The easiest way for tour operators to start selling self-guided tours - a digital guide platform

Self-guided tours are becoming popular with travelers who want more freedom and flexibility. This change in how people explore means tour operators need to adapt to meet modern tourist needs. Platforms like SmartGuide make it easy for operators to turn their tours into digital experiences, reaching more people and creating new income opportunities.

SmartGuide offers digital audio guides, just like YouTube, which hosts videos. With SmartGuide, tour operators can turn their best guides into digital form, ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience for every visitor without worrying about the differences in human guides.

The SmartGuide app is versatile and works seamlessly with various types of tours, whether by foot, bike, boat, bus, train, tram, or even tuk-tuk. No matter the mode of transport, SmartGuide provides an engaging and interactive experience.

Discover how SmartGuide's digital audio guide platform can benefit tour operators and tourism entities by providing the easiest way to start selling multilingual self-guided tours to visitors.

For more information, watch the video:

Easy publication of interactive digital audio guides

SmartGuide simplifies the publication of digital audio guides with an easy-to-use web-based editor, the SmartGuide Content Management System (CMS). It enables smart route generation and auto-translations and automatically generates TTS audio out-of-text descriptions, facilitating rapid content updates. This efficiency ensures that tours can reach a wider and multilingual audience, transcending the physical limitations associated with traditional guided tours.

Creation of digital guides at SmartGuide's content management system

Multilingual support across 30 languages

Catering to a diverse audience is essential in the global tourism market, and SmartGuide excels by providing multilingual support across 30 languages with a DeepL translator integrated into the CMS. This capability makes the guides accessible to visitors from various linguistic backgrounds.

                                Translation of a guide in multiple languages in SmartGuide travel guide app

Of course, human translations and voiceovers in prominent languages are also possible, while AI-generated translations and audio are offered for the rest. This guarantees that visitors who speak Polish, Korean, or any other language can enjoy a fascinating guided experience. Additionally, SmartGuide provides analytics on demographics, language usage, and behavior in a destination, enabling smart decision-making about where to invest in content improvements.

While a single guide might not speak 30 languages fluently, SmartGuide does, bridging the gap and expanding tour operators' reach to effectively serve an international audience.              

Comprehensive operation, maintenance, content updates, and support

SmartGuide team manages the complete IT operation, maintenance, updates, and application support. This allows tour operators to concentrate on creating engaging content without the burden of technical aspects related to app management.

How to get started with SmartGuide?

Creating a guide with SmartGuide is incredibly easy and user-friendly. Just follow the simple steps below, and your guide will be ready to launch in a few hours. To ensure your guide is truly engaging and enjoyable to listen to, we highly recommend watching some of our best practice videos and tips. Investing just a bit of extra time will really pay off, ensuring your guide stands out and captivates your audience.

Step 1: Preparing the digital guide

Begin by signing up for the SmartGuide Content Management System (CMS).

Then, focus on creating high-quality content that includes identifying points of interest and mapping out routes. Write descriptive texts, add photographs and/or videos for each location and tour, and add translations to provide content in multiple languages.

SmartGuide automatically generates TTS audio out of text descriptions, you can also record audio for each place with human actors and upload it to the CMS.

As a cost-saving option instead of human audio, SmartGuide can auto-generate audio using the most advanced AI-driven TTS (text to speech) technology and optimized phonemes (teaching the AI to pronounce correctly local names, acronyms, etc.) for a nominal fee.

Test on your phone before publishing and fine-tune it so that all works as expected.

Alternatively, the SmartGuide team can handle the entire guide creation process for you as a turn-key service.

                                                                              Creating a guide on SmartGuide's content management system

Step 2: Launching the guide

Once the guide is ready, SmartGuide will provide:

• QR codes that unlock the content, one QR code for all the language options. These can be included in confirmation emails to visitors after they purchase the virtual tour product or on physical tickets.
• Promotional material designs that can be used on websites, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media or to produce prints such as posters or stickers. This helps in marketing the new digital guide to a wider audience effectively.

By following these steps, tour operators and content creators, in general, can efficiently craft and distribute digital guides, offering a modern and accessible way for travelers to explore and enjoy their destinations.

Step 3: Start offering or selling

The tours will be set as private on SmartGuide and not visible to the public. Tour operators sell them through their existing channels: on-premises, via their websites, or via platforms such as Viator. Once a visitor purchases the tour, an activation link or QR code will be shared with the buyer. This model suits tours that are part of another product, like boat or bus tours.

These digital audio tours can be marketed as standalone options or bundled with transportation and entrance tickets, presenting a versatile solution that accommodates varying visitors' preferences.

                                Content creators can sell content directly with tickets or in-app

Pricing structure - Shifting the tide for tour operators

The monetization approach introduced by SmartGuide represents an important transition in tour operators' ability to generate revenue from their content. Here is how:

1) Self-service guide creation (free)

Tour operators gain complimentary access to a Content Management System (CMS), enabling them to upload their content and specify geolocations for their tours effortlessly. This feature is free, encouraging operators to digitize their offerings and reach a broader audience without initial investment.

2) Guide creation support

For those requiring assistance in crafting compelling digital guides, additional support is available. Services, including content preparation, copywriting, and translations, are offered to ensure top-notch, engaging guides. The pricing for these services varies based on the project's scope, providing flexibility to accommodate different needs and budgets.

3) Revenue models

Operators are charged a nominal fee of €1 per user for accessing their exclusive content through distributed links, QR codes, or activation codes, which grants users access to an offline and ad-free premium version of the guide.

However, the significant advantage is that SmartGuide initiates billing only after demonstrating a proof of concept—meaning operators are not billed until their content reaches hundreds of unique users (Selling a guide at €10 to 500 visitors results in a total revenue of €5000. After paying SmartGuide a fee of €500, the remaining €4500 is retained as profit). This ensures there is a viable audience and market for their guides, allowing operators to build a solid user base without immediate financial pressure.

For more information, watch the video:

SmartGuide offers tour operators an efficient and scalable way to enter the digital age with their guided tours. By providing a platform that simplifies the creation, distribution, and monetization of digital guides, SmartGuide addresses the growing demand for self-guided tours. This makes it an attractive option for operators looking to expand their reach and enhance their offerings.

Furthermore, the monetization model offers tour operators a risk-free entry, with costs only applying after proven market interest. This approach not only demonstrates market feasibility but also aligns with the goal of mutual growth and success.

Sign up for SmartGuide today and elevate your tours to meet the demands of the modern traveler.