Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be one of the most effective ways to get your attraction in front of the right people at the right time, whether they’re planning a family vacation, a weekend getaway, or a last-minute Saturday afternoon activity.
Unlike traditional marketing, PPC gives you control: you choose your audience, set your budget, and only pay when someone clicks. But to turn those clicks into actual bookings, you need more than just a few ads. You need to understand what your audience is searching for and how to best present the experiences you offer.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how attractions — from museums and zoos to boat tours and theme parks — can use PPC for tourism ads that will boost your brand visibility, drive more ticket sales, and make every marketing dollar count.
- Key Trends in PPC Ads for Tourism
- Google Ads vs. Bing Ads: Which is Right For Your Attraction?
- How to create a PPC campaign for your attraction
- 7 Examples of Great PPC Campaigns
- Monitoring and Adjusting Your Campaigns
- Key Metrics to Track for Success
Key Trends in PPC Ads for Tourism
The digital advertising landscape is constantly changing — and now with AI, it can feel like those changes are arriving by the hour. That’s why we’re going to start this guide off by filling you in on the top trends shaping PPC ads right now.
- First-party data: First-party data is information you collect directly from your customers (like emails or past bookings), while third-party data comes from outside sources. Privacy rules are tightening, so it’s time to lean into the data you already own: email lists, past customers, loyalty programs, and even Wi-Fi sign-ins on-site.
- Creative matters: PPC used to be all about keywords. Yet eye-catching visuals and brand-forward storytelling are now outperforming ads solely based on keyword research.
- Automation is powerful: AI-powered tools now help optimize ads in real time. Use automation to test which tour types convert best, when to show ads, and which device your audience prefers.
- Contextual targeting makes a comeback: As privacy concerns grow, contextual targeting — or ads based on the content of the page or search — is seeing a resurgence. For example, placing an ad for a haunted escape room downtown on a travel blog about “Top 10 Things to Do in Nashville.”
- New formats are worth exploring: We’re seeing interactive video ads and even voice search campaigns appear. Imagine someone saying, “Hey Google, what’s fun to do in San Diego tonight?” and your ad for a sunset sailboat tour plays with a bold headline: “A magical sunset from the water awaits…”
Google Ads vs. Bing Ads: Which is Right For Your Attraction?
Google Ads is the dominant PPC platform, making up to 90% of the search market share. It offers a variety of ad formats like Search, Display, Shopping, and YouTube. Plus, it has powerful targeting capabilities, which make it a top choice for reaching travelers across the customer journey. If your goal is maximum reach and fast visibility, Google is hard to beat.
Microsoft Ads, formerly Bing Ads, runs across Bing, Yahoo, and AOL, offering access to a slightly older, often higher-income demographic. It’s typically more budget-friendly, with less competition for keywords and more precise controls, like choosing whether your ads show up on phones, tablets, or desktop computers. With Bing’s integration into tools like ChatGPT, its influence is quietly growing.
Pros and Cons of Google Ads
- Pros: Massive reach, cross-platform visibility (Search, YouTube, partner sites), strong ROI tracking, flexible budget control.
- Cons: Highly competitive and can be expensive for high-intent keywords.
Pros and Cons of Bing Ads
- Pros: Lower CPCs, more precise device targeting, strong visibility in Microsoft ecosystems (Edge, Windows, ChatGPT).
- Cons: Smaller user base, fewer ad format options.
Which One Should Attractions Use?
For most attractions, Google Ads is the better starting point due to its reach, helpful tools, and ability to target travelers before and during their trip. However, Bing Ads can be a smart supplement, especially if your target audience skews older or if you’re looking for lower-cost clicks in a less crowded space.
How to create a PPC campaign for your attraction
Here is everything a tourism business needs to know about how to create PPC ads.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Start by mapping your ideal guests. Are they families? Thrill‑seekers? Local visitors? Tourists? For example, a zip‑line tour might target out‑of‑town adventure‑seekers, whereas a historical walking tour might aim for the city‑visiting history buffs.
If you’re unsure, you can always find plenty of insight in your booking data. Pull up past bookings on your booking software and see which guest segments already convert best. Then match your messaging accordingly. For the example above, it might look something like, “Thrill you’ll remember” for one, and “Discover hidden stories” for the other.
