Day Trippers take their tours to the Next Level
More and more tourists are using their mobile phones to book tours and attractions, with 79% of travellers doing so in 2017 – a 9% increase in the number who made bookings via their mobile phones in 2016*. Local tourism enterprises like Day Trippers – one of the leading alternative and adventure touring companies in the Western Cape – are taking their businesses to the next level by tapping into this growing trend.
For over 25 years, Day Trippers has been offering travellers an array of alternative tours & adventures, with their 1- Day biking & hiking tours around the Cape and their Multi-Day road biking, mountain biking & hiking tours all around the country. Founded by husband and wife team, Steve and Di Thomas, the business began with an old Volkswagen Kombi and six bikes strapped to the roof. Over the years, it has steadily grown into a fleet encompassing over 200 bicycles, eight vehicles and 10 custom-built bicycle trailers. It caters for groups of all sizes and with interests ranging from township tours and wheeling through the winelands, to hiking up Table Mountain and cycling through the Cedarburg, down the Garden Route, along the Wild Coast, in the mountains of the Eastern Cape, in the flowers of Namaqualand, etc. etc. The permutations are endless and Steve, who is a whizz with routes, knows practically every highway and byway accessible on a bike. The family-run company, which now includes the couple’s 2 kids amongst its staff, regularly attracts repeat business thanks to the personal touch provided – homemade picnics prepared by the company’s own catering team and a wealth of knowledge shared by its guides.
Wanting to expand their client base and attract a new generation of Day Trippers, Di and Steve enlisted the expertise of Next Level – a marketing consultancy geared towards providing tailored solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses – to revamp their website and make it mobile friendly. In addition, with social media being a major source of travel information and inspiration*, the consultancy has taken the reigns when it comes to the business’ social media.
Di shares:
“When we started the business in 1992, computers were not a workplace essential. I used a typewriter and would go to the local print shop to send faxes. While we have eased into this whole new world of email and websites, we have been so busy running a successful business, that we never really paid a lot of attention to marketing – particularly when it came to our website and social media. Wanting to bring in new business, we recognised that we needed to do something in those spheres and brought in Next Level to point us in the right direction.”
“I think that South Africa is such a beautiful place and we see that indicated in tourism growth over recent years. Day Trippers is one of those tour operators that really offer a unique way to experience some of the country’s best spots. In designing the new website, we wanted to highlight the unique ways in which the team show local and international guests the sights that are iconic throughout the world. The new website and strategy driving social media are all about sharing information, showcasing Day Trippers’ one-of-a-kind offering and making it very easy for people to book, get out there and go day tripping,” concludes Marketing & Brand Strategist at Next Level, Alan Campbell.
To view Day Trippers’ new website, visit http://www.daytrippers.co.za and follow the family business on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
SOURCES:
*https://www.trekksoft.com/
Supplied by Eclipse PR