How to Run Effective PPC Ads for Your Tourism Business

Updated 16 August 2025

Running PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads is a crucial aspect of digital marketing for tourism businesses. Most travellers begin their journey online: searching for destinations, comparing packages, and booking experiences with just a few clicks. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective ways for tourism businesses to reach these high-intent travellers at the exact moment they’re planning their next adventure.

How can you stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of your potential customers? We’re sharing some of the strategies and best practices for running effective PPC campaigns that can boost bookings and revenue for your tourism business.

PPC ads put your tourism business at the top of search results and across key platforms, driving immediate, measurable results. Whether you’re a tour operator, hotel, destination marketer, or travel agency, PPC can help you stand out in a crowded market and turn clicks into bookings

Understanding the Basics of PPC Advertising

PPC advertising is a digital marketing strategy where businesses pay for each click on their ads. You’re likely aware of it on Facebook, Instagram and Google (those “sponsored” search results at the top!), but they are also available on Bing, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and more. PPC ads involve bidding on keywords relevant to your target audience and displaying ads in search engine results or on relevant websites and apps. By understanding the basics of PPC advertising, you can leverage this powerful tool to reach potential visitors and drive bookings in the tourism industry.

The beauty of an effective PPC advertising campaign is how specific you can get, for example, targeting women with children in New Brunswick who like golf!

The Benefits of PPC for Tourism Businesses

1. Instant Visibility and Results
Unlike SEO, which can take months to show results, PPC ads deliver immediate exposure. Your offers, packages, and experiences appear right where travellers are searching, generating leads and bookings from day one.

2. Total Budget Control
With PPC, you only pay when someone clicks your ad. You set your maximum budget, adjust bids, and never spend more than you intend. This flexibility makes PPC accessible for businesses of all sizes, from boutique operators to large multinationals.

3. Highly Targeted Reach
PPC platforms allow you to target by location, interests, travel dates, device, and more. You can reach honeymooners, adventure seekers, families, or business travellers, wherever they are in the booking journey.

4. Quality Leads and Higher Conversion Rates
Travellers who click on PPC ads are often ready to book or inquire. In fact, PPC visitors are 50% more likely to convert than organic visitors, making PPC a powerful tool for driving bookings and enquiries.

5. Brand Awareness and Retargeting
Even if users don’t click right away, your ads build brand recognition. Retargeting campaigns can bring back visitors who showed interest but didn’t book, keeping your brand top-of-mind.

Setting Up Your PPC Campaign

You’ll need to start with some research if you want to run an effective PPC campaign. Use keyword tools and industry know-how to select relevant keywords that align with your tourism business. For example, “glamping Nova Scotia” or “modern art museums.”

You will need to structure the campaign overall as well. Is it a series of ads or a one-off? How will you mirror the idea on your social media? Will you have a blog or a promotion that ties into it?

Setting a realistic budget at the start will help you feel in control of the spend, so schedule some analysis time at milestones to ensure your ads are working for you. You can adjust your bidding strategy to maximize your return on investment (ROI) while staying within your budget.

Targeting the Right Audience

PPC ads are a powerful tool, but without the right constraints, you can spend money fast without seeing the desired results. Understanding your target audience is crucial for successful PPC campaigns.

You likely have this information from your past customers, although you may not have delved into the data intentionally before. Identify the demographics and interests of your potential visitors. Be as specific as you can – you never know what might help, either now or in later campaigns. Keeping a record of your typical customer is extremely useful for creating all kinds of digital marketing assets and nailing your business growth strategy.

Utilize location targeting (depending on your specific business, you may want to go bigger or smaller) and advanced targeting options to reach your ideal customers.

Specifically, who?

You also need to decide if your primary target is new customers, returning customers, or those who have looked but not booked before. Remarketing techniques (for returning and those who have visited but not booked) can help re-engage past website visitors by keeping your tourism business on their minds.

You may have seen this in action before if you have ever looked at a sweater but walked away, only to find that same item promoted to you on Facebook, on search engines, in your inbox, etc. Ever relent and buy it after all? That’s remarketing working as designed!

Crafting Compelling Ad Copy

Compelling ad copy is essential to capture the attention of potential visitors. Here, you need a bit of finesse to meld your messaging and marketing into something that makes people want to click!

