How to Create a Travel Website That Actually Books Trips

'Just choose a template and start blogging!' If only building a travel website that actually converts were that simple. 

Too often, I’ve seen travel entrepreneurs pour resources into stunning WordPress sites – only to struggle with zero bookings. Having built and optimized countless sites across industries, I know exactly where things go wrong.

Sound familiar? Maybe you're:

• Overwhelmed by the endless WordPress themes claiming to be 'perfect for travel'
• Frustrated with template designs that look great but fail to drive action
• Wondering why your competitors' sites seem to effortlessly attract and convert visitors

Travel websites have unique needs. Your site needs to spark wanderlust while simultaneously guiding visitors toward specific actions, whether that's booking a tour, signing up for a newsletter, or purchasing a travel guide.

With the online travel market racing toward $800 billion by 2028 (according to Statista), the opportunity is massive. But success requires more than just stunning travel photos and a blog feed. 

I know exactly what separates the sites that fade into the background from those that turn visitors into customers – and today you get to learn how to build a website that falls in the latter category.

In this guide, I'm sharing a proven approach to creating travel websites that are positioned to perform well.

Ready? Let’s go!

What You'll Need to Build Your Travel Website

From my experience, I've found that getting the foundation right is crucial. Let's break down exactly what you'll need to create a travel website that actually performs.

From boutique travel agencies to adventure blogs, these are the essential tools you need to build a standout site:

Now I know this might feel like a lot. But that’s because you’re processing this all at once. You’re here to figure out what you need and once you understand that, you can get started bit by bit.

Getting these pieces right now prevents the all-too-common scenario of rebuilding your site six months in because your initial setup can't handle your business growth.

Ready to start putting these pieces together? Let's move on to the actual build process.

How to Build a Stunning Travel Website That Secures Views & Bookings

Let's talk about what really matters when creating your travel website. Beautiful destination photos are great, but your site needs to inspire action.

I've seen too many travel websites that look stunning but fail to convert – and it often has to do with how they’ve set up their website. 

Beautiful design is just one step. But you need to use your website’s design to strategically guide visitors from that first moment of wanderlust to hitting the "book now" button. That's why I'm going to show you how to create a site that balances inspiration with action.

1. Download & Install Thrive Theme Builder + Thrive Architect

Creating a travel website that converts is straightforward when you have the right tools. That's why I use Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect for every website build.

Here's what makes this duo so powerful for travel websites: Thrive Theme Builder helps you set up your entire site structure in minutes. 

You'll get a custom WordPress theme with professional layouts specifically designed to show off destinations, complete with your brand colors, fonts, and styles. Want to display your Santorini sunset photos in a full-width gallery? Need a special template for your tour packages? Thrive Theme Builder handles it all without touching a line of code.

Once your theme is set, Thrive Architect takes your travel site to the next level. You'll create stunning landing pages that turn visitors into bookers using simple drag-and-drop tools. Add booking forms, pricing tables for tour packages, and other elements – all without hiring a developer. I especially love how it handles mobile responsiveness, which is essential since most travelers browse and book on their phones.

I've tried many website builders over the years, but I keep coming back to Thrive. Yes, there are free options out there, but the time saved and booking-focused features more than justify the investment. In fact, one converted booking usually covers the entire cost.

Ready to get started? Let's walk through how to set these tools up...

2. Choose The Perfect Travel Theme for Your Website

After installing Thrive Theme Builder, you'll need to select your theme. I recommend Travel theme: a sophisticated design that puts your destinations front and center.

Looking at the theme, you'll immediately notice its clean, modern aesthetic with large imagery that captures attention. The homepage opens with a full-width hero section perfect for showcasing your most stunning destination photos, complete with compelling headlines and clear call-to-action buttons.

What I love about this theme is how it organizes content. The destination grid layout makes it easy to showcase multiple locations, while the special offers section helps highlight your best deals. Each element is thoughtfully placed to guide visitors toward booking.

Some standout features I appreciate:

• A clean, uncluttered navigation that keeps visitors focused
• Beautiful destination cards that showcase your locations
• Stats and social proof sections that build trust
• Dedicated spaces for special offers and early booking deals
• Smart use of white space that lets your travel photos shine

The theme comes with everything you need right out of the box – homepage layouts, destination pages, booking sections, and offer displays. Plus, you can easily customize every element to match your brand using Thrive's visual editor.

Now that you've seen what the theme looks like, let's move on to customizing it for your specific needs...

