How Lebor Tours Stopped Burning Budget on PPC and Built an Email Engine That Fills Trips
Industry: Guided Kosher Travel | Platform: Omnisend | Timeline: ~4 months
The Problem
When David Lebor first reached out, Lebor Tours was stuck in a costly cycle. He was spending heavily on PPC to drive leads — but the leads weren't a good fit, weren't converting, and his existing audience of past travelers was being completely ignored.
The result: a Vietnam trip that lost money. High ad spend with nothing to show for it. And a dormant list of warm, high-intent travelers sitting untouched.
The core problem wasn't traffic. It was the wrong traffic, and zero retention strategy.
What We Built
1. A Targeted Lead Capture Popup
We replaced broad PPC spend with a custom popup built specifically for Lebor Tours' audience. Instead of paying for clicks from people who'd never book, we started capturing warm, qualified leads — people already interested in kosher, guided travel.
2. The Captain's Log
A Weekly Email Series
We launched a weekly email that kept past travelers and interested subscribers engaged between trips. David shares stories from the road, insights from his journeys, and upcoming trip news. It turned a dormant list into an active, loyal audience that opens every week.
Average open rate: 47.6% (industry average: ~22%)
3. Browse Abandonment Flows — One Per Trip
We built automated email sequences for each individual trip. When someone browsed Portugal, Galapagos, or Iceland and didn't book — they received a tailored follow-up sequence personalized to that exact itinerary.
Average open rate: 70.7% | Average click rate: 18.9% (industry avg: ~5%)
4. Referral & Loyalty Programs
Past travelers became a growth channel. The referral program gave happy customers a simple way to share Lebor Tours with friends. The loyalty program gave repeat bookers a reason to keep coming back. Both launched to a warm audience — the loyalty email alone went to 556 subscribers with a 61.7% open rate.
5. A Welcome Sequence That Sets the Tone
New subscribers now enter a multi-email welcome flow that introduces David's story, shares traveler testimonials, and highlights upcoming trips — averaging a 63.9% open rate across the sequence.
Email Performance (Omnisend Data)
RESULTS
Automations
| Workflow Name | Status | Date | Sent | Open Rate | Click Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Flow Email — First email is sent 1 hour after customer views page … | Enabled | Mar 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM | 82 | 76.8% (63) | 10.9% (9) |
| Iceland Browse Abandonment Email — First email is sent 3 hours after customer views page… | Enabled | Mar 6, 2026 at 8:54 AM | 472 | 70.9% (335) | 23.5% (111) |
| Portugal abandonment — First email is sent 3 hours after customer views page… | Enabled | Mar 6, 2026 at 8:39 AM | 377 | 70.2% (265) | 13.7% (52) |
| Galapagos Browse Abandonment Email — First email is sent 3 hours after customer views page… | Enabled | Mar 5, 2026 at 7:49 AM | 320 | 70.9% (227) | 19.3% (62) |
| Lebor Tours Welcome Email — First email is sent immediately after customer subsc… | Enabled | Dec 23, 2025 at 3:35 AM | 412 | 64.3% (265) | 6% (25) |
| Metric | Their Numbers | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Email Open Rate | 47.6% | ~22% |
| Browse Abandonment Open Rate | 70.7% | ~45% |
| Browse Abandonment Click Rate | 18.9% | ~5% |
| Welcome Sequence Open Rate | 63.9% | ~40% |
| Active Subscribers | 2,469 | — |
Note: Data from Nov 2025 – Mar 2026. Industry benchmarks per Klaviyo/Omnisend 2024 reports.
Business Impact
David ultimately fired his PPC agency and doubled down on email — because the numbers proved the strategy worked.
In David's Own Words
"Hillel has been working with us for the last few months and it has been a fantastic experience. We are very satisfied with the results. He is on spot with his advice and caring for the clients needs and desires. We highly recommend."
— David Lebor, Owner, Lebor Tours (Google Review, 2026)
The Takeaway
This isn't a story about email tactics. It's a story about rebuilding an entire revenue model around the right audience. When you stop paying to acquire bad-fit leads and start nurturing the people who already love what you do — the economics completely shift.
Trips that used to sit empty now fill up early. A list that was ignored is now one of Lebor Tours' most valuable assets.
Running a travel, hospitality, or service business and want results like this?
Hillel@hillelberg.com / Linkedin / hillelberg.com
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