RCS messaging for travel companies India

Last Updated: December 26, 2025

Let’s talk about a number that keeps you up at night: your cost per booking. Between cut-throat competition on OTAs, rising ad costs, and customers who abandon carts after a single question, turning a lead into a confirmed traveler feels harder than ever. You’re likely spending a fortune on marketing, only to see engagement rates on your core communication channel—bulk SMS—flatline. Those plain text confirmations and generic offers are getting lost in the noise, and you’re paying more for the privilege of being ignored.

What if you could slash your messaging costs by up to 40% while simultaneously tripling customer engagement? This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. It’s the reality for Indian travel companies who have made a simple, powerful switch. The channel that’s replacing outdated bulk SMS isn’t just more effective; it’s fundamentally cheaper. Let’s break down why your current SMS strategy is costing you more than you think, and how RCS messaging is the ROI-driven answer you’ve been searching for.

The Silent Budget Drain: Why Your Bulk SMS is Actually Expensive

You look at your monthly SMS bill and think, “It’s a fixed cost.” But have you calculated the true cost? Traditional SMS is a cost-per-message model where you pay for every 160-character blast, regardless of whether it gets opened, clicked, or converts. You’re paying to send a flight PNR or a hotel confirmation as plain, easily missed text. To get a customer to take action, you often need to send multiple follow-ups, multiplying your costs.

The real expense is the missed opportunity. A text message can’t show the shimmering blue water of your Maldives package. It can’t include a “Book Now” button that takes a user directly to the payment page. It can’t send a PDF visa checklist. Because your SMS is functionally limited, you’re forced to spend more on other channels—email designers, WhatsApp API fees, brochure printing—to compensate. You’re patching together a communication strategy when one superior, consolidated channel exists.

Enter RCS: Better Customer Experiences at a Lower Cost Per Message

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next-generation business messaging standard built into Android phones. Think of it as a supercharged SMS that works directly in the native messaging app. But here’s the critical point most providers won’t lead with: at RCS SMS Provider, sending an RCS message costs less than sending a traditional bulk SMS. You are not paying a premium for rich media; you’re getting rich media for less than the price of plain text.

For the customer, it’s a seamless, branded experience. Your travel company appears as a verified business profile with a logo, not a random 10-digit number. They receive a beautiful, engaging message with visuals and clear options. For you, it’s a direct line to higher conversions and significant cost savings. Every message works harder, so you need to send fewer of them, compounding your savings.

Why Forward-Thinking Travel Brands Are Switching (And Seeing Results Fast)

The shift isn’t coming; it’s happening now. Travel agencies, tour operators, and hotel chains across India are migrating their critical communications to RCS business messaging. Why the urgency? Because the early adopters are reporting metrics that change the entire marketing calculus: open rates over 90%, click-through rates 3-5x higher than SMS or email, and a dramatic reduction in customer service calls because information is presented clearly and interactively.

They’re not just saving money on messaging costs; they’re saving massive operational costs by automating pre-trip queries and post-booking support. While competitors are still sending “Dear Customer, your booking ID is XYZ,” these brands are sending immersive, brand-building experiences that foster loyalty and direct repeat bookings. The gap between those using RCS and those stuck on old SMS is widening daily.

Features That Directly Drive Travel Bookings and Loyalty

Let’s translate RCS features into direct travel business benefits:

1. Rich Media Itineraries & Confirmations

Stop sending text-based PNRs. Send a branded card with the airline logo, flight times, a “Check-in Online” button, and a link to a downloadable boarding pass PDF. For hotels, include an image of the property, a Google Maps link, and a “Contact Concierge” button. This reduces anxiety and support calls instantly.

2. Interactive Promotions & Upsells

Broadcast a carousel of last-minute deals. Each card shows a destination image, price, and a “Book This Deal” button. Customers can browse and book without ever leaving their messaging app. This is far more effective—and cheaper to send—than a plain text SMS with a shortened link.

3. Secure Document Sharing

Send visa requirement PDFs, insurance documents, or detailed tour plans as secure attachments within the chat. No more unprofessional email attachments that get lost or marked as spam.

