Tour add-ons can be a hassle if you don’t set them up right. You don’t want to nickel-and-dime your guests, and you definitely don’t want to bog down the booking process with a bunch of confusing extras. But when executed correctly, a well-chosen add-on can boost your per-guest revenue and make your guests’ experience way better.
The trick is to offer things that actually matter to them—stuff that makes their trip easier, more memorable, or just a little more fun. And ideally, these should be things they want to grab while they’re already excited and planning their outing.
Here’s an overview of some high-performing, low-effort tour add-ons that can move the needle for outdoor adventure tour operators. If you want to zoom out and see how this fits into a complete upselling and cross-selling strategy, check out this guide to boosting revenue for outdoor adventure tour businesses.
Most guests don’t want to fly or drive in with a duffel bag full of outdoor gear. If you can provide solid equipment on-site, that’s a win for everyone. These are easy to prep, don’t require a hard sell, and often feel like a relief to the guest.
Examples by tour type:
Pro Tip: Offer gear packages at checkout, but make sure guests can add them later too. Some people don’t know what they need until the night before the trip.
If you’re offering these extras, make sure your outdoor booking and scheduling system supports quick, visible upsells. With an all-in-one tour management platform, like Digital Sportsman, you can build these into checkout or even make them available by QR code on-site.
Sometimes the best-selling add-ons are the most practical ones. Especially for guests that are brand new to outdoor tours, comfort sells. These are the items people wish they’d packed... until they realize you’ve got them covered.
Smart options to offer:
These items also tend to have great margins—especially if you brand them or buy in bulk.
Tour shirts and mugs are great—but only if they’re things your guests actually want to take home. The keys are relevance and restraint. Choose a few strong options and make them easy to grab while checking in, waiting for a ride, or browsing your site.
Top-performing options:
If it tells a story or makes people feel like part of the experience, it’s probably a good bet.
Some of your best-selling add-ons won’t be flashy, but they’re reliable earners. Guests forget things—and they’re relieved when you have them on-site.
Set these up near check-in, on mobile menus, or via QR:
Best practice: Don’t make a big pitch. Just have them accessible and visible, with pricing clearly marked. Think “friendly convenience store,” not “souvenir trap.”
What turns a good add-on into a great one? Timing, visibility, and how easy it is for your guests to say yes.
Digital Sportsman’s all-in-one booking and management software for outdoor businesses makes the add-on process simple—so your extras feel seamless to your guests, and manageable for your team.
If your extras feel like an extension of the service—rather than a pop-up ad—guests will be more likely to grab them, and they’ll feel good about the purchase. That means more revenue per booking, a better guest experience, and smoother business operations overall.