If a guest were to judge your company based on its booking confirmation emails, what would they say? The confirmation email is likely one of the first emails — if not the first — that your guests will receive from you.
That single email will set up their expectations for communication with your company:
- Are you a prompt communicator?
- Does your tour or attraction make them feel prepared for their experience?
- Can they count on you to provide them with necessary information and updates about their experience?
In other words, that first email can certainly have an impact on their perception of your brand.
In this post, we’ll tackle how to write a booking acknowledgment as well as share a few email templates to help you write your own.
- What’s the difference between a reservation, booking acknowledgment, and a booking confirmation?
- How long should a booking confirmation email be?
- How to write a compelling subject line for your booking confirmation email
3 booking confirmation email templates
- Booking confirmation email template for a sailing tour
- Booking confirmation email template for attractions
- Booking confirmation email template for a big group tour
What’s the difference between a reservation, booking acknowledgment, and a booking confirmation?
A booking confirmation email acknowledges a booking or reservation made by your guests. The email notifies them that the booking was made successfully and provides them with additional information about the experience.
The terms reservation and booking can be used interchangeably, although the latter is more commonly used in the tours and activities space. Reservations are typically used to describe flights, hotels, and car rentals, while bookings usually refer to tours or experiences.
A booking acknowledgement accomplishes much of the same time. It’s a transactional email that notifies guests that their booking is being processed. Whenever the reservation or booking is confirmed, the guest will receive an email notifying them that everything is good to go.
The booking confirmation step is essential for both the guest and the operator. When the guest gets all of their booking information in an easy-to-access email, your booking software processes it on the back-end, making you aware of the new reservation.
How long should a booking confirmation email be?
The main purpose of the booking confirmation email is to notify guests that their booking is confirmed. You can communicate this information in just a few sentences:
“Hi [Name], thank you for booking [tour/activity] on [date/time]. We can’t wait to see you!”
The rest of the email should get them excited about their upcoming experience as well as summarize their booking details. You can provide this information in list format, making it easier for the guest to skim through each item.
You’ll probably want to include essential details like important dates and times, billing information, party size, your contact information, and location with a map or directions. Many operators also include their cancellation or refund policy at the end of the message in hopes of discouraging last-minute no-shows.
How to write a compelling subject line for your booking confirmation email
A subject line is only a few words long — yet it’s an incredibly important piece of your confirmation emails. The subject line is the very first thing users will see when your email lands in their inbox, along with any preheader text. It’s at this point that they’ll decide whether to open the email or not.
Everyone wants to open a confirmation email because it holds all of the relevant information about their booking. People are usually excited to open their booking confirmations: They just booked an amazing tour or activity, and they can’t wait to learn more about it!
The easiest way to ensure guests are opening your confirmation email is to clearly state what the email is about in the subject line. For example, something along the lines of “Your booking at <XX company> is confirmed” quickly gets the message across.
Yet you might also want your subject line to be a bit playful or match the excitement your customer is feeling at that moment. And when possible, you also want to personalize it by using the guest’s first name or specific details about their reservation.
This may sound like a whole lot of things to include a tiny subject line, but it’s possible to strike a perfect balance. Let’s take a look at three sample subject lines and why they work.
Great news, Carla! Your tour booking is confirmed.
- This subject line starts on a positive note right away. By leading with “Great news!” you’re setting up expectations that something great lies inside the email.
- Adding the guest’s first name adds a personal touch.
- The guest will immediately understand that this is a booking confirmation email when they read the second sentence.
Ready to fly? Your NYC Helicopter Tour is confirmed!
- The guest will immediately know why they’re receiving this email as soon as they read “NYC Helicopter Tour.”
- Including the name of the experience in the subject line is another way to personalize the message.
Booking confirmed. See you soon at Jungle Escape Games!
- The subject line immediately notifies the guest that their booking is confirmed.
- The added enthusiasm makes the guest excited about their visit.
3 booking confirmation email templates
Let’s take a look at what an actual booking confirmation might look like. Below, we’re sharing email templates that both attractions and tour operators can send to their guests.
Booking confirmation email template for a sailing tour
Let’s say you have a sailing business. When someone books one of your sailing tours, the confirmation email may look something like this.