4. Read Receipts & Two-Way Chat

Know when a customer has read their booking confirmation. See when they’re typing a reply. This allows for proactive service. A customer looking at a flight change policy can be immediately assisted by an agent, saving the booking from cancellation.

Real Results: How Indian Travel Companies Use RCS

Use Case 1: Post-Booking Engagement & Reduced Support Load
A Delhi-based tour operator switched booking confirmations from SMS to RCS. They now send a rich message with a day-by-day itinerary carousel, guide photos, and a “WhatsApp Our Guide” button. Result: Customer questions pre-trip dropped by 65%, and their messaging costs fell by 40% because follow-up clarification texts were eliminated.

Use Case 2: Dynamic Package Upselling
A Goa resort chain uses RCS to send pre-arrival messages to guests. The message includes a welcome video, a button to “Upgrade to Sea View,” and another to “Book a Spa Package.” This direct, in-chat upsell converts at 22%, generating significant ancillary revenue at almost zero incremental cost.

Use Case 3: Re-engagement & Repeat Bookings
A travel agency segments customers who traveled 11 months ago. They send an RCS “Anniversary Offer” with a personalized image from the customer’s previous trip and a button to “Book Your Next Adventure.” This campaign achieved a 28% re-booking rate, dwarfing the 3% rate of their old email campaigns.

The RCS SMS Provider Advantage: Expertise Meets Affordability

Founded by Sudarshan Singh, with over 16 years in the messaging industry, RCS SMS Provider isn’t just another tech vendor. We understand the Indian travel market’s unique challenges—price sensitivity, the need for trust, and diverse customer preferences. Our platform is built to give you maximum ROI, starting with the core principle that advanced messaging should not be a premium expense.

Our key advantages for your travel business:

• Proven Cost Savings: Our RCS pricing is structured to be cheaper per message than your current bulk SMS provider. You see the savings on your first invoice.
• 99.9% Delivery Rate: Critical for time-sensitive travel updates and OTPs for logins. We ensure your messages land.
• Easy CRM Integration: Connect your booking engine or CRM to automate personalized RCS flows for every customer journey stage.
• Dedicated Indian Support: Get 24/7 support from a team that speaks your language and understands your business context.

Busting the Biggest Myth: “RCS is Too Expensive for My Business”

This is the most common objection, and it’s based on outdated information. Many businesses assume that because RCS is richer, it must cost more. With RCS SMS Provider, the opposite is true. We’ve built our service model to make RCS business messaging more affordable than the legacy SMS you’re using now.

The other myth is about reach. “What about iPhone users?” RCS works on the vast majority of Android phones in India, which covers a massive segment of the travel-buying public. For iPhone users, messages gracefully fall back to traditional SMS, ensuring 100% deliverability without you managing two separate systems. You get the uplift where it exists and universal coverage as a baseline.

Getting Started is Simpler Than Your Next Hotel Booking

Migrating to RCS with us is a streamlined process. We handle the Google Business Messaging verification, provide you with simple API documentation or a user-friendly dashboard, and our support team guides you through your first campaign. You can start with a single use case—like transforming your booking confirmations—and scale from there. There’s no massive upfront investment, just a immediate shift to a more effective and cheaper cost-per-message.

The barrier to entry is low, but the competitive advantage it grants is enormous. While others hesitate, you can start building direct, rich relationships with your travelers and watching your cost per acquisition drop.

Stop Overpaying for Invisible Messages. Start Under-Promising and Over-Delivering.

Your current SMS strategy is a cost center. It’s a line item you pay for with diminishing returns. RCS messaging with RCS SMS Provider flips that script. It becomes a profit center—a channel that reduces your operational costs, increases your conversion rates, and builds a brand experience that commands loyalty and repeat business.

The math is simple: lower cost per message + significantly higher engagement per message = a better bottom line. You are literally leaving money on the table—and losing customers to more modern competitors—by sticking with traditional bulk SMS.

Ready to see the real numbers? Let’s have a quick, no-obligation consultation. We’ll analyze your current messaging spend and show you a clear projection of how much you’ll save while achieving better results. Visit RCSSMSProvider.com or call our team at +91 7795577677. Don’t just communicate with your customers—engage them, impress them, and convert them, all while spending less than you do today. The future of travel communication is here, and it costs less.