What Is The Eligibility Criteria For Growth Products?
This article explains the eligibility criteria for joining TourRadar Growth products such as the Elevate program and Ads campaigns.
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 and set up Ads campaigns.
- 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 help travelers feel confident booking with you. They are one of the most important factors in building trust on TourRadar.
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: Verified reviews help travelers feel confident booking with you. They are one of the most important factors in building trust on TourRadar.
How it’s calculated: Average 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: Average 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.
- Set a goal for your team — for example, reply to every enquiry 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: When a confirmed booking is declined, it creates a frustrating experience for the traveler and can affect their confidence in both TourRadar and your company. A low decline rate shows that your availability and pricing are accurate and reliable.
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 outdated prices that you cannot honour
- If you have inventory constraints, set realistic capacity per departure instead of over-listing