Testimonial Link Building Email Template for Travel

Free editable Testimonial Link Building Email Template for Travel. Copy, personalize, or download the Word .docx template from UNmiss.

You already run your bookings on a channel manager, sell tours through a reservation platform, or pack the same trusted gear on every trip. These emails turn that real experience into a testimonial the vendor publishes with a link back to your travel site, specific, honest, and only about the tool.

6 ready-to-use variants

Unsolicited Booking-Tool Testimonial

Offer a genuine, unprompted testimonial about a booking engine, PMS, or channel manager you rely on daily.

Subject: A testimonial for [Booking Tool] from a property that lives in it

Hi [First Name],

We have run [Your Property / Agency] on [Booking Tool, e.g. your channel manager or PMS] for [how long, e.g. two seasons], syncing rates across [the real setup, e.g. Booking.com, Airbnb, and our direct site]. The thing I would happily go on record about is [a specific true detail, e.g. that we stopped getting double bookings the week we switched, and support answered a peak-season sync issue within the hour].

If you keep a testimonials or customer-stories page, I would like to write a short, honest one for it. It would speak only to the product, the calendar sync, the reporting, the onboarding, and it would name a rough edge or two so it reads as real feedback, not a plug.

Edit it for length however you like. In return I would just ask for a credit that links back to [Your Site]. Draft to react to: [paste 2 to 3 honest sentences].

Happy to send our logo or a photo of the property if your layout uses them. Want me to tailor it to a specific feature?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Reply to a Review Request

Respond to a vendor's 'please leave us a review' email by offering a fuller testimonial in exchange for a credited link.

Subject: Re: How was your experience with [Tour Platform]?

Hi [First Name],

Happy to leave you a review, you asked at a good time. We have sold [the real volume, e.g. our day tours and multi-day itineraries] through [Tour Platform] since [when], and the honest verdict is positive, especially [a specific true thing, e.g. how the widget converts on our own site and how clean the payout reporting is].

Rather than a quick star rating, I would rather write you a proper testimonial for your site, the kind an operator actually reads before signing up. It would cover setup, the booking flow, and support, plus one honest limitation, and it would stay grounded in our real numbers, no inflated claims about bookings anyone else can expect.

The one thing I would ask in return is that the credit links back to [Your Site]. If that works, here is a draft to shape: [paste 2 to 3 honest sentences]. Want it as a written quote, or would a short case study fit your page better?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Case Study or Logo Feature

Offer a short case study of a full season, or your logo for a trusted-by wall, with a link on the credit.

Subject: Case-study offer: our [season / year] on [Hospitality SaaS]

Hi [First Name],

We ran a full [season, e.g. summer high season] at [Your Property] on [Hospitality SaaS], and it changed how we handle [the real job, e.g. overbooking risk and last-minute rate changes across channels]. The part worth documenting is [a specific detail, e.g. how the automated rate rules recovered nights we used to leave empty midweek].

If you keep a case-studies or trusted-by page, I am glad to help two ways. I can write a short, factual case study of that season, the setup, what we changed, and the honest outcome, or if you just need social proof, I can send our logo and a single clean sentence for a trusted-by strip.

Either way, you can fact-check every number and edit freely. All I would ask is a byline or credit that links back to [Your Site]. Outline to react to: [paste 3 to 4 bullet points]. Logo files are ready in [SVG / PNG] whenever you are.

Which format is more useful for your page right now?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Video or Quote Testimonial for a Gear Brand

Offer a short video clip or a written quote about travel gear you genuinely use, with a link on the credit.

Subject: A real-world testimonial for [Gear Brand / Product]

Hi [First Name],

I have carried [Gear Brand / Product, e.g. your 40L pack] through [the real test, e.g. a month across Southeast Asia and two carry-on-only work trips], and it has earned its spot in my kit. What I would put my name behind is [a specific true detail, e.g. the harness held up on long hauls and the zips have not failed after a year of airport abuse].

Gear reviews land better from someone who actually used the thing hard, so I would like to give you a testimonial. I can do a short written quote, or film a quick clip from an upcoming trip showing it in real use, your call on format. It would be honest, including one nitpick like [e.g. the water bottle pocket runs small], so it reads as a real review.

The only ask is a credit that links back to [Your Site]. Here is a draft quote: [paste 2 to 3 honest sentences]. Want the video, the quote, or both?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

We Already Recommend You

Tell a partner you already recommend to travelers and propose making it official with a testimonial and a link.

