Canoe Trail - TrekkSoft Case Study

Canoe Trail is a watersports and adventure company based in Bedford, UK, run by husband-and-wife team Richard Harpham and Ashley Kenlock. They offer canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals, as well as multi-day expeditions, group activities, and youth programs.

To strengthen their business, Canoe Trail used TrekkSoft to simplify their booking process, reduce admin work, and focus on digital marketing. As a result, they experienced an increase in demand from local travelers and saw strong growth in online engagement.

Canoe Trail leveraged TrekkSoft’s core digital infrastructure to streamline their booking process, focus on local travelers, and build new revenue streams:

Booking Engine/Widget: Used to simplify the entire booking process for customers. This was critical to capturing the 46% increase in online demand from local "staycation" travelers.
Voucher & Gift Card Feature: Utilized to create a new revenue stream during quiet periods. The Christmas voucher campaign led to a 2X increase in sales compared to previous years, providing stability during travel restrictions.
Back Office Tool (Booking Management): Provided automation features that cut down on administrative work and saved staff time, allowing the team to focus on marketing and growth, thus achieving a major increase in operational efficiency.

When international travel was put on hold, Canoe Trail lost a key revenue stream from planned international expeditions. A major canoeing trip in Scotland had to be postponed, which affected their long-term bookings and financial planning.

Although they did not face mass cancellations, there was concern about how the business would survive. To ensure they could reopen as soon as possible, Canoe Trail followed strict British Canoe Association guidelines and constantly reviewed their safety procedures. Regular communication with staff also helped keep operations running smoothly.

During downtime, Canoe Trail focused on long-term improvements to prepare for future growth and recovery

Website Optimization with SEO

Since their website is their main sales channel, they improved it by:
- Optimizing web pages with important search keywords to attract more visitors.
- Restructuring the website to make navigation easier.
- Enhancing landing pages that were already ranking to increase organic traffic.
- Improving mobile speed and performance to meet new search engine standards.
Running Webinars to Build an Audience

Canoe Trail launched webinars featuring industry experts and adventure partners. These sessions helped:
- Grow their newsletter list by offering engaging content.
- Keep their brand visible despite travel restrictions.
- Generate interest in future expeditions, even before dates were confirmed.
This strategy increased signups for upcoming international trips, showing strong customer interest despite the uncertainty.
Attracting Local Staycationers

When Canoe Trail was able to reopen, they experienced a surge in bookings from domestic travelers. Being located near London and Cambridge, they benefited from travelers looking for outdoor experiences close to home.

Online, they saw a 46% increase in traffic for search terms like “staycations” and “things to do near London and Cambridge”. Their ability to target and capture this demand helped them recover quickly.
Increasing Revenue with Christmas Vouchers

As the year came to a close, Canoe Trail ran a Christmas voucher campaign, leading to a 2X increase in sales compared to previous years. Encouraged by this success, they plan to continue offering voucher promotions to drive more bookings.