WhatsApp Business for Hotels and Tour Operators: Automated Messages Before, During and After the Stay

“What time does the transfer leave?”, “Can we leave our bags after check-out?”, “Does the tour run if it rains?”. For tourism businesses in southern Italy, many of these questions already arrive on WhatsApp, often on the owner’s personal phone, at any hour. The good news is that the same channel, well organised, can become a service and sales tool.

Why messaging works

The big hotel groups worked this out a while ago. Hilton reported that in 2023 its more than 3,600 properties with a messaging service handled over 10.5 million guest conversations, and that 70% of guests who used it said it improved their stay. In early 2024 the group announced it was extending the service, including via WhatsApp and SMS, to all of its more than 7,000 properties.

For an independent property or tour operator the benefit is even more concrete: a question answered in one message is one less phone call at check-in, a guest who arrives prepared, one more excursion sold before arrival.

The message journey: what to send and when

The guest message journey

1BookingConfirmation and contacts23–7 days beforeDirections, check-in3Day beforeTimes, weather, what to bring4DuringWelcome and requests5AfterThanks and review

1. Booking confirmation

A short message with the summary, your contact details and a request to save the number. It’s also the moment to ask for the expected arrival time.

2. Pre-arrival reminder (3–7 days before)

Directions, parking, check-in, the tour meeting point. It cuts down questions and no-shows too: industry analyses of no-shows recommend exactly this kind of reminder a few days before check-in.

3. The day before or the day itself

Confirm the time, the weather, what to bring (comfortable shoes for the crater, ID for boarding). For tours, this is the most important message.

4. During the stay

A welcome message with a channel that’s always open for requests: towels, dinner tips, booking an excursion. This is where service becomes sales.

5. After departure

A thank-you and a link to leave a review. A few weeks later, perhaps, an offer to come back, but only if the guest has given consent.

Automated doesn’t mean impersonal

Standard messages can be scheduled, but they must sound written by a person: the guest’s name, your property’s name, a friendly tone and no walls of text. And when the guest replies, a person must answer (or a well-configured AI assistant that hands sensitive requests straight to staff).

Rules to follow

• Use WhatsApp Business, not a personal number. The free app is fine for small volumes; to automate and connect your booking system you need Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform through an authorised provider.
• Collect consent. Service messages tied to a booking rest on the existing relationship; promotional ones need explicit consent under the GDPR.
• Approved templates. On the official platform, messages sent outside an open conversation must use templates approved by Meta, with different costs for service and marketing messages.
• No spam. Users can block or report your number; too many reports restrict the account.
• One number shared by the team, so conversations don’t depend on who’s on shift.

The most common mistakes

1. Replying from a personal phone, losing the history when someone changes jobs.
2. Sending unsolicited promotions to the whole contact list.
3. Sending very long messages with all the information at once.
4. Not connecting WhatsApp to the booking system, forcing staff to copy data by hand.

Frequently asked questions

Is WhatsApp Business free?

The WhatsApp Business app is free. The business platform, needed for automation and integrations, charges for messages sent through templates, varying by message type and the recipient’s country.

Can I use a chatbot on WhatsApp?

Yes. The same AI assistant on your website can also answer on WhatsApp, with the same rules: answers based only on your business’s information and a handover to a person when needed.

Does it replace email?

No, it complements it. Email remains the channel for formal confirmations, receipts and documents; WhatsApp suits short, urgent communication.

Sources

• Hilton – Hilton Expands On-Property Messaging (2024)
• Hospitality Net – How to prevent hotel no-show and last-minute cancellations

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