Case Study
How We Designed a Strategy to Drive High-Value Leads for a Luxury Tour Operator in South America
Client Overview
A premium tour operator specializing in luxury experiences across Peru, Ecuador, and the Galápagos Islands approached Allura with a challenge: how to reach affluent, English-speaking travelers aged 40+ who were ready to book bucket-list experiences—without wasting budget on unqualified clicks. With destinations like Machu Picchu and the Galápagos competing for attention in a crowded digital landscape, they needed a strategic partner who understood both luxury travel and the nuances of running paid ads on Meta.
The Challenge
The client faced three core obstacles
Audience Precision
Reaching high-net-worth travellers who value personalized, stress-free planning over mass-market tours
Multi-Destination Complexity
Balancing ad spend across three distinct destinations, each with unique selling points and ideal customer profiles
Long SalesCycles
Converting travelers who typically research and plan luxury trips 3-6 months in advance
Our Approach
Strategic Foundation
We built a destination-specific, full-funnel Meta advertising framework designed to guide travellers from initial inspiration to booking. Rather than treating all destinations equally, we allocated budget based on conversion potential and search demand
50% to Peru campaigns
highest intent, strongest brand recognition
35% to Galápagos campaigns
premium positioning, wildlife enthusiasts
15% to Ecuador campaigns
emerging interest, adventure travellers
Audience Segmentation
Primary Audience (60% budget)
Ages 45-65, affluent empty nesters and retirees seeking cultural immersion and luxury experiences.
Secondary Audience (40% budget)
Ages 40-55, pre-retirees interested in adventure travel, wildlife photography, and guided cultural experiences.
Key Tactics
Top of Funnel (35% of budget)
Brand awareness campaigns featuring stunning visual content—Machu Picchu at sunrise, Galápagos wildlife close-ups, Amazon rainforest drone footage. The goal: position the operator as the definitive luxury provider for South American travel.
Middle of Funnel (40% of budget)
Lead generation campaigns with high-value content offers like destination-specific travel guides, personalized quiz experiences ("What's your ideal Peru itinerary?"), and insider tips from local experts.
Bottom of Funnel (25% of budget)
Conversion-focused campaigns targeting warm audiences with testimonials, limited-availability messaging, and seasonal urgency.
Three-Stage Funnel Architecture
We implemented concurrent campaigns across awareness, consideration, and conversion stages
Peru
Brand awareness campaigns featuring stunning visual content—Machu Picchu at sunrise, Galápagos wildlife close-ups, Amazon rainforest drone footage. The goal: position the operator as the definitive luxury provider for South American travel.
Galápagos
Positioned as wildlife meets luxury, highlighting intimate experiences over crowded tours
Ecuador
Showcased diversity and hidden gems for sophisticated travelers seeking the road less traveled
Destination-Specific Messaging
Each destination required its own narrative
Month 1
Launch and test across all destinations, build custom audiences, identify winning creatives
Month 2
Scale top performers, introduce advanced retargeting, implement urgency messaging
Month 3
Maximum conversion focus with "last chance" seasonal campaigns and exclusive offers for engaged leads
Progressive Optimization Strategy
We structured the 3-month campaign to scale
Real Travellers
(or relatable characters) in actual tour settings to help travellers imagine visualize themselves being on the tours
Benefit-driven copy
focused on feelings, not features (Eg. "The magic of South America, minus the hassle")
Luxury cues
throughout (5-star hotels, private guides, intimate group sizes)
User-generated content
for authenticity and trust-building
Creative Excellence
We recommended a content mix that prioritized authenticity along with clear luxury signals
The Allura Difference
This strategy wasn’t just about running ads. It was about understanding the psychology of luxury travel buyers and creating a roadmap aligned with their buying journey while guiding them toward conversion. By balancing platform best practices with deep industry knowledge, we delivered a strategy designed to achieve sub-$50 cost-per-lead targets while maintaining the premium positioning essential to luxury travel marketing.
