vs €0.80 industry average, 18% more efficient
Top Etna excursion provider in the region
Client & context
Ashàra guides adventurers up Etna and Stromboli, Sicily’s most active volcanoes. With 600+ five-star reviews and top-provider status on GetYourGuide, their reputation was stellar. Their revenue model wasn’t: third-party platforms were collecting 20–30% on every booking.
The challenge
- Platform dependency TripAdvisor & GetYourGuide taking 20–30% per booking
- Traffic that didn’t convert Website visits with no direct booking path
- Scattered audience High-intent tourists spread across Facebook, Instagram & Google with no unified strategy
Strategy & execution
A focused 90-day geo-targeting and social commerce sprint, with hyper-localised campaigns for European adventure tourists segmented by location, interests, and booking behaviour.
Launched geo-targeted social ads
Reached European hikers and volcano enthusiasts actively planning Sicily trips, driving qualified traffic directly to the booking page.
Deployed Google Ads by intent
Captured high-intent searches like “Etna guided tour” at the moment of decision, converting searchers before they reached third-party platforms.
Rebuilt social profiles
Optimised Instagram and Facebook presences with trust-building content, turning social browsers into direct bookers.
Segmented audiences by intent stage
Separated cold, warm, and retargeting audiences to serve the right message at each stage of the booking journey.
Results
- Direct bookings surged capturing reservations at full margin with zero commission
- Platform dependency reduced less reliance on TripAdvisor & GetYourGuide
- Brand authority established across social and search channels