Your booking form is one of the most critical parts of your sales funnel and one of the easiest places to lose a guest.

If filling out your form feels like work, guests hesitate. If it feels confusing or invasive, they abandon the booking altogether.

The good news? Small changes make a big difference.

1. Ask Less Upfront

The more fields you show at checkout, the higher the chance a guest drops off.

At the moment of booking, guests are focused on one thing: securing their spot. Anything that slows that down works against you.

Start by asking only what’s essential to complete the booking. For example:

• If you don’t accept children, asking for date of birth makes sense.

• If pickup depends on accommodation, asking for a hotel name may be required.

• If none of that affects availability or pricing, don’t ask yet.

There’s no universal checklist. What’s essential depends on how you run your experience.

The key is to avoid collecting information that doesn’t influence the booking itself.

2. Make Nothing Mandatory Unless It Truly Is

Mandatory fields create friction. Each required input forces a decision and decisions slow people down.

If a field isn’t critical to confirming the booking, don’t make it mandatory. Optional fields feel lighter and give guests a sense of control.

You’ll often get better answers later, once trust is established.

3. Be Clear About Why You’re Asking

Guests are far more willing to share information when they understand the reason behind it.

Instead of asking for data without context, add a short explanation:

• “We’ll use this to prepare your equipment”

• “This helps us assign the right guide”

• “So we can contact you on the day of the experience”

Clarity builds trust and trust reduces drop-off.

4. Don’t Ask If It’s Not Absolutely Necessary

Every field should earn its place.

Ask yourself:

• Do I really need this before the experience?

• Or do I just want it because it might be useful later?

If it’s not essential to confirm the booking, remove it from checkout.

A shorter form always converts better than a “complete” one.

Ask for More Details After the Booking

One of the easiest ways to reduce friction is to separate booking from information collection.

Booking forms should stay lightweight. Any details that are required before the experience but not to confirm the booking can be collected later.

This is where booking forms combined with triggered notifications work best.

Guests complete the booking first.

Then, once the booking is confirmed, you automatically send a reminder asking them to fill in the remaining required information.

For example:

• Dietary requirements

• Hotel pickup details

• ID or license information

• Preferences or special requests

Triggered notifications don’t replace booking forms, they help you follow up automatically, so you get the information you need without adding friction at checkout.

The Takeaway

A smooth booking experience isn’t about collecting more data, it’s about collecting the right data at the right time.

Ask less upfront.

Explain why you’re asking.

Move non-essential questions to after confirmation.

When you do, you reduce friction, increase conversions, and still get everything you need to deliver a great experience.