The OTA Trap

Whether you’re a tour operator or an excursion/activity provider, there’s no denying OTAs drive exposure for your business. Viator, TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide, Klook, and tens of other OTAs have been instrumental in giving exposure to many of the thousands of operators around the world. However, that exposure comes at a cost. In its renaissance, in the early 2010s, Viator had a commission rate of 20%. That’s slowly crept up over the years, with many OTAs approaching, or at, 30%! 30% is a huge chunk of profits, especially if you’re a tour operator reselling activities and excursions. 

Furthermore, platforms such as Viator, now have the ability to bid for preferred placements, with some operators bidding 40%, or even higher, with additional special offers. The trend is undeniable: increasing commission rates, and pitting operators against each other for more bookings. This trend is also not unique – just look at the development of the online hotel booking industry over the last few decades.

It All Starts With A Website…….

…..and it doesn’t need to be complex. Your website, at its core, has two main goals: showcase your activities and excursions, and allow users to book. I’d strongly recommend using a hosted booking engine designed for activities and excursions rather than trying to customize an ecommerce platform, such as WooCommerce or Shopify. If you’ve been relying solely on OTAs for bookings, don’t worry! The experts at Trek Marketing can help you get started.

I Have A Website, Now What?

Now, the fun begins. There are a multitude of ways to market your activity or excursion business beyond OTAs, including:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Content Creation
• Social Media Marketing
• Pay Per Click Advertising

If you’re looking for a custom plan to market your activity or excursion business, contact Trek Marketing today, and we’ll come up with a no-obligation custom plan, based on your current market and goals.

At Trek, we can help with:

• Creating relevant content to help drive traffic (and bookings) to your website
• Link building to help your activity or excursion business get listed in the right places
• Targeted and relevant advertising to help you reach exactly the audience you need to reach
• Optimizing your website to receive more excursion bookings
• Using OTAs to drive traffic (and bookings) to your website without paying a commission
• And much more….