Why Tour Operators Must Use WhatsApp: 98% Open Rate Advantage

Why Tour Operators Who Ignore WhatsApp Are Leaving 98% of Their Guests Unread

WhatsApp Reading Time: 3 minutes

Let’s be honest with each other, when was the last time you eagerly opened a booking confirmation email?

Or scrolled through your inbox for tomorrow’s pickup time buried between spam and crappy sales promos?

Exactly.

Meanwhile, your guests are checking WhatsApp, with an incredible 98% open rate, compared to 20% for email and less than 90% for SMS.

And here’s the really important point for tour operators: 80% of WhatsApp messages are opened within five minutes (you can’t escape those alerts on your smartwatch after all if you’re anything like me).

So why are so many tour operators still relying on a channel their guests barely see?

Let me explain.

The Email Trap

For years, the industry defaulted to email as the go-to for everything: booking confirmations, itineraries, reminders, cancellations, upsells.

You were most likely told of the low-cost conversion rates of email marketing (it was, for a time), or simply transitioning to a more scalable solution as your business grew.

But travellers today are mobile-first, time-poor, and overwhelmed with digital noise (blame Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies).

So, that “Your Tour is Tomorrow” email you sent? It’s probably sitting unopened while your guests are trying a local beer and missing their pickup. Or worse, standing in the cold waiting for a bus which was cancelled 2 hours before (those will not be forgiving reviews).

This isn’t a minor inconvenience, it’s lost revenue, lower guest satisfaction, and missed opportunities for upsells or last-minute adjustments.

Thus, this method is actually failing to make you extra value and fantastic reviews, so why would you stick with it?

The WhatsApp Shift

Here’s the thing: your guests aren’t ignoring you. They’re just communicating somewhere else.

WhatsApp has quietly become the new front desk for tourism.

It’s a space where guests already spend hours per day chatting, sharing photos, and confirming plans.

That’s why leading operators are shifting to automated WhatsApp communication, to reach guests where they actually are, in real time, and provide extra value and more effective communication.

With the WhatsApp Business Platform, you can:

  • Confirm bookings instantly
  • Send reminders and meeting points automatically
  • Share updates or weather alerts in real-time
  • Even upsell extra experiences before, after, or even during the tour

And all of it feels personal, useful, and convenient, unlike another marketing blast.

The PaxFlow Advantage

PaxFlow connects the power of WhatsApp directly into your operations.

That means no manual messaging, no chaos, just smart automation that works quietly in the background.

With PaxMessages and PaxPortal, tour operators can:

  • Automate booking confirmations, reminders, and receipts
  • Let guests manage their bookings instantly via self-service links
  • Communicate directly via WhatsApp, SMS, or email (all from one place)
  • Increase review scores and revenue per customer, and reduce no-shows

It’s not about replacing email at all.

In fact, it’s about using the right channel for the right moment, and being restricted to one platform at a time can be a hassle. With PaxFlow you can automate email, SMS, and (the holy grail) WhatsApp all from one simple interface.

And in tourism (the same with my jokes), timing is everything.

The Bottom Line

Your guests are already on WhatsApp.

If you’re not, you’re effectively whispering into an inbox that nobody opens (save that for Halloween only).

Tour operators who embrace WhatsApp aren’t just improving communication, they’re improving conversion, satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

Because when 98% of your messages are actually read, everything else gets easier (believe us, we know).

👉 Learn how PaxFlow can help you introduce and automate WhatsApp for your guests today.

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