Tour Operator Growth Podcast

How much should you be spending on marketing? And on your booking software?

Scott Riddell talks with tour operators every day, and price is the question he hears most. In this episode, Nikki and Greg ask him to answer it for the whole industry, not just for Resmark.

Scott gives the number most operators want (5 to 10 percent of revenue) then explains why the percentage matters far less than what that marketing is actually doing. He also makes the case that the real cost of your booking software isn't the subscription. It's the few minutes of unnecessary admin on every booking, which quietly adds up to a full-time salary.

In this episode:

• The 5 to 10 percent rule, and what actually counts as marketing spend
• The three things marketing should do, and the vanity metrics that signal it isn't
• How to tell if your booking software is actually earning its cost
• Why marketing and software are one revenue system, not two budgets

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters: 
0:00 What Tour Operators Should Spend on Marketing and Booking Software
1:29 How Much Should Tour Operators Spend on Marketing? The 5 to 10% Rule
3:17 Does Your Marketing Percentage Change as You Grow?
5:08 Is Your Marketing an Investment or Just Spending Money?
7:32 What Actually Counts in the Cost of Booking Software
9:57 What Clunky Booking Software Really Costs You
14:52 How to Know If Your Booking Software Is Worth the Cost
19:26 Why Tour Operators Can Pass Software Costs to Guests
23:10 How to Pressure Test Your Marketing and Software Spend

Everyone thinks they need more traffic. Most operators actually have a conversion problem, and fixing it is the cheapest growth you can get.

In this episode, Nikki and Greg pull back the curtain on two of ResmarkWeb's newest programs: our Conversion Engine (CRO) and our Coaching program. We break down real client results (including a $700K increase in online sales and an 80% jump in revenue, both on less traffic), explain what conversion rate optimization actually is (and what it isn't), and walk through exactly how our team runs it. Whether you're a client or not, you'll leave with tactics you can apply to your own tour or activity website today.

What we cover:
- Why flat bookings are usually a conversion problem, not a traffic problem
- Real client results: more revenue on fewer visitors
- Quick, actionable wins you can implement this week

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters: 
01:25 How to Get More Tour Bookings Without More Traffic
03:09 Real Tour Operator Website Conversion Results
07:39 What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?
12:39 How CRO Works for Tour Operator Websites
15:18 Using Heatmaps and A/B Testing to Increase Bookings
22:00 Business Coaching for Tour Operators
26:09 SEO, Paid Ads & CRO: Building a Complete Growth Strategy
31:31 Quick Ways to Increase Tour Bookings

Most tour operators using AI are getting generic, mediocre results, and the fix isn't a better prompt. It's better context. In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki sits down with Kelsey Tonner, founder of Guest Focus, who has coached thousands of tour operators since 2015.

Kelsey breaks down the levels of AI use he sees across the industry, from uploading files into a single chat, to projects built around a business profile and ideal guest avatar, to a full "AI brain" that remembers your business, connects to your tools, and works while you sleep. Along the way he covers why AI memory features fall short, how connectors turn AI into the central place you get work done, and practical answers on token costs, privacy, and running tasks overnight.

Grab Kelsey's free prompts (AI business profile builder, customer avatar builder, and the AI brain building prompt + workbook): https://guestfocus.com/using-ai-business-resmark

**Want to put AI to work in your tour business? Guest Focus is bringing back its Tour Business AI Bootcamp this November, designed to help tour operators save time, reduce costs, and grow revenue with practical AI systems and automations built around their business. Details are coming soon, but you can join the waitlist here: https://guestfocus.com/ai-bootcamp-waitlist

Book a free coaching call with the Guest Focus team: https://guestfocus.com/resmark

Free AI for Tour Operators video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbf0OTJFDF56HmpOdtrUoOhvVT4UoQtxl

Guest Focus website: https://guestfocus.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjmTLrFX73_g9m1VIuJx76A
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guest-focus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guestfocus

If this episode helped, share it with a tour operator who's stuck on AI basics, and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:

0:00 Who Is Kelsey Tonner and What Is Guest Focus?
3:36 Why Is AI Giving Me Generic Results?
6:19 Which AI Model Should I Use? ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
8:30 What Is Context Engineering?
11:45 How to Use AI Projects (and What They Can't Do)
16:23 What Context Should I Give AI About My Business?
22:21 How to Build an AI Brain with Claude Cowork
30:11 How to Save Money on AI Tokens
33:53 Is It Safe to Give AI Sensitive Business Data?
50:56 How to Get Started with AI as a Tour Operator

Every booking platform looks great in the demo, so how do you find the one that won't fall apart at real volume? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg sit down with Devin Spann, who spent years on Resmark's product side turning operator feedback into features. 

