7 Ways to Earn More Auxiliary Revenue as a Tour Operator

This year, 2022, is a great time to review your auxiliary revenue as a tour operator.

You spend a lot of time, energy, and expense attracting new guests to your adventure tour. But are you getting the most value out of each of these guests you have worked so hard to bring in the door? Your guests have more needs than just your tour. Offering complementary goods and services can increase your revenue while also increasing customer satisfaction.

1. Lodging

Offering your guests a place to stay is a great way to generate auxiliary revenue as an adventure tour operator. Having accommodations available can encourage your guests to stay on site longer. They will also use more of your services and take part in more of your tours.

While lodging might seem like a very big investment, it doesn’t have to be a five-star resort. Plenty of guests interested in outdoor adventures are happy to (or even prefer) to stay in cabins or on campsites. Having guests stay overnight also gives you more opportunities to upsell any other aspects of your business.

As an example, Glacier Raft Co., in West Glacier, Montana, has a wide selection of lodging available for guests: https://glacierraftco.com

2. Additional Tour Products

Expanding what you have to offer as a tour company can have an effect on your bottom line. For example, if you specialize in white water rafting, you could expand to build an aerial park at your location. Adding additional tour products opens up new streams of revenue for your company.

Expanding to have more tour options at your location gives guests a reason to stay onsite longer. More tours also provide the whole family with options for things to do no matter the age. If you have more experiences to offer, you could encourage guests to extend their visit to your location. They could end up using your services for an entire afternoon, day, or even longer.

Consider your expertise and evaluate additional tour options that fit within your existing skillset. You’re creating a new product, not necessarily a new business.

AVA has tour locations in Buena Vista, Idaho Springs, and Kremmling, Colorado, and offers rafting, zip lining, climbing, and horse-riding tours: https://www.coloradorafting.net/

Bonus tip: What about offering add-on adventure photography and gear training sessions? Teaching your customers how to capture the best shots and when to look for the right moments could be one way to build upon your existing expertise.

3. New Market Entry (Expanding Geographies)

Another option for generating more revenue is to enter new markets: expand your geographies. Branch out and set up adventure tours in another area under your company name. While this is a much larger investment than some of our other suggestions, it can provide large returns. Keep in mind market size, staff availability and proximity to an airport. Expanding into new areas further diversifies your revenue, which can protect your company against financial losses due poor weather conditions or natural disasters.

With three locations around the world, two in Canada and one in New Zealand, Ziptrek Eco Tours is just one example of new market entry: https://ziptrek.com/

Did you know:
Adventure companies using PicThrive are able to better market their experience through
a custom social-friendly landing page?

4. Partnerships and Packaging

Working with other adventure tour operators in your area can be another great option for generating auxiliary revenue. Is there another adventure tour nearby that attracts a similar audience as yours? For example, if you run a zip lining company and a neighbor operates a white-water rafting experience, cross sell and market each other’s activities. Engaging in partnerships helps your region and business relationships grow.

You’ll also have the ability to attract new guests through packaging. And you’ll get the opportunity to upsell guests while they’re onsite, earning more auxiliary revenue as a tour operator.

Partnerships and packaging offer other benefits to your company besides auxiliary revenue as well. For instance, it’s a great way to build your brand and reach new customers. Creating packages can also increase your exposure in the market and extend your advertising budget.

American Adventure Expeditions in Buena Vista, Colorado, is a great example of a tour company that offers packages: https://www.americanadventure.com/

5. All-inclusive Offerings

Creating all-inclusive offerings for your adventure tour gives your guests the chance to experience your tour without having to worry about things like booking their own lodging and transportation. An all-inclusive offering can also make finding food less stressful for your guests. Offering things like lodging, transportation, and food to guests also means that you’ll bring in more revenue. Your adventure tour company will get the money your guests would have spent on these things elsewhere.

All-inclusive offerings will also be appreciated by your guests. They won’t have to worry about trying to find what they need if you have it all available. The convenience of an all-inclusive offering adds even more value to the deal you have to offer.

6. Food and Beverages

Having food and beverages for sale onsite is a great way to increase your revenue. You can open a restaurant at your tour location, or you can even run a smaller-scale café operation. Another option for selling food and beverages is to offer grab-and-go sodas and snacks.

Your guests need to eat and drink. Guests can come off your tour feeling hungry or arrive early in the morning and need a coffee for a caffeine boost. Like in the case of all-inclusive offerings, if you’re able to provide food and beverages to your guests, the money they would have spent is now being spent on goods and services your company offers instead of somewhere else. This brings in more auxiliary revenue for you as a tour operator.

For example, Royal Gorge Rafting in Cañon City, Colorado, offers a restaurant onsite for their guests’ food and beverage needs: https://royalgorgerafting.net/white-water-bar-and-grill/

7. Retail

Lastly, retail options are a natural fit for many tour operators. Existing check-in staff can serve as cashiers. Your guests will need to pick up those useful but forgotten items (sunscreen, sunglasses, water, and snacks) souvenirs like branded t-shirts, locally made items, guide-made gifts, and travel essentials for sale can help generate revenue. But the easiest item to sell is memories.

Photos are a part of everyday life now and customers demand to be able to memorialize, share, and immediately reminisce about their vacation. PicThrive makes the delivery of guests’ photos easy. Photos have one of the highest margins and take up little real estate on your valuable sales floor. PicThrive shows that photos and videos can not only improve your guests’ experience, but also boost your purchase rates.

Ziplines at Pacific Crest, in Wrightwood, California, is one of many companies that has been using PicThrive to sell photos to their guests: https://ziplinespc.com/

Experience PicThrive LIVE

Learn More Ways to Generate Revenue & Improve Your Retail Mix

There are many options available for generating auxiliary revenue for your adventure tour operations with some serious risk and reward for each. To learn more, be sure to check out Brandon Gonski’s seminar on ways to generate more auxiliary revenue for your company at 2022 Arival 360 San Diego. He will discuss how to choose the best auxiliary revenue for your business, how to tell if your efforts are paying off, and how to scale what’s working.

About Brandon

Brandon has been guiding and teaching kayaking since he was 15 years old. Over the years, he has worked with 11 different outfitting companies, and launched more than 10 new product lines. Brandon has overseen the development and growth of 5 retail operations with annual revenues between $200,000 and $800,000. He also worked as the General Manager for AVA Rafting & Zipline for six years, and currently serves as the General Manager of Glacier Raft Company in West Glacier, Montana.

Brandon is passionate about helping tour operators find opportunities to increase their revenue and serve their clients better.

About PicThrive

With customers all over the globe, PicThrive makes it exceptionally easy for guests to buy and share tour photos and videos on their devices, on their own time. You don’t have to worry about printing supplies as the photos and videos can be digitally delivered anywhere. Photos can also be ordered either in-store or online, depending on how you create your retail space.

> > Schedule a demo to see the full guest experience in action.