Depending on the PPC platform you decide to use (check where your audience is before you start!), you will have different criteria needed, but regardless of word count, make sure you spend some time optimizing your headlines and descriptions, highlighting the unique selling points of your tourism business and giving a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). Incorporate some of those keywords you listed to improve your ad’s relevance and quality score.

Most platforms also let you A/B test different variations of your ad copy to identify the most effective messaging for your target audience. If you have this option, go for it! It will help you pinpoint the most effective path, boosting the effectiveness of your ad and the ROI.

Monitoring and Optimizing Your PPC Campaign

Continuous monitoring and optimization are essential to running successful PPC campaigns. We schedule review dates for our PPC ad campaigns so our strategist can examine what’s working and tweak anything that isn’t.

Your key metrics to track are usually click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates. Your PPC ad platform should offer you these and much more, but there are also third-party tools you can look at to gain additional insights and make data-driven decisions. Adjust your campaigns based on your performance data to continuously improve your results. Maybe you are seeing a large conversion rate with men aged 20-34, but virtually nothing for men over 50. Decreasing the age range of your ad means you are doubling down on what’s working for you. You may even discover an untapped potential market!

Enhancing Landing Page Experience

Your tourism business likely has a website and booking system to funnel your ads to, but setting up a landing page specific to the campaign can help you create a seamless user experience, which increases your potential for converting clicks into bookings.

Design a landing page that aligns with your ad copy specifically and speaks to the audience you are targeting. Use a clear call-to-action (CTA) to facilitate bookings and automate wherever possible to make it as smooth an experience as possible. You can A/B test different landing page variations, too!

For example, maybe you have a walking tour business, offering tours of several local attractions. You are targeting 40-something couples successfully with your ads, but you’re not happy with the conversion rate. You could create two landing pages, each themed for a different stop on the tour. Maybe one of those showcases the castle ruins, using imagery that shows it, and mentioning it as a star attraction. The other option could promote the winery, using the same methods. If one is performing better than the other with your audience, you know which landing page to use, and also which attractions you should focus on more heavily during the tour.

Best Practices for Tourism PPC Campaigns

1. Strategic Keyword Research
Focus on long-tail keywords that match traveller intent, such as “family adventure tours in [destination]” or “best eco-lodges near [landmark].” This approach attracts qualified leads and reduces wasted ad spend.

2. Compelling Ad Copy and Visuals
Highlight your unique selling points! These might be local experiences, exclusive deals, or seasonal packages. Use high-quality images and clear calls-to-action to entice clicks.

3. Optimized Landing Pages
Send ad traffic to dedicated landing pages that match the ad’s promise. Make it easy for visitors to book, enquire, or sign up, minimizing distractions and maximizing conversions.

4. Geo-Targeting and Seasonal Adjustments
Adjust your targeting and messaging based on seasonality, local events, and traveller demographics. Geo-targeting ensures your ads reach the right audience at the right time.

5. Performance Tracking and Continuous Optimization
Monitor key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use A/B testing to refine your ads and landing pages for better results

Popular PPC Platforms for Tourism

• Google Ads: The most popular platform for search and display ads, ideal for capturing travellers at the research and booking stages.
• Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Perfect for visual storytelling, retargeting, and reaching travellers based on interests and behaviours.
• Bing Ads: Often less competitive and more cost-effective, especially for certain demographics.
• Travel-Specific Networks: Consider platforms like TripAdvisor or Expedia for highly targeted travel audiences

Why Work with a Tourism PPC Specialist?

The travel industry is unique, as is our part of the world. Seasonal trends, shifting demand, and fierce competition require a tailored approach, and we have worked with local businesses for many years. We can help you:

• Maximize your ad budget and ROI
• Adapt quickly to market changes and seasonal peaks
• Track and report on campaign performance with actionable insights
• Scale campaigns across multiple platforms and markets

Ready to Launch PPC Ads for Your Tourism Business?

PPC advertising is a proven way to reach more travellers, increase bookings, and grow your tourism business fast. Whether you’re new to PPC or looking to optimize your current campaigns, our team can help you craft a strategy that delivers real results. We are firm advocates for the tourism industry in New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada and have partnered with many tourism businesses over the last few years, from Maplegrove Inn to Roads to Sea Guided Tours. We even have preferential rates for TIANB members. 

Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how PPC can transform your tourism marketing.

Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc. Digital Marketing Made Easy.