How To Partner With Tour Operators - Best Tourism Marketing Strategy

If you’re a hotel or a DMC, tour operators can bring you recurring groups.

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That means more bookings, better cash flow, and less “slow season panic.”
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Here’s the simple system I use.

Why most partnerships don’t happen

Not because your service is bad.

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It’s usually because you’re talking to the wrong people… or you’re not reaching enough of the right people.

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Trade shows help, but they limit you to:

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1. who shows up
2. one city
3. a few days
4. random conversations

Digital outreach removes those limits.

Step 1: Build a big list of tour operators (company level first)

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Before you send any message, you need a strong list of companies.

These tools help you collect travel companies fast:

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1. Apollo: https://www.apollo.io/
2. Clay: https://www.clay.com/
3. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/sales-navigator

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What you want to pull:

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1. company name
2. website
3. country / city
4. company size
5. contact info (when available)

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Step 2: Segment the list (so you don’t waste time)

Your list won’t be “only tour operators.”
It’ll include DMCs, hotels, corporate travel, travel advisors… all mixed.

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So you segment it like this:

1. Tour Operator
2. DMC
3. Hotel
4. Corporate Travel Management
5. Travel Advisor / Agency

This is a big deal because the message for each segment is different.

Step 3: Qualify for market fit (quick checks)

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Now you filter hard.

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Ask these simple questions:

1. Do they already sell your destination?
2. Do they sell your type of product? (luxury, adventure, budget, MICE, etc.)
3. Do they look active in marketing? (updated site, strong programs, visible offers)

Example:

1. Hotel in Dubai → target operators who already sell Dubai packages
2. Luxury DMC → target operators who sell luxury trips and high-end itineraries

Step 4: Reach out at scale (without burning your email)

If you send high volume from one inbox, you’ll land in spam.

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So the smart move is to send safely and consistently.

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What this looks like:

1. multiple inboxes
2. low volume per inbox
3. clear opt-out and unsubscribe
4. simple partnership message (not pushy)

This isn’t spam. It’s a real partnership offer sent the right way.

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And yes — volume matters.

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When you knock on enough doors, you will get replies.

Step 5: Start the conversation (keep it simple)

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Your first message should do only one job: start a reply.

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You can say something like:

1. who you are
2. what you offer (destination / hotel / DMC services)
3. who you’re trying to partner with
4. ask who’s the right person to speak with

Once they reply:

1. share rates / itineraries / key selling points
2. book a quick call
3. agree on next steps

Quick summary

This is the full flow:

1. Build a big company list
2. Segment it
3. Qualify market fit
4. Reach out at scale correctly
5. Convert replies into calls and partnerships

If you want to see this working before any long-term commitment, we’re offering a trial campaign — feel free to book yours here: https://uni-camel.com/