The online travel experiences market has become fiercely competitive as travelers increasingly seek to book tours, activities, and attraction tickets digitally.
Yet, Tiqets faces an uphill battle against entrenched platforms like GetYourGuide, Viator (Tripadvisor Experiences), Klook, and the travel giants Booking.com and Expedia.
This article provides a business-focused analysis of how Tiqets competes with these established booking platforms, examining Tiqets’ competitive advantages and the challenges it confronts.
Key areas of exploration include Tiqets’ mobile-first and last-minute booking strategy, its technology and partnerships, user experience and market positioning, as well as trends shaping the online travel and experiences sector.
Tiqets’ Market Position and Focus
Tiqets has carved out a strong position in the niche of museum and attraction ticketing within the broader travel industry. The company’s mission is to “make culture more accessible” by providing a seamless platform for booking tickets to museums, historic sites, theme parks, and other cultural venues around the world.
Tiqets is recognized as one of the leading platforms for attraction tickets, particularly in Europe, and it has expanded its reach across North America, Asia, and other key tourist destinations.
By the mid-2020s, Tiqets reported operating in over 1,300 cities worldwide with support for 18 languages and 20 payment methods, reflecting its broad geographic footprint.
Notably, Tiqets has built strength in popular European cultural hubs (cities like Paris, Rome, Barcelona, and Amsterdam), leveraging the region’s rich heritage and high tourist traffic.
Market Segment & Positioning
Unlike some competitors that cover the full spectrum of tours and excursions, Tiqets’ primary focus is on venue-based experiences – tickets for museums, monuments, galleries, and similar attractions.
This cultural niche positioning differentiates Tiqets. It caters to travelers (both leisure and business) who plan visits to iconic landmarks or “hidden gem” attractions and want a convenient, fast way to secure entry.
Over time, Tiqets has honed its brand around convenience and instant access – often providing “skip-the-line” tickets that let customers bypass long queues at major sites. By emphasizing digital ticket delivery and ease of use, Tiqets has managed to stand out in a crowded market of travel booking options.
This strategic focus on fast, hassle-free entry aligns well with today’s travelers who increasingly favor spontaneous, mobile-enabled bookings. In fact, industry data shows that by early 2025 nearly 60% of travel bookings were being made on smartphones, up from ~52% a year earlier.
Moreover, over a quarter of trips were being booked last-minute (within a week of travel), a trend driven by travelers’ growing comfort with spontaneous planning. Tiqets’ mobile-centric approach and instant ticketing model directly tap into these trends.
Scale and Growth
While precise market share figures are not publicly available, Tiqets has seen robust growth and is viewed as a significant player in the attractions ticketing segment.
The company reached a milestone of serving its 50-millionth customer by early 2025 , signaling strong adoption. Notably, Tiqets rebounded strongly after the pandemic downturn – reporting that its bookings in 2022 had surpassed 2019 levels.
This recovery reflects the broader surge in the experiences sector: consumers are prioritizing travel experiences, and industry reports show booking volumes for tours/activities in 2023 far exceeded pre-pandemic levels (GetYourGuide, for example, saw Q1 2023 bookings at four times those of Q1 2019 ).
With travel demand returning, Tiqets has continued to expand its catalog (now offering tickets to 7,000+ attractions worldwide) and to enter new markets. Its strategic initiatives – from product innovation to partnerships – are aimed at maintaining growth in the face of formidable competition.
Tiqets’ Competitive Advantages and Strategy
Despite being smaller than some rivals, Tiqets has developed several competitive advantages.
These lie primarily in its technology and mobile-first approach, its partnerships and distribution network, its focus on user experience (UX), and its clear market positioning in cultural attractions.
Below, we examine each of these areas in detail, along with how Tiqets approaches mobile bookings, last-minute sales, local offerings, customer acquisition, and expansion.
Mobile-First, Instant Booking & Last-Minute Ticketing
One of Tiqets’ standout strengths is its technology platform enabling instant, mobile-friendly bookings.
From inception, Tiqets has been “mobile-first”, designing its website and app to let travelers book tickets on their phone in seconds. The platform delivers e-tickets that can be scanned on-site, eliminating the need for printing or waiting.
According to Tiqets and its partners, the vast majority of bookings result in ticket confirmation within minutes, underscoring the real-time connectivity Tiqets has with venue ticketing systems.
In fact, Tiqets’ innovative ticketing technology was recognized with a travel industry award in 2019 for enabling optimization of revenue per customer without overbooking venues.
A core selling point is instant access for spontaneous travelers. Tiqets’ system often provides last-minute availability up to the day of the visit – a huge benefit for travelers who make on-the-fly decisions.
Google selected Tiqets as a launch partner for its “Reserve with Google” attractions booking initiative largely because Tiqets could meet Google’s stringent technical requirements for real-time inventory.
As a report on that partnership noted, Google chose Tiqets due to its fully digital ticketing process with last-minute availability and 24/7 customer support in multiple languages.
In other words, Tiqets’ back-end can handle high-volume, short-notice bookings and immediately issue confirmed tickets, which made it an ideal collaborator for Google’s maps and search products.
This capability provides a competitive edge over some older platforms that may rely on slower confirmation or voucher systems. It directly caters to modern traveler behavior: bookings made on mobile at the last minute.
