Mastering Data Reporting for Tours & Attractions

However, making sense of this data can feel like trying to solve a complex puzzle. Many operators face the challenge of managing and interpreting data from various sources, whether it’s ticket sales, retail, food and beverage, or private events.

The task becomes even more daunting when this data comes from multiple locations, each with its own set of variables, and must be used and interpreted by multiple departments of your organization to achieve their specific goals.

But why is reporting so hard in this industry? And what does good reporting look like?

This guide will help demystify the journey from disorganized data to data- driven success. We’ll explore what you need from a software standpoint and provide examples of reports that can transform how you run your business.

Reporting Challenges in the Tours and Attractions Industry

For all the reasons listed below, it’s difficult for a software system to act as a single source of truth for all this disparate data.

Common complaints from operators in the space about their chosen reservation technology’s reporting capabilities usually follow a similar pattern, ranging from simple complaints about functionality to complex needs that are not common within the industry:

• “I don’t have access to real-time dashboard reports.”
• “It’s difficult to develop or build custom reports.”
• “There are limited options for exporting reports to Excel for further data manipulation and analysis.”
• “We need a solution that streamlines all business processes and allows for electronic tracking and reporting through integrated business intelligence capabilities.”
• “The system should support a wide range of operational and commercial reports for business intelligence and be capable of exporting data to third-party analytics software using a standard export format.”

As data’s role in business decision-making becomes increasingly complex, having a robust reporting system that can keep up is essential.

Customers are exporting and manipulating their data from finance, HR and CRM software – why should reservation technology be any different? Why isn’t this easy?

Several factors contribute to the difficulty of reporting in the tours and attractions industry:

1. Fragmented Systems

Many operators use multiple point solutions for ticketing, marketing, and operations. For example, you might use Shopify for retail, Mailchimp for email marketing, and Square for POS transactions.

Each system generates its own data, leading to a fragmented view of your business. To achieve effective reporting, operators need an "all-in-one" solution that consolidates data into a single source of truth.

2. Outdated Technology

If your current system was built over 20 years ago, it’s likely outdated and incapable of meeting today’s data analysis needs.

Modern reporting systems require flexibility, allowing users to generate custom reports, export data easily, and integrate with other tools. Without these capabilities, operators can find themselves stuck using SQL queries for simple reports—a task that can be both time-consuming and frustrating.

3. Complex Data Needs

The complexity of data in the modern age demands advanced tools and integrations. Different users within an organization have varied needs—finance teams require detailed sales reports, marketing teams need customer data, and operations teams need information on attendance and capacity.

A truly robust reporting suite must cater to all these needs, offering a range of options from quick exports to deep BI tool integrations.

How to Achieve Ideal Reporting

Good reporting should be comprehensive, accessible, and actionable. For tours and attractions, this means there are key capabilities required to meet the diverse needs of operators:

• Standard Reports and Data Visualizations
• Direct Integration with Business Intelligence Tools
• Data Export Capability
• API Access

Without a robust reporting suite, it is likely you are not enabling your entire team to effectively use the data that is housed in your reservation technology system.

Here’s a quick overview of the four components.

Standard Reports and Data Visualizations

• Features: Ready-to-use reports and visualizations that cover key business metrics such as revenue, visitor demographics, and inventory.
• Benefits: These pre-configured reports provide immediate insights, helping you quickly understand your business performance without the need for complex setup.

Business Intelligence Integration

• Features: Direct integration with tools like Power BI, enabling advanced data analysis and custom dashboards.
• Benefits: Leverage business intelligence tools for deeper insights and tailor your dashboards to meet specific business needs.

Data Export Capability

• Features: Easy export of data to Excel for further manipulation and analysis.
• Benefits: Provides the flexibility to analyze data in ways that best suit your business needs, combining data from RocketRez with other sources for a comprehensive analysis.

API Access

• Features: Unrestricted export of data to any third-party software via API.
• Benefits: Ensures operational flexibility by allowing data to be used wherever it’s needed without restrictions, and integrates seamlessly with other systems and tools.

As we've explored, effective reporting is essential for tours and attractions operators to make informed decisions, optimize operations, and drive business growth.

Understanding the common challenges faced—whether it’s fragmented systems, outdated technology, or complex data needs—highlights the necessity of a robust, integrated reporting solution.

By ensuring access to key reports, data visualizations, and seamless integrations, operators can turn raw data into actionable insights.

In the next post, we'll dive into the critical dashboards that every operator should have in place to maximize efficiency and performance.