Finding success as a new business by following a blue ocean strategy and harnessing the power of a strong OTA partnership.
Parth Panchal always dreamt of operating helicopter tours in Miami, but he didn’t always believe the market was there.
“Before OTA’s, this wasn’t such a popular activity to do,” he said. “In the social media era, platforms like GetYourGuide opened up new opportunities for businesses, especially in markets with a lot of tourists who are looking for things to do.”
Panchal saw the opportunity and seized it, launching Sky Tours Miami in 2021. In the three years since, the company has been on an upward growth trajectory despite its minimal administrative manpower — the team consists of three full-time employees, four pilots, and a contracted maintenance crew.
Sky Tours Miami differentiates itself by providing a unique product, including flights in their customer-favorite hot pink airplane. In terms of growth, working with strategic OTA partners like GetYourGuide is key — providing insights that inform internal availability schedules, boosting sales, and enabling confidence to launch new products. Here, Parth Panchal tells us more about the journey.
How and when did Sky Tours Miami begin?
“We started three years ago in post-COVID times. This was always our dream, but before OTAs, this was not such a popular activity. We personally noticed that online platforms like GetYourGuide opened a lot of business opportunities, particularly in areas like Miami where a lot of tourists are going.”
Can you briefly describe your marketing strategy? Where does GetYourGuide fit in?
“We get some direct business from walk-ins, social media, and from the formation flying we do on the beach. Sometimes we partner with other attractions like zoos for referrals. Most of our business comes from OTAs. I would say GetYourGuide is our primary partner at this point.
We have to be very selective about who we do business with so we have enough supply. GetYourGuide sends us good customers who always show up on time so we can provide our services to a maximum number of customers with minimum administrative manpower. GetYourGuide keeps us flying.”
You listed on GetYourGuide in 2023. What is different about working with GetYourGuide compared to other OTA partners?
“GetYourGuide is super easy to use and customer support is always there, which is not always the case with other US platforms. Whenever we want to communicate or make a change, they’re always available. Most of our customers come from Europe and they might not have cell phone data when they travel to the US. If the customer wants to amend their booking, GetyourGuide makes it easy for them and for us.”
How has GetYourGuide helped you grow or scale your business?
“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in volume since partnering with GetYourGuide. About 50% of our business comes from them and all of our campaigns get good bookings when we launch on GetYourGuide. It’s our priority to launch new products with GetYourGuide, especially as we expand to other Florida markets.”
What best practices would you advise other suppliers to grow their business?
“Have a blue ocean strategy—create a new, untapped offering at a reasonable price point. Our pink plane is a good example. We first tested it during Breast Cancer Awareness month and now it is so popular that guests call to request it all the time. We’re the only pink plane in the airport.
You have to create a quality experience that offers something different. We have pilots that speak the same languages as our customers, we have the pink airplane, and we surprise customers with things like free champagne for their anniversary or balloons for their birthday. We try to make them happy so they remember us when they go home. It’s the key to our success.”
What GetYourGuide tools or resources do you frequently use to optimize or organize your business?
“We always read the insight emails so we know how to prepare our business. The emails give us guidance about when to open availability. In the portal, they also flag us when our images aren’t high resolution enough. Whenever we make those suggested changes, it helps us show up so that more customers are aware of us.”
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked by a customer?
“They always ask if the flight is safe because some customers are scared of heights. You'd be surprised, it’s always the guys asking more than the ladies!”
Key facts
- Up 20% in ticket sales year-over-year as of June 2024.
- About 50% of Sky Tours Miami’s business comes from GetYourGuide.
- Utilizing insights and data from GetYourGuide informs internal scheduling and availability strategy in order to maximize business during key times of year.
- Sky Tours Miami differentiates their product in unique ways, like adding a popular pink plane to their fleet and surprising guests with birthday and anniversary gifts in flight.
- Sky Tours Miami started with one tour and now has five tours. They plan to launch in a new market in the coming year.
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