As noted, 27% of travel bookings in 2025 were happening within a week of travel , and more than half of travelers say speed and ease are top reasons they book trips online (as opposed to using an agent).
Tiqets has capitalized on this by ensuring its UX from search to payment is optimized for quick, frictionless conversion on a smartphone.
Additionally, Tiqets often offers features like “skip-the-line” tickets, which add value for mobile bookers looking to save time. By integrating directly with venue ticket systems, Tiqets can issue a QR code or digital ticket that is equivalent to a gate entry – meaning customers can walk straight in.
This focus on convenience is repeatedly emphasized by Tiqets in its marketing and has become a hallmark of its user experience. Many rival platforms also provide mobile tickets, but Tiqets made it a defining feature early on.
Industry observers note that Tiqets has “refined its positioning to emphasize convenience and instant ticket delivery,” which has helped differentiate it in a crowded marketplace.
From a business perspective, the mobile-first strategy not only meets customer expectations but also likely yields higher conversion rates and impulse sales. Travelers already on the go can discover a local attraction on the Tiqets app or via an integrated channel (such as Google Maps or an airline app) and complete a purchase spontaneously.
This taps into in-destination bookings – a segment that has grown with the proliferation of smartphones. Tiqets’ bet on last-minute mobile bookings appears well-founded as the industry moves in that direction. The company reports that mobile transactions significantly boost sales by enabling travelers to “discover and buy” tickets on the spot.
With smartphone travel bookings worldwide valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars and growing rapidly , Tiqets’ mobile-centric approach is a clear competitive advantage over any competitors that have been slower to optimize for mobile.
User Experience and Local “Ways to Culture”
Closely related to its tech savvy is Tiqets’ emphasis on a smooth user experience for both customers and attractions. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and reliable, which benefits its reputation.
Tiqets provides 24/7 customer support and multi-language assistance to travelers. This ensures that if issues arise (e.g. needing to change a time slot or having trouble at the venue entrance), customers can quickly get help – an important trust factor when booking travel experiences online. Tiqets’ customer service and app usability have earned it high ratings (the company often cites a strong TrustPilot score or similar).
By reducing friction and anxiety in the booking process, Tiqets addresses a common pain point: many travelers find booking experiences cumbersome or worry something might go wrong. In fact, industry surveys show a significant “experience gap” – travelers love the trip itself but often dislike the booking process, citing stress around things like tickets or logistics.
Tiqets tries to close that gap with instant confirmation, clear ticket instructions (often including how to redeem or where to meet), and dependable service. This focus on UX is one of its competitive advantages , as noted in analyses of Tiqets’ strategy: the platform’s efficient customer service and ease of use bolster its market position alongside its technical features.
Another key aspect of Tiqets’ offering is the breadth of experiences it provides in the cultural attractions category. Tiqets partners directly with over 3,000 venues worldwide , ranging from famous landmarks (like the Colosseum, Louvre, or Empire State Building) to smaller museums and quirky local attractions.
By having both “top attractions” and “hidden gems” on the platform, Tiqets covers the spectrum of cultural experiences. This appeals to travelers looking for authentic local culture, not just the big tourist sites. In recent years, there has been a noticeable traveler trend toward seeking out unique, local experiences rather than only generic sightseeing.
Tiqets’ content strategy aligns with this – the company tagline even encourages discovering “more ways to culture.” The platform has offered digital initiatives like the Tiqets Culture Festival (virtual museum tours and talks) and sells city passes/combo tickets that encourage deeper exploration of a destination.
All of this reinforces Tiqets’ positioning as the go-to place for cultural experiences specifically. It’s a positioning that distinguishes it from competitors that might be heavier on adventure tours or general activities.
For example, GetYourGuide and Viator carry everything from food tours to ziplining, but Tiqets’ website is tailored for someone planning their museum and attraction visits. This focus can attract a loyal segment of culture-oriented travelers and also makes Tiqets an attractive partner for museums and tourist boards who want to reach that audience.
Tiqets also helps venues manage visitor flow and capacity – a feature that came to the fore during COVID and remains relevant for popular sites. The platform supports timed entry tickets, dynamic pricing, and tools to spread out attendance. By offering timeslots and suggesting off-peak visits, Tiqets adds value to attractions (helping prevent overcrowding) and to customers (who get a better experience).
This kind of innovation in ticketing operations demonstrates Tiqets’ deeper collaboration with venues, beyond just being a reseller. It provides an edge in attracting high-quality inventory.
If an attraction trusts Tiqets to handle its tickets in a smooth way (with capacity controls, etc.), Tiqets can secure partnerships that ensure it has last-minute availability and direct instant confirmation, which in turn boosts the user experience.
In summary, Tiqets competes on user experience by making the journey from discovery to entry ticket as simple as possible. Mobile booking, instant confirmation, skip-the-line entry, multilingual support, and curated cultural content all contribute to a positive customer experience that builds trust.
As a result, Tiqets enjoys strong repeat usage and word-of-mouth in its niche. These factors collectively form a competitive moat centered on convenience and cultural relevance.
Partnerships and Customer Acquisition Strategy
Because it lacks the massive marketing budgets of giants, Tiqets has leaned heavily on strategic partnerships to extend its reach and acquire customers. This is a crucial aspect of its competitive strategy.
