Create Your Dream Travel Business Website with WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

Many travelers enjoy discovering unique travel experiences and guides that lead them off the beaten path. If you’ve started your travel business on a smaller scale, such as through social media or local word-of-mouth, that’s fantastic!

However, it might be time to elevate your business. We’ve witnessed how a well-designed website can revolutionize a small travel business by simplifying bookings, showcasing beautiful destinations, and establishing trust with potential customers.

That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive step-by-step guide to building a travel business website using WordPress.

We’ll guide you through everything you need to know, from selecting the perfect theme to setting up booking systems and payment gateways. Whether you’re a solo tour guide or managing a full-service travel agency, we’ll provide you with the tools to create a website that converts visitors into paying customers.

What is the Best Website Builder for Creating a Travel Business Site?

Various businesses utilize WordPress to market their services or products, but it truly excels for those in the travel sector seeking a user-friendly, reliable, and cost-effective solution.

To start, WordPress is an open-source platform, meaning it is completely free to download and use. By eliminating expenses like website builder subscriptions, you can allocate more resources towards growing your travel business instead of merely maintaining your website.

However, don’t be misled by the term “free.” WordPress is equipped with a comprehensive set of tools necessary for building an outstanding travel website.

Additionally, WordPress allows you to enhance your site with plugins, which are like mini-apps that you can install to introduce various functionalities. The official WordPress.org plugin directory features over 59,000 options available for you to choose from!

This includes a wide range of plugins tailored for travel businesses, such as booking systems, tour management solutions, and stunning galleries to showcase your exotic vacation spots. Best of all, you can download and utilize all the plugins from WordPress.org at no cost.

There are also numerous WordPress themes specifically crafted for the travel sector, and many of them are available for free.

Moreover, it’s not just about cost savings. Our research shows that WordPress is the leading website platform globally, powering nearly 43% of all websites. This statistic highlights its reliability, security, user-friendliness, and versatility.

By choosing WordPress, you become part of a vast community of successful websites, including many prominent travel agents and businesses. This reliable platform is ideal for your travel organization.

It’s essential to understand that there are two versions of WordPress software, so selecting the right one is crucial.

The first option is WordPress.com, a hosted website builder. With WordPress.com, you won’t need to secure your own hosting or install software. You can opt for a free plan or choose from various paid plans, with Automattic handling the hosting for you.

The second option is WordPress.org, commonly referred to as self-hosted WordPress. We highly recommend WordPress.org for your travel website because it allows you to install plugins without the need for a costly plan, unlike WordPress.com.

For a comprehensive understanding of why we consistently advocate for WordPress, please refer to our detailed WordPress review or our expert comparison between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

Are you excited to build an incredible travel website using WordPress? Great! Let’s go through the process step-by-step. Here’s a brief overview of what we’ll cover:

• Step 1: Select a Domain Name and Hosting Plan
• Step 2: Set Up Your New WordPress Website
• Step 3: Select a Theme for Your Travel Business Website
• Step 4: Design Your Home Page and Navigation Menu
• Step 5: Create Stunning Image Galleries for Your Travel Business
• Step 6: Install and Configure the WP Travel Engine Plugin
• Step 7: Develop a Travel Package for Your Business
• Step 8: Incorporate a Contact Form on Your Travel Business Website
• Step 9: Showcase Customer Reviews on Your Website
• Step 10: Utilize AIOSEO to Enhance Your Search Engine Visibility
• Bonus Tools to Increase Conversions on Your Travel Business Website

Step 1: Select a Domain Name and Choose a Hosting Plan

To set up a WordPress site, you need to acquire a domain name and web hosting.

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. This is what visitors will enter to access your site, such as www.tourism.com or www.traveladventures.com.

Web hosting is where your website is stored online. To find the ideal hosting plan for your travel business, check out our list of top WordPress hosting providers.

While WordPress.org itself is free, keep in mind that you’ll incur costs for your domain name and web hosting. Typically, a domain name costs around $14.99 per year, and hosting services start at approximately $7.99 per month.

