Why tour operators need to market themselves – not just the destination
An industry colleague once asked me a question that struck a nerve: “How do we become the anchor of the story rather than just a footnote?”
If you’re a tour operator, you’ve likely wrestled with this too. You sponsor journalists, arrange influencer trips and curate breathtaking itineraries yet the spotlight always lands elsewhere – on the destination, the lodges and the experiences. You? A facilitator, at best, in the footnote, which is the part no one reads.
Why does this happen? The answer is simpler than you think. Most tour operators aren’t actually marketing themselves; they’re marketing Africa, their suppliers or experiences customers can book elsewhere.
It’s time for a shift. If you want to stand out, stop selling the destination and start selling your role in transforming the journey.
The pitfall of destination marketing
Destination marketing is for tourism boards – it’s their job to promote places. When tour operators mirror this approach, they inspire travellers to visit Africa without giving them a compelling reason to book through them.
If your Instagram post showcases the “Top 10 beaches in Cape Town” what are you really selling? Cape Town – not your expertise, not your unique approach, not the reason a traveller should trust you. They might take that inspiration, book their flights and never enter your sales funnel.
Instead, shift the narrative. Frame destinations through your expertise. Instead of “Why you should visit Cape Town”, try “How we design transformative Cape Town experiences you won’t find anywhere else”. The destination is the backdrop – not the product. You make the experience special.
The supplier trap: Are you just a middleman?
Another common misstep? Selling lodges, camps and hotels as if they’re your product.
You promote a stunning luxury safari lodge. The photos are incredible but what happens next? Your potential client Googles the lodge and finds the direct booking link or they find your competitors in the same search because they are also marketing said lodge and this leads to them entering an entirely different sales funnel bypassing you entirely.
Fashion brands don’t market their fabric suppliers. Tech companies don’t promote the servers their software runs on. They sell what they create – the innovation, the expertise and the experience.
Your product isn’t a lodge. Your product is the experience you design around it, the relationships you build and the seamless, stress-free, deeply personal journey only you can create.
So, instead of selling a lodge, sell the story: “Why our solo women’s safari transforms the way you experience Africa.” The lodge is part of it but your curation makes it extraordinary.
Reframing the value proposition
Customers aren’t just booking a lodge; they’re booking an experience tailored to their deeper needs. Instead of leading with the name and features of a property, focus on what makes your approach different:
- Are you crafting journeys that foster connection between parents and children?
- Do you specialise in transformative solo travel experiences?
- Does your brand offer a seamless, stress-free planning process that gives customers peace of mind?
Your true product is the expertise, perspective and trust you provide. Customers buy from you because they trust you to curate, anticipate and deliver. They rely on you to match them with the right lodge, guide and experiences that align with their dream trip.
The power of brand: Why customers choose you
Destination marketing gets attention. Product marketing sells an experience. But brand is what makes people care about buying from you specifically.
Travellers aren’t just booking a holiday; they’re investing in trust. They want to know you understand them, share their values and see travel the way they do. They need a reason to choose you over another operator offering a similar itinerary.
The best tour operators don’t just market trips; they market movements, philosophies and perspectives. They tell stories that resonate on an emotional level. They don’t just sell “sustainable travel”; they show how their trips transform communities. They don’t just sell “luxury safaris”; they redefine adventure.
Your brand isn’t what you say about yourself. It’s what customers believe about you. Give them a reason to believe.
The shift tour operators need to make
- Rethink destination marketing: Don’t just sell Africa. Show how your expertise transforms the experience.
- Get product marketing right: Stop marketing your suppliers. Start marketing the one-of-a-kind experiences only you can create.
- Invest in brand: Build emotional connections by telling a story customers want to be part of.
If your marketing is all about the places, properties and experiences but not about you, you’re training customers to see you as a middleman – not a necessity.
The destination might spark the dream but your company should be the reason they book.
