How Social Media Can Help You: A Guide for Tour and Activity Operators

You’ve probably heard it a million times – social media can help you sell more tours and activities. You know about Facebook and Instagram, maybe you’ve heard of TikTok and LinkedIn, but you still haven’t found clear guidelines on how exactly to set up your social media, what to focus on, and how not to get lost in a jungle of information.

Don’t worry – you’ve finally come to the right place. We know there’s nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed when you’re trying to do something good for your business but don’t know where to start.

In this short yet highly detailed guide, we’ll show you how to choose the right social network to reach your business goals, how to create posts without pressure or confusion, how to track the success of your content, and most importantly – how to do it in a way that brings you joy and more revenue.

1. Why Social Media Matters in Tourism

Nowadays, almost all tourists – local and international – look for information online. Before deciding where to go and what to do, they browse pictures, read reviews, and look for recommendations. If you’re not online, many simply won’t notice you.

Social media allows you to showcase the beauty of your tours, share guest satisfaction, and highlight what makes your tours unique – all for free or at a minimal cost.

2. Facebook – Your Online Bulletin Board

Facebook’s advantages compared to other social networks:

1.The largest number of users worldwide

• Facebook has over 3 billion monthly active users (Meta, 2024), making it the biggest social network globally.
• This means almost every target audience – including older generations who often plan trips – is already on Facebook.
  

2.Wider age group of users

• While TikTok and Instagram are more popular among younger people, Facebook is most popular among people aged 30 to 65+, ideal for the tourism industry – especially for family and senior travelers.
  

3.Best platform for groups and communities

• Over 1.8 billion people are in Facebook Groups (Meta, 2024).
• Tour agencies can build communities, share tips, answer questions, and encourage engagement through groups.
  

4.Powerful advertising tool

• Facebook allows extremely precise ad targeting (by age, location, interests, behavior, etc.).
• Over 10 million advertisers use Facebook Ads because it offers the best cost-to-performance ratio (Statista, 2023).
  

5.Multiple content formats

• Facebook supports text, images, videos, stories, events, and livestreams – all in one place.
• This is perfect for promoting tours: you can post a video from a previous trip, announce a new one as an event, and allow users to share their reviews and experiences.
  

How to Start Posting on Facebook

Create a Facebook Business Page
If you haven’t yet, create a page for your tour agency via your personal profile → Click “Pages” → “Create New Page”.

Set up your basic info
Add a profile picture (e.g. your logo), a cover photo (a photo from a tour), contact info, and a short business description.

Make your first post
Keep it simple.
Example: “Hello everyone! We’re excited to keep you updated on our tours, offers, and helpful travel tips!”

Use photos and videos
People love visuals. Share photos from previous tours with short captions describing the location and experience. Make sure the images are appealing and highlight your offer.

Post regularly – but keep it simple
One to two posts per week are enough to start. Examples:

• Tour announcements
• Travel photos
• Travel tips (e.g. “What to pack for a day trip?”)
• Storytelling (introduce your team or guests)
• Mini giveaways to attract more followers

Ask questions to encourage engagement
At the end of a post, ask something like:
👉 “Would you like to visit this place?”
This helps spark conversation with your audience.

Invite friends to like your page
Send invites to your friends and ask past guests to share their experience on your page.

It may seem complicated, but it’s actually quite easy once you start. Facebook is a great choice if you’re not online often.

Turning Facebook into a Sales Channel for Tours

Add a clear Call-to-Action (CTA) to your page
On your Facebook page, click “Edit button” under your cover photo.
Choose “Book Now” or “Learn More” and add a link to your online booking page (e.g. Orioly).

Include a booking link in your posts
Post photos from tours with a short caption and a link:
“Interested in this tour? Reserve your spot here 👉 [your link]”

Use Facebook Stories and Reels
Short video + simple text:
“Click the link in bio to book your spot!”

Pin important posts to the top of the page
Post an announcement for a new tour and “pin” it to the top so everyone sees it first.

Respond quickly to messages and guide users to book
When someone asks “What’s the price?” or “Are there any spots left?”, reply immediately and send them the booking link.

BONUS TIP: If you use a system like Orioly, your visitors can click, book, and pay in just a few steps – no messaging or calling needed.

