From first booking to returning guest: 7 moments that determine if participants come back

You know the drill: you send an email with practical information to all participants. Arrival time, packing list, location. The same text for everyone. Makes sense, right?

But here's where the problem often lies. A participant arriving at 10:00 gets the same email as someone checking in at 14:00. Someone who booked a sleeping bag still reads "don't forget your sleeping bag." And the information for Group A is slightly different from Group B.

The result? Participants have to figure out what's relevant to them. And that doesn't feel personal.

Why this matters

Returning participants are gold. They already know you, don't need convincing, and tell others about you. But whether someone comes back doesn't just depend on the experience itself. It depends on how they feel treated in all the moments around it.

Seven moments, to be precise.

The 7 touchpoints

1. The booking confirmation

This is your first impression after the booking. Many operators just send an invoice or a dry confirmation here. Missed opportunity.

This is the moment someone just said "yes." They're excited. Confirm that feeling. Tell them what to expect. Give them something to look forward to.

2. One to two weeks before arrival

Here's where it gets interesting. This is the moment for practical information, but personalized.

• Your arrival time (not a general range)
• Your packing list (based on what you did or didn't book)
• Your group or accommodation
• Directions relevant to your departure point

The difference between "Arrival between 10:00-14:00" and "Your group is expected at 10:00 at entrance North" is enormous. The second feels like you know who I am.

3. A few days before departure

This is the moment for last-minute reminders. But also a smart moment for something else.

One of our customers added a simple section to their email, only visible to participants who hadn't booked a sleeping bag:

"Don't want to lug all that stuff? Book it last-minute with us and it'll be ready when you arrive."

The result? A significant increase in sleeping bag bookings. Not because they were pushy, but because they offered a convenient option at the right moment.

4. Arrival and check-in

The first physical impression. Participants (or parents dropping off their child) need to immediately feel: this is organized, I'm in good hands here.

That means: knowing who's arriving, when, and having all relevant info at your fingertips. Dietary requirements, medical info, emergency contacts, special notes. No searching through paper lists.

5. During the activity

For multi-day programs: stay in touch. Not necessarily with the participants themselves, but with those waiting at home (for youth camps) or with the participants directly (for retreats).

A photo here and there, a brief update. It reassures and adds to the experience.

6. Immediately after

The moment when the experience is still fresh. This is when you:

• Say thank you
• Share photos (if you have them)
• Ask for feedback

Timing is crucial. A week later, the feeling has faded. Same day or the day after is ideal.

7. The quiet season

The most underutilized opportunity. Months later, when people start thinking about next year. A personal message: "Last year you were at [activity]. We're organizing it again on [date]. Early bird discount until [date]."

Not a generic newsletter. A message that shows you know who they are and when they were there.

It's about relevance

The common thread through all these moments: relevance. Generic communication feels like mass production. Personal communication feels like attention.

That doesn't mean you have to write every email by hand. It means your system needs to be smart enough to automatically show the right information to the right person. Arrival time based on their booking. Packing list based on what they did or didn't order. Reminders only for things that apply to them.

The practice

This sounds like a lot of work. And manually, it is. But with the right setup, you can create templates that automatically fill in the right variables. One template, but personalized for each recipient.

At Buchung, we've built this in. Our email templates support variables at the registration level: the specific arrival time, the booked extras, the activity and event. You write one email, but each participant gets their own version.

And with conditional sections, you can show parts of your email only to people who meet certain criteria. Like that sleeping bag tip: only visible if someone hasn't booked one yet.

Further reading

Curious how other operators handle this? We're happy to think along. Get in touch if you'd like to discuss your communication strategy.