The challenge
This organisation is a global community of tourism operators, changemakers and travellers who focus on purposeful travel. They have operated for more than 25 years and design and run their own travel and volunteer experiences, working closely with local communities to support meaningful impact.
As the business grew, the limitations of their existing setup became clear. Contact and partner data lived across multiple tools, segmentation was inconsistent, and opportunity tracking did not reflect the reality of both sales activity and partner programme growth. They needed one system of record for relationships and revenue, connected to automated communications.
What was holding them back
Their processes worked, but they were hard to scale and difficult to report on.
- Contact and partner data lived across multiple tools, creating duplication and gaps.
- Monthly newsletters were harder to manage because segmentation was inconsistent.
- Opportunity tracking did not reflect the reality of both sales activity and partner programme growth.
- Events and non-sales work relied on informal task tracking, which limited accountability.
Our approach
We implemented a simple principle: one system of record for relationships and revenue, connected to automated communications. The result is a workflow that is easier to maintain, easier to train, and more dependable for reporting.
What we built and configured
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CRM data model
Configured Capsule CRM to hold all customer, prospect, and partner records in one place. Introduced tags and custom fields aligned to travel and tourism workflows, making filtering, reporting, and handover between team members straightforward.
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Segmentation with tags
Introduced a tagging system designed for partner programmes and B2B opportunity management, including partner, prospect, high value, warm, and cold. Tags are applied consistently at the point of contact creation.
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Multiple sales pipelines
Implemented separate pipelines so the team could measure performance across distinct motion types rather than forcing everything into one set of stages. This improved clarity for forecasting and partner programme growth.
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Transpond newsletters and automation
Configured Transpond to deliver consistent monthly newsletters and automated nurture sequences. Web forms were introduced to capture partner enquiries and prospects directly into the CRM for faster follow-up.
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Projects for events and internal workflows
Capsule Projects was used to plan events and manage non-sales work that still requires clear ownership and progress tracking. This reduced reliance on separate task tools and improved internal coordination.
Custom fields for travel partner management
Beyond standard contact fields, we created structured lists and fields to improve qualification and reporting across travel-specific data points: destinations, partner rating, and bespoke referral information that needed to be stored and displayed consistently.
What we implemented and customised
- CRM data model: tags, custom fields, and consistent record structure.
- Multiple pipelines to track customer opportunities and partner programme performance.
- Lead capture: Transpond web forms flowing into Capsule for structured follow-up.
- Automations: triggered emails and workflows to reduce repetitive admin.
- Marketing operations: newsletter setup, audience segmentation, and campaign cadence.
- Operational planning: Projects for events and non-sales processes.
Key takeaways for travel and tourism businesses
- Centralising data is the fastest route to better reporting and more reliable marketing.
- Partner programmes perform better when you track them in a dedicated pipeline with clear stages.
- Tags and custom fields should reflect real decision points, not generic categories.
- Automations work best when they support a defined process, not when they replace one.
- Projects and operational workflows deserve the same structure as sales, particularly for events.
Need clearer visibility across your business?
If you need centralised data, clearer pipelines, and automated newsletters without unnecessary complexity, we can implement and tailor a system that fits your business.
Achieving similar results on other platforms
The same principles apply across most CRM and email marketing platforms: centralise data, standardise segmentation, implement the right pipelines, then automate communications and lead capture.
HubSpot
Use pipelines to separate customer sales from partner onboarding and tracking. Use forms and workflows for lead capture and automated follow-up. (HubSpot CRM)
Zoho Bigin
Configure pipelines per motion type and add custom fields for destinations and partner attributes. Connect to Zoho’s marketing tools for newsletters and basic automations. (Zoho Bigin)
Mailchimp
Use segmentation and automations for newsletters and nurture journeys. Pair with a CRM or integration to keep customer and partner data consistent. (Mailchimp)
ActiveCampaign
Use tagging and automations heavily for partner and prospect nurturing. Use pipelines and deal stages to track partner onboarding and renewal opportunities. (ActiveCampaign)