Google Ads for Hotels, Tours and Experiences: How to Get More Direct Bookings

Booking platforms are useful.

They put hotels, tours and experiences in front of large audiences and can generate bookings that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

But many tourism businesses also want more guests to book directly.

A direct booking can give the business more control over:

• customer communication
• the booking experience
• upselling
• repeat business
• first party customer relationships
• remarketing where consent and platform rules allow it

Google Ads can help hotels, tour operators and experience providers generate more direct bookings by reaching travellers who are already searching for accommodation, tours, transfers or activities and sending them directly to the business's own website.

But buying traffic alone is not enough.

For Google Ads to generate profitable direct bookings, the complete journey needs to work:

Traveller intent → Relevant ad → Relevant landing page → Strong reason to book → Simple booking process → Accurate tracking

A weakness at any point in that journey can reduce the value of the advertising.

Start with searches that show booking intent

Tourism generates enormous search volume.

Not all of it is worth paying for.

Consider the difference between:

Bulgaria

Very broad.

Bansko

Still broad.

Bansko hotel

More commercial.

Bansko hotel near gondola

Stronger intent.

Bansko spa hotel booking

Potentially much closer to an actual reservation.

The more specific the search becomes, the more information you have about what the traveller wants.

The same applies to tours.

Compare:

Sofia

with:

Sofia walking tour

and:

private Sofia city tour English

For a smaller tourism business, searches showing clear commercial or booking intent are usually the best place to start.

Broader destination searches can still have value, but they often reach people who are earlier in the planning process and usually require different expectations and more budget.

A simple way to understand tourism search intent

This does not mean you should only advertise on the most specific keywords.

It means you should understand what each search is likely to achieve.

If your budget is limited, I would normally give the strongest commercial intent priority before spending heavily on broader destination research.

Build campaigns around what the traveller wants

Do not structure campaigns only around your internal business categories.

Think about what the traveller is actually trying to find.

A hotel might advertise around:

• ski accommodation
• spa stays
• family holidays
• summer hiking
• group stays
• airport transfers
• last minute availability

A tour operator might separate:

• private tours
• shared tours
• food tours
• day trips
• airport transfers
• multi day experiences

That creates stronger alignment between:

Search → Advertisement → Landing page

Someone searching for a private tour should not land on a generic page where they first need to choose between eight unrelated activities.

Someone searching for a Bansko spa hotel should immediately see information about:

• rooms
• spa facilities
• location
• prices
• availability
• booking

Show people the product or experience they searched for.

Brand searches are not the same as new customer acquisition

Someone searching for your hotel name already knows you.

Someone searching:

boutique hotel Bansko

may never have heard of you.

Both searches can produce direct bookings, but they represent very different types of demand.

Brand traffic often converts efficiently because the traveller may already have:

• seen your hotel on Booking.com
• visited your website before
• received a recommendation
• seen a social media advertisement
• stayed with you previously

Generic campaigns have a harder job.

They are trying to attract someone who may be comparing several competing hotels, tours or experiences.

Separate branded demand from non brand acquisition when analysing results.

Otherwise, overall campaign performance can look extremely strong because existing demand converts cheaply while the campaigns intended to attract new guests perform much worse.

Brand traffic is valuable.

It simply should not hide how effectively you are acquiring new customers.

Give travellers a reason to book directly

If the exact same offer is available everywhere, many travellers will choose the booking platform they already know and trust.

Your website therefore needs to answer:

Why should I book directly with you?

That does not necessarily mean offering the lowest price.

Possible direct booking benefits could include:

• more flexible cancellation
• room upgrades where available
• free airport transfer
• welcome drink
• better package
• direct customer support
• activity bundle
• local add ons
• clearer room selection
• additional flexibility
• small extras unavailable elsewhere

Only promote benefits you genuinely provide.

The goal is not to invent a reason to book directly.

It is to make your real advantage obvious.

Also check whether agreements with booking platforms or distribution partners place restrictions on pricing or special offers before creating direct booking promotions.

Do not assume travellers will choose direct just because the price is slightly lower

Price matters, but it is not the only reason travellers use booking platforms.

Platforms also provide:

• familiarity
• reviews
• easy comparisons
• saved payment details
• loyalty benefits
• cancellation management
• a feeling of security

Your direct booking website therefore needs to compete on trust and convenience as well as price.

If someone can book through a familiar platform in two minutes but your website requires:

• searching for availability
• filling in a long form
• waiting for confirmation
• sending an email
• making a bank transfer

a €10 saving may not be enough to convince them.

Direct booking needs to feel easy.

Make the booking process easy on mobile

Many travellers research and book trips on their phones.

They may be browsing:

• while commuting
• sitting at an airport
• having dinner
• during a lunch break
• while already travelling

A booking process that works well on desktop but becomes frustrating on mobile can lose potential customers.

