Effective newsletters for inbound tour operators

What works and why

While newsletter marketing is often seen as a must-have for consumer campaigns, it’s also a powerful tool for reaching the travel trade. Here are our top tips for engaging your business partners effectively via email.

Often overlooked and typically associated with consumer marketing, newsletters can be a powerful way for inbound tour operators and DMCs to engage their business partners.

Unlike social media, email is less intrusive and feels more personal - giving your message a better chance to stick. But creating B2B-focused campaigns that deliver relevant updates, offers and insights requires a strategic approach - and we know it can be difficult to prioritise, especially for busy inbound operators with smaller teams juggling multiple responsibilities.

From building your contact list and choosing the right tools, to designing, scheduling and curating the right content, this guide answers the most common questions about B2B email marketing for DMCs. Having promoted over 50+ DMCs and numerous industry events worldwide, we’re happy to share what works.

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Define your audience: Build and segment your contact list

Every effective email campaign starts with building a solid contact list and segmenting it properly to enable more targeted messaging, whether by market, language, business type, special interest etc. You can collect contacts both in person - at trade shows, networking events or on Fam Trips - and online through forms on your website. However you gather them, make sure all recipients have given clear consent to receive email updates. 

As your list grows, consider segmenting it by source market, business focus (e.g. outbound tour operator, OTA, MICE…) and even company role. This allows you to send more relevant content to the right people and avoid cluttering inboxes with messages that don’t apply to them. If the content isn’t relevant, individuals will unsubscribe or mark it as Spam.

Choose the right tool

As with any digital marketing platform, the number of newsletter tools available can feel overwhelming. The two most important factors to consider when choosing the right one for your business are the size of your contact list and what you plan to use the tool for.

In our experience, the most widely used and relevant options for inbound tour operators are MailerLite, Mailchimp and Brevo. MailerLite is the most intuitive and offers flexible pricing plans based on the number of contacts, making it a great fit for most DMCs. Mailchimp and Brevo provide more advanced automation features and can integrate with CRM systems - though this level of complexity is rarely necessary for B2B-focused companies.

How often and when should campaigns be launched

Timing and frequency are important factors to consider when planning your newsletter campaigns. For business audiences, the best time to send a newsletter is midweek - typically Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday - either in the morning between 9:00 and 11:00 AM or early afternoon, just after the lunch break. These are the times when most travel professionals are at their desks and more likely to engage with business-related emails. Avoid Mondays and Fridays where possible, as inboxes are often either overloaded or ignored.

As for frequency, a monthly newsletter tends to work best. If you have fewer updates, every 6 to 8 weeks is a good rhythm, while more active teams might opt for a bi-weekly schedule, provided the content remains relevant and valuable. The key is to prioritise consistency and quality over quantity.

Be informative, not salesy

What matters most in buyer-oriented newsletters is demonstrating your expertise. Travel agents and partners are looking for reliable, insightful content that helps them better understand your company and the destination you operate in.

Instead of simply promoting your tours and services, focus on sharing valuable information like destination highlights, accommodation options or logistical tips that help agents and product managers design better itineraries. Updates on Fam Trips you organise, trade shows you’re attending or post-trip reports are great ways to position your company as a trusted, knowledgeable local partner.

Informing about well-established tours can be also worthwhile in some cases - especially if you offer guaranteed departures that agents or operators might be interested in reselling.

Think about readability

There’s a well-known rule among content creators: on the internet, people don’t really read - they scan. That’s why it’s important to avoid text-heavy sections and instead use visuals, headings, bullet points and clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons to help readers quickly grasp your message.

Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. If you want to share more in-depth content, the best approach is to place it on a landing page or blog post and link to it within the body of your email or through a CTA button.

Make sure your design is mobile-friendly

A large share of email opens - especially among busy travel professionals - happens on mobile devices. If your newsletter isn’t optimised for small screens, your message might be ignored or deleted before it’s even read. Use responsive templates that adjust automatically to different screen sizes, keep text concise and make sure buttons and links are easy to tap. Always test your email on both desktop and mobile before sending to ensure a smooth user experience.

Need help with your email marketing strategy?

The Adventure Connection actively promotes over 50 inbound tour operators and DMCs worldwide to our extensive buyer network of around 2,000 contacts. We know from experience that email campaigns are among the most engaging and effective B2B marketing tools. We also understand how challenging it can be to figure out what works best for different companies and marketing teams - and we’re always happy to share our knowledge and insights with the travel trade.

And a word of caution. Don’t just rely on email marketing to reach operators. You need to meet them face to face too via trade shows, arranged video meetings, networking events etc. Emails are just a part of your overall marketing - albeit an important and useful one.

You can learn more about our full range of web and marketing services, explore case studies, or request a free strategy assessment here.