Setting a Budget for Your PPC Campaign
Set a clear limit for what you’re willing to spend. For example, you might budget $500 to test an ad campaign over two weeks. As soon as the ad is up, start tracking clicks and calculating the cost per booking.
The good news is that PPC benchmarks often show that travel ads receive a higher-than-average click‑through rate, around 10% versus the general 6%. As an attraction, our best advice is to start small and measure results methodically. The more ROI data you have, the better you can allocate your budget to the ads performing well.
Conducting Effective Keyword Research
Look beyond broad keywords like “tour tickets” and drill into phrases that demonstrate buyer intent. In other words, consider what a guest might search for when they’re ready to make a reservation or purchase a ticket with you. Someone who searches for “book zipline tour [city]” and “kids-friendly escape room [town]” is probably closer to making a booking decision than someone searching for “best things to do in [town] with kids.”
The latter is just entering the research phase, while the former suggests that this person has already decided how they want to spend their time. Targeting high purchase‑intent keywords (like, “buy tickets”) can be a more efficient use of your budget than focusing on generic research queries.
Again, tap into your booking data to see what people searched on your site before converting. And if your booking software doesn’t make this info accessible, know that many do, including Xola.
Writing Effective Ad Headlines
Here’s the fun part: writing a creative headline that not only carries the main message across but inspires a browser to click. Needless to say, your headline needs to grab attention quickly.
Think along the lines of, “Soar 300 ft Above the Trees — Zipline [City]” for a zipline tour operator. If you run an escape room, you might go with, “Unlock the Secrets of [Town] — Escape Room Fun Tonight.”
Make it clear what the experience is and when it’s available. Ideally, you might include a unique selling point like “Flexible booking” or “The Only Canopy Zipline.”
Creating Persuasive Ad Descriptions
You don’t need a professional writer to come up with a persuasive ad description. The easiest way to make your description captivating is to focus on the two most important questions: “What” and “Why.”
What are you offering? Why should anyone book? Let’s take a look at how a zipline operator might answer those in its ad description: “Experience an adrenaline rush on the only canopy zipline in [Region]. Family-friendly. No weight restrictions. Book now for this weekend.”
Key takeaway: Keep it concise, focus on benefits, and include a call to action (CTA) like “Reserve your spot today.”
Using Ad Extensions to Enhance Visibility
Ad extensions are like bonus features for your ad. They give people more reasons to click. Instead of just showing your headline and description, you can add links to specific pages (like “Book Now,” “Group Discounts,” or “FAQ”), your location on Google Maps, your phone number, and more.
Let’s say you’re running a PPC ad for your waterpark. With extensions, your ad could include a direct link to your birthday party packages, your pricing page, and a “Call Now” button for last-minute bookings. These extras make your ad bigger and provide more info for the browser. Of course, this also makes it more clickable, without costing anything extra. Ad extensions are a simple way to meet your guests halfway with the info they’re already looking for.
Optimizing Landing Pages
When someone clicks on your ad, they should land on a page that mirrors the ad’s headline and description. If the ad is “Zipline this weekend”, the page should show the next available slots, pricing, and a “Book Now” button for the weekend in question.
Make it easier for guests to book right then and there by minimizing the number of form fields they need to fill out. And considering that most travel traffic comes from a mobile phone nowadays, making the page appear perfectly on a tiny screen is a non-negotiable.
Yet keep an eye on where your conversions are coming from.
While mobile might bring in most of your traffic, desktop users often complete more bookings. Statistics show us that conversion rates on desktop (4.3%) still outpace mobile’s 2.2%. That means you should tailor your ads and landing pages for both — capturing attention on mobile, but making sure the desktop experience is seamless when it’s time to book.
Geo-Targeting to Reach Specific Audiences
For local attractions, you might target people within a 30-mile radius. Yet for destination tours, consider reaching travelers in major cities up to 200 miles away. Use geo-targeting in your campaign settings, and layer in timing or events—like targeting people in Chicago during spring break. This helps make sure your ad dollars are reaching the right audience, not just anyone.
Using Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA)
Using Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) means showing different ads to people who have already visited your site. Say someone clicked on your “Book Now” page but didn’t actually book. Well, with RLSA, you can now target them again when they search similar keywords. But this time with a more enticing message — “Still thinking about it? Get 10% off if you book today.”
