Perhaps there is some natural overlap between readers and travelers – both pursuits share a desire to better understand the world, challenge preconceptions, and expand horizons. Paired together, they are a powerful duo. From the “slow travel” mindset of lingering at a café with a novel, to the desire to learn more about a place before visiting, reading can add to the depth of a travel experience.
For the last four years, I have been the proud owner of Bridgeside Books, a small independent bookstore located in Waterbury, Vermont (USA). But prior to this role, I worked in adventure travel as the marketing manager for a hiking tour operator and ATTA member. I attended a number of ATTA events, and discovered that many of us share a love for reading and travel. In fact, many ATTA members are also authors and are featured in the ATTA Community Bookstore!
My experience in both of these industries has allowed me to combine my interests and expertise. Now, I am partnering with travel companies – from tour operators to travel advisors and destinations – to create curated book lists for travelers that match their trip portfolios and product lists.
“Guests love our book lists. We used to offer them a long time ago but had to stop because we lost the resource who provided them. The outcry was huge! Even after multiple years, we still had guests asking for them on the phones,” shared Matt Thompson, Director of CRM Marketing for VBT & Country Walkers. “You can imagine how excited I was when we found a way to bring them back with Bridgeside Books. The sales team loves them—they even provide them to guests who are on the fence about a tour and it helps them close the deal.”
Once you understand the ways book lists add value and benefit travel businesses and their guests, by working with me, you can offer curated book lists for your clients. Here are eight ways book lists can benefit your travel business and your clients, and how to begin including them in your product list.
Book lists are value-add resources for guests
According to the ATTA 2023 Snapshot Report, adventure travelers spend an average of $3,000 USD per person on a tour, excluding airfare or pre-/post tour activity fees. Adding a little something extra – a helpful resource with a personal touch – contributes to a traveler´s sense of being well cared for by a tour operator.
Curated book lists are free for tour operators
I work with several ATTA members to create customized online book lists (with their company branding) that are country or region-specific and from which your guests can purchase easily. Partnering with me ensures that your book lists contain well-written, quality books with accurate information from reputable publishers and authors. (Trust me, there are a lot of poorly written, unresearched, and AI-generated books that I weed out.) These lists are created at no charge to you and updated annually to add new releases or remove books no longer available.
Book lists enhance guest anticipation and trip preparation
Guests have reserved the trip, but the departure could be months away! Providing a list of book recommendations can enhance travelers’ knowledge before they even set off on their journey. Both non-fiction books and novels that are about, set in, or written by authors from the chosen destination keep travelers excited and enthusiastic about their upcoming adventure.
Sending book lists creates an additional pre-departure touchpoint
Once you have confirmed the reservation and your guests have completed all administrative procedures, you might not have a reason to communicate with them for a little while. Let a book list fill that gap and provide a fun, personalized touchpoint amidst the liability releases, health questionnaires, and payment requests.
Let books do some of the heavy lifting
It isn’t possible to include all of the cultural, historical, linguistic, or environmental information for a given destination in your trip packets or web pages. That would be overwhelming! And while nothing can beat the incredible insight offered by an excellent guide, there’s only so much even they can get to. With a curated book list, the existing memoirs, novels, language guides, and nonfiction books can point travelers in the right direction and encourage them to dive in on their own.
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Books complement your travelers’ motivations
The 2022 and 2023 ATTA Industry Snapshot Reports listed that the most popular motivations for traveling were new experiences like going off the beaten track or traveling like a local. Destination-specific books or a translated work by a local author offer an opportunity to scratch that itch. For travelers wanting to travel like a local: a local’s memoir or an in-depth book on the history or current events will get them in the mindset.
Travelers enjoy visiting places they’ve read about
Many tours already incorporate some literary sites on their itineraries, whether it is an author’s home, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, or New Zealand's landscapes that draw fans of Lord of the Rings. In fact, literary tourism is growing, and is predicted to be a nearly 3 billion dollar industry within the next ten years. Books can supplement the content on a tour, which in turn, enhances the traveler's experience of the adventure you designed.
Word of mouth marketing
Books are often passed among friends and family usually with a story or two (especially if they’ve been particularly inspirational). A guest who just returned from a fabulous tour with you and who loved a book set in the area they visited may eagerly refer that book to a friend along with a recommendation of your company.
Ready to work with me?
As mentioned above, I offer custom online book lists (for U.S. guests only). It’s a free service because my bookstore earns a small commission on sales generated from those lists; it’s a mutually beneficial partnership. Plus, books ship directly to customers, so it’s streamlined. By working with me, you can rest assured that the books on these lists are vetted, include accurate information, and are from reputable publishers and authors. I understand that anything you share with your guests ultimately reflects on you.
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss the process – [email protected]. I’m grateful that I’ve found a way to combine my former and current careers – my two passions!
About the Author
Katya d’Angelo is the owner of Bridgeside Books, a bookstore located in the quaint village of Waterbury, Vermont. If you would like to discuss the creation and delivery of custom book lists, please reach out to her at [email protected].