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Most tour operators think about marketing from their own perspective. But what actually happens inside the mind of a traveler when they start dreaming about a trip?

In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we flip the perspective and hear directly from a real traveler. Corey Jay, Marketing Director at Zebulon, joins us to walk through how she actually discovers, researches, and decides to book tours and experiences.

Corey works with tour operators professionally, but she’s also the exact type of guest many operators are trying to attract. In this conversation, she breaks down what sparks the idea of a trip, where she goes first when researching experiences, what builds trust with a tour company, and what instantly turns her away.

If you want to understand how your future guests actually think during the Dreaming Stage of the customer journey, this episode gives you a rare look inside their decision process.

If your marketing doesn’t build trust during the dreaming phase, your ideal customer will simply move on to someone else.

🎙️ Learn More About Zebulon
Website: https://zebulonllc.com

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📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
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00:00 Why the Dreaming Phase Matters
01:05 Meet Corey Jay from Zebulon
03:00 What Actually Sparks the Idea of a Trip
04:45 Where Travelers Go First When Researching Tours
07:00 What Content Builds Trust Before Booking
09:10 How Corey Evaluates Reviews and Red Flags
12:00 Do Ads Actually Influence Travelers?
15:00 Booking Behavior for Day Tours vs Multi-Day Trips
19:00 What Travelers Look For When They Land on Your Website
22:15 Why Storytelling Builds Long-Term Brand Trust
24:30 The Problem With Constant Sales Messaging
27:15 The “Secret Shopper” Strategy Tour Operators Should Use
30:05 The One Thing Tour Operators Must Get Right in the Dreaming Phase
31:20 What Zebulon Does for Tour Operators