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WhatsApp marketing for tour operators.

With SmartChat you send your travelers every piece of news from your program by WhatsApp: the new trip in spring, spots freed up on the bus or the invitation to the travel talk.

Example of a tour operator's WhatsApp newsletter

Phone and coffee on an outdoor marble table, image in the newsletter

image

A picture of the destination makes people want to go. You take a photo from your catalog or one that SmartChat finds on your website.

πŸ‘‹ Hi Ute, πŸ‹ in May we're heading to Lake Garda: six days of sun, lemon groves and long lakeside promenades. 🏨 Your hotel is in Bardolino right on the water, with half board and a pool. Every room has its own balcony. 🚒 We take a boat to Sirmione and Limone, and the tour guide goes with you on all excursions. 🎭 In Verona a city guide shows you the old town, the arena and Juliet's famous balcony. 🍷 To finish, a winery on the east shore invites you to a wine tasting with a meal . πŸ’Ά Dates: 10 to 15 May, trip price 749 € per person in a double room, boarding in Augsburg, Ulm or Stuttgart.
18:00

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SmartChat AI writes it from your trip description: route, hotel, excursions and price. Dates and price are in bold.

View Lake Garda trip

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One click opens the trip on your website. There your traveler sees the exact schedule and everything that's included.

SmartChat sends your trip info automatically.

From the first thank-you to the meeting point the evening before departure: you no longer have to take care of these messages.

Right after confirming
A scenic country road winding through lush green hills in Dereli, Giresun, TΓΌrkiye.
🧳 Thanks, you're now signed up.🚌 We plan bus trips in small groups, with our own tour guide and carefully chosen hotels in Germany and all over Europe.πŸ—ΊοΈ Here you'll hear about new destinations, newly available seats and our lecture evenings at the office on the market square.πŸ“– As soon as the next trip brochure is printed, you'll get it as a PDF right here in this chat.πŸ’¬ Questions about a tour, boarding or luggage? Just write to us here in the chat, we'll answer you quickly.16:05
View trip program

Welcome after confirmation

Anyone who has signed up and confirmed in WhatsApp gets a thank-you right away and knows which messages will come from you.

When a new booking comes in
Inviting hotel room with sea view, featuring a neatly arranged bed and modern decor.
πŸ‘‹ Hello Martin,βœ… your trip is booked: Holland at tulip time from April 14 to 17 for two people.πŸ›οΈ A double room with sea view is reserved for you, and half board is already included.🚏 Your boarding point: Ulm bus station. We'll send you the exact time the day before departure.πŸ“„ Invoice and travel insurance certificate will also be mailed to your home.🀝 Does anyone need help getting on the bus or a seat further forward? Just let us know here.14:22
View itinerary

Booking confirmed

If your booking software can report new bookings to SmartChat, your traveler has the confirmation in WhatsApp right away.

The day before departure
Spacious bus interior featuring bright yellow seats and red curtains, ideal for travel and transportation imagery.
πŸ‘‹ Hello Karin,🚌 tomorrow we're off to Advent in Salzburg, we're looking forward to traveling together.πŸ“ The meeting point is the Parking lot at the stadium, departure sharp at 7:00 am. It's best to arrive ten minutes early.🧳 Each person brings one suitcase , plus a small bag for the road.πŸͺͺ Please remember your ID card and warm shoes for the Christmas market.β˜• On the bus there's coffee and pretzelsfor breakfast, and we'll make our first stop at Chiemsee.17:00
Meeting point on the map

Meeting point the day before

Once the departure is in your calendar, SmartChat gets in touch the day before with the time, meeting point and the most important packing tips.

This is how travelers get onto your WhatsApp list.

Your travelers sign up themselves: via the QR code in the catalog and on the bus, the pop-up on your website or a link. They only get your newsletter after they confirm in WhatsApp.

  1. 1

    Your traveler scans the QR code

    The QR code is in the trip catalog, on the travel documents and on the seat backs on the bus. SmartChat creates it for your landing page.

    New trips on WhatsApp
  2. 2

    Your traveler enters their first name and phone number

    A small window opens on your trip pages. It only asks for first name and WhatsApp number.

    Real website pop-up from Panorama Reisen with a photo at the top, mobile view: headline Keine Angebote und News mehr verpassen, first name JΓΌrgen and phone number entered, button Eintragen
  3. 3

    Your traveler confirms in WhatsApp

    With one click on Confirm, the sign-up is valid. That's how double opt-in works: every traveler agrees once themselves in WhatsApp.