Check:

• page speed
• date selector
• availability
• room or tour options
• pricing
• payment process
• form length
• confirmation page
• language
• click to call
• WhatsApp where relevant

Then test it yourself.

Pretend you know nothing about the business and make a booking from your phone.

Ask:

• Can I understand the price?
• Can I find availability?
• Is the booking button obvious?
• Does the payment process feel trustworthy?
• Is anything difficult to read?
• Does the booking engine work properly?
• Is the entire process available in the expected language?
• Do I know what happens after payment?

You will often find problems that advertising reports alone will never reveal.

International travellers need more reassurance

Booking something in another country involves more uncertainty than making a familiar local purchase.

Your landing page should answer the obvious questions before the traveller has to ask them.

For a hotel

A traveller may want to know:

• Where exactly is the hotel?
• How far is it from the ski lift, beach or city centre?
• What is included?
• What do the rooms actually look like?
• Are recent reviews available?
• Is breakfast included?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• Is airport transfer available?
• Which payment methods are accepted?
• Is English spoken?
• Is parking available?
• Are taxes included?

For a tour or experience

A traveller may want to know:

• Where does the tour start?
• How long does it last?
• Is it private or shared?
• Which languages are available?
• What is included?
• What happens if the weather is bad?
• Is transport included?
• Can children join?
• What should guests bring?
• How far in advance should they book?
• What is the cancellation policy?

Removing uncertainty can improve the booking experience.

It can also reduce irrelevant enquiries because visitors understand the offer before contacting you.

Target travellers before they arrive

For many tourism businesses, advertising only to people currently in Bulgaria is too late.

By the time a traveller arrives, they may already have booked:

• accommodation
• airport transfer
• ski lessons
• major tours
• rental car
• organised activities

To capture these bookings, campaigns often need to reach travellers in their home markets while they are still planning the trip.

Depending on the destination and historical customer data, relevant markets could include:

• the UK
• Germany
• the Netherlands
• Belgium
• Romania
• Greece
• Poland

But do not choose countries simply because they sound logical.

Use:

• existing booking data
• website analytics
• search demand
• tourism trends
• customer value
• transport connections
• actual advertising tests

The strongest international market is the one that produces valuable customers for your business.

It is not necessarily the market sending the most website traffic.

Use booking data to find your best international markets

Imagine this simplified example:

The example values are not important.

The principle is.

Traffic volume alone does not define the best international market.

A smaller country could produce fewer visitors but significantly more valuable guests.

Look at:

• booking rate
• average booking value
• cancellation rate
• cost per booking
• length of stay
• number of guests
• seasonality
• repeat customers
• profitability

This gives you a much better picture than traffic alone.

Use Google Ads location settings intentionally

Location targeting deserves special attention in tourism.

For a normal local service, you may mainly want people physically located in the service area.

Tourism is different.

A traveller sitting in London and searching for:

Bansko hotel near gondola

may be far more valuable to a Bansko hotel than someone physically standing in Bansko who already has accommodation.

Destination based campaigns therefore require a different way of thinking about location targeting.

Do not simply select Bulgaria and assume the job is finished.

Think about:

• Where is the customer when they make the booking?
• Which countries generate existing bookings?
• Which markets have convenient travel connections?
• Which markets have enough search demand?
• Which markets generate profitable guests?

Then review geographic performance after launch.

Look at which countries:

• click
• enquire
• book
• spend more
• cancel
• return

Adjust the strategy based on business results rather than traffic alone.

Do not ignore travellers already in the destination

Some tourism services are frequently purchased after arrival.

Examples include:

• restaurants
• last minute tours
• equipment rental
• spa treatments
• nightlife
• local transport
• activities

These may justify a separate campaign or targeting approach.

Someone in London planning a Bansko holiday two months in advance is in a very different situation from somebody already standing in Bansko searching:

ski rental near me

Both can be valuable.

But they may need different:

• keywords
• ads
• landing pages
• offers
• location settings
• bidding priorities

Separating these use cases can make performance much easier to understand.

Where Meta Ads fits

Google Search is strong when travellers actively search for something.

Meta Ads can be useful earlier in the journey when discovery and visual inspiration matter.

A potential traveller may see:

• skiing footage
• hotel rooms
• mountain views
• Bulgarian food
• spa facilities
• private tours
• coastline
• cultural experiences

before they have chosen a destination.

Tourism is particularly suited to visual advertising because the experience itself is often part of the product.

Instead of only advertising:

Book our Bansko hotel

show:

• the view from the room
• skiing
• the breakfast
• the spa
• the walk to the gondola
• the town
• the evening atmosphere

For a tour, show the actual experience.

For a boat trip, show the boat, scenery and guests enjoying the trip.

For a food tour, show the dishes and locations.

Sell the experience, not only the inventory.

Meta Ads can also support remarketing to eligible audiences that previously interacted with the business, where consent, platform rules and audience size allow it.

Google and Meta can support different stages of the trip planning journey

The channels do not need to compete for exactly the same job.

