What Is The Eligibility Criteria For Elevate?
This article explains the eligibility criteria for joining TourRadar Elevate program. Each of the six criteria is described in its own section so you can find what you need quickly.
How eligibility works
- We assess every operator against six performance criteria, all measured over the most recent 12 months.
- Your eligibility status refreshes weekly. Improvements take up to a week to be reflected in the dashboard.
There are two possible eligibility states:
- Eligible — you meet all six criteria. You can request to join Elevate.
- Not Eligible — you are missing one or more criteria. Improve the failing criteria and your status updates at the next weekly refresh.
The six criteria
Bookings
What it means: The total number of confirmed bookings your tours have received.
Why it matters: A minimum booking volume shows your tours are commercially viable and that travelers find value in your offering.
How it’s calculated: Sum of confirmed bookings (status: confirmed, not cancelled) across all your tours in the last 12 months.
Threshold: 5 or more confirmed bookings.
How to improve:
- Make sure all your tours are listed, active and have current departure dates available
- Improve tour content, photos, descriptions, itineraries to lift conversion
- Use TourRadar promotions and widget tools to drive more visibility
Verified Reviews
What it means: The number of reviews left by travelers who booked and traveled on your tours via TourRadar.
Why it matters: Verified reviews are the strongest social proof for prospective travelers — they are the foundation of trust on the platform.
How it’s calculated: Count of reviews left by verified travelers (booking confirmed and completed) in the last 12 months.
Threshold: 2 or more verified reviews.
How to improve:
- Encourage travelers to leave a review after their trip. TourRadar sends automated review requests, but a friendly reminder from you helps. Learn more about how to share review links
- Deliver an on-trip experience worth writing about
- Follow up with travelers post-trip for honest feedback
Average Review Rating
What it means: The average star rating across all your verified reviews (1 to 5 stars).
Why it matters: Higher ratings drive higher conversion. Operators with strong ratings earn the trust of search-driven travelers.
How it’s calculated: Mean of all verified review ratings over the last 12 months; each review counts equally.
Threshold: 4.25 or higher (out of 5).
How to improve:
- Read recent reviews carefully to identify patterns; address common feedback themes
- Set accurate expectations in your tour descriptions; surprises (positive or negative) shape ratings
- Train local guides and partners on traveler-experience essentials
Enquiry-to-Booking Rate
What it means: The share of inbound traveler enquiries that turn into confirmed bookings.
Why it matters: A strong conversion rate signals that your tours match traveler demand and that you respond effectively to enquiries.
How it’s calculated: Confirmed bookings divided by total enquiries received in the last 12 months, expressed as a percentage.
Threshold: 20% or higher.
How to improve:
- Respond to enquiries quickly and personally; the first reply is critical
- Be transparent about pricing, availability, and what is included
- Offer alternatives when a specific tour or date is unavailable, rather than just declining
Average Response Time
What it means: How long, on average, it takes your team to respond to traveler enquiries on the TourRadar platform.
Why it matters: Travelers often enquire with multiple operators. A faster response dramatically improves your chances of winning the booking.
How it’s calculated: Mean time from enquiry receipt to your first response, across all enquiries in the last 12 months.
Threshold: 24 hours or less on average.
How to improve:
- Set up email and mobile notifications for new enquiries so your team sees them immediately.
- Establish an internal SLA — for example, every enquiry gets a first reply within four business hours.
- Use templated responses for common questions to speed up replies without losing personalisation.
Booking Decline Rate
What it means: The share of confirmed bookings your team subsequently declines (for example, due to availability issues or pricing errors).
Why it matters: Declined bookings are a poor traveler experience and damage trust in the platform. A low decline rate shows reliable inventory and accurate pricing.
How it’s calculated: Declined bookings divided by total confirmed bookings in the last 12 months, expressed as a percentage.
Threshold: 8% or less.
How to improve:
- Keep your availability calendar accurate and up to date
- Review pricing regularly; avoid stale prices that you cannot honour
- If you have inventory constraints, set realistic capacity per departure instead of over-listing