Subject: Ready to sail? Your booking is confirmed!
Email: Hey there, [Guest Name]!
We’re so happy you chose [Tour company name] for the [tour name]. Your booking is confirmed! Please review your booking details below, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to sailing with you!
Date: [date]
Time: [start time-end time]
Recommended arrival time: [time]
Customer details:
[Name]
[Email]
[Phone number]
[Party size]
Payment details:
[Transaction breakdown]
Meeting location:
[Address]
Contact info:
[Your company contact information]
Cancellation policy:
[Your cancellation and refund policy]
See you soon,
[Your name]
Booking confirmation email template for attractions
If you run an attraction, such as an escape room, waterpark, or axe-throwign venue, your confirmation email will be a bit different than the one sent by a tour operator. You’ll want to highlight the location, date, and time of the visit, as well as how guests can access their tickets.
Subject: [Guest Name], here are your tickets for [Attraction]
Email: Hi [Guest Name],
We are excited to welcome you to [attraction name] on [date]! Please review your visit information below. Your tickets are attached to this email. If you have any questions, please email or call us at [company email] or [company phone number].
Customer details:
[Name]
[Email]
[Phone number]
[Party size]
Payment details:
[Transaction breakdown]
Attraction location:
[Address]
[Map]
Parking information:
[Directions & other relevant details]
Contact info:
[Your company contact information]
Cancellation policy:
[Your cancellation and refund policy]
We can’t wait to see you!
The team at [attraction]
Booking confirmation email template for a big group tour
A booking confirmation email for a big group tour will be slightly more detailed than the previous examples. You’ll want to list the party size and each participating guest’s name. Don’t forget to include a transaction breakdown, including spit-payment information.
Subject: Hey [Name]! Your booking is confirmed.
Email: Hi [Guest name],
Thank you for choosing [Company name]! We are happy to inform you that your booking for [group tour name] is confirmed! You can find your party’s booking information below.
Date: [date]
Time: [start time-end time]
Recommended arrival time: [time]
Customer details:
[Main customer’s name]
[Email]
[Phone number]
[Party size]
Joining you on this tour:
[Guest 2’s name]
[Guest 3’s name]
[Guest 4’s name]
Payment details:
[Transaction breakdown, including any outstanding payments and spit-payment information]
Meeting location:
[Address]
Contact info:
[Company email and phone number]
Cancellation policy:
[Cancellation and refund policy]
We can’t wait to see you all soon!
The team at [Company name]
Setting up a booking confirmation email in Xola
Xola has several booking confirmation templates that your company can use. These templates are built with tour and attraction operators in mind. They automatically populate the most important information like date and time of booking, customer and payment details, etc.
Every time a booking is made, customers will instantly receive Xola’s confirmation email. You can also set up SMS messaging through Xola to reach your guests on the platforms they use most.
Xola’s confirmation email will look like this:
The email can be customized with your company name and logo, and it’ll provide guests with the most relevant booking information, including:
- Date and time of the experience
- Customer details
- Payment information, including a breakdown of taxes and fees
- Meeting location with a map
- Your contact information
You can also create other custom emails in your Xola dashboard. Under the CRM tab, you’ll find “Message Templates” that help you create all kinds of emails, ranging from booking confirmations to weather updates.
You’ll be able to choose from several variables that will dynamically populate content in the email based on the customer it is being sent to:
- Arrival: Xola will automatically include the start date entered by the customer.
- Company: Your company’s name.
- Company website: Your company’s website.
- Customer name: Auto-populate what the customer entered in the name field.
- Listing name: The name of the listing that was booked.
Xola’s pre-made templates make it easy for you to create and send confirmation emails. These templates ensure you’re always providing guests with the most relevant information about their booking — and aren’t forgetting to leave anything out!
***
A booking confirmation email typically marks the start of a conversation with your guests. And you want the conversation to start on a positive note.
Creating booking emails on your own can be a lengthy, cumbersome task. Without software, you’ll need to manually enter each guest’s information — without errors.
Booking software like Xola simplified the process for you, ensuring that every guest receives an accurate and timely confirmation email that helps them make the most out of their visit.