3. Instagram – Show Off the Beauty of Your Tours

Instagram is a visual network, which means it’s all about beautiful photos and short videos. In tourism, this is incredibly valuable because people often choose what visually impresses them first.

Instagram’s advantages over other networks:

1.Visual-first platform

• Perfect for photos and videos of travel, nature, food, and events.
• In tourism, “a picture is worth a thousand words” – and Instagram brings that to life.

2.High user engagement

• Instagram users are more likely to like, comment, and share than Facebook users.
• Studies show Instagram’s average engagement rate is 3-4x higher than Facebook’s (Hootsuite, 2023).

3.Ideal for a younger audience

• If you target travelers aged 18-35, Instagram is the best channel – they use it most when planning trips.

4.Hashtags help you reach new audiences

• Use relevant hashtags (#travel, #croatiatours, #weekendgetaway) to reach users who don’t follow you yet but are searching for what you offer.

5.Stories and Reels for quick promotion

• Use stories to show daily “behind the scenes” – trip prep, weather, guest arrivals, last-minute deals.
• Reels (short videos) often go viral organically – great for showcasing stunning locations.

6.Professional look with minimal effort

• Instagram automatically “beautifies” content – your offer can look professional even if shot with a phone.

Getting Started on Instagram

1.Download the app

• Open Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone).
• Search for Instagram.

2.Create an account

• Open the app and click “Sign Up”.
• Use an email or phone number.
• Choose a username (e.g. @wine_tours_korcula) and password.

3.Switch to a business account (optional but helpful)

• Go to Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account to access analytics and ads.

4.Set up your profile

• Add a profile picture (e.g. logo or scenic photo).
• Write a short bio – who you are and what you offer (e.g. “Dalmatian tours 🌊 Group & private experiences”).

5.Post your first photo or video

• Tap ➕ and select a photo from your gallery or take a new one.
• Write a caption (e.g. “View from yesterday’s trip to Biokovo!”), add some hashtags (e.g. #biokovo #dalmatia #tour), and hit Post.

6.Use Instagram Stories

• Tap your profile picture → record a short video or take a photo → add text or stickers and post.
• Stories last 24 hours – perfect for spontaneous moments.

7.Follow others and share content

• Find similar profiles, tourist pages, or past guests and follow them.
• Ask friends and guests to follow you and share your posts.

A great photo can be taken with a phone. What matters is emotion and authenticity – not a perfect shot.

4. Other Social Networks Worth Considering

• YouTube – Share longer videos and create virtual tour experiences.
• TikTok – Short, fun tour clips can go viral, especially among younger audiences.
• WhatsApp & Viber – Great for guest communication, confirmations, and updates.

These platforms aren’t essential, but they’re great extra tools – especially if younger team members are comfortable using them.

5. What You Gain as a Tour Operator

Social media offers many benefits, including:

• Greater visibility – tourists find you more easily.
• Easier communication – quickly answer questions, send locations, share updates.
• Guest trust – photos, comments, and reviews build credibility.
• Free promotion – when someone shares your post or tags your profile.
• Business growth – attract international guests, get partnership offers, and increase bookings.

6. No Social Media Experience? No Problem!

Most social media platforms are designed to be easy to use. You don’t need to be tech-savvy to post a photo, write a caption, or reply to messages.

Tips for beginners:

• Start with one platform – Instagram is a good choice.
• Post at least once a week – photos, announcements, reviews.
• Ask someone younger (a child, nephew, guide…) to show you the basics.
• Watch what others in your industry are doing and learn from their examples.

Conclusion

As we’ve highlighted throughout this guide, social media – especially Facebook and Instagram – has become an essential tool in promoting tourism services. Facebook leads in user numbers, easy communication, and community-building, while Instagram is ideal for visual presentation and engaging younger audiences.

We’ve shown how easy it is to start posting on both platforms, even without technical knowledge – all you need is a smartphone, a few great photos, and the desire to share your experiences.

But promotion is only one piece of the puzzle. To allow your guests to quickly, easily, and professionally book tours, it’s important to connect your social media to a reliable online booking system.

That’s where Orioly comes in – a tool that lets you receive bookings directly from Facebook or Instagram and manage everything in a few simple steps.

Connect your promotion with sales! Book a Demo Call and take a step forward in digitalizing your business. It’s simple – and your guests will appreciate it.

ORIOLY
on April 14, 2025

by Lidija Šomodi