Tiqets has forged partnerships on multiple fronts: with major travel platforms, with technology companies, and through affiliate channels.
One high-profile example is Tiqets’ partnership with Google. Tiqets became an early partner in Google’s Reserve project in 2018, integrating Tiqets’ inventory into Google Maps, Search, and the Google Assistant.
This means when users search for a museum on Google, they might see a “Buy Tickets” option powered by Tiqets. Such integration effectively gives Tiqets a storefront on one of the world’s largest discovery platforms, funneling high-intent traffic to Tiqets without expensive advertising.
As noted, Google chose Tiqets due to its robust tech (real-time tickets and support) , which underscores how tech capability enabled a marketing/distribution win. Similarly, Tiqets partnered with Apple in late 2021 to integrate ticket booking into Apple Maps for select attractions.
These tech partnerships are a clever customer acquisition strategy: instead of relying solely on consumers coming to Tiqets’ app or website, Tiqets meets customers where they naturally are – searching on Google, using map apps, etc. It effectively piggybacks on larger platforms to gain visibility.
Tiqets has also struck deals with online travel agencies and travel content aggregators. Notably, in 2022 Tiqets entered a global partnership with Klook, one of Asia-Pacific’s largest experience booking platforms.
This partnership connected the two companies’ supply channels, allowing customers of either platform to seamlessly book experiences from the other’s inventory. In practice, Tiqets gained access to Klook’s extensive APAC offerings, and Klook’s users could book Tiqets’ museums and attractions in Europe/North America.
The tie-up was touted as joining “two of the biggest players” to offer a world-class selection of experiences. For Tiqets, this was a rapid way to expand in Asia via Klook’s brand presence there, while for Klook it enriched their cultural attraction listings in Western markets.
Both companies benefited by increasing supplier visibility in each other’s core regions. Tiqets’ President noted that through Klook, Tiqets’ network of 4,000+ museums and attractions would gain greater exposure in APAC, and in return Tiqets would “benefit from new supply that Klook already has connected.”.
This kind of partnership is essentially an alliance against common giants – by teaming up, Tiqets and Klook improve their competitive stance globally. It’s also a cost-effective expansion strategy compared to each building out local offices and supply from scratch in the other’s territory.
Another major partnership is with Trip.com Group (which includes Trip.com and Ctrip, dominant in China/Asia). In mid-2022, Tiqets announced a deal to integrate its inventory into Trip.com’s platforms, giving Trip.com users access to “the best experiences at over 4,000 museums & attractions around the world”.
This again expanded Tiqets’ distribution in Asian markets and among Trip.com’s huge customer base. It was noted that Tiqets had struck similar distribution deals with MakeMyTrip (a leading OTA in India) and even integrations with Apple Maps prior to Trip.com. By 2025, Tiqets boasted over 3,000 distribution partners in its network.
This includes not only big names like Google, Klook, Trip.com, but countless affiliates and travel publishers. Tiqets runs an affiliate program that incentivizes travel bloggers, city guide websites, airlines, and other partners to promote Tiqets tickets in exchange for commission – reportedly up to 50% of Tiqets’ revenue share on those tickets.
Such a generous affiliate commission (50% of revenue) suggests Tiqets is aggressively seeking market reach, effectively using affiliates as an outsourced marketing force.
The benefit of these partnerships is two-fold: they drive customer acquisition (by positioning Tiqets’ inventory on high-traffic platforms like TripAdvisor, Google, airline sites, etc.) and they reinforce Tiqets’ value proposition to venues (by promising broad distribution).
For example, Tiqets has a partnership with the Ticketbar affiliate network to push its products through numerous travel affiliate sites. It also integrated with regional tour operator software (like bookingkit and Regiondo’s channel manager) so that venues using those systems can distribute via Tiqets easily.
All these moves enlarge Tiqets’ sales channels without requiring Tiqets to spend exorbitantly on consumer advertising.
In contrast, larger competitors often rely on heavy direct marketing spend (Google Ads, etc.) to attract users. Tiqets’ partnership approach is a competitive strategy to punch above its weight in visibility. For instance, by partnering with TripAdvisor/Viator or Booking.com (indirectly through distribution deals), Tiqets ensures its attractions appear on those top travel sites too.
It’s worth noting that even some big OTAs prefer to ingest inventory from specialized partners rather than contract directly. Expedia Group, for example, has arrangements to source tours and activities from Viator and GetYourGuide instead of building its own listings for every tour.
This indicates how distribution partnerships are a norm in the experiences sector – and Tiqets has deftly positioned itself in that ecosystem. In fact, Tripadvisor’s CEO in 2024 highlighted that Viator’s 4,000+ distribution partners (which include Booking.com, Expedia, etc.) are a key driver of growth for their experiences business.
Tiqets, by securing distribution deals with various channels, is effectively ensuring it remains in the consideration set even when customers go to an OTA or search engine instead of directly to Tiqets.
Finally, Tiqets’ branding and content marketing focus on culture also aid customer acquisition by resonating with a defined audience. Its blog content, emails, and campaigns (like the online Culture Festival or “Best Museum” awards) help position Tiqets as an authority in cultural experiences.