    πŸ‘‹ Hello JΓΌrgen,πŸ—ΊοΈ we'll send you new destinations, free seats on the bus and invitations to travel talks.βœ… Do you want to receive these messages? Then click the button below: Confirm.πŸ”’ You can unsubscribe at any time. Just write STOP.09:47
    Confirm
    Confirm09:47
  4. 4

    You have the proof

    SmartChat saves the time and the route of every consent. You download the proof as a PDF.

    Contact JΓΌrgen in SmartChat, mobile view: status Confirmed, signup history, consent confirmed in WhatsApp and button Download proof

SmartChat AI answers questions about your trips.

If a traveler has a question about their trip in the evening and your office is closed, SmartChat AI answers fully automatically for you. It answers with the knowledge it has learned from your trip descriptions, your website and your past conversations. If it has no source, it hands over to you.

Inbox in SmartChat: SmartChat AI answers a WhatsApp question from a customer of Panorama Reisen

  • Also on weekends

    SmartChat AI answers your travelers' questions even when your office is closed.

  • Every language

    SmartChat AI replies in the language your traveler writes in.

  • Your office takes over

    For booking requests and special cases, the conversation is passed on to your team in the inbox.

Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp marketing for tour operators.

Can I send my travelers new trips by WhatsApp?

Yes, if the traveler has agreed beforehand. They sign up themselves, via the QR code, your website or a link, and confirm once in WhatsApp. SmartChat saves this consent with date and time as proof of consent.

How do travelers get onto my travel company's WhatsApp list?

SmartChat creates a landing page with a QR code. You print the code in the catalog, on the travel documents or on the seat backs on the bus. On your website, a popup invites visitors to sign up.

Can I take over my previous travelers into SmartChat?

You can importyour contact list in SmartChat. These contacts are unconfirmed at first. They only receive your trips via WhatsApp once they're confirmed: either by clicking the confirmation message, or you show how and where you collected them, and SmartChat unlocks them. Whether your existing consents are enough for this is best clarified with your data protection advisor.

Does SmartChat book trips for me?

No, SmartChat is not booking software. If a traveler writes by WhatsApp that they want to come along, the message lands in the SmartChat inbox. Your team does the booking as usual in your booking program.

Can SmartChat send meeting point and departure time the day before?

Yes, with an automation. If you connect your calendar to SmartChat, SmartChat sends the time and meeting point via WhatsApp the day before departure. Custom automations are available from Basic: Basic has 3, 1 of them for new contacts, Pro has unlimited. Free and Starter only have the fixed automation for new contacts (confirmation and thank-you).

Can I write only to the participants of a specific trip?

Yes. Give your contacts tags, for example the name of the trip. Then you send your message only to this group, such as a notice about a changed departure time.

How does SmartChat AI know my trips?

SmartChat AI analyzes your website and the documentsthat you upload, for example trip descriptions or your catalog as a PDF. When a new trip is added, you upload its description, and SmartChat AI answers about it from then on too.

Does SmartChat AI also answer questions about ID and entry?

SmartChat AI answers with what's on your website and in your documents. So add your notes on ID and entry for each trip. If SmartChat AI can't answer, the message is forwarded to your team in the inbox.

What happens if SmartChat AI can't answer a question about a trip?

Then the conversation is forwarded to your team in the inbox, and you answer yourselves. If someone from your office writes in the inbox, SmartChat AI holds back only for that one message.

Do I need a new phone number for my travel company?

No. You connect your own number to SmartChat and confirm it with a code from Meta, the company behind WhatsApp. You connect one number per account.

What does SmartChat cost for a tour operator?

Free costs 0 €, has no time limit and needs no credit card, with 100 messages one-time. Starter costs 299 € per month with 3,000 messages, Basic 499 € with 6,000 and Pro 999 € with unlimited. We don't deduct any credits for sending. All prices excl. VAT, more under Pricing.

What costs does Meta charge for my WhatsApp messages?

Meta bills you directly for the fees for WhatsApp messages, through a payment method in your Meta account. You only pay SmartChat for your plan. You can find the exact prices here.

How fast is my travel company ready with SmartChat?

Give SmartChat AI your website address. In 60 seconds your WhatsApp marketing system with landing page and QR code is ready. Then you connect your number and send the first trip to your subscribers.

How does a traveler unsubscribe from my WhatsApp messages?

They write STOP in the chat with your travel company. After that, SmartChat no longer sends them a newsletter and marks them as unsubscribed in your contacts.

WhatsApp marketing for your travel company in 60 seconds.

SmartChat AI analyzes your website. In 60 seconds your WhatsApp marketing system is ready, with landing page and QR code. Free costs 0 € and runs without a credit card.

Try for free