Travel Marketing Guides.

We get a lot of enquiries that start with some version of: “We need a new website. How much will it cost?” I can usually tell you fairly quickly whether I think your website needs work. I can't tell you what that work should cost until I’ve looked properly at what you’ve already got.

I started Boost in 2019, and from day one we built on Webflow. The travel websites in our portfolio, from Africa Born to Ker & Downey Safaris, run on it. For years, if a travel business asked what they should build their new site on, I had the answer ready before they'd finished asking.

We talk a lot in this industry about AI changing how travellers discover operators. Most of that conversation stays at the level of theory. This article is an attempt to move beyond it.

Most CRM guides for travel agencies list the same tools: HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho. They are not necessarily wrong, but they are not really written specifically for the travel industry. A general-purpose CRM can be bent into shape for a travel business, but the seams show fast, as there is likely no concept of a trip, no supplier management, and no understanding of the gap between booking and departure, where most of the relationship work actually happens.

You open Google Analytics and the line is heading the wrong way. Organic traffic is down on last month, down on last year, and the dashboard makes it look like something is broken. Then you check the inbox and the phone log. The enquiries are still coming in and bookings are holding.

Most travel websites have FAQ sections. Questions about visa requirements, what to pack, the best time to visit, how deposits work. They sit at the bottom of destination pages and service pages.

Most travel brands pour their energy into ranking for the right queries. That is important, but it is only half the picture. Position zero, the space above every organic result, is where search decisions increasingly begin, and it is underused by most independent travel operators.

Ask most travel marketing teams whether their photography is doing its job and they'll say yes. The images are high resolution, professionally shot, and on brand. What they won't know is that AI search can't tell their lodge apart from a stock library used by four thousand other websites.

Enquiries have slowed. Your inbox is quieter than it should be for May, and the news cycle is doing you no favours. Whether you sell long-haul tours, luxury escapes, or short breaks closer to home, the Middle East crisis is reshaping what UK travellers will book, when they'll book it, and how much hand-holding they need before they say yes.

You spent time creating a destination guide. Researched the headings, covered the main attractions, made sure the best-time-to-visit section was thorough. It picked up some traffic. Then, it stopped ranking.

Someone is planning a trip. They open ChatGPT and type: "What's the best boutique hotel in the Serengeti for a couple's trip with a spa, under £300 a night?" A second later, they have a curated shortlist. Three hotels, each with specific reasons why they've been recommended: verified amenities, recent guest sentiment and clear pricing information.

A couple books an amazing safari with your company. They have the trip of a lifetime, and they rave about the experience to friends. Two years later, they're ready for their next adventure. They open ChatGPT and ask, "Plan a two-week trip to East Africa for adventure travellers."