This can draw in culture enthusiasts and differentiate Tiqets’ brand in a market where others might be more associated with adrenaline tours or generic sightseeing. In summary, partnerships are the cornerstone of Tiqets’ growth strategy – expanding its reach globally – while targeted branding and a broad affiliate network further fuel its customer acquisition in a cost-effective manner.
Geographic Expansion and Localized Offerings
Given its roots in the Netherlands, Tiqets initially built a strong presence across European destinations, and this remains a core market. However, the company has made concerted efforts to expand globally, both by entering new regions and by localizing its product to serve diverse customer bases.
One aspect of this is multi-language and multi-currency support – Tiqets supports booking in 18 languages and numerous currencies, making it accessible to travelers from many countries. This is important when competing with global players; for instance, Viator and GetYourGuide also operate in many languages, and Klook caters to Asian-language audiences.
Tiqets ensuring its platform is translated and culturally adapted for, say, French, Japanese, or Arabic users is key to competing internationally.
On the supply side, Tiqets’ expansion strategy has involved adding attractions in new destinations worldwide. The company has grown to work with venues in over 60 countries.
Initially dominant in Western Europe (for example, with top attractions in cities like Paris, Rome, London, Amsterdam), Tiqets has since added major tourist sites across North America (New York, Las Vegas, theme parks in Orlando, etc.), Asia (temples in Bangkok, museums in Tokyo, etc.), the Middle East (attractions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi), and beyond.
Its partnerships with Klook and Trip.com were particularly aimed at accelerating expansion in the Asia-Pacific region – a market where Klook had a stronghold. Instead of Tiqets trying to individually onboard hundreds of APAC activities, the Klook deal essentially opened the door to that inventory.
Likewise, Tiqets has placed staff in offices abroad (it lists team members in cities like Bangkok, Paris, Seattle, etc. in addition to Amsterdam HQ ) to build out both supply and partnerships locally.
Tiqets also engages in geographic market-specific promotions and collaborations. For example, to raise its profile in new markets, Tiqets sometimes partners with local tourism boards or runs co-marketing with airlines/hospitality companies targeting those travelers.
An interesting partnership in 2024 was with Firsty, an eSIM provider, to offer travelers mobile internet access – not directly about tickets, but a value-add for Tiqets customers traveling abroad.
This indicates Tiqets is looking at the whole traveler journey as it enters new markets, trying to add complementary services that make its platform appealing for tourists on the go (especially when entering regions where buying a SIM card, etc., could be a pain point). It’s a small example, but it shows adaptability in how Tiqets approaches expansion.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain in global expansion. Some markets have entrenched local competitors (for instance, Civitatis in Spanish-speaking markets or Headout in last-minute mobile deals, etc.), and attraction ticketing can be subject to local regulations or practices.
Tiqets encountered a regulatory hurdle in Italy, for example, where in 2025 it (along with other operators) was fined by the Italian Competition Authority for alleged unfair practices in Colosseum ticket sales.
The fine – nearly €20 million collectively – was related to accusations of ticket hoarding via bots by various tour operators including Tiqets and GetYourGuide.
Tiqets denied wrongdoing, but the episode underscores that expanding in popular destinations can invite scrutiny and the need to comply with local rules. Tiqets will need to navigate such challenges as it grows geographically.
Overall, Tiqets’ approach to geographic expansion is pragmatic: partner where possible (to quickly gain inventory and distribution in a region), localize the product, and focus on its niche (culture) within each market.
This strategy has allowed Tiqets to become a global platform despite its startup origins. Yet, the company must continually adapt to compete with global giants and well-funded regional players in each new market it enters.
Competition and Market Challenges
While Tiqets has many strengths, it operates in an environment dominated by large, well-funded competitors. These competitors pose significant challenges in terms of scale, funding, brand recognition, and breadth of offerings.
Below we analyze the key competitors – GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook – and the major Online Travel Agencies (Booking.com and Expedia) – highlighting their competitive positions and how Tiqets stacks up against them.
GetYourGuide (Berlin-based Tours & Activities Platform)
GetYourGuide (GYG), founded in 2009, is one of the largest online marketplaces for tours and activities and is a direct competitor to Tiqets. GYG offers a broad array of experiences worldwide – from guided tours and day trips to tickets for attractions – and has aggressively expanded its catalog.
As of 2023, GetYourGuide listed over 75,000 activities offered by 16,000+ suppliers, and travelers from more than 150 countries had booked upwards of 80 million experiences through its platform. This sheer scale dwarfs Tiqets’ inventory (roughly 7,000 attractions) and means GYG typically has more options in any given destination.
For example, in a city like Paris, GYG might offer dozens of different tours (food tours, bike tours, day trips to Champagne, etc.) in addition to museum tickets, whereas Tiqets would primarily offer the attraction tickets.
GetYourGuide’s competitive advantages include heavy funding and global marketing reach. The company has raised hundreds of millions in venture capital (notably a $484M SoftBank-led round in 2019, and more funding in 2020–2023) and was valued at over $2 billion.
This capital has been funneled into brand-building, online advertising, and product development. GYG has invested in a slick, modern user interface and even launched “Originals by GetYourGuide” – exclusive tours co-created by GYG (such as early-access museum tours with special perks) to differentiate its content.
The platform appeals to a broad demographic but particularly targets millennial and Gen Z travelers who seek unique, Instagram-worthy experiences. GYG has been very strong in SEO and digital marketing; its content (including a rich trove of user reviews and photos) draws high traffic.
