Photography has always played a central role in how we capture and remember our travel memories. With technological and cultural shifts reshaping how we travel, photos are no longer just a means to preserve memories but also shape travel experiences.
Think about it—have you ever looked through your travel photos and wished they could capture how amazing everything looked in those moments?
Today, travelers seek authentic, immersive, and personalised adventures, often selecting destinations with the best photo ops in mind. This global trend presents a significant opportunity for the travel industry—like tour operators and online travel agencies—to differentiate and enhance their services by integrating professional photography.
By doing so, they not only strengthen the appeal of their offerings but also provide clients with a richer, more engaging experience. These efforts are particularly significant as the growing tours and activities sector is poised to reach a market size of $1.7 trillion by 2027, indicating robust growth despite economic uncertainties.
The 2024 State of Tourism and Hospitality Report by McKinsey & Company drives home a simple truth: travel is all about sharing experiences. The report emphasises the importance of meeting the needs and desires of modern travellers—helping them share their journeys far and wide. As the report notes, today's travellers are eager to share their experiences, and these personal stories are incredibly influential, often more so than any other content seen or heard by friends and family back home.
This opens up a powerful, yet underutilised, marketing avenue for travel industry players. Businesses can now encourage guests to become a proactive team of marketers, sharing their experiences across their networks. A single striking photo shared on social media can catapult a hidden gem into viral fame. This highlights the critical role of professional photography in capturing and conveying the share-worthy experiences each location offers.
Furthermore, GetYourGuide's Travel Experience Trend Tracker 2024: Experiences Take the Lead report sheds light on an intriguing trend: a whopping 80% of online discussions about travel involve photography. Modern travellers pick unique experiences over material goods, seeking authentic activities.
The report advises industry players to tap into this trend by showcasing the visual side of their destinations. Strategies like creating Instagram-worthy spots and organising photography tours are effective in drawing visitors who are keen to share their visual experiences with their social networks.
For businesses in the travel sector, investing in professional photography goes beyond just adding aesthetic value—it's a strategic move that drives results through multiple channels. Here’s how offering professional photography transforms business outcomes:
🤝 Meeting Guest Expectations: Travellers are always on the lookout for that perfect photo from their travels. By providing high-quality photographs that vividly showcase your tours, you meet your guests' desires for share-worthy photos while also taking control of how your tours are portrayed. This not only makes your tours more attractive but also helps potential guests envision themselves enjoying the experiences, which can be a decisive factor in their booking choices.
📈 Boosting Engagement: Engaging content is the cornerstone of effective digital marketing. Professional photos create visually appealing posts that capture attention quickly, encouraging more likes, shares, and comments. This heightened interaction increases user involvement and can lead to greater organic reach.
⭐ Standing Out in a Competitive Market: Professional photography is a powerful tool that can differentiate your brand. As an emerging trend, offering photography to enhance guest experiences is beginning to gain momentum. This means there's a significant opportunity for those who want to capture the attention of a visually-driven audience.
Smiler for Business offers professional photography solutions designed specifically for tour operators and online travel agencies. Our service seamlessly integrates into your tours to deliver stunning guest experiences while enhancing tours, increasing engagement and boosting brand visibility—all without disrupting your operations.
Smiler adapts to fit your unique business model. Whether you want to add photography to your current tours or create a brand-new photography experience, we have options that work for you.
You can choose an hourly pricing structure for regular tours or offer photography as an exclusive premium service through a subscription model. With pricing designed to accommodate businesses globally, we make it easy to get started no matter where you operate.
Our talented photographers become part of your team, capturing meaningful, share-worthy moments for your guests. These photos are delivered through beautifully branded online galleries that come with powerful features that drive value to your business. With personalised access links and cutting-edge delivery technology, guests can view and share their photos instantly, creating excitement that lasts well beyond the tour.
But we don’t stop at capturing great photos—Smiler’s galleries deliver real business impact:
We understand that operational strains, tight schedules, and limited resources can make it challenging for operators to integrate value-added services. However, adding professional photography to your offerings doesn’t have to be one of those challenges!
Smiler is designed to fit perfectly into your existing workflow, ensuring that incorporating professional photography enhances your services without burdening your team.
“Partnering with Smiler has transformed the Big Bus experience. Their talented photographers capture joyful moments, providing our guests with stunning professional photos. We've received fantastic feedback from happy customers who love taking home these cherished memories. This collaboration has truly elevated our service!”
Peter Brown, Director of Business Development, Big Bus Tours NYC
With Smiler, every photo turns into a powerful opportunity to enhance your tours, spark engagement, and skyrocket your brand’s visibility. Book an exploratory call now and let’s create an unforgettable experience that delights your guests and drives growth for your business.
