REDRIB Experiences

REDRIB is a young, Helsinki-based company specialising in RIB boat tours that take visitors around Helsinki and the archipelago. The founder-led business opened in 2018 and knew from the onset that it would sell tours online, and so having a booking system was essential. 

Newly founded, the company evaluated several booking platforms before ultimately selecting Bókun for their operations.

By adopting Bókun from the very beginning, REDRIB was able to immediately offer online bookings and leverage the Marketplace to secure reseller contracts, generating additional revenue streams and fueling the young company’s growth. This strategic decision has proven fruitful, as REDRIB now boasts a solid five-star rating on Google.

Key results:

• 89% of bookings for the last 24 months came from direct online bookings through the booking widget
• 11% of bookings came through reseller contracts over the past 24 months
• They made 29 reseller contracts via Marketplace for reseller connections

Embracing the exciting challenge of a new venture, REDRIB was eager to expand their reach to global customers. Their primary focus and challenge became finding and attracting the perfect customers for their distinctive tour offerings.

“Bókun was just launching their services in Finland, and it seemed like a really good platform. So, we considered Bókun and a few others, but we decided to go with Bókun and have been with them since,” says Lief Rosas, the company founder. 

In the early stages, the operator faced difficulties in reaching their target audience. However, their partnership with Bókun proved to be a turning point in effectively connecting with customers.

“It’s hard to find the end customer. We don’t know where they come from. They come from all over the world. It’s really difficult to connect and reach out to global customers. So they find us, and of course, Bókun helps a lot in finding the customers.” – Leif Rosas, founder of REDRIB

Starting from scratch, REDRIB had to get accustomed to the new platform, which initially required support from Bókun to set it up. 

“The support is great, and the chat works really well, and it’s fast, so you get answers to all your questions,” adds Lief Rosas, “If there are any issues, you get them solved right away with the chat, and that’s still the case even if Bókun has grown immensely and there’s a whole lot of teams handling the chat. It works really great, so the support is super.”

After successfully implementing the system, REDRIB found it to be robust and dependable. Their exceptional service and booking process earned them a five-star rating on Google, which is how many customers discover them today.

To boost visibility, Bókun allows them to advertise on various platforms, including Google and OTAs like Viator and GetYourGuide, as well as powering their website booking widgets, where customers can make bookings easily. 

“Our experience is that Bókun is a super great software that is very stable.” – Leif Rosas, founder of REDRIB

Thanks to the Bókun Marketplace platform, REDRIB found new partner OTAs (online travel agencies) and companies it would not have found on its own. This not only increased their revenue with additional bookings, but also reduced administrative overhead.

“Having the Bókun platform makes connecting to other OTAs in the Marketplace really easy. So it opens up new possibilities.” – Leif Rosas, founder of REDRIB

The young tour company achieved impressive results, with 89% of their bookings in the last 24 months coming from direct online bookings through the Bókun booking widget, and an additional 11% of bookings generated through the 29 reseller contracts they established via the Marketplace.

“You find partner companies or marketplaces you wouldn’t come in contact with; otherwise, you have to Google every single one,” says Rosas.

“It’s a great place to connect with other companies and to increase your resale contract network and then it’s so easy just simply to ask people to book online and check details online, so we save a lot of time not having to answer questions about what is included. You simply have it in the description. It solves a lot of normal communication issues and saves time. If it wouldn’t be online, we’d need a staff of five or six persons handling emails and stuff like that.” – Leif Rosas, founder of REDRIB

Other Key Operational Improvements: 

• The automated online booking system eliminated the need for a large customer service team to handle emails and inquiries.
• Bókun allowed REDRIB to provide detailed tour information online, reducing the need for individual customer queries.
• Easy integration with resellers through the Marketplace streamlined the process of forming and maintaining partnerships.
• 89% of bookings came directly from online bookings through the Bókun booking widget, simplifying the reservation process.

As a new company that’s getting started, REDRIB has strategically focused on driving sales and streamlining online bookings. To achieve this, they’ve primarily leveraged Bókun’s Marketplace and booking widget, which effectively cover their core operational needs. 

However, Bókun’s platform offers scalability, allowing REDRIB to integrate additional apps and widgets as their business expands.

“If you have the PRO package, you can go really far with that. And when sales grow, you can always add the extra apps if you really need them. But it’s really simple and affordable to get up and running. That’s maybe the best part of it.” – Leif Rosas, founder of REDRIB

Bókun Marketplace
The Bókun Marketplace opened doors to 29 reseller contracts for REDRIB. This feature expanded their global reach, allowing partnerships with online travel agencies and other companies, simplifying the process of establishing valuable connections.

Booking Widget
The Bókun booking widget enabled REDRIB to take primarily online bookings, now 89% of their sales. This user-friendly tool integrated into their website, allowing customers to easily view availability, select tours, and complete bookings.

Add-ons and Extras
Add-ons were introduced to enhance customer experience and increase ROI. This feature allowed REDRIB to upsell additional services like airport transfers or private guides, personalising offerings and increasing average transaction value.

Automatic Messages
Automatic messages improve communication with customers. This feature sends timely booking confirmations, reminders, and thank you notes without manual intervention, enhancing customer satisfaction and reducing workload.

The RIB tour operator learned that their original hunch was that most bookings would come from the online platform and that many customers use their reviews as a stepping stone to booking tours. 

Regarding their partnership with Bókun, the operator has found out that they can always rely on getting the support they need to add a new widget or app when they need it or turn to Bókun for help regarding technical issues. They noticed that even as a small company, Bókun listened to their questions and were responsive to feature requests and developments.  

“When we need assistance, like with how to add the add-ons or extras so they work properly, we contact our Bókun experts,” says Rosas, “We increase our services based on demands from customers, as the more and more people ask the same question, like with airport transfer, then we see there’s a demand to add it. Conversely, if we offer it offline and there is no response, we don’t see any point in adding a service online. We go with the supply and demand.”

Another add-on they hope to add via Bókun to their site is the carbon footprint for each tour. 

“We are the first RIB company in Finland that has a sustainability certification, and are looking to transfer to greener alternatives in the future, like electric boats,” adds Rosas, “We follow the progress in that field, and as soon as there’s a chance to replace one or two boats with the electric version, we will do it. The next step in that field is knowing exactly how much fuel we use on each tour with each boat. So, we will calculate the carbon footprint for each season and each tour, and I hope I will be able to display this through Bókun.”

REDRIB’s experience confirmed their initial belief that most bookings would come through online platforms, with customer reviews playing a crucial role in attracting new business. 

They’ve found Bókun’s support invaluable for implementing new features and addressing technical issues, appreciating the company’s responsiveness to suggestions from even smaller operators. 

The tour company has learned to adapt their offerings based on customer demand, adding extra services like airport transfers when there’s clear interest. 

Looking ahead, REDRIB aims to integrate sustainability features into their Bókun setup, including displaying carbon footprint information for each tour, aligning with their status as Finland’s first RIB company with a sustainability certification and their plans to transition to electric boats in the future.

Bókun’s mission is to help your tour and activity business generate more bookings with less work. Start your free 14-day trial today to explore our software can help you save time and grow your business.