✍ How To Optimize Your Travel/Tour Descriptions
Hundreds of millions of travelers are online, mostly using Google, and they follow a finding path to destinations, hotels, trips, tours and more.
Everything they see on their path to travel fulfillment, that stream of travel content is a description of a desired experience. The final destination is of course, the trip listing page. For many travelers, it’s what they want to see — the product you sell.
And on that listing page they read a tour/trip description, but what impact does it have? Does the copy create a customer? What are the requirements of a professionally written description?
Selling travel is all about describing it well what it will do for your target customer.
Everything you Publish Describes the Satisfaction You Sell
Every Google search result, social media post, email, and trip and tour product page provides descriptions in text, images, and videos.
Everything a traveler views see affects their impression and whether they will be persuaded to book a trip, hotel or tour. Even the commodity of airline flights can be affected if flights are described attractively. At the end of that finding experience, is your trip/tour description — the final stop before booking.
Travel business owners who use generic or AI-generated trip descriptions avoid the work of great travel copywriters, while hoping to leverage the supplier’s brand to sell bookings. When any company refuses to develop their own brand voice and optimize it, it suggests they don’t have funds, a brand or that they don’t believe in their own travel product — they’re borrowing from a supplier written by someone working in that company’s ecommerce department.
Borrowed Generic Copy is the Worst!
A surprising amount of travel descriptions are generic copy provided by OTA’s, hotels, or other suppliers. It isn’t often written with any particular audience in mind, but rather general, composed for everyone yet satisfying no one. Their trip and destination descriptions can be bland and even disorienting thus interfering in the conversion process. They may not offer images/photos that appeal to your audience.
Travel agencies, niche travel marketplaces and tour companies are wise, where possible, to develop and use their own personalized copy and imagery. This builds your brand value, engagement, and it’s more persuasive for your specific target audience.
Just a thought: If visitors have already viewed that generic or Generative AI copywriting on other travel webpages or social posts, why would they suddenly book on your site?
As you can see in this tour description page below, some tour marketplaces don’t even provide a description, instead, only the highlights and daily itinerary.
In this post: we immerse ourselves in a vital part of travel copywriting and travel content strategy – the trip or tour listing copy. you can think of tour pages as e-commerce/product pages (feed optimization). Good planning, creativity and lots of editing are involved.
Product listings are vital because the visitor may be at their purchasing point of decision. When tour/trip listing pages fail, they let your entire business down and undermine your digital marketing strategy.
Generative AI is No Better
There are many agencies not respecting the value of human creativity, keen customer intelligence, unique copywriting or content strategy in crafting a special, respectful and effective human voice for their brand. They’re turning to AII LLM GPTs such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini and DeepSeek to create their copywriting and content pieces. Further, they may look to them for a full AI content strategy. They’re enthralled with the AI does everything hype.
Just as with supplier’s travel listings being generic and duplicated over many travel sites, Generative AI, doesn’t present the right brand voice with the right strategy — there’s no warm, fuzzy, just for me kind of experience for readers. That’s not good enough. Your site’s content and trip listings will need to hit peak levels on SEO, reach, impact, engagement, persuasion, confidence, urgency, post-purchase-anxiety reduction, social/backlink shareability, brand power and more. Mastering only one of those components won’t move your agency to the market leader position.
How about thinking about what we need to achieve and ace that process?
SEO Actually is a Part of This
For small companies, Google SEO is very important. Google watches the conversion success which points to your trip listing page. Google’s organic engagement evaluation doesn’t go past that, nor with ppc ads (Google ad scores).
Google/Bing still deliver the lion’s share of new, fresh, unregurgitated leads for better quality bookings. It’s vital to any travel entrepreneurs dream. Search remains the last remaining channel that isn’t owned by the OTA and tech monopolies — the final battleground. It’s an opening for you to create your “owned audience.” If it all comes down to paid media, you don’t stand a chance against them.
Besides Google.com, your trips/tours may also be shown in other travel site’s feeds, which spider your content/descriptions to understand their topic relevance.
And with respect to Google’s search engine, it demands unique copy written to satisfy their ranking algorithm’s requirements. Google search users too, want to hear your branded version of a fantastic travel experience. They love your brand – and want to fully enjoy the promise in their imagination – not the generic copy from an OTA/supplier. It’s similar with the AI LLM GPTs which process your trip/tour description’s text according to their algorithms. And with respect to Google/Bing, or the AI LLM GPTs, users will get cut and paste your text into their blogs, social posts, and even travel journalists will too in their news articles. People repeat what you say, so your copy has extended long-term SEO implications.
I often rewrite content solely for the purpose of broadening my clients back link profile and topic keyword relevance (advanced SEO techniques).
Your brand voice and eloquent descriptions are not only key parts of the value proposition, they’re the vessel that carries visitors to the checkout page. Copy is what creates the booking. So it’s not just an informative description that’s the goal. It’s one that builds desire for a great travel experience creating confidence in your company and your advisors.
Keys to Converting More Visitors to Bookings
Your trip and tour descriptions are keys to converting leads and increasing travel bookings.
