrive makes it easy for them to share their delight and experience it all over again. While it helps you reach more customers, and earn more revenue.