As a tour or shore excursion operator, customers look to you to provide them with a unique and exhilarating experience. And if you provide them with what they want, they will in turn reward you for your efforts. The following are a few tips on how to increase your profit per tour on your cruise excursion business.

Give People More than they Expect

While customers aren’t necessarily going to be expecting anything beyond what they see in the shore excursion description, there are a number of things you can do to go above and beyond their expectations.

The first thing you can do is try to make your customers as comfortable as possible. This may mean something like providing drinks and snacks before, during, or after the shore excursion. If there is something interesting in the area where you’re taking them that may not be part of the tour, take a little extra time to point it out. As the tour operator, give them a little extra that they weren’t expecting and they’ll most likely return the favor.

Be Friendly

This should go without saying. Having a friendly tour operator can in many ways redeem a bad experience, so you can expect it to do wonders for you if your customers are having a good experience. Most importantly, take the time to get to know your customers as best as you can. Try to learn their names and ask them to tell you about themselves.

If you have good stories about your experience doing cruise excursions, share them. If you know fun or interesting facts about the area you’re in, don’t keep them to yourself.

There are also other types of “friendly” tours you can provide as well—that is family-friendly and eco-friendly. Offering these can help expand your target market and increase your revenues.

Work with Cruise Lines to Promote Excursions

The fact is that most people find their shore excursions through their cruise line. By working with cruise lines, there is the potential to increase your profits exponentially. The first step you need to take is to make sure you have adequate excursion insurance.

It’s also important that you develop a good relationship with the cruises’ Shore Excursion Directors. This person is directly responsible for helping people find the best shore excursions when they hit a new port. And make sure your tour is compelling. Safety and convenience are important above all else, but customers also want to have a captivating experience. If you can provide these, the cruise lines will be more inclined to promote your shore excursion.

The Bottom Line

As the tour operator for your cruise excursion, you have the power and resources to provide your customers with an unforgettable experience. Your friendliness and willingness to go above and beyond their expectations can go a long way when it comes time to tip at the end of the trip.

However, unless your shore excursion is getting promoted by cruise lines, you most likely aren’t going to get that opportunity in the first place. So take the time and effort to invest in your business a little in order to position yourself so that customers want to take your tour.