5 essential features for Hawaii tour operators in online booking software

With a surf board and a big idea, FareHarbor was founded in Hawaii back in 2013. Over the last decade, we’ve grown to support over 20,000 operators across the globe. While we love working with our partners in each and every country, our hearts remain rooted on those islands in the Pacific. 

Tour and activity operators in Hawaii face unique challenges, welcoming large numbers of tourists while navigating a highly competitive market. Since every company can showcase Hawaii’s beautiful scenery, vibrant culture, and incredible wildlife, standing out in such a rich landscape isn’t always easy.

That’s where your online booking software can make all the difference. Choosing the right platform can boost visibility, streamline operations, and drive revenue, and elevate your business to the next level. 

In this article, we’re highlighting five essential booking features for tour operators in Hawaii — tools designed to provide a comprehensive solution and help you outshine the competition.

Never miss a booking (and avoid overbooking!)

In Hawaii’s bustling tourism industry, managing your availability in real time is essential to accommodate high demand while avoiding overbooking. When you choose FareHharbor, every booking made on your website, in person, or through resellers will immediately be recorded in one centralized system, aka your Dashboard. 

And when it comes to those resellers — affiliates, OTAs, and local partners — you’re covered. Reservations from these sources integrate seamlessly into your Dashboard, thanks to our dedicated Connectivity team, who ensures every booking is accurately accounted for.

This ensures you can seamlessly manage capacity and keep your operations running smoothly, even during peak seasons.

Bonus! As a FareHarbor operator, you can tap into even greater potential by joining our own affiliate program, the FareHarbor Distribution Network (FHDN). Here’s how it works: 

• Let other businesses sell your tours to fill up your availabilities.
• Sell other operator’s offerings yourself to boost your revenue with commission.
• Or do both to maximize your impact!

Luckily, Hawaii is our top spot for FHDN success, meaning hundreds of local operators are already thriving in partnership. For example, learn how Sea Maui earned $109k in FHDN bookings in the first six months of 2024. 

Deliver elite online customer journeys

In a market as competitive as Hawaii’s, delivering five-star customer service begins long before guests arrive for your tour. It starts the moment they engage with your booking process. From browsing your website to receiving follow-up emails, FareHarbor’s intuitive online booking flow guarantees a seamless and customer-centric experience.

While perfecting your online setup, you can easily feature your most popular offerings, highlight  prominent tour details, and simplify your checkout process to minimize clicks — all to help reduce decision fatigue and score more bookings. 

Two effective end-user tools to enhance customer satisfaction:

Memberships: Boost retention and repeat business with FareHarbor memberships, versatile loyalty programs you can create that offer exclusive deals and benefits to your customers.

Waivers: In-house, customizable, and free! Guests can sign their FareHarbor waivers right after they finish checkout, saving you and your customers time while safeguarding your business. 

Capture more customers across any device

FareHarbor is crafted for conversions, whether your customers are on their phone, computer or tablet. We understand that booking preferences vary. Different demographics favor different platforms, and the target audience for a history walking tour won’t be the same as for a shark diving excursion. That’s why our booking interface is designed to deliver an exceptional experience on any device.

Discover how Byron Kay of Kona Honu Divers achieved a remarkable 60% increase in bookings in 2023 compared to 2022 by undergoing regular FareHarbor Dashboard business reviews, optimizing his website, and implementing SEO best practices.

Boost bookings by 9.2% with a FareHarbor Site

Our newly launched FareHarbor Sites offer tailored website packages made to grow your traffic and revenue. With over a decade of expertise building websites specifically for tour and activity operators, we will provide you with:

• SEO-driven designs to improve your visibility
• Mobile-optimized performance to capture customers on any device
• The best security and compliance to provide peace of mind

Explore our packages to choose which one works best for your business.   

Effortlessly grow your average checkout price

Getting customers to book a tour or activity at your business is just the first step. But how do you get them to spend more in a single transaction? 

We have a couple tricks up our sleeve to encourage your customers to add more items to the cart and build your bottom line while they’re making their initial purchase on your website. 

Combos: With Hawaii’s competitive market and high tourist volume, implementing combos can help you stand out by offering greater value. Pair activities like whale watching and a dinner luau in a single checkout to appeal to visitors looking for full-day experiences, increasing your revenue and customer satisfaction. You can also sweeten the deal even more by offering a discount on the second activity to encourage customers to bundle. 

See how Kona Snorkel Trips boosted their multi-item orders sixfold by using combos to pair their two most popular offerings. 

Add-on sales: Upsell additional items, like a bottle of champagne or hiking poles, directly in your checkout form using custom fields. Hint! Sell these items at a slightly lower rate than on-site to prompt customers to act now. 

Custom promotions: Promotions are a great way to attract new customers or re-engage old ones. Whether it’s a sale tied to combos or a 15% discount through promo codes, you can tailor promotions to fit your unique business goals.

Learn the promotion that Dive Kauai used to rake in $14k in only 21 days over Black Friday. 

Make in-person sales a breeze with FareHarbor Dock

In Hawaii, where many activities may attract spontaneous walk-up visitors, FareHarbor Dock is a game-changer. This point-of-sale solution lets you manage high foot traffic with ease, speeding up bookings while creating a hassle-free guest experience. Whether it’s a sunset catamaran tour with a line out the door or a last-minute visitor  — this tool is for you. 

FareHarbor operators using Dock can:

• Sell bookings twice as fast in Staff Mode, allowing your team to serve more customers efficiently.
• Enable guests to book their own tours seamlessly in Kiosk Mode, giving them full control over their purchase.

If you’re in Hawaii and evaluating your next online booking software, it’s essential to assess your unique business needs and identify which solution will best enhance your operations. Discover how FareHarbor can transform your operations — request your personalized demo today!