The Direct Booking Desk · For East African tour operators
Turn international travellers into confirmed bookings.
- A website travellers trust
- Google Ads that find the right travellers
- A booking desk that replies in seconds and follows up for you
Led by Eric Iradukunda, founder · Kigali · Replies personally on WhatsApp02:47 in Kigali. The traveller gets an answer in seconds.
Example conversation
The problem
Why travellers visit your website but don't book.
They don't trust you yet
A traveller about to send thousands of dollars to a company in another country checks you first. If your website looks like a template, your company name is different on TripAdvisor, your reviews are old, and there's no face or phone number, they leave quietly.
Your ads reach the wrong people
Broad Google Ads put you up against the biggest travel companies in the world. You pay for clicks from people who were never going to book with a local operator.
Enquiries go cold
Most enquiries arrive at night, Kigali time. By the time you reply with an itinerary, the traveller has written to three other operators. Sending one email and waiting loses most of them.
We fix all three together. Fixing just one rarely brings more bookings.
Our tourism work
Websites travellers trust. Visit them yourself.
Built for operators in Rwanda and Uganda, for travellers who speak English, German and Spanish.
“From the outset, the team took the time to understand our business and provided solutions that genuinely reflected our brand and goals. The improvements made to our digital presence and business systems have given us greater confidence in the direction we are taking. We look forward to continuing to work with IgaBusiness and would gladly recommend their services.”
What you get
One system, three parts.
1 · Trust: so travellers believe you
- A new website made to win the trust of international travellers
- Your story, your team and your guides, on the pages travellers actually see
- The same name, photos and contact details on Google, TripAdvisor, SafariBookings and social media
- A free destination guide that collects the emails of travellers who are still planning
- Review requests sent automatically after every trip
2 · Traffic: so the right travellers find you
- Google Ads for specific searches like "Rwanda gorilla trekking tour", not broad words the big brands own
- Tracking that counts real enquiries, not just clicks
- We manage and improve your ads every month
3 · Follow-up: so enquiries become bookings
- Instant replies on WhatsApp, your website chat and Instagram, day and night
- Travellers book a call with you straight into your calendar
- A proposal page with your itinerary, a short personal video and a deposit button
- Friendly follow-up messages for 14 days, so no enquiry is forgotten
- Messages before, during and after the trip for every booked guest
The traveller journey
From a 2am enquiry to a paid deposit.
The system does the fast, repetitive work. You do what only a person can: one call, one proposal, one short video.
- 01
Instant reply
The traveller gets a warm, accurate answer in seconds, in their language, at any hour.
Automatic - 02
Understand the trip
It asks for dates, group size, budget and trip style, then tells you who is ready and who is still dreaming.
Automatic - 03
Planning call
Serious travellers book a 20 to 30-minute call with you. You get a short summary of each traveller before the call.
You - 04
Proposal
A draft itinerary is prepared from your call notes. You check it, record a 1-minute video, and send it.
You - 05
Follow-up
Helpful, personal messages for 14 days. If the traveller replies, the messages stop and you're alerted.
Automatic - 06
Deposit
They pay the deposit online, and pre-trip messages start automatically.
Traveller
Weekly scoreboard
You'll always know if the enquiries are good.
- One WhatsApp report every Monday
- Every enquiry tracked to paid deposit
- A monthly group session to fix what's stuck
Example only. Your numbers will be different.
10 qualified enquiries in your first 90 days. If not, we manage your ads for free until you get them.
We guarantee what we control: real enquiries from the right travellers. Bookings depend on both of us, so we track every step together on the weekly scoreboard.
A qualified enquiry is a completed itinerary request from your target markets, with destination, travel month and number of travellers. The 90 days start when your ads go live, after your new website is finished. Requires a Google Ads budget of at least US$1,000 a month, paid directly to Google, and replying to warm enquiries within the agreed time.
Is this right for you?
A good fit if you…
- Are a licensed tour operator in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania
- Sell private, tailor-made trips, mid-range to luxury
- Can spend at least US$1,000 a month on Google Ads for 6 months
- Will reply to travellers on WhatsApp and follow up warm enquiries within a few hours
- Want more direct bookings and less dependence on agents and booking sites
Not the right fit if you…
- Mainly sell budget group tours or day trips
- Want more leads but don't want to change how you follow up
- Are looking for someone to manage your social media
- Need bookings this month. Luxury travellers plan months ahead.
Who you'll work with
I'm Eric. I know the traveller you're selling to.
I'm Rwandan. I studied at Dartmouth College and spent more than seven years in the United States marketing for American companies, learning how travellers research, compare and decide.
You work directly with me, from the audit to launch. I lead every build, and I don't hand you off to a junior account manager.
Frequently asked questions
Other agencies have promised results before. Why is this different?
How much does it cost?
Do I need a new website?
How long before I get enquiries?
I already use Safari Portal, Wetu or my own itinerary tool. Do I have to switch?
Will the automatic replies say something wrong to a traveller?
Who owns the website and the traveller contacts?
What do you need from me?
Find out why travellers aren't booking.
Apply below. If it's a good fit, you'll book a free 30-minute call. I'll show you what I found and what I would fix first.
Apply for a free Booking AuditTakes about 2 minutes · I reply personally within one working day