It also has benefitted from partnerships – e.g., as of 2021, Expedia began integrating GetYourGuide listings alongside Viator’s (Expedia works with both to have comprehensive supply).
One of GetYourGuide’s key strengths vis-à-vis Tiqets is breadth of offerings: beyond museums, it covers adventure sports, classes, cruises, and more. This makes GYG more of a one-stop-shop for “things to do”, potentially capturing customers who want to book multiple experience types on one platform. However, Tiqets competes by being more specialized.
Tiqets can argue that its focus on attractions means a more curated, quality selection in that category (indeed, both platforms often sell the same attraction tickets, but Tiqets positions itself as the expert in that niche).
Tiqets also competes on convenience – notably, GYG and Tiqets both emphasize mobile booking, but Tiqets’ instant ticket delivery for attractions is as good or better than GYG’s (which sometimes issues a voucher to be exchanged on-site, depending on the supplier).
It’s worth noting that GetYourGuide has also prioritized mobile – more than 75-80% of GYG bookings are reportedly via mobile app, similar to Tiqets’ mobile mix, reflecting industry norms.
Another area of competition is technological innovation. GetYourGuide has been experimenting with AI-driven tools – for instance, it launched a ChatGPT plugin for travel planning and internal AI tools to help tour operators optimize content. It’s using technology to enhance personalization and content creation at scale.
While Tiqets has not made as much noise on the AI front, it has integrated with big tech (Google, Apple) as described. Both companies are essentially racing to capture the booming experiences market, which GYG’s CEO described as a $300 billion opportunity still in early stages of digitization.
GYG’s strategy to become the global leader involves rapid expansion in North America and other markets (it opened U.S. offices, etc.) and continuing to pour investment into product and partnerships. This means Tiqets faces a competitor with significant war chest and similar global ambitions.
How Tiqets competes: Tiqets leverages its cultural focus and skip-the-line convenience to attract a segment of users that might prefer a straightforward museum ticket platform over browsing through a multitude of tours.
Tiqets also often has official partnerships with venues (some museums feature Tiqets as a preferred seller), which can sometimes mean better availability or exclusive time slots.
Meanwhile, GetYourGuide’s huge inventory and marketing might draw more casual travelers or those who start their search broadly. It’s notable that both Tiqets and GYG have found room to grow – indicating the market is not winner-take-all yet, partly due to its size.
They also sometimes cooperate indirectly; for example, Expedia’s activities channel sources content from both GetYourGuide and Viator to give Expedia’s customers choice. So a traveler on Expedia might unknowingly book a Tiqets-sourced ticket or a GYG-sourced tour. In essence, GetYourGuide represents the highly funded, broad-spectrum OTA approach to experiences, whereas Tiqets represents a specialist approach.
Tiqets will need to continue innovating in mobile UX and maintain strong relationships with attractions to hold its ground, as GYG can outspend it in marketing and offer wider selection in most destinations.
Viator (Tripadvisor’s Experiences Marketplace)
Viator is another heavyweight competitor, and it comes with the backing of Tripadvisor’s globally recognized travel brand. Founded in the 1990s and acquired by Tripadvisor in 2014, Viator has long been a dominant aggregator of tours, activities, and attractions.
It brands itself as “the world’s largest marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions,” and recent figures back that up: as of late 2024, Viator boasted over 350,000 bookable experiences on its platform, working with more than 55,000 tour operators.
This is an order of magnitude more listings than Tiqets. Importantly, Viator leverages Tripadvisor’s vast user base and review content. Many travelers find experiences by browsing Tripadvisor (reading reviews of things to do) and are then routed to Viator to book; Tripadvisor’s own “Things to Do” section is effectively powered by Viator’s inventory.
This symbiosis gives Viator immense reach and credibility — millions of users who trust Tripadvisor see Viator options as the default for booking activities. Tiqets, in contrast, does not have an equivalent trove of user-generated reviews on its platform (it has some, but not at Tripadvisor’s scale).
Viator’s competitive advantages include its scale and distribution network. The company has over 4,000 distribution partners feeding bookings into it. This includes major players like Booking.com and Expedia, which have integrated Viator’s inventory so that when users book a “tour” on those OTAs, it’s often fulfilled by Viator in the backend.
Viator thus benefits from the one-stop-shop nature of larger OTAs – a traveler booking a hotel on Booking.com might also add a Viator-powered museum ticket to their checkout, without ever visiting Viator’s site directly. This makes Viator somewhat omnipresent.
Tiqets, as discussed, has gotten itself into some of these channels (e.g. via partnerships with Trip.com or even potentially some Tripadvisor affiliate deals), but not at the scale of Viator’s integration.
Viator also has a massive supply chain advantage: with 350k+ experiences, it covers practically every destination and niche, from big bus tours to niche adventure. Tiqets cannot compete on quantity of experiences; rather, it competes on quality in its niche and on user experience.
One specific area where Tiqets often differentiates is ticket-focused experiences vs. tours. Viator’s strength historically has been tours and activities run by third-party operators (city walking tours, adventure outings, etc.), though it also sells attraction tickets.
