Tour Operator Growth Podcast
The Tour Operator Growth Podcast is for tour and activity business owners who feel like they’re constantly juggling everything and still wondering why growth feels harder than it should.
Most tour businesses don’t fail because the experience isn’t good. They struggle because the business outgrows the systems holding it together. Bookings come from all directions. Marketing feels scattered. The website, the phones, email, reviews, and follow-ups all live in different places. And somehow you’re supposed to manage it all while still running trips.
This podcast was built from that exact reality.
The system behind it was created by a successful tour operator who hit those same walls and had to build a better way to grow without everything breaking. Today, Greg and Nikki from Resmark share the lessons, frameworks, and hard-earned insights from helping hundreds of tour operators simplify their business, get more consistent bookings, and regain control.
We talk about the real problems operators face: feeling stuck, feeling overwhelmed, hitting growth ceilings, relying too much on OTAs, or not knowing what to fix first. Whether you’re just getting started, trying to break through your next plateau, or already growing fast and trying to keep it all together, this show is built for you.
The goal is simple: help you build a tour business that grows in a way that’s sustainable, predictable, and actually enjoyable to run.
Powered by Resmark.
Episodes
32 episodes
How Much Should You Spend on Marketing and Booking Software?
How much should you be spending on marketing? And on your booking software?Scott Riddell talks with tour operators every day, and price is the question he hears most. In this episode, Nikki and Greg ask him to answer it for the whole ind...
How One Client Grew Revenue 80% With Less Traffic
Everyone thinks they need more traffic. Most operators actually have a conversion problem, and fixing it is the cheapest growth you can get.In this episode, Nikki and Greg pull back the curtain on two of ResmarkWeb's newest programs: ou...
AI That Actually Knows Your Tour Business with Kelsey Tonner
Most tour operators using AI are getting generic, mediocre results, and the fix isn't a better prompt. It's better context. In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki sits down with Kelsey Tonner, founder of Guest Focus, who has...
How to Choose Booking Software That Fits How You Actually Operate, with Devin Spann
Every booking platform looks great in the demo, so how do you find the one that won't fall apart at real volume? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg sit down with Devin Spann, who spent years on Resmark's product...
How Travelers Actually Compare Tour Companies
Would you rather book the tour with 219 reviews at 4.7 stars, or the one with 12 reviews at a perfect 5.0? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg play a round of "would you rather" with real booking sce...
When Should I Start Planning My Exit, and What Will I Get for My Outfit? with Pat Tabor
Almost nobody in this industry plans for it until it's too late: how to step back from, hand off, or sell the business you've spent your life building. In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg sit down wi...
How Tour Operators Should Optimize Their Google Business Profile
Most operators use only about 30% of what Google gives them, and your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a traveler sees before they book. In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg break down...
Why Most Tour Operators Get GA4 Wrong
Do you actually know what's driving your bookings? Not "traffic is up," but which channel, which page, which campaign? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg dig into Google Analytics 4 and why having it installed i...
Should Tour Operators Still Blog in the Age of AI?
If AI is handing travelers the answers before they ever reach your website, why would any tour operator still bother blogging? In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg make the case that content matters more now than ...
The Lifetime-Value Playbook: Repeat Bookings, Referrals, Merch & UGC
A happy guest who walks away with just a memory is a marketing opportunity that didn't compound. The operators winning right now turn one trip into repeat bookings, referrals, walking billboards, and content that sells future trips.In th...
How to Build a Review Engine Guests Actually Want to Use
90% of travelers read reviews before booking, yet most great trips never turn into a single review. Why? Timing.In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, Nikki and Greg open the Sharing stage of the Resmark Growth Engine and b...
When Guests Show Up: The Trip Experience That Sells Itself
What actually makes a guest remember a tour for years after it ends?In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down the part of the customer journey that matters most: the actual experience itself. From guides who cre...
Between Booking and Trip Day — The Pre-Trip Experience That Wins Reviews
Did you know that most guest satisfaction is shaped before the trip even begins?In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down the often-overlooked part of the customer journey that happens between booking day and tr...
Building an Adventure Tour Company People Come Back To for 20 Years with Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures
What makes a tour feel truly transformational? And how do you build an experience guests never stop talking about?In this episode, Nikki sits down with Dan Oberlatz, founder of Alaska Alpine Adventures, to talk about building one of Ala...
Build a Checkout Flow That Actually Closes the Sale
You did the hard work — they clicked Book Now. So why are so many of them dropping off before they finish? In Part 2 of the Booking Stage, Nikki, Greg, and Brandon Lake dig into what happens after the click: the checkout flow, mobile experience...
3 Tour Page Fixes That Drive More Bookings
Your tour pages are the 15-second preview that decides whether a visitor becomes a booking or bounces. In this episode, Nikki and Greg are joined by returning guest Brandon Lake to kick off the Booking Stage of the Resmark Growth Engine, starti...
Why Tour Operators Lose Bookings Without Clarity
What actually makes someone choose your tour over everyone else?In this episode, we bring on Katja from the Resmark team, who works hands-on with tour operators every day, to break down what’s really happening in the Planning stage. We ...
Why the Best Tour Marketing Feels Like a Conversation
Most tour operators focus on looking professional.But that’s not always what makes you stand out when every option looks good.In this episode, we sit down with Stephanie from Sunny Cove Kayaking, an operator with nearly two deca...
How Retargeting Ads Bring Tour Guests Back to Book
You’re already getting traffic to your website. The problem is most of those visitors leave and never come back.In this episode, we break down how retargeting ads help tour operators stay in front of those potential guests and turn misse...
Lead Nurturing & Ongoing Emails: How Tour Operators Turn Leads Into Bookings
You’re already getting leads. People are visiting your website, downloading your guides, and checking availability. But most of them never book because there is no real follow-up system in place.In this episode, we break down how to tur...
How Lead Magnets Turn Traffic Into Bookings
Most travelers don’t book the first time they visit your website. So what happens when they leave? In this episode, we break down how tour operators can capture leads, stay top of mind, and turn lost traffic into future bookings using powerful ...
Why Your Website Isn’t Converting (And How to Fix It)
Most tour operators think they need more traffic. But what if the real problem is your website isn’t converting the traffic you already have? In this episode of The Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we break down how to turn your website into a boo...
Inside Your Ideal Customer’s Mind: Why Tours Get Booked
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 perspec...
How Tour Operators Build Marketing That Works for Decades
Grand Canyon Expeditions has been guiding trips through the canyon since 1964. Over the years, their marketing has evolved from print ads and travel shows to SEO, social media, and digital campaigns.In this episode of the Tour Operato...
How to Use OTAs Without Letting Them Run Your Business with Expedition Kanab
Are OTAs helping your tour business grow or taking control of your bookings?In this episode of the Tour Operator Growth Podcast, we talk with Rhees Jackson, owner of Expedition Kanab in Southern Utah, about how he uses OTAs without rely...