Subject: We already send travelers to [Their Company], let's make it official

Hi [First Name],

Full disclosure up front: I already recommend [Their Company / Tool, e.g. your local tour desk or travel-insurance platform] to our guests, because [the honest reason, e.g. your team actually answers the phone and the cancellation terms are the fairest we found]. It comes up in [where, e.g. our welcome guide and our itinerary emails] most weeks.

Since I am singing your praises anyway, I would rather do it on your site too. I will write a genuine testimonial about working with you, specific, with one honest caveat, and strictly about the service, no promises about prices or savings your other partners could not keep.

In return, all I would ask is that the credit links back to [Your Site], and if you are open to it, a mention of [Your Company] on your partners page. Here is a draft to react to: [paste 2 to 3 honest sentences].

Want me to send the exact wording, and the links where I already recommend you, so you can see it is real?

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

Soft Follow-Up

Send one brief, low-pressure nudge about a week after a testimonial offer that has not received a reply.

Subject: Re: Testimonial for [Tool / Product]

Hi [First Name],

Bumping my note from last week in case it got buried, I know inboxes fill up fast in peak season.

Short version: I offered a genuine testimonial about [Tool / Product] based on our real use of it, strictly about the product, with a link back to [Your Site] as the only ask.

Two things that might make it an easy yes: the quote is already drafted and truthful, including one honest limitation, so you can publish or trim it as is, and you are free to edit every word and pick the format that fits your page.

If a written quote is not the right fit, I am glad to turn it into a short case study of our season, a one-line trusted-by credit, or a logo placement instead, whatever slots in most easily. And if it is not for you at all, no problem, a one-line no is completely fine and I will not chase it.

Either way, thanks for building something we actually use every week.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Title, Company]
[Email / Phone]

How to use this template

  1. List the travel tools you genuinely use, booking engines, channel managers, PMS and hospitality SaaS, tour and reservation platforms, and gear brands, that you can testify about in detail.
  2. Check each vendor for a testimonials, customer-stories, or trusted-by page, since sites that already publish social proof are the easiest wins.
  3. Draft a specific, true quote about the product experience only, onboarding, calendar sync, reporting, support, durability, not vague praise anyone could write.
  4. Name at least one honest limitation in every testimonial so it reads as real feedback, which also makes editors trust and publish it faster.
  5. Offer the format that fits the vendor, a short quote, a logo plus one-line credit, a season case study, or a quick video for gear brands.
  6. Never promise guaranteed bookings, occupancy, or savings that other operators can expect, keep every claim grounded in your own real numbers.
  7. Ask for one clear thing in return, a credit line that links back to your site, and never demand a specific do-follow link.
  8. Send one polite follow-up about a week later if you hear nothing, then track the tool, contact, format, and outcome in a simple sheet.

Pro tips

  • A testimonial only works if it is true, so testify about tools and gear you actually use and can describe in real detail.
  • Include one honest drawback in each quote; that small negative is what makes a testimonial believable enough to publish.
  • Give vendors options, a quote, a logo credit, a case study, or a video, so busy teams pick the lightest lift and still link back.
  • Skip any promise about occupancy, bookings, or savings; keep the review about the product so it stays honest and credible.

Frequently asked questions

Is testimonial link building allowed under Google's guidelines?

Yes, when the testimonial is genuine and editorial. Problems arise only if the link is paid for or given purely to pass ranking signals, which should be marked sponsored or nofollow. An honest quote a vendor chooses to publish is fine.

Which travel tools and brands are best to offer testimonials for?

Ones you actually use and can describe in detail: booking engines and channel managers, hotel PMS and hospitality SaaS, tour and reservation platforms, OTAs and payment tools, and travel gear brands whose products you have tested on real trips.

What should I never claim in a travel testimonial?

Avoid promising guaranteed bookings, occupancy levels, or savings that other operators can count on. Keep every claim grounded in your own real experience with the product, since inflated results are exactly what editors cut and readers distrust.

Should I disclose that I got a link for my testimonial?

If there was any exchange of value beyond a normal credit line, disclose it and mark the link sponsored or nofollow. A plain testimonial you gave freely, with the vendor crediting you back, is standard editorial practice and needs no special label.

Why include a negative in a testimonial I want published?

A single honest limitation signals the review is real, not paid praise, which makes both readers and the vendor's own team trust it. Testimonials that read as flawless plugs are the ones editors quietly cut.

Is a video testimonial worth offering a gear brand?

Often yes. A short clip of the product in genuine use on a trip is high-value social proof brands rarely get, so it improves your odds of a prominent placement and a credited link. Keep it honest, including one real nitpick, just like a written quote.