SUM-UP
Most experience businesses treat OTAs as the enemy. Here is the maths on what one more guest actually costs you — and how to start getting bookings from GetYourGuide and Viator this month.
Last month I spoke with an operator who ran a Saturday tour with 14 empty seats. When I asked why he was not on GetYourGuide, he said: “I refuse to pay 30 percent commission.” Fair instinct. But those 14 empty seats paid him exactly zero.
The problem
Most experience businesses treat OTAs as the enemy. OTA stands for Online Travel Agency — marketplaces like GetYourGuide and Viator where travellers browse and book experiences. You list your experience, they sell it to their audience, and they take a cut of each booking, typically 20 to 30 percent.
That commission number scares people off before they see the other side of the equation: the size of the audience.
- GetYourGuide (strongest in Europe) booked 33 million experiences in 2025, with over 4 billion euros in booking value.
- Viator (strongest in North America) is the largest marketplace in our industry: more than 300,000 bookable experiences across roughly 2,500 destinations, and around 4.7 billion dollars in gross bookings last year.
Millions of travellers now plan their trip inside these apps before they ever open Google. These are people you would never reach on your own — and they are actively looking for something to do in your city.
The insight
Do not judge a channel by its commission alone. Judge it by what one more guest costs you.
Here is the math I always run with operators. Say your ticket is 100 euros:
- 60 percent of your guests book direct on your website, at around 15 euros in marketing cost per guest
- 40 percent come from an OTA at 30 euros commission per guest
- Your blended acquisition cost across both: about 21 euros
That is a healthy business (for most). If done right, the OTA is not eating your margin — it is filling seats you could not fill yourself. Direct bookings are your foundation: you keep the full price and the guest relationship. OTAs are the amplifier on top.
Want bookings from these platforms?
How to start getting sales from GetYourGuide and Viator this month:
- List on both. Listing is free — you only pay when a booking comes in, and it’s fully integrated with Understory.
- Lead with your best photos. Travellers scroll fast. One great photo and a clear, specific title (“2-Hour Canal Kayak Tour with Local Guide”) beat a wall of text every time.
- Collect reviews early. Rankings on both platforms are driven heavily by reviews. Ask every OTA guest for one — the first ten matter most.
- Sync your availability. Connect the OTAs to your booking system (e.g. Understory) so seats update in real time. Double bookings kill your ranking and your weekend, we help you avoid that.
- Track profit per booking, not just volume. Know what you earn after commission, and use OTAs to fill the departures that need it.
Set it up once, and it becomes a channel that quietly fills seats in the background while you focus on delivering a great experience.
