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Tourism Business Insights
Practical articles for tourism operators covering profitability, marketing, distribution, operations and the changing visitor economy.
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Getting Found in 2026: Real People on Camera and Being Named by AI | Sarah Colgate
AI is changing how travellers discover tours and experiences. The operators getting recommended aren’t necessarily spending more on marketing, they’re making it easier for AI and guests to find clear, useful answers. Here’s how to make your website more visible, build trust before the click, and turn that visibility into more direct bookings.
People Are Reaching Your Website. Why Are They Not Booking? | Sarah Colgate
Getting traffic to your tourism website but not seeing bookings? Discover where customers drop off, what causes booking friction, and simple fixes to turn more website visitors into paying customers.
The Exceptional Experience and the Business Behind It. You Cannot Run on One Side Alone | Sarah Colgate
Delivering an exceptional guest experience is only half the job. Behind every successful tourism business are the numbers, operations, and decisions that keep it running. Discover why knowing your strengths, protecting your time, and getting the right support are essential to building a profitable tourism business.
Visibility - Why nobody's finding your tourism business and it's not a marketing problem | Sarah Colgate
More marketing isn't always the answer to more bookings. When Aquaduck Gold Coast increased online direct sales from 4% to 47%, it wasn't about posting more or spending more on ads. It was about getting found in the right places. Here's why visibility matters more than marketing and how tourism operators can improve their direct bookings.
More time off is coming. Your midweek is where it lands. | Sarah Colgate
Australians are spending more on experiences, AI is reshaping the working week, and more time off could mean more demand on traditionally quiet days. But extra midweek bookings do not automatically mean extra profit. Here’s how tourism operators can prepare now.
Revenue is a glamour number | Sarah Colgate
Revenue might look impressive, but it doesn’t tell you whether your tourism business is actually profitable. Here are the four numbers that reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes.
The Market That Fills Your Tuesday Is Not the One That Fills Your Saturday | Sarah Colgate
Full weekends and quiet Tuesdays need different markets. I share how we built a curriculum-aligned school excursion program for TreeTop Challenge, and what to check before pursuing school bookings.
Visibility - The six places tourism operators actually get found in 2026 | Sarah Colgate
Tourism visibility isn’t about doing more marketing. It’s about showing up in the right places. Here are the six visibility channels to focus on in 2026, in the order they’re most likely to pay you back.
You Have Already Paid For These Guests Once. Stop Letting Them Walk | Sarah Colgate
You have already paid to acquire your guests. Sarah Colgate explains how tourism operators can capture guest relationships, automate follow-ups, generate referrals and build more profitable direct bookings.
Your Venue Is in a Tourism Town. So Why Is It Quiet Monday to Thursday? | Sarah Colgate
Weekend trade alone won't grow a tourism venue. Discover how to attract conferences, corporate retreats and business events by connecting with the right agencies, convention bureaus and corporate decision-makers. Learn practical strategies to fill quiet weekdays, increase occupancy and create a more profitable, year-round business.
Profit Per Passenger: The Metric That Makes (or Breaks) a Profitable Tourism Business | Sarah Colgate
Revenue and bookings don't guarantee a profitable tourism business. Profit per passenger reveals whether your pricing, distribution channels, and operating costs are truly delivering sustainable returns. Learn why this overlooked metric matters, how static pricing and agent commissions affect margins, and the practical steps you can take to improve profitability without simply adding more passengers.
The Creator Funnel: How to Run Content Creators Like a Real Part of Your Business | Sarah Colgate
Stop giving away free tickets and hoping for the best. Discover how to build a creator funnel that helps tourism businesses attract the right content creators, secure valuable content, track results, and generate more direct bookings through a repeatable, measurable system.
Get Profitable First, Then Think About Growing | Sarah Colgate
Growth isn't always the answer. Many tourism operators assume adding more tours will increase profits, but expanding before your current business is profitable can create more stress, thinner margins and cash flow problems. Drawing on real experience growing Aquaduck, this article explains why understanding your net profit per passenger, commission costs, pricing and cash flow should come before expansion. If your existing tour isn't generating healthy profits, adding another product often multiplies the problem rather than solving it. Learn the financial measures every tourism operator should know before investing in growth.
Why Your Tour Needs A Content Creator Before It Needs Another Ad
Fresh, authentic content is no longer just a marketing asset, it's a booking tool. Discover why tourism operators should invest in creators before spending more on ads, how creator partnerships build trust and reach, and the practical strategies that turn reels, photos and collaborations into more direct bookings and less reliance on online travel agents.
When the Photo Lies, the Booking Dies: Authenticity in the Age of AI | Sarah Colgate
AI is making it harder than ever for travellers to know what is real. From fake attractions to misleading destination photos, trust is becoming one of the most valuable assets a tourism business can have. Here's why authenticity matters more than ever and how you can make your marketing stand out by being genuinely real.
Your Next Guest Is Asking AI Where To Go. Can It Find You? | Sarah Colgate
More travellers are using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to plan their holidays, and those recommendations are directly influencing bookings. If your tourism business isn't visible to AI, you could be missing out on customers before they even visit your website. Discover why AI discoverability matters and the simple actions you can take now to make sure your business gets recommended.
Why Tourism Operators Who Master Time Management Grow Faster | Sarah Colgate
Tourism operators often confuse being busy with being productive, especially in seasonal businesses where peak periods create chaos and off-seasons bring exhaustion instead of progress. This article explores why time management is the hidden driver of sustainable growth in tourism, and how structured systems help operators lead better teams, improve profitability, and finally move from survival mode to strategic growth.
Why is my tourism business so quiet in the winter and what to do about it | Sarah Colgate
Full tours, strong occupancy, and a packed calendar should mean healthy profits. Yet many tourism operators find themselves working harder than ever while margins remain stubbornly thin. The problem usually isn't demand, it's what happens behind the scenes. From OTA commissions and operational complexity to owner dependency and poor financial visibility, this article explores the five most common reasons busy tourism businesses struggle to turn growth into profit and what you can do about it.
Busy Season but Thin Margins? | Sarah Colgate
Full tours, strong occupancy, and a packed calendar should mean healthy profits. Yet many tourism operators find themselves working harder than ever while margins remain stubbornly thin. The problem usually isn't demand, it's what happens behind the scenes. From OTA commissions and operational complexity to owner dependency and poor financial visibility, this article explores the five most common reasons busy tourism businesses struggle to turn growth into profit and what you can do about it.
A profitable year and a bank account that scares you in July | Sarah Colgate
Seven in 10 tourism operators were profitable last year, yet many still face sleepless nights when winter arrives. The reason is simple: profit and cashflow are not the same thing. While profit looks back over the year, cashflow determines whether you can cover wages, bills, and operating costs during quieter months. Discover why winter catches even successful operators off guard and the simple exercise that can reveal thousands of dollars hiding in your booking channels.
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