How tour operators can use LinkedIn to grow bookings & partnerships

While platforms like Instagram or TikTok are great for showcasing your tours, LinkedIn offers something different: professional credibility. For tour and activity operators, it’s an underrated tool to grow B2B partnerships, attract high-value bookings, and position your business as an industry leader.

In this guide, we’ll break down why LinkedIn deserves a spot in your marketing toolkit — and share three simple ways to start building your presence today.

Benefits of LinkedIn

Before we dive into how to use LinkedIn, let’s take a quick look at why you should use LinkedIn.

Builds trust

Having an active LinkedIn profile builds trust with your customer base, as well as with other businesses. If you plan on using services like the FareHarbor Distribution Network to work with other FareHarbor clients (and gain more revenue!), utilizing LinkedIn shows B2B and B2C customers that you take your business seriously.

According to Inc., LinkedIn is expected to experience explosive growth as folks flee the chaos of other social platforms. And in a recent YouGov study, it was one of just two platforms that U.S. adults trust for news consumption.

High number of users

LinkedIn now has over 1 billion users and LinkedIn has twice the conversion rate as other platforms, according to the Social Shepherd. 

You put a lot of time and effort into your marketing campaigns. Why not extend your reach? Retargeting your other social media messages for a LinkedIn audience is an easy adjustment that leads to more customers. 

LinkedIn users love to travel

Travel can be an important part of business (hello workations!) as well as a personal interest for your potential customers. Often, business travelers extend their work trips into leisure trips, coining the phrase “bleisure”.

Since LinkedIn users enjoy travel and tourism, it is a great platform to promote your business and share industry-related content. 

According to TravelPerk, 66% of business travelers extended a work trip for leisure in 2023, and 54% took at least two bleisure trips last year (TravelPerk)

LinkedIn marketing tips for tour and activity operators

1. Include employee profiles on your business page

Tourism is a people-first industry, and you want to build meaningful relationships from the start. Linking your personal profile and employee profiles to your business page can help you accomplish this.

If potential customers head to your LinkedIn page, they want to know who is running the business they are about to visit to give themselves confidence in booking. LinkedIn is a great way to show your customers the key members of your team.

Furthermore, adding employee profiles to your page can help with hiring goals. Seeing a high retention rate as well as who currently works at your company, will provide insight into your company culture. 

Pro tip: Use employee spotlights to share personal stories from your guides or staff. It humanizes your business and boosts engagement on LinkedIn.

Use LinkedIn’s publishing platform

To help customers feel confident booking with your business, use LinkedIn to establish your company as a thought leader. You are an expert on your tour or activity, and you should show it! Many social platforms limit your character count, but on LinkedIn, you can write, edit, and publish long-form content.

For example, you can create blog posts that feature customer experiences, travel reviews, your local area, and anything else that will be exciting for potential readers. 

Fortunately, unlike most social platforms, LinkedIn users are willing to read long-form copy and have meaningful conversations about the content. This makes it the perfect platform to post on.

If you do not have time to write your own copy, LinkedIn also makes it simple to share third party articles you find interesting. Just be sure to credit your source. Check out all of LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform guidelines.

Pro tip: Don’t just repost to LinkedIn. Tailor your captions for a professional audience by highlighting insights, takeaways, or business value.

Join tourism/travel discussion groups (or create your own!)

There are millions of LinkedIn discussion groups on the platform, ranging from a wide variety of industry topics. Participation in these groups will expand your networking connections, bring exposure to your brand, and help you be seen as a thought leader.

Join and comment in groups that are relevant to your business or those that will help you learn something new. You can only join 100 LinkedIn discussion groups, so be sure to choose wisely. 

When adding your two cents to a conversation, read all of the comments and try to offer a fresh perspective. This will help you gain views on your profile, become an industry influencer, and build your business’s reputation. 

If you do not see a discussion group that works for your business needs, you can also create your own. You can invite potential customers, employees, and other industry professionals. To note, LinkedIn allows you to make up to 30 groups of your own. 

You can establish yourself as an industry expert, build business awareness, and attract new customers and strategic partners.

Make LinkedIn work harder for your tour business

LinkedIn isn’t just a platform for job seekers — it’s a smart, often-overlooked tool for growing your tour business. From boosting your credibility to connecting with corporate planners and strategic partners, showing up consistently on LinkedIn can lead to real-world results.

Want more ways to grow your audience and bookings?
Explore more tour operator marketing tips to strengthen your strategy year-round.