10 email marketing tips from a tourism marketer

Social media gets the attention. Email quietly brings guests back. 

Your best guests already gave you their email. Use it. 

From picking a platform to building the list, there is more to it than hitting send. 

Here are 10 tips to get you started.

1. Choose an email marketing service 

There are many email marketing service providers on the market, including Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Kit (formerly ConvertKit), Drip, and Klaviyo.  

You will be looking for a service that is easy to manage contact lists, has drag and drop capabilities, offers email automation, segments users into groups, tracks the performance of campaigns and allows for A/B testing. 

Many providers have a subscriber count and send limits, so research to find the best for your business. There are even a few entry-level plans that can be free of charge.

2. Understanding your audience

Know who you are writing to before you write. Is it the Perth family booking school holidays, or the grey nomad planning a winter trip north? Write to one of them, not to everyone.

3. Building a quality tourism email marketing list

A successful email marketing campaign begins with a high-quality email list. Never buy a list. Under Australia’s Spam Act you need consent for every address you email, and the ACMA is clear that you are still responsible for that consent on any address you use, bought or not. Grow your subscribers organically instead. Use sign-up forms on your website, social media, and physical locations. Offering incentives like exclusive travel tips, discounts, or downloadable guides can encourage visitors to join your mailing list.

4. Segmentation for personalisation

Segmenting your email list lets you send targeted messages to specific groups. Segment by demographics, location, travel preferences or engagement history. This personalisation increases the relevance of your emails, leading to higher open rates and engagement.

5. Crafting compelling content

Give people a reason to open the next one. Show them what they will see when they get there: the view from the room, the dish everyone orders, the guest photo that says it better than you can. Add video when you have it.

6. Optimising for mobile devices

Travellers read email on their phones, often on the move. Use a responsive template, keep paragraphs short and make the button easy to hit with a thumb.

7. Effective subject lines and preheaders

The subject line is the first thing your audience sees, so make it count. Craft compelling subject lines that evoke curiosity or highlight a unique offer. Don’t forget preheaders, the short preview text that shows after the subject line. Use it wisely to provide additional information or reinforce the message.

Tip: it’s a great idea to A/B test your subject lines. Try a few options and judge the winner on clicks, not opens. 

8. Timing is everything

When you send matters. Think about time zones, school holidays and when your guests actually plan trips, then test until you find your best send time.

9. Monitoring and analysing performance

Regularly monitor and analyse the performance of your email campaigns. Track click-through rates, conversions (bookings and enquiries), unsubscribes and subscriber growth. Treat open rates with caution: Apple Mail Privacy Protection preloads tracking pixels, so opens are inflated and clicks are the stronger signal. Use this data to refine your strategies, understand what works best for your audience, and make informed decisions for future campaigns.

10. Automate and personalise the customer journey

Set up the emails that send themselves: a welcome, a pre-arrival note, a thank you after the stay. They save you time and land when the guest is paying attention.

Final thoughts 

Email is the one channel you own outright: no algorithm decides who sees it. Know who you are writing to, grow the list honestly, send something worth opening and let the clicks tell you what to do next. Start with one email a month and build from there. Want to see tourism email done properly? Get Coffey Talk, our occasional email of what is working in WA tourism and hospitality marketing.