3. Set Up Your Site Structure in 45 Minutes or Less

Let's get your travel website up and running. The best part about Thrive Theme Builder is its Setup Wizard. It's like having a professional web designer guiding you through each decision, minus the hefty price tag.

I'll be honest. The first time I used the wizard, I was skeptical about the "45 minutes" claim. But it really does walk you through every essential element of your site's structure in a logical, straightforward way.

First, you'll upload your logo and select colors that complement your travel photos. Pick your primary brand color, and the wizard automatically creates a harmonious color scheme across your entire site.

Next, you'll set up your header and footer. This might seem basic, but it's crucial for travel sites – your visitors need to easily find your destinations, deals, and booking pages from anywhere on your site.

Then comes the fun part – choosing your homepage template. You get two options: one that leads with breathtaking destination imagery, another that highlights your latest travel deals and packages. Both are designed to turn visitors into bookers.

The wizard also helps you set up templates for your blog posts (perfect for travel guides), destination pages, and booking sections. By the time you're done, you'll have a complete website structure ready for your content.

Everything gets saved in the Templates section of Thrive Theme Builder, so you can tweak and adjust as needed.

That's it! A complete travel website structure in less time than it takes to book a flight. Ready to start customizing?

4. Create and Customize Your Core Pages in Thrive Architect

Now that your structure is set, let's make your travel website uniquely yours with Thrive Architect. This is where you'll take those professional templates and adapt them to perfectly match your brand and offerings.

Thrive Architect works like your favorite photo editing software – intuitive enough for beginners but powerful enough for pros. You can drag and drop elements exactly where you want them, resize images of your destinations, and adjust everything from button colors to spacing.

The travel-focused templates give you a beautiful foundation to build on. From here, you can customize every element to reflect your unique travel brand. Want to add a video background of waves crashing on your beach destination page? Need to insert a booking form for your tours? Everything is just a few clicks away.

What I love most about Thrive Architect is the block templates system. Think of blocks as pre-designed sections you can mix and match. Need to add a testimonial section from happy travelers? Or a photo gallery of your latest adventure tour? Just grab a block template, drop it in, and customize.

The right sidebar is your toolbox – packed with elements specifically useful for travel sites:

• Pricing tables for tour packages
• Countdown timers for early-bird deals
• Image galleries for destinations
• Booking forms and buttons
• ...and so much more!

Remember, while the templates provide a professional starting point, every element can be adjusted, moved, or styled to create something uniquely yours – no coding needed.

5. Now, Finalize Your Travel Homepage

Your homepage is often a traveler's first impression of your business, so let's make it count. The good news? The Travel theme has already generated a homepage for you – now it's time to make it your own.

Head to your WordPress Dashboard and find "Generated Homepage" under the Pages section. One click on "Launch Thrive Architect" and you're ready to customize.

The pre-built travel homepage comes with strategically placed sections that guide visitors toward booking:

• A hero section showcasing your signature destination
• Featured tours or packages
• Destination highlights
• Social proof and reviews
• Special offers and early-bird deals

But here's where you can get creative. Maybe you want to add:

• A video background of your most popular destination
• An interactive map of your tour locations
• A featured deals slider
• Customer testimonials with travel photos
• A last-minute offers section

Remember that Travel theme's homepage is specifically designed for conversion. Each section builds trust and guides visitors toward taking action – whether that's booking a tour, requesting information, or signing up for travel deals.

6. Connect Your Travel Site to Your Business Tools

A great travel website needs to do more than just look good. It needs to work seamlessly with your business tools. Let's get your site connected to the services that'll help you manage bookings, communications, and marketing.

First up is the Thrive API connection. This is your website's handshake with essential business tools, and you'll only need to set it up once. You can use this feature to connect to your email marketing services, CRM tools, and other software using an integration tool like Zapier or Uncanny Automator.

To set up these connections:

1. Head to your Thrive Dashboard
2. Look for "API Connections"
3. Choose your service providers
4. Follow the setup wizard for each

For email marketing specifically, you'll want to connect your opt-in forms. Click on any form on your site, select "Connect form with service" in the sidebar, and follow the prompts to link it to your email provider.

7. Add an Online Store (Optional)

If you're planning to sell travel packages, tours, or even destination-specific merchandise directly through your website, adding an online store is your next step. WordPress makes this surprisingly straightforward.

For travel businesses, I recommend these e-commerce solutions:

• WooCommerce + WooCommerce Bookings: Perfect for selling tour packages and handling reservations. It's free to start and scales well as your travel business grows.
• WP Simple Pay: Great if you just need to accept deposits or secure bookings with simple payments.
• Easy Digital Downloads: Ideal if you're selling digital travel guides or destination resources.