This can be quite pricey if you’re just getting started and working with a limited budget.

Fortunately, Bluehost is currently offering a significant discount for CanadaCreate readers, along with a complimentary domain name and an SSL certificate.

Bluehost is a hosting service recommended by WordPress and is considered one of the top options available.

To take advantage of the Bluehost discount, simply click the button below.

You will be redirected to the Bluehost website, where you should click the ‘Get Started Now’ button.

Next, you’ll arrive at the Bluehost Pricing page, where you can choose a hosting plan that suits your travel business website requirements.

We suggest selecting either the ‘Starter’ or ‘Business’ plan, as these are the most popular hosting options among our readers.

After making your selection, just click the ‘Choose Plan’ button beneath your chosen plan.

This will lead you to a new page where you can select a domain name for your travel business website.

We suggest selecting a business name that is relevant, easy to pronounce, spell, and remember.

The simplest choice is to use the name of your current travel business. However, be aware that this domain name might already be registered by another site.

If that happens, consider adding extra keywords or incorporating your location to create a unique domain name. For more suggestions, check out our beginner’s guide on selecting the ideal domain name.

If you’re launching your travel business and haven’t chosen a name yet, try CanadaCreate’s Free Business Name Generator to brainstorm creative options for your company.

Once you’ve entered a name, click on the ‘Search For Domain’ button to proceed.

You will then be directed to the Bluehost Cart page, where you can choose the length of your Bluehost plan.

We recommend selecting the ‘3 Years’ option for maximum savings. After that, click the ‘Continue to Checkout’ button.

This will lead you to the next step, where you’ll need to enter your account details, business email, name, country, phone number, and additional information.

Finally, enter your payment details to finalize your purchase.

After completing the registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing the details needed to access your Bluehost dashboard. This dashboard will serve as your control panel for managing your travel business website.

It’s now time to install WordPress.

Step 2: Set Up Your New WordPress Website

If you registered for Bluehost using our link, WordPress will be automatically installed on your domain name.

If you wish to create a different WordPress site for your travel business, you can do so by clicking on the ‘Websites’ tab in the Bluehost dashboard.

Next, click the ‘Add Site’ button.

This will bring up a new screen where you can begin by selecting the type of site you want to create.

If you’re building a brand new website, select the ‘Install WordPress’ option. If you’re transferring an existing site to a new domain, choose the ‘Transfer an existing WordPress’ option.

Then, click the ‘Continue’ button.

You will be taken to a new screen where you can enter a name for your site that suits your preferences.

After that, click the ‘Continue’ button.

You will then be prompted to connect to a domain name for your travel business.

If you haven’t purchased a domain yet, you can select the ‘Use a temporary domain’ option for now.

Bluehost will begin the installation and setup of your WordPress site, which may take a few minutes.

Once the setup is complete, you will be redirected to the ‘Websites’ tab where you can access your new website.

Simply click the ‘Edit Site’ button to log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.

Alternatively, you can log in to your WordPress dashboard by navigating to yoursite.com/wp-admin/in your web browser.

Step 3: Select a Theme for Your Travel Business

WordPress themes are professionally designed templates that determine the visual appearance of your website.

When you visit your newly installed WordPress site, you’ll notice that the default theme is currently active, which looks like this:

To enhance your travel business, attract more leads, and impress your customers, consider replacing the default theme with one that aligns with your niche.

You can install any popular WordPress theme on your website and customize it to match your personal style.

Additionally, there are themes specifically designed for the travel niche. For more options, check out our curated list of the best WordPress themes for travel blogs.

If you prefer a straightforward way to customize your travel business site with just a few clicks, we recommend SeedProd.

SeedProd is the leading WordPress page builder that enables you to create landing pages and even an entire theme without any coding skills.

It offers a wide range of pre-designed templates, many of which are tailored specifically for the travel industry.

These templates include sections for adding details about your destinations, customer testimonials, images, calls to action, and other important content.

