Is GetYourGuide worth it for high-volume tours and attractions?
Partnering with an Online Travel Agency (OTA) like GetYourGuide can be a strategic move. OTAs aren’t just for new operators. They help established businesses drive more bookings, fill last-minute spots, and reach a global audience that might not find you otherwise.
So, what is GetYourGuide? It’s a marketplace where travelers can search, compare, and book experiences without sifting through dozens of individual tour websites. For high-volume operators, it can be another distribution channel to create a secure booking process, attract more international visitors, and tap into GetYourGuide’s marketing and distribution power.
In this post, we’ll break down how to sell your tours and experiences on GetYourGuide, what it takes to stand out, and whether it’s the right fit for your business.
- What types of businesses should list their tours and experiences on GetYourGuide?
- Who drives more bookings: Viator or GetYourGuide?
What is GetYourGuide?
GetYourGuide is the leading European OTA for tours and activities. It’s an online marketplace where travelers can discover and book tours and activities in destinations around the world.
It currently offers over 60,000 activities — all run by tour operators just like you.
OTAs like GetYourGuide resell tours and experiences. Travelers often use OTAs to research and book the best tours and activities for their trips.. They also like that they’ll have access to previous travelers’ reviews before booking.
For someone who doesn’t know how to plan a trip, searching for activities on a platform like GetYourGuide simplifies the process.
That being said, OTAs help put your tours in front of more people. When you get more eyes on your tours, you’ll likely drive more bookings, which is the main benefit of listing your tours with GetYourGuide.
How does GetYourGuide make money?
GetYourGuide makes money by acting as a middleman between travelers looking to book experiences and tour operators. They generate revenue primarily through booking fees and commission-based partnerships with actual tour companies.
Here’s how it works: When a traveler books an activity through GetYourGuide, the platform takes a commission—typically between 20% and 30%—from the tour operator. This commission is built into the total price the customer pays, meaning GetYourGuide profits from every booking made on their platform.
Payments are processed securely through the website or app, which allows customers to pay using a credit card or debit card. This seamless booking process ensures customer satisfaction by offering flexible cancellation policies, verified reviews, and a smooth experience from discovery to confirmation.
As the tourism market becomes more competitive, GetYourGuide continues to invest in AI-driven recommendations, exclusive partnerships, and dynamic pricing to capture more travelers looking for hassle-free ways to book their next adventure. Their goal? Keep travelers coming back while ensuring actual tour companies get a steady flow of activity bookings.
How much does GetYourGuide charge?
GetYourGuide charges suppliers a commission on each booking made through their platform. While the exact rate can vary based on factors like location, activity type, and booking volume, commissions typically range between 20% and 30%. High-volume suppliers may negotiate lower rates.
However, it’s important to note that these rates are subject to change and may vary based on individual agreements. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it’s recommended to contact GetYourGuide directly.
Is it safe to list your tours and experiences on GetYourGuide?
GetYourGuide is one of the most well-known OTAs in the tourism industry, and travelers have grown to trust the brand.
Since it’s a commission-based service, you’ll only need to pay a fee once a booking is actually made. It’s a guaranteed return on your investment.
The commission fee covers your use of the platform, online marketing services, customer service, and the brokering of transactions between you and your guests. It’ll be charged as a percentage of the retail price set for a tour or activity listing, and suppliers must keep the commission amount confidential.
Not only is it safe for you to sell your tours via GetYourGuide, but it can also help boost your bookings. The OTA makes your listings available to a global audience, and anyone searching for things to do in your city could come across your company.
Your listing will also be available in over a dozen different languages, allowing you to reach a far greater audience than a website tailored only for English-speakers.
Let’s say you run helicopter tours in Las Vegas and decide to list your tours with GetYourGuide.
Now, anyone anywhere in the world finds your brand if they search for helicopter tours in Vegas on the platform. Without the OTA, you’d have to invest in paid search marketing or work on your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to appear in the first 10 search results on Google.
While direct bookings are still important, OTAs can certainly help extend your reach and fill your capacity.
How does GetYourGuide work?
There are no costs associated with listing your tours on GetYourGuide. Instead, the OTA charges a commission fee on every successful booking made through the platform.
To start, you’d go to GetYourGuide’s supplier application page and fill out a quick form with your business information. You’ll share details like the activities you offer, location, website, and the currency you operate in.
It can take up to two weeks to receive feedback from the onboarding team.
Once approved, you’ll need to share your business registration, liability insurance, and banking details for payments. Then, you can add your tours and experiences so that travelers can start finding and booking them through the platform.
GetYourGuide will charge you a commission fee on every successful booking made through its platform. OTA fees typically range from 15% to 30% of the booking value. The commission fees will be summed into the final price shown to customers.
You’ll get paid monthly for bookings that are successfully completed, minus commission. You can also choose to receive payment every 2 weeks for an extra surcharge.
How does GetYourGuide work for travelers?
Customers visiting your city will be able to browse through all of the tours and activities offered there. The results shown to each traveler will be tailored to their search.
When guests are presented with a list of tour options, they’ll have a better idea of what to do in their destination. This makes it easier for them to choose what best meets their travel style and needs.
Your tour company could be on that list. If a guest likes what they see, they can go ahead and book your tours directly through GetYourGuide.
Does GetYourGuide integrate with my booking software?
With Xola, you can reference and manage GetYourGuide bookings in real-time from your booking dashboard.
You can manually select which of the tour listings you want to sell on GetYourGuide. Then, customers can make bookings directly through the OTA’s website and apps, and the booking will appear in your dashboard right away.
This ensures you don’t overbook your tours, since you’ll likely be making bookings through your website as well.
What types of businesses should list their tours and experiences on GetYourGuide?
GetYourGuide works with all types of tour operators, as well as businesses selling attraction tickets, city cards, cooking classes, transfers, and special travel items like Wi-Fi sticks or experiences like wearing traditional costumes.
All of these niches are accepted onto the platform:
- Tours
- Activities
- Nightlife
- Cooking classes
- City tourism cards
- Ground transportation/transfers
- Snow & winter sports
- Attractions
If you’re a company offering any of the above, then you could benefit from working with GetYourGuide. The platform makes your tours and experiences available to a worldwide audience, which helps reach more travelers than a local tour website can.
Who drives more bookings: Viator or GetYourGuide?
Viator appears to drive more bookings, especially in the U.S., while GetYourGuide has been rapidly expanding in Europe.
Viator, owned by Tripadvisor, has a significant edge due to its deep integration with the Tripadvisor platform, giving it strong visibility in search and a steady stream of travelers looking for popular attractions and unforgettable experiences. According to Tripadvisor’s Q3 2024 earnings report, Viator reported:
- $270 million in revenue, a 10% year-over-year increase
- $1.1 billion in gross booking value, up 9% from the previous year
On the other hand, GetYourGuide has been expanding aggressively, especially in international markets like Europe. While the company does not publicly disclose revenue or booking figures, it secured $194 million in funding in May 2023, valuing it at $2 billion. This suggests strong growth, but without recent financial disclosures, it’s difficult to compare exact booking volumes.
However, for actual operators, the best platform depends on where your potential customers are searching and booking travel experiences.
***
You’re now ready to make a decision: To list your tours on GetYourGuide or not?
Many tour operators and attractions choose to work with OTAs to reach more people, which not only brings in more bookings but also helps boost their brand recognition.
While focusing on direct bookings is always important, an OTA like GetYourGuide might be a good idea when you’re first starting to build your customer base.
