By Edgar FluijtWant more bookings from your requests? It starts with your first email.
We checked how travelers reply to DMCs and tour operators, across all messages in our system. Travelers who sent a warm reply, a positive and keen answer, were twice as likely to book.
Most warm replies come from a few simple habits. Here are the 8 we found, with an example email at the end.
1. One in four travelers has to correct the first email
1 in 4
travelers had to correct a detail in the first email
The slips are small: the wrong year, a missing region, the wrong trip length. But these travelers replied negatively three times as often.
2. Answering every traveler wish almost doubles warm replies
2×
as many warm replies when every wish was answered
Travelers often write a wish on the form in their own words, like “no early starts” or “we have seen Lisbon”. Only 1 in 6 emails answered all of them.
3. A plan gets better replies than a request for a call
3 in 4
emails asked the traveler for a call
Those emails got fewer warm replies than emails with a plan. A traveler finds it easier to react to a route than to plan a call.
4. Fewer questions get fuller answers
1.7×
as many travelers answered every question when asked one or two, instead of three or more
Long question lists often ask for things the form already says. Travelers then skip them or answer half.
5. Over half of travelers reply to a follow-up
Over half
of the travelers who replied did so only after a follow-up email
So the second email matters as much as the first. A short “just checking in” gets few warm replies.
6. Negative replies nearly double after 24 hours
2×
as many negative replies when the first email took more than 24 hours
Speed sets the mood. A traveler who waits starts to doubt.
7. Honest advice keeps travelers talking
Some wishes clash with the season, the route or the budget. The best agents say so early and offer the closest option.
Anyone can make a generic itinerary with AI now. Your local knowledge is what makes a traveler trust you with the trip.
8. A clear next step gets more warm replies
End with one clear step, like a date to confirm or a choice between two routes. The traveler then knows exactly what to do.
What this looks like in an email
Here is the same request answered twice. Anna asked for 10 days in Portugal in May 2027. On the form she wrote: “We have seen Lisbon. No early starts please.”
Dear Anna, Thank you for your request. Based on your wishes, I have created a first itinerary for you: [link] Is there anything important to you on this trip, such as slow travel, more activities, or a focus on culture or nature? When would be a good time for a short call? Kind regards, Maria
Hi Anna, Thanks for your request. Here is what I have: 2 adults, 10 days in May 2027, Porto, the Douro Valley and the Algarve, mid-range hotels. You have seen Lisbon, so I left it out and gave you an extra day in the Douro. No day starts before 9:00. Your route: Porto (days 1 to 3), the Douro Valley (days 4 to 6), the Algarve (days 7 to 10). The full plan is here: [link] One question: would you like a cooking class or a wine tasting in the Douro? If anything is wrong, just tell me. I will send the final version on Thursday. Happy to call too, if you prefer. Best, Maria
A first email checklist
- Two or three lines that repeat the request, with the travel year.
- One line for every traveler wish.
- A rough route that matches the form.
- At most two questions.
- Sent within 24 hours.
- One clear next step at the end.