Tiqets has focused on the latter. If a traveler specifically wants to buy a skip-the-line ticket to a museum, Tiqets may offer a simpler, possibly cheaper option (since Viator often bundles such tickets with a tour or with a mark-up).
Indeed, one challenge Viator has faced is that some attractions have started selling timed tickets directly or through select partners like Tiqets, which can undercut Viator’s more tour-oriented approach.
However, Viator is adapting – it now offers more straightforward ticket options as well, often with free cancellation and similar perks to remain competitive. Both Tiqets and Viator highlight flexible cancellation policies and 24/7 support in their pitches to customers , as these have become standard expectations.
Viator’s tie to Tripadvisor provides another advantage: trusted reviews and content. Travelers often read Tripadvisor reviews (for example, checking what others say about a particular museum or tour) and then can book through Viator in a seamless flow.
Tiqets does allow customer reviews on its platform and often features venue descriptions and tips, but the volume and depth are smaller. Tiqets sometimes combats this by providing rich content of its own – blog posts, city guides, or by emphasizing its status as a “trusted” ticket seller (e.g., stating how many tickets it sold, showing TrustPilot scores). Still, competing with the Tripadvisor ecosystem is tough.
Another difference: Marketing muscle and brand awareness. Viator, being part of a public company (Tripadvisor), has significant marketing spend. In 2023 and 2024, Tripadvisor heavily promoted Viator, even airing its own TV commercials separate from the Tripadvisor brand.
Tiqets cannot likely match that level of consumer marketing spend. Instead, Tiqets relies on the partnerships and niche branding as described.
Yet, there are areas where Tiqets can challenge Viator. One is innovation and agility. Viator, despite its scale, has legacy aspects (it has been integrating various tech stacks and dealing with Tripadvisor’s broader corporate shifts). Tiqets, being younger, rolled out a modern tech platform from the start.
This enabled things like the aforementioned Google Reserve integration which Viator was not a part of initially (Google chose Tiqets and a couple of others). Tiqets can also sometimes onboard new attractions faster or work out direct integrations that bypass middlemen.
For instance, Tiqets often partners directly with landmark attractions (the Louvre Museum’s official site may link to Tiqets for last-minute tickets in some cases, etc.). If Tiqets secures such direct deals, it can offer better inventory or pricing at those venues than Viator, which might be dealing via a third-party local operator.
Additionally, Tiqets has proven resilient and focused solely on experiences, whereas Tripadvisor’s attention is split among hotels, restaurants, etc. Interestingly, Tripadvisor’s 2024 financials revealed that Viator’s revenue surpassed Tripadvisor’s core hotel segment’s revenue for the first time. This underscores that the experiences market is now a huge priority for Tripadvisor.
They will no doubt invest even more into Viator’s growth (Tripadvisor’s CEO emphasized expanding Viator via new source markets, partnerships, and more supply categories ). This means Tiqets faces a Viator that is hungry and no longer a sleepy appendage, but a core growth engine with corporate support.
How Tiqets competes: Primarily through focus and specialization. Tiqets positions itself as the expert in attraction tickets, where Viator is broad. Tiqets can be more nimble in that segment – quickly adding features like interactive digital tickets, AR guides, or venue-specific integrations if needed.
It also often underlines its strong partnerships with attractions (as a CanvasBusinessModel analysis noted, Tiqets’ advantages include “strong partnerships with attractions [and] focus on user experience” , whereas a disadvantage is “intense competition” from those with broader offerings).
Tiqets might not match Viator’s breadth, but it can try to offer the best experience for the types of products it does carry. Moreover, by maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction, Tiqets can gain repeat users who prefer its interface over Viator/Tripadvisor’s (Tripadvisor’s site can be cluttered or push too many options, whereas Tiqets’ app is straightforward for buying a ticket).
Ultimately, Viator is a formidable competitor given its scale and distribution. Tiqets will likely continue to coexist by excelling in its niche and possibly by complementing Viator on some channels (for example, some smaller regional OTAs might integrate Tiqets for attractions and Viator for tours).
The market is growing so robustly that multiple players are seeing rising sales – the key is for Tiqets to retain its slice as the pie expands.
Klook (Asia-Pacific Focused Experiences Platform)
Klook is another major competitor, particularly when it comes to the Asian travel market and younger travelers. Founded in 2014 in Hong Kong, Klook rapidly became the leading travel activities booking platform in the Asia-Pacific region.
It offers a huge range of products: not only tours and attraction tickets, but also local transport passes, SIM cards/WiFi devices, food and dining experiences, and other travel services.
Klook’s platform has an almost “super-app” quality in Asia, where users can book theme park tickets, train tickets, airport transfers, and more all in one place. According to company info around 2022, Klook features over 490,000 activities in more than 1,000 destinations worldwide – by far one of the largest catalogs in the industry (though that figure likely counts every small activity, transport option, etc., hence the very high number).
One of Klook’s strongest edges is its grip on the APAC market and its appeal to Millennial/Gen-Z travelers. Roughly 70% of Klook’s user base is Millennial or Gen Z, and more than 80% of all Klook bookings are made via its mobile app. This mobile-native approach resonates with younger travelers in Asia who are extremely app-savvy.
Klook invested heavily in social media marketing, influencer partnerships, and localization to win this demographic. For instance, Klook’s app integrates with popular Asian e-wallets and social platforms, and it curates experiences that are trendy among young travelers (like Instagrammable cafes, pop-up events, etc.).