When you use supplier’s trip and tour descriptions, your agency brand sinks to the supplier’s level. Psychologically, it pushes visitors over to the supplier’s site (and perhaps for lost sales and direct bookings on their site). If suppliers demand that you use their titles and copy (for obvious reasons) then you might try to send visitors to your customized trip pages with your unique and powerful descriptions and info.
There may be a way to insert the supplier’s content within your page (frames/php), yet still give you control over the page experience. This way, you’re taking control of the travel content experience as much as you can.
Your visitors buy your brand because it offers the most confidence and value to the traveler. And your loyal customers want descriptions that speak to their preferences, demographic, and lifestyle. You can add your own photos, videos, points of interest, tips, UGC, testimonials and links.
The value of customized trip listing pages is this control of your branded content experience which generates persuasiveness, comfort and long-term value. Stats show that fully customized travel sites have booking rates successes up to 30% higher on average. Just presenting what the OTAs or tour provider supplies doesn’t provide the trust and confidence that powers trip purchases.
Customized sends the message that you represent and stand behind what’s being sold — this giving travelers confidence and trust. Your unique descriptions, titles and photos show you’re in control of the product experience and visitors will be booking with a caring, reliable, and trusted source. Your service guarantees what the tour/trip supplier offers. Trust and credibility come from you, not the supplier. Travelers see this when they’re on your website, or when they see your unique social media posts.
What Actually Matters to Travelers?
Beautifully written prose is a persuasive booking generator, maybe. However, within that copywriting within your descriptions and your trip content strategy, are vital features that magnify booking successes. Before writing your descriptions, it’s important to review your brand statement getting it fresh in your mind, and then start your process of establishing these important features:
🔑 9 Key Aspects That Matter to Travelers
- Clear Value Proposition
- What’s in it for them? Highlight the unique benefit or highlight of the trip up front.
- 🛠 How to Improve your listing: Starting with a bold first sentence that answers: “Why this tour? Why now?” “This tour’s the one you’ve been hoping for” or “The perfect Northern Italy tour itinerary is here!”
- Itinerary Snapshot
- Travelers want to visualize their day or week.
- Include a concise overview of activities by day or time, using bullet points for clarity.
- 🛠 How to Improve your listing: Providing immersive yet brief details that let readers picture themselves there.
- Experience Tone & Feel
- What kind of vibe is it? Relaxed, adventurous, luxury, or sociable?
- Use language with color that reflects the emotional feel they want: “stroll down sunlit cobblestone alleys with the mountains or Mediterranean sea in full view” vs. “walk authentic old towns and meet locals.”
- 🛠 How to Improve your listing: Picking a tone that fits your audience (e.g., dreamy, upbeat, luxurious) and making your language sensory and cinematic.
- Who It’s For (Ideal Traveler)
- Many travelers self-filter. Be clear about fitness level, age appeal, group type, or their niche interests.
- 🛠 How to Clarify your targeting: Including a “Perfect for…” line that targets their mindset or goals (e.g., “Perfect for couples seeking a balance of culture and beach time”).
- Inclusions & Exclusions
- Transparency about what’s included reduces uncertainty. Add more detail to reduce their concern that you’re not hiding low-value benefits, or potential disappointments. Make everything sound good and authentic.
- 🛠 How to Improve your inclusives: Listing inclusions as a section, using icons or bullets: ✅ Transportation, ✅ Meals, ✅ Local guide.
- Highlights or Wow Moments
- People don’t remember lists — they remember standout scenes, personal anecdotes or stories.
- 🛠 How to Improve your Wow Factor: Adding 1–2 compelling highlights (e.g., “Watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat” or “Taste wine in a 500-year-old cellar”).
- Practical Booking Details
- In the listing copy, cite the trip duration, price range, start/end location, tour group size, cancellation policy.
- 🛠 How to Improve your listing: Creating a consistent info box or sidebar layout for all trips.
- Traveler Trust Cues
- Customer reviews, guide expertise, safety practices.
- 🛠 How to Improve your trust factor: Weaving in quotes from past travelers or reassuring lines like “Led by locals who know every hidden corner.”
- Call to Action/Offer
- Speak about the key experience to connect them, or make your incentive to get them past inertia.
- 🛠 How to Improve your offer: ”
Tour Listing Example:
8-Day Tour of Milan, Cinque Terre and the Italian Lakes
Experience Northern Italy’s Riviera and the beautiful Lake District on a gourmet-filled encounter with its many sites and experiences. Live the high life on this most epic of Northern Italy trips, filled with the flavors of prosciutto and parmigiano.
The above description is too vague and doesn’t communicate what the traveler will do, why they should care, or who it’s for.
Revised:
Northern Italy Immersion Tour: Milan, Cinque Terre & the Italian Lakes
Savor la dolce vita from Milan to the Riviera and Lake Como on this immersive 8-day journey through Northern Italy’s most stunning landscapes. Even the well-traveled, mature couples, solo females, and groups will feel the spirit of Northern Italy sipping espresso in stylish Milan, hiking the colorful cliffside villages of Cinque Terre, and unwinding by the sparkling waters of Lake Maggiore and Lake Como. This is world-class tour experience for those seeking the ultimate Italy trip.