We have been long-time supporters of SeedProd, using it to build numerous partner websites, including WP Charitable, WPForms, and Duplicator. Even the SeedProd website itself was created with SeedProd.

This experience gives us valuable insights into the advantages and disadvantages of this plugin. To help you determine if SeedProd is the right fit for your travel business website, be sure to read our comprehensive SeedProd review.

To get started with SeedProd, the first step is to install and activate the SeedProd plugin. For comprehensive guidance, refer to our detailed tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to theSeedProd » Theme Buildersection in your WordPress dashboard and click on the ‘Theme Template Kits’ button.

This will direct you to a new screen displaying a variety of pre-designed templates available for your website.

Once you locate the ‘Travel Theme’ or ‘Travel Blog’ template, click on it to open it in the drag-and-drop builder.

SeedProd will generate all the necessary page templates for your travel business and open the homepage in the page builder.

Here, you can easily drag and drop any block from the left sidebar into the page preview. For more guidance, check out our beginner’s guide on creating a custom theme in WordPress.

When you finish editing, remember to click the ‘Save’ button at the top.

If you’re interested in using a different travel-themed design for your website, check out our tutorial on installing a WordPress theme.

After activating your chosen theme, simply go to theAppearance » CustomizeAccess the page from the WordPress admin sidebar to customize the theme’s appearance using the customizer.

If you are utilizing a block-based theme, you will need to navigate to the Appearance » Editor section within the WordPress dashboard.

This will launch the full site editor, allowing you to drag and drop blocks from the left column to personalize your travel business website.

After making your changes, remember to click the ‘Save’ button to apply your settings.

Step 4: Set Up Your Home Page and Navigation Menu

WordPress includes two primary content types by default: posts and pages.

You can use pages for your home page, a Contact Us page, or an About Us page, while posts are intended for creating articles and blog entries for your site.

These posts are displayed in reverse chronological order on your website’s home page.

To enhance your travel business’s visibility, consider starting a travel blog on your website. This can improve your search engine rankings and attract more customers.

For comprehensive guidance, refer to our beginner’s guide on launching a travel blog using WordPress.

Even if you plan to write blog posts, we suggest creating a separate page for your articles instead of showing them on the home page.

You can design a custom home page that beautifully showcases your travel business.

For more information, check out our tutorial on creating a custom home page in WordPress.

After designing your homepage, go to the Settings »Reading section in your WordPress dashboard and select the ‘A static page’ option under ‘Your homepage displays.’

Then, open the ‘Homepage’ dropdown and select the page you want to use.

If you wish to create a dedicated page for your travel blog, refer to our tutorial on setting up a separate blog page. Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.

As you add various posts and pages to your travel business website, you’ll also need to create a navigation menu at the top.

This navigation menu will provide an organized layout of your site and assist your visitors in navigating it.

To learn how to create a navigation menu for your WordPress site, please refer to our step-by-step guide on adding a navigation menu in WordPress.

Step 5: Build Stunning Image Galleries for Your Travel Business

For travel businesses, showcasing beautiful visuals is essential.

High-quality images of breathtaking landscapes, exciting activities, and inviting accommodations can truly inspire potential travelers and motivate them to book a trip with you.

Additionally, these image galleries can be utilized to highlight specific travel packages, narrate the story of your adventure travel company, boost brand recognition, and much more.

To create image galleries in WordPress, we recommend using Envira Gallery.

In our view, it’s the top WordPress gallery plugin available, featuring fantastic options like lightboxes, tags, watermarks, and more.

We’ve thoroughly tested Envira Gallery and found it to be incredibly user-friendly for beginners, capable of managing large volumes of images without slowing down your website. To discover more about why we recommend it, check out our comprehensive Envira Gallery review.

If you determine that this plugin is suitable for you, the first step is to install it. For detailed instructions, refer to our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, navigate to the Envira Gallery » SettingsGo to the page and input your license key, which you can find in your Envira Gallery account.

Next, navigate to theEnvira Gallery » Add Newsection in your WordPress dashboard. Click the ‘Select Files from Your Computer’ button to upload images directly from your device.