The setup process is straightforward with any of these options. You'll be able to:

• Create products (like tour packages or travel experiences)
• Set seasonal pricing and special rates
• Handle booking deposits
• Manage availability calendars
• Process secure payments

Once you've set up your store, take a moment to test the booking process from start to finish. Make a test purchase and ensure everything flows smoothly from the customer's perspective.

Bonus: Key Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Travel Website

Building a beautiful travel website is just the first step. Now let's talk about getting it in front of the right audience. After years of working with different sites, I've found several strategies that consistently deliver results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is your foundation. The travel industry is particularly well-suited for SEO because people actively search for destination information, travel tips, and tour reviews. Start by creating detailed destination guides that answer specific questions travelers are asking. Focus on unique experiences in each location, and include practical details like best times to visit, local transportation, and insider tips.

Visual platforms are naturally perfect for travel content. Pinterest, in particular, has become a go-to platform for travel planning. Create visually striking pins for each destination, and organize them into themed boards like "European Getaways" or "Adventure Travel Tips." Meanwhile, Instagram helps build trust by showcasing your destinations through compelling imagery and authentic stories.

You could also add your social feeds to your WordPress website. This is a great way to build trust and credibility and drive traffic to your business's social platforms as well. You can use this guide to get started today.

Speaking of trust, it's crucial in the travel industry. Get your website listed on reputable travel directories, and actively encourage reviews from past travelers. Consider partnering with local tourism boards or destination experts to enhance your credibility. Share expert insights about your locations through detailed blog posts and guides.

And don't overlook email marketing – it's still one of the most effective ways to drive repeat traffic. Offer something valuable, like a free destination guide or packing checklist, to build your email list. Then nurture these subscribers with a mix of practical travel tips, destination highlights, and special offers. Remember, travelers often plan trips months in advance, so consistent communication keeps your brand top of mind.

Finally, track everything. Use Google Analytics to understand which content resonates with your audience and which traffic sources deliver the best results. For an easier way to access and interpret your data, MonsterInsights simplifies Google Analytics right inside your WordPress dashboard. Need help setting it up? Follow our step-by-step guide on how to set up Analytics on WordPress!

Next Steps: Back Up and Protect Your Business

Scenario: You've just spent weeks perfecting your travel website, loading it with stunning destination photos, tour packages, and carefully crafted content. Then one day, something goes wrong. Maybe a plugin update breaks your site, or worse, you experience a security breach. Without a proper backup, you could lose everything.

For travel websites, backups are super important. Your site isn't just a digital brochure – it's often handling booking information, customer data, and potentially payment details. Plus, you're likely updating content frequently with new tours, seasonal offers, and destination guides.

This is why I exclusively use Duplicator Pro for all my WordPress sites. 

Here's why it's especially valuable for travel businesses:

• Complete site backups, including all your destination photos and tour details
• Scheduled automated backups (set it and forget it)
• Easy restoration if anything goes wrong
• Simple site migration when you need to upgrade hosting
• Cloud storage options to keep your backups secure

Think of Duplicator Pro as insurance for your travel business. When you're handling bookings and customer information, you can't afford to lose data or have extended website downtime. One missed booking could cost more than a year's worth of backup protection.

The setup is straightforward, and once it's running, you can focus on growing your travel business knowing your site is protected. Having this safety net in place means you can confidently make updates, try new features, or modify your booking system without worrying about losing your work.

Remember: It's not just about backing up. This about business continuity. Your travel website is often the first point of contact with potential customers. Making sure it's always available and functioning properly is essential for maintaining trust and securing bookings.

Start Building Your Travel Website Today

Now you know how to create a travel website.

Excited? You should be! We've just walked through everything you need to create a website that turns browsers into bookers. And the best part? It's easier than you might think.

With Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect in your toolkit, you're all set to create something amazing. No design experience? No problem. No coding skills? Don't need them. These tools do the heavy lifting so you can focus on what you do best – creating incredible travel experiences.

The travel industry is booming (hello, $800 billion market by 2028!), and there's never been a better time to launch your travel website. Just imagine:

• Your stunning destination photos front and center
• Easy booking systems that work while you sleep
• A professional site that builds instant trust
• Everything you need to grow your travel brand

Thousands of travel businesses are already using Thrive to share their adventures with the world. Ready to join them?

Start Your Travel Website Adventure

Already part of the Thrive family? Jump in and start creating with the Travel theme today!