Best Email Marketing Platforms for Tourism Businesses in 2025
Discover the best Email Markering for Tourism Business ! If you’ve already decided that growing an email marketing database is a core part of your tourism marketing strategy (awesome!!!), the next big question is: which email marketing platform should you use?
If you are brand new to email marketing then I recommend you check-out my Blog: Discover Proven Steps to Build an Email Marketing Database
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are platforms that align better with what tourism businesses need: work with seasonal demand, build stronger guest relationships, drive direct bookings, support automation, and integrate neatly with other touchpoints like your website, booking engines, and CRM.
Below, I’ll walk you through:
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What features matter most for tourism businesses
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What to look out for before committing
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The six best email platforms for tourism operators (with pros & cons)
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My personal recommendations based on different business sizes
 
What Tourism Businesses Need in an Email Marketing Platform
When evaluating email tools, focus on the features that matter most to tourism, hospitality, and tour operators.
| Feature | Why It Matters in Tourism | 
|---|---|
| Automation & workflows (welcome series, post-stay follow-ups, re-engagement) | Tourism has long lead times, repeat guests, and off-peak seasons. Automation keeps communication flowing without you manually hitting “send.” | 
| Segmentation & tagging | Guests differ: families, couples, adventure seekers, international vs local. Segmentation personalises offers → higher open & booking rates. | 
| Deliverability & domain authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) | Essential for confirmations, itineraries, and offers to hit inboxes instead of spam. | 
| Mobile-friendly templates | Many travellers check emails while on the go. Clean, responsive design is non-negotiable. | 
| Integrations (with booking engines, CRM, websites, review platforms) | Saves you hours and makes marketing more powerful (e.g. abandoned booking follow-ups). | 
| Scalability & fair pricing | Tourism has seasonal peaks. Pick a tool that won’t punish you for fluctuating list sizes. | 
| Support & tutorials | If you’re small or new to email, you’ll need strong documentation and responsive support. | 
Top Email Marketing Platforms for Tourism — Pros, Cons & Best Uses
Here are the best email marketing tools for tourism businesses in 2025, from beginner-friendly options to advanced platforms for scaling.
1. ActiveCampaign
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Pros: Strong automation and tagging, advanced segmentation, excellent customer support. Great for multi-step guest journeys (e.g. pre-trip emails → on-stay messages → review requests).
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Cons: Steeper learning curve, pricing climbs as contacts grow.
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Best For: Tour operators or accommodation providers ready for advanced workflows and deeper data insights.
 
2. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
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Pros: Affordable, combines email + SMS, solid automation, good for transactional emails (confirmations). Flexible pricing.
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Cons: Not as polished in design tools as premium players; limited at ultra-high volumes.
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Best For: Small-to-medium tourism businesses wanting a balance of cost and capability.
 
3. Mailchimp
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Pros: User-friendly, widely recognised, great templates, simple automations, large library of tutorials.
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Cons: Gets expensive as lists grow; advanced features locked behind higher tiers.
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Best For: Beginners or businesses sending newsletters and promotions without complex workflows.
 
4. Constant Contact
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Pros: Extremely beginner-friendly, strong support, event management tools (handy for attractions, workshops, events).
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Cons: Limited automation/segmentation compared to advanced platforms.
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Best For: Smaller tourism operators, local attractions, cafés, or event-based businesses.
 
5. MailerLite
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Pros: Clean interface, affordable, simple automation, includes landing pages & opt-in forms.
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Cons: Fewer enterprise-level features; limited design flexibility.
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Best For: Boutique hotels, vacation rentals, or tour providers just starting with email.
 
6. Cakemail
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Pros: Built with tourism/travel in mind. Includes templates for bookings, itineraries, confirmations, and promotions. Simple automation.
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Cons: Fewer integrations than bigger players; less community support.
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Best For: Tourism businesses wanting an industry-focused platform without paying for unnecessary extras.
 
Platform Trade-Offs to Consider
When choosing your tool, consider:
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Price vs features: Cheaper platforms may lack automation; premium tools may be overkill until you grow.
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Ease vs power: Mailchimp and Constant Contact = easy. ActiveCampaign and Brevo = more powerful but require setup.
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Specialisation vs generalisation: Some platforms suit bookings and transactional emails, others focus on marketing only.
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Support & training: Strong onboarding and customer support can save you hours of frustration.
 
My Recommendations Based on Business Type
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Small operator / boutique B&B (<1,000 contacts): MailerLite or Brevo → simple, affordable, reliable.
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Tour operator / attraction with seasonal offers: ActiveCampaign or Brevo → automate guest journey emails.
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Event-based business (workshops, excursions): Constant Contact → handy RSVP/event tools.
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Growing mid-size operator with strong digital strategy: ActiveCampaign or Brevo → advanced workflows + SMS.
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Businesses focused on direct bookings & OTA reduction: Pick platforms with strong transactional email capability.
 
If You’re Brand New to Email Marketing
If you’re just starting out, keep it simple. All you need right now is: A way to collect emails
 A seasonal newsletter
 A feel for how guests respond
Top beginner picks:
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MailerLite: Affordable, clean templates, great for “What’s On in [Destination]” newsletters.
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Mailchimp (Free Plan): Familiar drag-and-drop builder, great for first campaigns.
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Constant Contact: Beginner-friendly with event features if you host experiences.
 
At this stage, it’s not about complex automations — it’s about building the habit of sending useful, regular emails. Once your list grows, you can graduate to advanced tools like ActiveCampaign.
SEO Tips for Email + Content Marketing Alignment
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Use mobile-friendly opt-in forms and landing pages (helps both conversions and SEO).
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Link emails back to your website content (blogs, guides, itineraries).
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Track campaigns with UTM codes so you know which emails drive bookings.
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Regularly clean your database to improve deliverability and trust signals.
 
Final Thoughts
There’s no single “best” email platform for every tourism business. The right one depends on your size, goals, budget, and tech comfort level.
If I were starting fresh, I’d recommend: Brevo or MailerLite for a good balance of affordability + features.
 Upgrade to ActiveCampaign once you’re ready for advanced guest journeys.
The key isn’t just picking the “perfect” tool — it’s actually using it consistently to build relationships, grow direct bookings, and keep guests engaged year-round.
					"The key isn’t just picking the “perfect” tool — it’s actually using it consistently to build relationships".
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