One possible journey might look like:

Meta Ads: A traveller discovers Bansko or a hotel.

Google Search: A few days later they search for accommodation.

Website: They compare rooms and prices.

Remarketing: The hotel stays visible while they continue comparing options.

Direct booking: They return and book.

That is only one possible journey.

Another person might discover the hotel on Booking.com, search the brand on Google and then book directly.

Someone else may see a recommendation from a friend and convert immediately.

The point is not to force every traveller into one funnel.

It is to understand that channels often influence different stages.

Hotels have additional Google advertising options

Hotels can also have Google advertising opportunities beyond standard Search campaigns.

For suitable hotel advertisers, travel focused campaign formats can use property information and other hotel specific data to reach potential guests across Google's advertising ecosystem.

That does not mean every hotel should immediately add more automation.

The same fundamentals still matter:

• reliable booking tracking
• accurate rates
• current availability
• strong imagery
• profitable target markets
• a trustworthy website
• a clear direct booking proposition

Automation becomes more useful when the data and booking journey underneath it are reliable.

Adding another campaign type will not fix:

• broken booking tracking
• weak landing pages
• incorrect availability
• poor pricing
• a difficult booking engine

Fix the foundation first.

Measure booking value, not only booking count

Imagine two campaigns.

Campaign A

10 bookings Average booking value: €150

Total booking value: €1,500

Campaign B

6 bookings Average booking value: €500

Total booking value: €3,000

If you only look at booking count, Campaign A wins.

If the acquisition costs are similar, Campaign B may be much more valuable.

For tourism businesses, useful metrics can include:

• booking revenue
• cost per booking
• return on ad spend
• average booking value
• stay length
• number of guests
• cancellation rate
• country
• repeat bookings

A market with a higher cost per booking may still be the better market if guests:

• stay longer
• book more expensive rooms
• purchase extras
• cancel less often
• return later

This is why cost per booking alone is not always enough.

Track the booking properly

A click on Check availability is not the same as a completed reservation.

Opening the booking engine is not the same as paying.

A phone click is not necessarily a genuine enquiry.

For hotels and tour businesses, try to measure the outcome that actually matters.

That may include:

• completed booking
• booking revenue
• confirmed tour reservation
• submitted enquiry
• qualified call
• qualified lead

Smaller actions can still be useful for analysis.

But they should not automatically be treated as equally valuable as a real booking.

If you use an external booking engine, also check whether tracking continues correctly when the visitor moves between:

Website → Booking engine → Payment → Confirmation

This is especially important.

A campaign can look unprofitable simply because bookings are not being attributed properly.

The opposite can also happen: softer actions such as opening the booking engine may be counted as conversions even though no reservation was completed.

Before making major budget decisions, verify the booking measurement first.

A practical setup for a smaller hotel or tour business

I would normally start relatively simply.

1. Conversion and booking tracking

Make sure actual bookings and meaningful enquiries can be measured.

2. High intent Google Search

Target searches that show clear commercial or booking intent.

3. Brand campaigns

Track branded demand separately from generic acquisition.

4. Strong international markets

Focus budget on countries that realistically produce valuable guests.

5. Relevant landing pages

Connect important searches directly to the right offer.

6. Mobile booking experience

Make sure a traveller can actually complete the process easily.

7. Remarketing

Add it where sufficient traffic, consent and commercial value justify it.

8. Meta Ads

Use strong visual content to introduce the destination or experience.

9. Hotel specific Google campaigns

For suitable properties, test travel focused advertising when rates, tracking and the direct booking journey are ready.

The exact structure depends on the business.

The important part is avoiding unnecessary complexity before you have enough budget and data to justify it.

Direct bookings and booking platforms can work together

Generating more direct bookings does not mean booking platforms are bad.

Platforms can provide:

• visibility
• trust
• international reach
• comparison tools
• incremental bookings

For many hotels and tourism businesses, they remain an important acquisition channel.

The goal is usually not:

Stop using booking platforms.

A better goal is:

Build a healthier acquisition mix.

Google Ads can help your own website compete for travellers already searching for exactly what you offer.

If the direct booking experience is strong enough, some of those travellers may choose to book directly.

That reduces dependence on a single source without requiring you to abandon channels that already generate useful business.

The main takeaway

Google Ads can help hotels, tour operators and experience providers generate more direct bookings.

But buying traffic alone will not do it.

You need to connect:

Traveller intent → Relevant ad → Relevant landing page → Convincing direct booking offer → Easy booking process → Accurate tracking

If one part is weak, spending more on Google Ads may simply send more travellers into the same problem.

For a smaller tourism business, I would start with strong booking intent, reliable tracking and the international markets already most likely to produce valuable guests.

Then expand from evidence.

Digital Seekers works with tourism businesses and internationally focused companies that want to reach customers before and during their visit to Bulgaria.

The goal is not simply more clicks or more website traffic.

It is more of the travellers who are realistically likely to book directly.