If you prefer to use images from the media library, click the ‘Select Files from Other Sources’ button.

After uploading the images for your travel package, scroll down to the ‘Currently in Your Gallery’ section.

Click the pencil icon above each image to open the ‘Edit Metadata’ prompt.

In the prompt that appears, you can add titles, descriptions, tags, and alt text for your images.

Then, click the ‘Save Metadata’ button to save your changes.

You can also customize additional gallery settings to suit your preferences. For more detailed guidance, refer to our beginner’s guide on creating an image gallery in WordPress.

Finally, click the ‘Publish’ button at the top to save your settings.

Now, go to the WordPress page or post where you want to insert the image gallery for your travel package.

To begin, click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button located in the top left corner of your screen to access the block menu. Then, insert the Envira Gallery block into your page or post.

Next, select the image gallery you created for your travel package from the dropdown menu within the block.

Finally, click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

You can now add multiple image galleries to showcase your travel packages, various destinations, and much more on your WordPress travel business website.

Step 6: Install and Configure the WP Travel Engine Plugin

WordPress does not include built-in features for travel businesses by default. Therefore, you’ll need to install a third-party plugin like WP Travel Engine to manage trips and bookings on your site.

WP Travel Engine is a widely-used free WordPress plugin that enables you to create an SEO-optimized travel booking website in just a few minutes.

Begin by installing and activating the WP Travel Engine plugin. For comprehensive guidance, refer to our beginner’s guide on installing a WordPress plugin.

Once activated, the plugin will display a setup wizard on your screen. Click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button to proceed.

You will now enter the ‘Currency Setting’ phase, where you need to select your website’s base currency, its symbol, and a thousand separator.

Next, click the ‘Continue’ button to advance to the following step.

In the subsequent step, configure the email settings by entering the email address where you wish to receive notifications for trip bookings next to the ‘Sales Notification Emails’ option.

If you prefer not to receive notifications, simply toggle the switch at the top off.

Then, enable the ‘Enable Enquiry Email’ option if you wish to send emails to customers who book trips through your website.

Next, enter the email address that will be used to communicate with customers next to the ‘From Email’ option, and click the ‘Continue’ button.

You will now proceed to the ‘Page Settings’ section, where you need to select various pages for checkout, terms and conditions, booking confirmation, and other essential pages.

In this section, you can choose from any of the pages you have already published on your website or opt for a page created by the plugin.

For instance, if you have a pre-existing checkout page, you can select it from the dropdown menu. If you don’t have one, you can leave the setting as is, and the plugin will generate a custom page for you.

Once you have completed this step, click the ‘Continue’ button.

In the ‘Payment Gateway Settings’ section, you need to enable the switches for the ‘Book Now Pay Later’ option and the ‘PayPal’ option.

Next, enter your PayPal email address in the ‘PayPal Email/ID’ field.

These payment gateways will be integrated into your travel business website. After that, click the ‘Continue’ button to proceed.

You have successfully set up the WP Travel Engine plugin.

To complete the setup, simply click the ‘Go to dashboard’ button.

Step 7: Create a Travel Package for Your Business

Now that the plugin is configured, it’s time to create a travel package for your website. To get started, navigate to the Trips » Add New section in the WordPress admin dashboard.

This will open the block editor, allowing you to add a title and details for your travel package. You can also click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button in the top left corner to insert an Image, Heading, or Quote block.

Additionally, you can include the image gallery you created for the travel package by dragging and dropping the ‘Envira Gallery’ block from the block menu.

After that, expand the ‘Destinations’ tab in the block panel on the right and click the ‘Add New Destinations’ link.

Here, you can input the name of the country or city for the travel package you are offering. This feature will assist you in organizing your travel packages by various destinations.

It will also benefit your users if you plan to offer multiple packages for the same destination.

Next, open the ‘Activities’ tab and select the ‘Add New Activities’ link. Here, you can list all the activities you will provide for your clients on this trip, such as snorkeling, hiking, scuba diving, exploring heritage sites, and more.

