Trips represent your multi-day diving experiences, combining various activities with accommodation arrangements to create complete packages for your customers. Whether you're organizing weekend getaways or extended diving expeditions, proper trip configuration ensures smooth operations and clear communication with your customers.
Watch our quick tutorial to learn how to create and manage activities 👇🏻
You can create a course by navigating to Settings > Activity Management > Activities > New Activity > Trip.
Understanding Trip Structure
Unlike single-day tours or courses, trips require careful coordination of multiple elements to create a cohesive experience. Each trip combines accommodations, activities, and logistics into a comprehensive package that meets your customers' expectations while maintaining operational efficiency.
Trip Components
A well-structured trip includes several key elements working together:
Multiple diving activities spread across days
Accommodation arrangements for participants
Coordinated scheduling and logistics
Clear communication of requirements
Comprehensive pricing structure
Basic Trip Setup
Creating a successful trip starts with providing clear, detailed information that helps customers understand the experience you're offering.
Essential Information
Trip Title and Description
Your trip listing needs to capture attention while providing crucial information:
Create an engaging title (maximum 50 characters) that highlights the unique aspects of your trip. For example, "Wreck Week: 5 Days of Adventure" or "Weekend Reef Discovery Package."
Use the subtitle (maximum 100 characters) to provide immediate context about key features like "3 days, 6 dives, beachfront accommodation" or "All-inclusive liveaboard experience."
Write a comprehensive description (maximum 3000 characters) that covers:
Daily activity breakdowns
Accommodation details
Skill level requirements
What's included and excluded
Special features or highlights
Equipment requirements
Travel arrangements
Add trip host bio that covers information such as name, rile, certifications, etc. This helps customers know who they will be with and what expertise they can expect. Text up to maximum 3000 characters can be added.
Accommodation Management
Proper accommodation configuration is crucial for trip success. The platform helps you manage lodging options effectively while maintaining clear communication with customers.
Accommodation Setup
Selection and Configuration
Choose from your predefined accommodation options:
Select appropriate room types
Set availability limits
Define booking restrictions
Configure pricing tiers
Room Management
For each accommodation option:
Set maximum room availability
Define occupancy limits
Configure special requirements
Manage booking windows
Remember that actual room bookings should be handled by you outside the Buddy platform. The platform helps you manage availability and communicate options to customers however, does not integrate directly with the hotel room booking platforms.
Trip Pricing Structure
Trips often involve more complex pricing than single activities. The platform provides tools to manage various pricing components effectively.
Base Pricing
Set comprehensive pricing that accounts for:
Establish rates for the entire trip for each accommodation type
Consider various items such as room costs, activity equipment usage, any additional services and expenses
Configure prices excluding platform fees and taxes
An estimated price (inclusive of fees and taxes) a customer will pay is displayed in the Estimated Pricing column
Additional Services
Configure optional add-ons to enhance the experience:
Equipment packages
Special activities
Premium services
Extra nights
Upgrade options
Location and Meeting Instructions
Clear location information and detailed instructions are especially important for multi-day trips.
Meeting Location
Configure your main meeting point:
Select from saved locations
Provide clear directions
Include landmark references
Add parking information
Detailed Instructions
Help customers prepare for their experience with comprehensive guidance:
Specific arrival time requirements
What to bring and wear
Required documentation
Local considerations
Emergency contact information
Activity Location
Specify the location where you are going to conduct the activity. This is a mandatory field as the tax is calculated for an activity based on the location where the activity will take place.
You can add a new location right from the dropdown while creating the activity. The newly created location will become available for all other activities you create in future.
Note that this field is for internal usage and is not displayed to the customers.
Bookability
Setting up a booking cut-off ensures you have time to prepare and finalize logistics in advance. Once this cut-off time is reached, online bookings will close automatically, and your activity will display as “Call to book” instead.
You can select from the following options:
12 hours
1 (default), 2, 3, 5, 7, 14 days
1, 2 and 3 months
Example: With 1 day selected as the bookability option, if an activity date and time is April 20, 2024 at 9 AM, then bookings can be made no later than 9 AM on April 19, 2025.