This kind of targeted follow-up is especially powerful now, as the world of PPC advertising moves toward more personalized and automated strategies. It’s a smart way to remind interested guests you’re still there, and nudge them to finish what they started.
Using Negative Keywords to Improve Efficiency
If someone searches for “free escape room” or “escape room jobs” and you don’t offer those, you don’t want your ad showing up for that query. Using negative keywords helps make sure your ads only show up for the right kind of searches. By telling Google which terms not to target, you avoid wasting money on clicks that won’t turn into bookings. Negative keywords are essential to keep your budget focused on people who are actually looking to buy.
Adjusting Bids and Budgets
Once your campaign is running, check performance on a daily or week-to-week basis. Keep track of the following KPIs: cost per conversion, click-through rate, and ROI. Then, you can increase bids on well‑performing keywords and reduce or pause underperformers.
In 2025, many travel advertisers use AI‑powered bidding tools to optimize budgets automatically, but human oversight still wins when it comes to budgets tied to seasonal tours or attractions
7 Examples of Great PPC Campaigns
Here we’ll go through a few examples of great PPC campaigns happening in the real world.
1. Jacada Travel: Growing Leads by Expanding Into New Markets
Luxury travel brand Jacada Travel used Google Ads to not only attract more leads, but better-quality ones. Their strategy focused on high-value keywords like “honeymoon safari” and “luxury family vacation,” and they ran tightly targeted campaigns that mentioned specific high-end resorts by name.
They also expanded into new international markets like Australia and New Zealand, tailoring ads to each region and timing them to run during peak browsing hours. The result was a 44% increase in leads, a 34% jump in conversion value, and a lower cost per acquisition.
Why this works for attractions: If your tour or attraction appeals to a premium audience — or specific types of travelers like families, couples, or honeymooners — get specific in your keyword targeting. Try running destination- or interest-based campaigns (“luxury rainforest lodge” or “honeymoon kayak tour”), and don’t be afraid to expand into new markets by region. Timing also matters: schedule your ads to appear when your ideal customer is most likely to be online.
2. Travel by Bob: How a Niche Travel Agency Increased Conversions by 108%
Travel by Bob, a travel agency specializing in all-inclusive vacations, boosted bookings by tailoring their Google Ads campaigns by destination. They made sure their landing pages worked well on mobile and used ad extensions to spotlight exclusive deals. By shifting their budget toward peak travel seasons and cutting back when demand dipped, they got more bookings without spending more. The result? A 108% increase in conversions and a 22% drop in cost per booking.
Why this works for attractions: Whether you run a boat tour or a museum, seasonal demand matters, and so does how you present your offers. Build different campaigns around your top products, highlight your best perks (like skip-the-line access or kid-friendly activities), and adjust your bids during high-traffic periods like weekends or holidays. The key takeaway here is that tailored PPC ads beat generic ones every time.
3. Atlas Obscura: How PPC Helped Drive 70% More Revenue in One Year
Atlas Obscura used a mix of Google and social media ads to promote its unique trips and online courses. With so many different offerings, the brand built campaigns for each stage of the customer journey — from getting on people’s radar to bringing them back to book. They also tested different types of ads and let the platforms’ automation tools figure out what worked best. The result? A 70% jump in revenue and double the conversion rate compared to the year before.
Why this works for attractions: If you run multiple tours or seasonal events, try creating campaigns for different stages, such as one set to build awareness, another to close the sale. Use a variety of visuals (videos, carousels, photos), and let the ad platform optimize who sees what. This may take some setup time, but it can stretch your budget further and reel in better results over time.
4. Safari tour in Grand Teton National Park: Targeting high-intent searchers with simple, clear messaging
When searching for “safari tour Grand Teton,” the top Google ad comes from Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris, a local tour company offering outdoor tours in the region. The ad is pretty straightforward: It includes the company name, the destination keyword (“Grand Teton Tours”), and a clear value prop focused on premium experiences for families and wildlife lovers.
It’s not flashy, but that’s exactly the point. For high-intent searches, clarity sometimes wins. The user knows what they want — a safari tour in Grand Teton — and this ad meets them right where they are, promising a local, trusted operator with a relevant offering.
Why this works for attractions: Don’t underestimate the power of simplicity. If someone’s searching for exactly what you offer, your ad doesn’t need a clever copy. It needs to be clear. Use exact-match keywords in your headlines and highlight what makes your experience unique.
