Using Algorithms to Grow Your Tourism Business: Start With Your Guests

When bookings slow down, it can be tempting to change everything at once. Lower your prices. Rewrite your listing. Try another platform.

But what information is guiding those decisions?

In this Firecircle conversation, Kerri Howarth and Denise Miller, a firekeeper and owner-operator of Experience Saghalie, explored algorithms through Denise’s experience with Airbnb. The discussion returned to a practical starting point: understand your guests, gather information, and observe what happens.

Watch the Conversation

Start With Your Guests and Your Market

Denise described how increased competition in her accommodation market prompted her to investigate what was happening in her business.

She returned to questions she had explored through the Firecircle 5x5 Method™: Who was she trying to reach? What were those guests looking for? How did her offer compare with other options?

Rather than assuming that lower prices were the answer, she began gathering information to guide her decisions.

For your own business, start with what you already have. Look through guest reviews, enquiries, and booking records. Notice the questions people ask before booking and the details they mention afterwards.

Are guests choosing you for your location, a particular activity, the atmosphere, or something else? Those observations can help you describe your offer more clearly.

Make Your Descriptions Useful

During the conversation, one participant shared the example of changing accommodation names from numbered cabins to more descriptive titles, such as “Rustic cabin near Algonquin.”

A number identifies a unit. A description helps someone understand the experience and its location.

That distinction is useful beyond accommodation. A tour title, experience page, or social media caption can also give potential guests a clearer picture of what you offer.

Review one description and ask:

• Is the location clear?

• Can someone understand what the experience involves?

• Does it include details that matter to the guests you want to attract?

Keep the wording accurate and natural. The aim is to make your business easier to understand.

Make Changes You Can Learn From

Participants discussed different approaches to updating their listings and marketing. Some had made changes to descriptions or photographs. Others were investing in advertising or working with creators.

A recurring challenge was knowing which activity had contributed to the results.

When several things change together, it becomes harder to understand what helped.

Keep a simple record of what you changed, when you changed it, and what you noticed afterwards. Include views, enquiries, or bookings where that information is available.

Also note other circumstances, such as seasonal demand, holidays, or an advertising campaign. These provide context when you review the results.

The experiences shared in the session offer starting points for your own observations, rather than a single formula that applies to every business.

Choose One Place to Start

This week, choose one listing or webpage. Identify one detail that could be clearer for your intended guest.

Make the improvement, record the date, and decide when you will review the results.

For support exploring your market, brand story, and operations, browse the Firecircle courses and programs for tourism entrepreneurs.

Building your online presence is an ongoing process. Understanding your guests and keeping a record of your decisions gives you something useful to learn from as your business develops.