This isn't a product demo or a pitch to switch. It's a framework for pressure testing any booking platform against what your operation actually requires, because the right system doesn't just take bookings, it fuels your marketing too. 

What you'll learn:
- Why booking software is your operational foundation, not just another tool
- Why every platform demos well but real differences show up at volume
- How your booking system powers your marketing, from conversion tracking to guest data and email
- How to evaluate for fit, not the longest feature list

If this episode helped, share it with a tour operator who's wondering whether blogging is worth it anymore, and subscribe so you don't miss the next one on tracking your results.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
0:00 Why Booking Software Is Your Most Important Tech Decision
1:23 Devin's Product Management Background at Resmark
4:22 Software You'll Outgrow vs. Software That Scales With You
6:31 What a Polished Demo Doesn't Reveal
13:06 Nice-to-Have vs. Essential Features as You Grow
16:02 Booking Software That Powers Your Marketing and SEO
23:25 All-in-One Platform vs. Separate Integrations
26:12 How to Migrate Booking Systems Without the Headache
28:47 Choosing Software You'll Still Love in 5 Years

Would you rather book the tour with 219 reviews at 4.7 stars, or the one with 12 reviews at a perfect 5.0? 

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg play a round of "would you rather" with real booking scenarios, then pull back the curtain on the buyer psychology behind every choice. It's a fun, honest look at how two very different travelers actually decide who gets their money.

What you'll learn:
- Why more reviews at a slightly lower rating often beats a perfect score, especially as price goes up
- How website design and a frictionless booking flow can win or lose you a sale in seconds
- Why a clunky form on a day tour sends travelers straight to a competitor
- The big takeaway: every buyer is different, so know who yours is and what they're searching for

If this episode helped, share it with a fellow operator, and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
0:33 Reviews vs. rating: 219 at 4.7 or 12 at 5.0?
3:39 Save money on a clunky site, or pay more for polish?
5:48 Thoughtful emails vs. a fully automated experience
7:10 Book instantly online vs. having to call
8:49 Scenic segment: take the free Resmark Growth Assessment
11:20 How Nikki is choosing her Serengeti tour operator
13:58 Why website design and booking flow make or break the sale
20:21 Who you ask before booking & different buyer types

Almost nobody in this industry plans for it until it's too late: how to step back from, hand off, or sell the business you've spent your life building. 

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg sit down with Pat Tabor, founder of Swan Mountain Outfitters and Swan Mountain Consulting Group. 

Pat spent nearly 30 years at consulting firm RSM, where he led their national transition and advisory practice and completed close to 500 business valuations, then bought, ran, and handed down his own outfitting business to his kids. He's lived the transition himself, and he breaks down why "not ready to sell" is exactly when you should start planning.

What you'll learn:
- Why you should plan to exit even if retirement is 10+ years away, and what the business life cycle tells you
- What buyers actually value, and why outdated technology gets you penalized at the negotiating table
- The biggest mistake owners make: planning the business transition but forgetting the owner
- Why 70 to 80% of family successions fail, and how honest conversations prevent it

If this episode helped, share it with an outfitter who's been putting off their succession plan, and subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

Connect with Pat: https://www.swanmountainoutfitters.com

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
1:37 Why you should plan to retire even if you're not ready to
3:00 Reading your business life cycle: startup to exit
6:17 What drives the value of a tour business (and the tech penalty)
11:07 The biggest mistake: planning the transition but forgetting the owner
13:27 What Pat did after handing the business to his kids
15:51 The emotional complexity of family business transitions
18:11 Why 70-80% of family successions fail
21:09 Why each generation holds the business for less time
25:38 Pat's one piece of advice: start planning now

Most operators use only about 30% of what Google gives them, and your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a traveler sees before they book. 

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg break down how to turn your profile from a static directory listing into a mini landing page that actually drives bookings, plus the features almost nobody is using.

What you'll learn:
- The foundation that matters most: NAP consistency, the right categories, services, and a strong description
- Why authentic photos, recent reviews, and a real response to every review build trust (and why a 4.7 beats a 5.0)
- The underused features (Google posts, messaging, booking links) that signal you're active to both travelers and Google
- How to measure success with Insights and UTM tracking so you're counting bookings, not vanity metrics

If this episode helped, share it with a tour operator who's letting their profile sit there, and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
3:16 The foundation: NAP, categories, services & duplicate listings
6:19 Photos & videos: keep your profile active and authentic
8:08 Reviews: responding, why a 4.7 beats a 5.0, and recency
13:50 Scenic segment: Google warns against buying AI mentions
15:03 The features nobody uses: posts, social links & messaging
17:15 Turning your profile into a booking entry point
19:13 Measuring success: Insights, UTMs & vanity metrics
21:31 Quick audit: check your profile live with us

Do you actually know what's driving your bookings? Not "traffic is up," but which channel, which page, which campaign? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg dig into Google Analytics 4 and why having it installed is not the same as having it set up right. They cover what GA4 should really be telling you, the events worth tracking, and the simple setup steps that connect a single visit straight through to a booking.

