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Setting Maximum Capacity

Define capacity limits for your tourism products

Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney

Setting Maximum Capacity

Capacity limits ensure you never oversell and can deliver a quality experience to every guest. Setting appropriate maximums protects your reputation and operations.

Why capacity matters

Setting maximum capacity:

  • Prevents overbooking — never have more guests than you can handle

  • Maintains quality — intimate experiences stay intimate

  • Ensures safety — stay within equipment and venue limits

  • Manages resources — plan staffing and supplies accurately

Types of capacity

Per departure/session

For tours and experiences:

Maximum guests per tour

Maximum participants per class

Maximum seats on a vehicle

Per day

For attractions and venues:

Total daily visitors

Time-slot capacity

Event attendance limits

Per booking

For accommodation:

Maximum guests per room

Maximum occupancy per property

Extra guest allowances

How to set capacity

For products

Go to Products from the main menu

Click on the product you want to configure

Click Edit to enter edit mode

Find the Maximum Capacity or Max Guests field

Enter your capacity limit

Click Save

For rates

Some rates have their own capacity:

Edit your product

Navigate to rates

Set Maximum Quantity for specific rates

This limits how many of that rate type can be booked

Determining your capacity

Vehicle/vessel capacity

Based on your transport:

  • Coach seats: typically 20-50

  • Small boat: 10-20 passengers

  • 4WD: 6-10 passengers

  • Helicopter: 4-6 passengers

Venue capacity

Based on your space:

  • Restaurant covers

  • Function room capacity

  • Outdoor area limits

  • Fire safety regulations

Staff ratios

Based on safe or quality delivery:

  • Guide-to-guest ratios (e.g., 1:10)

  • Instructor-to-student limits

  • Safety requirements

Equipment availability

Based on what you have:

  • Kayaks, bikes, snorkel gear

  • Cooking stations, pottery wheels

  • Tasting glasses, place settings

Experience quality

Based on what works best:

  • Small groups: 6-12 for intimate experiences

  • Medium groups: 15-25 for standard tours

  • Large groups: 30+ for attractions and shows

Capacity by product type

Tours

Consider:

  • Vehicle size

  • Guide effectiveness

  • Site access limits

  • Activity requirements

Typical ranges:

  • Walking tours: 15-20 people

  • Bus tours: 30-50 people

  • Adventure tours: 8-12 people

  • Private tours: 2-6 people

Accommodation

Consider:

  • Bedroom count

  • Bathroom facilities

  • Living space

  • Local regulations

Set:

  • Per-room maximum

  • Property maximum

  • Extra guest limits

Experiences

Consider:

  • Equipment stations

  • Instructor attention

  • Space requirements

  • Material costs

Typical ranges:

  • Cooking classes: 8-16 people

  • Art workshops: 6-12 people

  • Tasting experiences: 10-20 people

Attractions

Consider:

  • Entry capacity

  • Queue management

  • Staff numbers

  • Safety limits

May need:

  • Hourly capacity

  • Daily limits

  • Session maximums

Managing capacity

Real-time tracking

Launchpad tracks bookings against capacity:

  • See available spots at a glance

  • Get alerts when capacity is low

  • Automatically close when full

Multiple sessions

If demand exceeds capacity:

  • Add more departures

  • Create additional sessions

  • Offer waitlist options

Seasonal adjustments

Capacity might vary by season:

  • Summer: higher demand, more sessions

  • Winter: lower capacity, quality focus

  • Events: special capacity limits

Displaying capacity to customers

Help customers understand availability:

  • "Small groups only — maximum 12 guests"

  • "Limited to 8 participants for personalised attention"

  • "Intimate experience for up to 6 people"

Show booking status:

  • "5 spots remaining"

  • "Almost full"

  • "Join waitlist"

Overbooking prevention

Launchpad helps prevent overbooking:

  • Automatic cutoff when capacity reached

  • Real-time sync across booking channels

  • Warning alerts for manual bookings

If you manage multiple channels, keep capacity consistent across all platforms.


Setting appropriate capacity protects your ability to deliver exceptional experiences every time.

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