This feature also allows you to further categorize your trip. For instance, if a user is unsure about their destination but is interested in hiking, entering this keyword in the search box will display all travel packages that include hiking as one of the activities.

After that, you can add a featured image, specify the trip type (such as adventure, leisure vacation, or business trip), and include relevant tags for your package from the block panel.

Now, it’s time to configure the trip settings. To do this, scroll down to the ‘WP Travel Engine – Trip Settings’ section.

Here, you can enter the trip code along with the duration of the trip in days and nights.

You can also set a cutoff date for the travel package, which means users will not be able to book this trip after that specified date.

Additionally, you can define a minimum and maximum age for participants, as well as the minimum and maximum number of participants allowed for the trip.

Once you have completed these settings, remember to click the ‘Save & Continue’ button to save your changes.

This will direct you to the ‘Date and Price’ tab, where you need to click the ‘Add A New Package’ button.

Next, enter a name for your package and click on the ‘Edit Pricing and Dates’ link.

A prompt will appear on the screen, allowing you to expand the ‘Adult’ tab and enter the trip price. You can specify the price per person or for the entire group.

After that, set a price range for children and click the ‘Save and Close’ button when you’re finished.

Next, click the ‘Continue’ button to proceed.

You will then be taken to the ‘Overview’ section, where you can add a title and description for your trip.

You can also include trip highlights, such as a snorkeling adventure, in the ‘Trip Highlights’ section. After that, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

You will now be directed to the ‘Itinerary’ section, where you can start by adding a title.

Next, create a title for the Day 1 itinerary and list all the activities planned for the first day of the trip. To include more days in the itinerary, click the ‘Add Itinerary’ button.

Once you’re finished, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

In the ‘Includes/Excludes’ section, make sure to list everything included in the trip price, such as hotel accommodations, breakfast, and additional amenities.

Likewise, include a section for items not covered in the trip pricing, such as snorkeling fees, dinner, and other optional activities.

After completing that, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

You will then proceed to the ‘Trip Info’ section, where you need to enter a title and select trip facts from the dropdown menu that may not have been previously added.

For instance, if you want to provide details about the hotel your clients will be staying at, select the ‘Accommodation’ option and click the ‘Add Fact’ button.

Next, simply enter the name and link of the hotel next to the ‘Accommodation’ option.

You can also include additional trip details, such as admission fees, arrival city, best travel seasons, payment methods, hotel transfers, WiFi availability, meals, and more.

Once you have finished, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

You will then arrive at the ‘Gallery’ section, where you can toggle the ‘Enable Image Gallery’ switch if you have not yet added a gallery using Envira.

You can easily upload images, and a gallery will be generated automatically. Additionally, you can create a video gallery for the package by enabling the ‘Video Gallery’ option.

Next, you can incorporate a YouTube or Vimeo video into your package. After adding the video, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button to proceed.

This will direct you to the ‘Map’ section, where you can input a title, upload a map image, and include an iframe code for the hotel where your clients will stay or for the overall trip destination.

Then, click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

In the FAQs section, click the ‘Add FAQs’ button to include commonly asked questions from your users. This will help address customer inquiries and enhance your search engine visibility.

After adding the FAQs, simply click the ‘Save & Continue’ button.

Now, scroll back to the top and click the ‘Publish’ button to make your travel package live. You can then visit your WordPress website to see the package in action.

You can create additional packages for your travel agency website by following the same process.

Step 8: Incorporate a Contact Form into Your Travel Business Website

Once you have created several travel packages to sell on your website, it’s beneficial to add a contact form as well.

This contact form enables customers to reach out with any inquiries, enhancing customer satisfaction. Additionally, it allows you to gather customer information, helping you build an email list.

We suggest using WPForms to integrate a contact form into your website.

WPForms is the leading WordPress contact form plugin available, featuring over 2000 pre-designed form templates, a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, spam protection, and much more.