And you’ll be enjoying hand-picked culinary experiences, tasting local prosciutto and parmigiano at their source, and discover the relaxed elegance of Italy’s northern towns — all without the stress of planning.
Tour Description Tips
1. Start with a Hook That Evokes Emotion
Begin with one vivid sentence that makes the reader feel something: freedom, wonder, indulgence, connection.
“Sip genuine Italian wines on sunlit terraces above the Amalfi Coast as sailboats drift lazily below.”
2. Emphasize the Unforgettable, Not the Obvious
Don’t waste space stating the tour is “fun” or “interesting.” Instead, hint at rare access, insider moments, or how it feels to be there.
“Skip the crowds and explore the right spots in Cinque Terre’s quietest village at golden hour for great sunsets and wonderful shared moments.”
3. Speak to the Right Traveler
Is this tour for adventurers? Luxury seekers? Food lovers? Use words and ideas that resonate with their desires or lifestyle.
“Designed for culture-first travelers who love time to wander and savor the feeling of being in Brazil.”
4. Use Strong Verbs and Sensory Details
Skip bland verbs like “see” or “visit.” Instead, use immersive language that paints a moment.
“Feast on handmade, authentic tagliatelle pasta in a Tuscan farmhouse as your host shares family stories.”
5. Make the Structure Easy to Scan
Use short paragraphs, bullet highlights, or bolded features. Most people skim before they read.
Highlights:
-
Private boat ride on Lake Como
-
Vineyard lunch with wine pairings
-
Scenic rail journey through the Alps
6. End With a Pull — A Vision or Prompt or Incentive
Wrap with a gentle call to action or a dreamy final image that nudges them to imagine themselves there.
“Northern Italy is full of amazing experiences. We can create the right personalized tour of it’s most satisfying ones.”
Tour Rewrite Example:
🌞 Rio de Janeiro Discovery Tour
5 Days | Culture, Scenery & Rhythm in Brazil’s Marvelous City
Feel the pulse of Rio — from mountaintop sunsets to samba in the streets.
Start your journey where the mountains meet the sea, in one of the world’s most vibrant and visually interesting cities. Watch the sun rise behind Christ the Redeemer, hear the quiet as you descend into Rio via gondola, drift through the colonial lanes of Santa Teresa, and then toast your evenings with caipirinhas (cachaça, lime and sugar) overlooking Copacabana.
You’ll skip the stress of planning — we’ve curated the perfect balance of iconic sights, local flavor, and unhurried exploration. Discover the rhythms, rituals, and energy that make Rio unforgettable.
Spots for our next Rio departure are limited — and they go fast. Secure your place now and receive a free airport transfer and welcome caipirinha on arrival in Rio. Let your adventure start the moment you land.
👉 Book now to lock in your Rio experience.
🔧 More Do-It-Yourself Trip/Tour Description Upgrades
- Lead with impact. Begin with trip inspirations and not with trip logistics and strings of all features.
- Use vivid verbs. Use emotive words such as soak, discover, sip, wander, marvel.
- Use white space and formatting. Make your descriptions easily scannable with clear sections using bold headings, bullets, and icons. Don’t use run on paragraphs – readers tire after reading so many descriptions. Bold your most vital words.
- Add emotion and reassurance. Address any fears and post-purchase doubts, e.g., “You’ll have plenty of free time to relax or explore at your own pace.”
SEO Implications
Advanced SEO needed: Amateur hour is not the way to go. Weaving topics, themes, keywords, phrases, related words/events/concepts, stemmed-variations logically into sentences and paragraphs for algorithms is an art used by clever SEO strategists. And since Google Gemini and ChatGPT AI trip planners are analyzing your text to find the trip/tour that’s most relevant to searches, it evaluates these elements. It’s just that they’re present, it’s that they’re used in a powerful rich context — meaning you’ve got the best, most relevant resource for travel searchers.
SEO copywriting tips: Include relevant search terms naturally (e.g., “small group tour of Rio De Janeiro,” “guided Iceland hiking trip”) in sentences along with other key attractions, towns, neighborhoods, or anything widely connected to the tour or itinerary.
Bringing Your Trip/Tour Descriptions All Together
Travel copywriting in all its dimensions requires a great deal of talent. You might think covering one angle would be enough, or using Generative AI tools to create content at scale will be good enough. That copy isn’t written for your customer, it’s written for other company’s customers.
If travelers have already read that generic copy on other travel listing sites they’ve visited, why would it work on your site? With generic listing copy and travel content, your site becomes part of the noise they want to filter out. By all means, go unique, creative, and crystalize their travel intent.
The best advice is to hire a travel content creator/strategist who understands all of this and can apply it as a symphony of powerful customer-generating actions.
See more on travel content strategy, travel copywriting, and what makes great travel content.
Contact Gord at 416 998 2646 to bring it all together!