During the pandemic, Klook pivoted to domestic experiences (e.g., promoting local outings for regional travelers) and emerged stronger with a widened portfolio. By 2023, Klook had reportedly raised over $1 billion in funding (from investors including SoftBank) , fueling its global expansion beyond Asia. It has since opened offices or marketing in Europe and the US as well, aiming to compete with the likes of GYG and Viator globally.
For Tiqets, Klook was both a competitor and, interestingly, a partner (as discussed in the partnership section). The strategic partnership announced in 2022 means that in some markets they share inventory.
This suggests a recognition that each had complementary strengths: Tiqets strong in West, Klook in East. Nonetheless, outside of that partnership scope, they do compete for customers traveling between regions.
For example, a Singaporean traveler going to Europe could use either Klook or Tiqets to book tickets for attractions in Paris. Klook, thanks to its brand recognition in Asia, might capture that customer via its app’s multi-service convenience.
Tiqets would hope to capture them if they specifically search for say “Louvre ticket” and find Tiqets via Google or see that Tiqets has certain skip-the-line slots available.
Klook’s competitive advantages include its user-friendly app with rich content (including videos and user reviews in multiple languages), its often aggressive pricing or deals (Klook frequently runs promotions and flash sales, appealing to bargain-hunters), and its broad product mix.
Klook also has deep partnerships with theme parks (e.g., it’s a go-to seller for Disneyland tickets in Asia), which bring in large volumes. In terms of user experience, Klook and Tiqets share a philosophy of instant confirmation; Klook too offers a lot of instant ticketing for major attractions, and it provides QR codes, etc., for immediate entry.
So Tiqets doesn’t have a clear tech advantage over Klook – both are quite advanced on mobile and instant booking.
One area Tiqets might claim an edge is in Western cultural content. Klook initially catered more to Asian travelers visiting popular sights (they excel at, say, selling a whole package for a Hong Konger going to Japan – covering Universal Studios Japan tickets, airport transfer, etc.).
Tiqets, conversely, might have deeper direct ties with European cultural institutions. However, the lines are blurring as Klook expands globally and as Tiqets through Klook gets more APAC supply. Also, Klook’s focus on local experiences and the “joy” aspect of travel overlaps with Tiqets’ cultural mission, though Klook’s tone is often more entertainment-driven (it positions itself as bringing “joy” and fun, featuring many recreational activities).
Tiqets might differentiate by a more educational/cultural tone (museums, history, art).
Klook also has a strong Gen Z marketing game – for example, using TikTok and Instagram for travel inspiration, knowing that a huge portion of young travelers get ideas from social media (studies show 75% of travelers in some markets are inspired by social media posts ).
Tiqets has been less visible on that front; its marketing is a bit more traditional. This could be a challenge as a new generation of travelers comes of age.
However, the partnership with Klook indicates that Tiqets chose co-opetition (cooperation + competition) as a strategy. By integrating supply, they both increased their inventory and reach. It could also be seen as a defensive move: better to ally than be overtaken in each other’s regions.
As long as that partnership continues, Tiqets can benefit from Klook’s strength in Asia while giving Klook a channel in Europe. But outside of that, Klook still poses a threat as it moves into Europe on its own.
In 2023-24, Klook started targeting European and American outbound travelers more, appearing at trade shows and signing deals with tourism boards. Tiqets will need to leverage its head start in Europe and its tight relationships with venues to maintain its advantage on home turf.
In summary, Klook is a formidable competitor due to its mobile-first approach (even more so than some Western rivals), its massive product catalogue, and strong appeal to young, experience-hungry travelers. Tiqets holds its own by focusing on its cultural niche and through strategic partnership rather than head-on competition.
The dynamic between Klook and Tiqets is unique given their collaboration; it shows that the experiences market is not zero-sum – alliances can be made to counterbalance the dominance of others (like Viator or GYG).
Nonetheless, Tiqets must keep an eye on Klook’s independent expansion and continue to differentiate its brand in ways that resonate with the market segments it serves.
Booking.com and Expedia (Global OTAs Entering Experiences)
Beyond the dedicated experiences platforms, Tiqets also indirectly competes with the major Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Expedia.
These companies are household names for booking flights and hotels, and in recent years they have increasingly pushed into the tours & activities arena, recognizing that travelers want to book “the whole trip” in one place.
While Booking.com and Expedia are not pure experiences specialists, their vast customer base and resources make them important competitive forces.
Booking.com, part of Booking Holdings, has a massive global reach with its accommodation platform. To capture the experiences market, Booking.com initially tried contracting activities directly but later shifted strategy. In 2020, Booking.com announced a strategic partnership with TUI’s Musement platform to source tours and attractions content.
By 2021–2022, Booking.com relaunched its Attractions section powered largely by Musement’s inventory of ~70,000 experiences. More recently, Booking.com also partnered with Viator – in 2023 they agreed to integrate thousands of Viator’s tours and activities into Booking’s site.
These moves indicate that Booking.com decided not to build an experiences supply from scratch but rather to lean on established aggregators.
The result is that a Booking.com user can add, say, a museum ticket or a guided tour to their hotel booking, and that product might actually come from Viator or Musement in the background. From a traveler’s perspective, they stay within the Booking.com interface and likely are unaware of the supplier.