Waivers & Medical Forms
The waiver and medical forms step allows you to add customer forms for activities. Note that this will override the links you have set up in the policy settings.
This is an optional step. If you leave the form links empty, the system will default to the links available in the Settings > Policy section.
Important:
You will be able to update the waiver and medical form links of an already published activity which has bookings.
The existing customers will NOT receive a new waiver link. You need to reach out to the customers to get the updated waiver signed.
The newly updated links will be applicable for the upcoming bookings.
Visual Presentation
Strong visual content helps sell your trips effectively while setting appropriate expectations.
Image Selection
Upload high-quality images showcasing:
Accommodation facilities
Diving locations
Equipment and boats
Common areas
Activity highlights
Image Guidelines
Maintain professional standards:
Maximum 10 images
Supported formats: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP
Current, accurate representations
Professional quality
Clear, well-lit shots
What's Included & Add-ons
Clearly communicate trip inclusions, exclusions, requirements and itinerary to prevent misunderstandings and ensure customer satisfaction.
Standard Inclusions
Detail all included elements:
Accommodation details
Scheduled dives
Equipment provisions
Meals and beverages
Transportation services
Support services
Requirements
Highlight any special requirements for this trip such as:
Special equipment requirements
Special clothing considering the climate
Visa requirements, etc.
Itinerary
Add the trip itinerary with day-wise activities from first to last day of the trip.
Add-ons (optional)
Highlight available enhancements:
Special equipment
Additional activities
Premium services
Extended stays
Upgrade options
Schedule Management
Effective trip scheduling requires careful coordination of multiple elements across several days.
Duration Setup
Configure your trip timeline:
Set overall trip duration
Define daily schedules
Plan activity sequences
Include free time
Account for travel
Schedule Patterns
Configure trip frequency based on your operations:
Regular weekly departures
Biweekly schedules
Custom date patterns
Seasonal variations
Use the options available in the Duration section to create availabilities with different durations.
Select day range and enter the number of days for the trip
Create a full day or time based activity for the trip
Use the options available in the Dates section to create recurring availabilities.
Create a one time activity or recurring every week or biweekly
More details about the scheduling can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Trip Planning and Setup
Q: How do I structure a multi-day trip effectively?
A: Create a well-organized trip by:
Planning logical activity sequences
Balancing diving and rest periods
Including appropriate free time
Coordinating accommodations
Managing transportation logistics
Building in schedule flexibility Consider both customer experience and operational efficiency in your planning.
Q: How detailed should daily schedules be?
A: Provide sufficient detail without over-committing:
Include key activity times
Specify meeting points
List meal arrangements
Note free periods
Indicate flexibility points Remember to allow for weather and conditions changes.
Accommodation Management
Q: How do I handle different room preferences?
A: Manage accommodation variety through:
Clear room type descriptions
Accurate pricing per option
Availability limitations
Upgrade paths
Special requests procedures
Q: What if accommodations become unavailable?
A: Have contingency plans ready:
Maintain alternative options
Document change procedures
Prepare communication templates
Consider compensation policies
Track booking patterns
Pricing and Payments
Q: How should I structure trip pricing?
A: Build comprehensive pricing that considers:
All included services
Operational costs
Seasonal variations
Market positioning
Profit margins
Platform fees
Q: How do I handle optional extras?
A: Manage add-ons effectively by:
Creating clear categories
Setting appropriate pricing
Defining availability
Establishing booking deadlines
Tracking preferences
Troubleshooting
Q: What if weather affects scheduled activities?
A: Prepare for weather disruptions:
Build flexible schedules
Have backup activities ready
Document change procedures
Maintain clear communication
Consider compensation policies
Q: How do I handle special dietary requirements?
A: Manage dietary needs through:
Clear communication channels
Advance notification systems
Accommodation coordination
Menu alternatives
Staff briefing procedures
Best Practices
Q: What makes a trip description effective?
A: Create comprehensive descriptions that:
Outline daily activities
Detail inclusions/exclusions
Specify requirements
Address common questions
Set clear expectations
Highlight unique features
Q: How can I improve trip operations?
A: Optimize your trips by:
Documenting procedures
Training staff thoroughly
Maintaining equipment
Gathering feedback
Regular reviews
Continuous improvement