What you'll learn:
- Why default GA4 (page views, new vs. returning) tells you almost nothing about revenue
- The key events to track: bookings, form submissions, phone clicks, and more
- How to confirm tracking is firing, turn on enhanced measurement, and set up cross-domain tracking with your booking engine
- The common mistakes (double tracking, internal traffic, never actually looking) that wreck your data

If this episode helped, share it with a tour operator who's making budget decisions off incomplete numbers, and subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
1:38 Why installing GA4 isn't the same as setting it up right
3:26 What GA4 should tell you: asking Claude real revenue questions
6:45 Scenic segment: the May 2026 Google core update
8:36 Setup walkthrough: tags, firing, enhanced measurement & key events
14:58 The numbers that actually matter (without drowning in data)
18:50 Common mistakes that wreck your data
21:12 Your GA4 action plan for this month

If AI is handing travelers the answers before they ever reach your website, why would any tour operator still bother blogging? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg make the case that content matters more now than ever. They break down where blogging fits in the dreaming and planning stages of the Resmark Growth Engine, why AI and Google both reward firsthand expertise, and how to build a content engine that's actually sustainable instead of writing five posts and calling it a year.

What you'll learn:
- Why AI pulls from credible, helpful content, which makes your blog more important, not less
- How to organize topics into top, middle, and bottom of funnel using the 70/20/10 rule
- How to write for EAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust) so your posts rank and get cited
- How to use AI to research, outline, and draft without publishing generic filler

If this episode helped, share it with a tour operator who's wondering whether blogging is worth it anymore, and subscribe so you don't miss the next one on tracking your results.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
1:36 What AI really is and why it rewards credible content
6:17 Picking topics: funnel buckets & the 70/20/10 rule
10:00 Keyword research & writing with intent: the Kilimanjaro story
12:30 Scenic segment: 68% of searches now end in zero clicks
16:16 What makes content rank: EEAT & firsthand experience
24:41 Building a content engine that's actually sustainable
29:14 Automating research & drafting with Claude (and where it goes wrong)
32:11 How long until blogging actually pays off?

A happy guest who walks away with just a memory is a marketing opportunity that didn't compound. The operators winning right now turn one trip into repeat bookings, referrals, walking billboards, and content that sells future trips.

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg close out the Sharing stage of the Resmark Growth Engine with a deep dive into lifetime value. Using the Savannah Bananas and their fan-first mindset as a model, they make the case that any operator can be outspent on ads, but no one can out-build the relationships you create with your guests, and they share the exact systems to do it.

What you'll learn:

• Why treating a booking as the start of a relationship changes everything
• The 11-month anniversary email that recaptures guests as they plan next season
• Seasonal and behavioral triggers plus cross-selling to drive repeat bookings
• How to systematize referrals without feeling pushy, using two-sided incentives
• Why referrals land best 30 to 60 days after a trip, separate from review requests
• How to treat merch as marketing first and revenue second (and limit inventory risk)
• Why user-generated content outperforms branded content by 2 to 4x, and where to use it
• A quick-fire action list you can start on this week

If this series helped you map out your own growth engine, share it with another tour operator who needs this framework, and subscribe for the next chapter.

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

📲 Follow Us on Social Media
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResmarkSystems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resmarkllc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RESMARKSystems
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resmark-systems

📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
Book a call: https://www.resmarkweb.com/request-quote
Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: [email protected]

Chapters:
0:00 Intro: the lifetime-value playbook
1:08 The Savannah Bananas & fan-first thinking
5:34 Why the guest relationship starts before booking
7:24 Word of mouth is a process, not luck
8:11 When to invite a guest back: the 11-month email
10:48 Systematizing referrals without being pushy
13:30 Timing referrals & cross-selling the next trip
15:53 Merch is marketing first, revenue second
18:07 What merch actually works: stickers, ornaments, SKUs
20:47 User-generated content: cheapest, highest-trust marketing
24:30 Where to put UGC + quick-fire action recap
26:57 Series recap & what's next