For Tiqets, this means that Booking.com represents competition as a distribution channel. A traveler who might have gone to Tiqets to book a Louvre ticket might instead just use Booking.com (where they booked their Paris hotel) to also book the Louvre ticket, since Booking now offers that option (via Viator/Musement).
The convenience of bundling and the incentive of loyalty programs (Booking has Genius rewards, etc.) could keep users on the OTA. The challenge for Tiqets is that it doesn’t have an equivalent breadth of services. However, Tiqets can and does partner in such ecosystems where possible.
For instance, Viator’s integration with Booking.com could include some Tiqets-supplied inventory if Tiqets is providing certain attraction tickets to Viator as a local operator (though Viator mostly works directly with operators).
Also, Tiqets’ partnership with Trip.com Group indicates it targets international OTA partnerships; Booking.com so far has aligned with Viator/Musement, not Tiqets.
Expedia Group similarly has made moves. Expedia had its in-house Local Expert division historically, but later also partnered externally. As of 2021, Expedia Group announced it was working with two strategic partners: Viator and GetYourGuide to source the bulk of its tours and activities content. Expedia’s aim was to have the widest choice and competitive pricing by pulling from both major suppliers.
This means on Expedia’s “Things to Do” pages, many listings are essentially via Viator or GYG. Expedia has enormous traffic, especially in North America; if it is pulling content from competitors, that presents a challenge to Tiqets which is not a primary supplier there.
On the flip side, Expedia’s strategy shows even they rely on specialized partners – an opportunity Tiqets has exploited in other channels, though not with Expedia yet.
The competitive threat from OTAs lies in their ability to package experiences with other travel components and their strong brand loyalty. A customer who trusts Booking.com or Expedia might prefer to book everything through them. These OTAs also have marketing might – for example, they can promote “Book your hotel and get 10% off an attraction” deals to entice users to add experiences to their cart.
Tiqets cannot offer hotels or flights, so it must capture the customer either before they book those (in trip planning stage) or after (when they realize they need tickets and find Tiqets via search or an affiliate).
This is why Tiqets invests in SEO/Google integrations and affiliate presence – to catch the traveler who is specifically looking for an attraction ticket outside the context of an OTA booking flow.
However, it’s worth noting that OTAs’ experience offerings are only as good as their partnerships. If Viator or GYG doesn’t have a certain niche tour, the OTA won’t either.
OTAs also might not emphasize local cultural attractions as much as selling big-ticket tours that have broad appeal. Tiqets can still win travelers who are specifically seeking cultural content and maybe aren’t even aware Booking/Expedia offer those tickets.
Additionally, some travelers are hesitant to book activities through OTAs if they perceive them as less specialized or if they prefer to use an expert platform.
From an industry standpoint, we see a trend of convergence and consolidation: Big OTAs are integrating the inventories of specialized OTAs (Viator, GYG, Musement, etc.) rather than each fighting completely separately. This means the true competition is somewhat behind the scenes – will a Tiqets or a GetYourGuide secure the partnership to be on a given channel.
Tiqets has done so in select cases (Trip.com, Google) but not yet with Western OTAs. There may still be opportunities; for example, Tripadvisor’s own resource mentions they have 4,000+ affiliate and distribution partners including Booking.com and Expedia where Viator content is shown. Tiqets likely is part of some affiliate networks that feed smaller regional OTAs or airline sites.
In summary, Booking.com and Expedia challenge Tiqets by offering travelers the convenience of booking experiences alongside other travel components on trusted platforms. Their approach to rely on partners means Tiqets isn’t directly visible there, ceding that space to Viator/GYG.
For Tiqets, the challenge is ensuring it remains relevant to travelers who might bypass standalone niche platforms in favor of all-in-one solutions. This may push Tiqets to continue forming alliances (perhaps even with the likes of Booking/Expedia if the opportunity arises) and to double down on what sets it apart (expertise in attractions, superior UX, etc.).
Conclusion
However, Tiqets operates in an arena of giants. Its competitors – GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Booking.com, Expedia – each bring formidable strengths, whether it’s huge inventories, deep pockets, global brands, or all of the above.
These incumbents present ongoing challenges: GetYourGuide and Viator can outspend and out-scale smaller rivals, Klook dominates key source markets and younger segments, and the mega-OTAs threaten to capture customers within their all-in-one ecosystems.
Tiqets must therefore continue to play to its advantages while remaining agile. Its competitive advantages (technology, partnerships, UX, and cultural focus) are not static; they require continuous investment and innovation to stay ahead of imitative moves by others.
The good news for Tiqets is that the pie is growing. The travel experiences sector is booming as travelers prioritize making memories and booking last-minute adventures on their phones.
There is room for multiple winners in this space, and Tiqets has secured a seat at the table as a respected provider of attraction tickets. To secure its future, Tiqets will need to keep evolving – perhaps integrating more AI for personalized recommendations, expanding into new destinations with high cultural tourism, or adding complementary services that enhance its core offerings.
It will also need to guard its supply relationships and perhaps seek deeper collaborations (or investments) that can bolster it against the resource-rich giants.
In conclusion, Tiqets competes by being lean, innovative, and deeply attuned to its niche, even as it faces heavyweight opponents.