If you’ve explored CanadaCreate, you’ve likely seen our extensive collection of forms, including contact forms, website migration forms, annual user surveys, and a submission form for our Solution Center—all powered by WPForms.

Having used WPForms for several years, we believe we have valuable insights about this popular plugin. To help you determine if it’s suitable for your travel business website, we’ve created an in-depth WPForms review based on our personal experiences.

If you choose to use this plugin, the initial step is to install and activate WPForms. For comprehensive instructions, refer to our tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.

Next, simply select the ‘Simple Contact Form’ template from WPForms and add it to any page or post using the WPForms block.

For comprehensive guidance, check out our tutorial on creating a contact form in WordPress.

In addition to a contact form, we recommend integrating a professional phone service on your travel website to facilitate user communication and bookings over the phone, which can enhance conversion rates.

You can seamlessly incorporate a phone service for your travel business with Nextiva.

Nextiva is the ideal business phone solution for small enterprises, offering user-friendly features, straightforward setup, and competitive pricing.

Interested in learning more? We utilize Nextiva for our VOIP services and have compiled an in-depth review based on our experiences.

Additionally, Nextiva provides extra features such as online faxing, live chat, online surveys, customer relationship management, call analytics, and more.

For more information, refer to our tutorial on setting up an auto-attendant phone system for your website.

Step 9: Incorporate Customer Reviews on Your Website

Another effective way to establish trust with potential customers and boost conversions is by featuring customer reviews on your travel business site.

If you have existing reviews for your travel packages on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, or Google, you can easily display them on your website using the Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro plugin.

Discover the top WordPress customer reviews plugin available, designed to seamlessly integrate reviews into your website with an attractive layout.

Not sure if this plugin is the right fit for your needs? We’ve thoroughly tested Smash Balloon Reviews Feed and compiled our insights in a comprehensive review. This will help you understand how it can effectively display positive customer reviews on your travel website, enhancing trust with potential customers.

If you choose to install it on your travel website, check out our tutorial for step-by-step guidance on displaying Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews in WordPress.

Step 10: Enhance Your Search Engine Rankings with AIOSEO

After completing your travel business website, it’s crucial to prioritize search engine optimization (SEO).

Effective SEO can boost your website’s ranking and increase traffic, ultimately leading to higher conversions and greater interest in your travel business.

We highly recommend using All in One SEO (AIOSEO) to optimize your WordPress site.

AIOSEO features a user-friendly setup wizard that guides you in selecting the optimal SEO settings for your business. Additionally, it includes tools such as an on-page SEO checklist, XML sitemaps, a broken link checker, a schema generator, and much more.

At CanadaCreate, we’ve been utilizing this tool for the past few years and have seen a notable improvement in our search engine rankings. To find out more, check out our review of AIOSEO.

Additionally, you can incorporate FAQs with their schema, monitor individual keyword performance, enhance image SEO, utilize a social media assistant, and leverage the link assistant feature to further optimize your website.

For further information, consider exploring our comprehensive WordPress SEO guide.

Additional Tools to Enhance Conversions on Your Travel Business Website

By this point, you should have a fully operational travel website. Now, scroll back to the top and click the ‘Publish’ button to make your travel package live. After that, you can visit your WordPress site to see the package in action. Here are some plugins you can install to boost your business and increase conversions:

• OptinMonster: This is the leading tool for conversion optimization and lead generation. It allows you to create opt-in forms that will help you build your email list.
• MonsterInsights: This is the top analytics solution for WordPress. It will help you understand where your visitors are coming from and refine your business strategy based on accurate data.
• PushEngage: This is the leading push notification software that enables you to send tailored web push notifications to your customers. For instance, you can inform users when you publish a new blog post or launch a new travel package.
• SearchWP: This is the top search plugin available, allowing you to create an enhanced search form for your website. This ensures that users can easily discover the travel deals they are seeking.

We hope this article has guided you in creating a travel business website using WordPress. You may also find our beginner’s guide helpful for determining the ideal size of a web server for your site, as well as our recommendations for essential WordPress plugins to enhance your business website.

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