5. Georgian National Tourism Administration – Driving international travel with localized PPC
To boost international tourism, Georgia’s tourism board ran a multi-channel PPC campaign across Google, Facebook, and YouTube. Ads were customized by region and language, targeting specific cities like Dubai and Berlin. They also tested different audiences — like users interested in ski resorts or who had traveled internationally — and adjusted bids based on time of day.
While the formats varied — from search and display to video — the campaigns were all performance-based, with the team only paying when someone clicked. The campaign drove a 12% increase in tourist arrivals and exceeded performance targets by 15%, proving how tailored, data-driven PPC can directly impact tourism growth.
Why this works for attractions: You don’t need a national tourism board’s budget to apply this strategy. If you run an escape room, museum, or outdoor tour, start by targeting travelers from drive-in cities or nearby airports. Write ads in their native language if you’re marketing internationally. Use remarketing to follow up with people who visited your site but didn’t book, and schedule ads around key decision-making times — like weekends or school breaks — to maximize your ad spend.
6. Google’s ‘Things to do’ Ads for Miami Experiences
When you Google something like “things to do in Miami,” you’ll likely see a scrollable carousel of local experiences at the very top of the page. These are Google’s ‘Things to do’ ads, a specialized type of PPC ad designed specifically for tours, attractions, and activities.
Rather than a simple text ad, this format features your product photo, price, star rating, and the platform it’s bookable through (like Viator or GetYourGuide). Every time a user clicks, the advertiser — whether it’s the operator or a third-party reseller — is charged.
Why this works for attractions: These ads show up right when someone is searching for things to do, putting your experience front and center. You can run these ads directly or work with your OTA partners to appear here. Make sure your listings are optimized with great photos, competitive pricing, and strong reviews to stand out.
7. JustFly’s keyword-packed PPC ad dominates high-intent searches
When someone types “cheap flights” into Google, they’re definitely thinking about booking one. JustFly makes sure they’re the first name seen. Their PPC ad uses straightforward messaging, repetition of key terms (“cheap,” “deals,” “discounted”), and a full lineup of ad extensions that link to different offers. It’s not fancy, but it’s effective. It’s a good reminder that clarity and keyword alignment often beat cleverness in high-volume search campaigns.
Why this works for attractions: Think about the terms people search right before they book (“boat tour near me,” “best museum in Miami”). Use those exact phrases in your headlines, and give searchers easy next steps with site link extensions.
Monitoring and Adjusting Your Campaigns
Even the best PPC strategy needs tuning. Once your campaigns are live, the real work begins: tracking what’s working, what’s wasting money, and where you can improve.
Start by setting clear benchmarks for key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Use tools like Google Ads and Google Analytics to monitor performance regularly, not just at the end of the month. If one ad group is outperforming others, shift more budget there. If a keyword is draining spend without converting, pause it.
The most successful attractions are constantly A/B testing headlines, swapping images, refining location targeting, and adjusting bids based on seasonality or time of day.
Key Metrics to Track for Success
To get the most out of your PPC campaigns, you need to know what success looks like — and how to measure it. These are the key metrics attractions should monitor closely:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Tells you how compelling your ads are. A low CTR may mean your copy or creative isn’t resonating with your target audience.
- Conversion Rate: Shows you if your landing page is doing its job. If people are clicking but not booking, something on the page may be causing confusion.
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): How much it costs you to get one booking. The goal is to decrease this metric over time, which would mean your campaigns are getting more efficient.
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Your bottom-line metric. Are your ads actually generating more revenue than they cost?
- Impression Share (IS): Useful for gauging your visibility compared to competitors. A low share might suggest you’re being outbid or need to raise your budget.
- Quality Score (Google Ads): A score from 1 to 10 that Google uses to rate how relevant your ads, keywords, and landing pages are to the user. A higher Quality Score can lower your cost per click and help your ads rank higher, even with a smaller budget.
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Running a successful PPC campaign isn’t about setting it and forgetting it. Whether you’re a small tour operator or a large attraction, the most effective campaigns are built on strategic targeting and ongoing performance tracking.
Our advice? Start small and focus on your most popular offerings. Create a full-funnel campaign that brings your visitors from the discovery phase to your booking page. With the right setup, PPC can become one of the most powerful levers for driving bookings and growing your attraction’s revenue.
