What pre-trip reminders do
No-shows are the quiet tax on every tour business. Someone books three weeks out, life gets busy, and they forget which corner to stand on — or that they booked at all. A guide waits, a seat sits empty, and a tour you could have sold to a wait-listed traveler departs short.
Pre-trip reminders are the simplest, highest-impact fix in the snapshot. They reach every booked traveler at the right moments with the exact information they need to actually show up — automatically, off the booking funnel, with no work from you.
How it works
- Booking sets the clock. The moment a traveler books a departure, the reminder sequence schedules itself to their specific date and time.
- The 24-hour reminder. A day out, they get a clear note: meeting point with a map pin, start time, guide’s name, and a short “what to bring.”
- The 2-hour nudge. On the day, a short SMS confirms the meeting spot and timing — the message that catches the person who genuinely forgot.
- A confirm or reschedule path. Travelers can confirm with one tap or reply by two-way SMS to ask about moving — caught before it becomes a silent no-show.
- Weather-aware variants. For conditions-dependent trips, a weather-hold reminder can reschedule a whole departure with one-tap confirmation.
What the traveler sees
A warm, well-timed message that reads like a thoughtful host, not a robot: “Hi Mara — your sunset food walk is tomorrow at 6pm. Meet Luis at the blue door on Rua do Sol [map]. Come hungry, wear comfy shoes. Reply here if anything changes.” It removes the small anxieties — where, when, what to bring — that otherwise lead to a missed booking.
What the operator sees
- A reminder sequence attached to every departure, running automatically.
- Confirmation status per traveler, so you can see your real expected headcount.
- Replies routed into your shared inbox for fast handling.
- Lower no-show rates feeding straight into fuller departures and better economics.
Reminders pair with packing-list automation for prep-heavy trips and feed naturally into review automation once the tour is done. They support every service in the snapshot, from family tours to eco tours.
Compliance note
SMS reminders go only to travelers who opted in at booking, with clear consent language. Every SMS thread honors STOP to opt out and HELP for assistance, in line with TCPA. Email reminders follow opt-in and include an unsubscribe path. Transactional booking reminders and marketing messages are kept distinct so a traveler can stop marketing without losing the logistics they need for a trip they’ve paid for.
Cut no-shows on every departure — automatically.
Can I change the reminder timing?
Yes. The 24-hour and 2-hour cadence is the default, but you can adjust the timing and add extra touches — for example, a 3-day reminder for trips that need more prep.
Do reminders include the meeting point and map?
Yes. Each reminder carries the departure's meeting point with a map pin, start time, and guide name, pulled from the booking.
What if a traveler needs to reschedule?
They can reply by two-way SMS, and you can move them to another departure with a one-tap confirm back — far better than discovering a no-show at the meeting point.
Do reminders work for weather holds?
Yes. A weather-hold reminder reschedules an entire departure and asks each booked traveler to confirm the new time, which is essential for adventure, wine-transport, and eco tours.