As the tourism industry rebounds from the pandemic and travelers increasingly seek memorable experiences rather than material goods, platforms that connect visitors with local guides have exploded. GetYourGuide (GYG), a Berlin-based marketplace founded in 2009, exemplifies that shift. CEO Johannes Reck describes GYG as a “two-way online marketplace” that digitally links travelers to more than 16,000 tour guides and experience creators offering everything from Seine cruises to backstage theatre tours.
The platform has grown with the rise of the “verticalization” trend. Travelers no longer sift through generic search results but instead use specialist sites like Airbnb, Viator or GetYourGuide for niche needs. GetYourGuide’s success is rooted not only in consumer demand but in how it helps small businesses and solo guides digitize and market their services. It has raised more than US$1 billion, attracted a valuation above US$1 billion and claims 40 million monthly users and more than 35,000 suppliers.
This article examines how tour operators, especially small local guides, use GetYourGuide to reach a global audience, detailing the listing process, visibility factors, benefits and challenges, and the pivotal role of reviews and ratings.
Jump to: Building a Digital Marketplace • Setting Up a Listing • Reaching International Travelers • Commission Structures • The Power of Reviews • Case Study 1 • Case Study 2 • Challenges and Criticisms • The Path Ahead • FAQ
TL;DR
- GetYourGuide links travelers to over 35,000 tour operators worldwide.
- The platform offers free listings and commission-based bookings.
- Supplier verification ensures safety and trust.
- Rankings depend on conversion, reviews, and availability.
- Case studies show rapid growth for small operators.
- Commission hikes and ethical policies remain ongoing challenges.
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Building a Digital Marketplace for Local Experiences
Origin and Mission
Johannes Reck co‑founded GetYourGuide after encountering a problem while studying in Zurich: tourists were excited to explore a city but struggled to find quality local experiences. He envisioned an “online sales platform for the countless small businesses whose brochures hawking more conventionally touristy activities have long been a familiar sight in hotel lobbies”. GYG positions itself as a bridge between travelers and these small operators.
According to Reck, the platform connects travelers to “one million activities” and is dedicated exclusively to experiences. As search behavior moved online, the pandemic forced many local guides to adopt digital booking systems. Analyst Seth Borko notes that “COVID drove the digitization of small businesses”; a surf shop operator who used to plan bookings on a whiteboard had to embrace online calendars to capture digital customers. By providing an easy‑to‑use marketplace with built‑in marketing, GYG accelerated that shift.
A Global Audience Through Strategic Partnerships
GetYourGuide’s appeal to operators rests on its international reach. The supplier portal boasts that the platform receives 40 million monthly visitors and works with over 2,500 strategic partners—from airlines and streaming services to travel blogs—ensuring that activities appear in airline confirmation emails or advertisements on Netflix.
The company emphasizes that listing is free and that suppliers only pay a commission on successful bookings, allowing even micro‑businesses to access these marketing channels. According to the US Chamber of Commerce profile, GYG helps thousands of small businesses digitize by connecting them to travelers seeking authentic experiences. The ability to list in multiple languages and offer local currency prices means a Marrakech cooking class or a Vermont maple farm tour becomes visible to travelers from Tokyo or Toronto.
Robust Supplier Verification and Safety Standards
GetYourGuide requires new partners to complete a thorough vetting process before going live. Application guidelines detail the documents needed: business registration, insurance, bank details and contact information. According to a FareHarbor podcast with GYG account executive Allie, the verification process is designed to protect both operators and travelers by preventing scams and low‑quality listings.
GYG works with third‑party providers to check identity and legal compliance, and Allie acknowledges that there can be temporary backlogs but stresses that once approved, operators benefit from a secure environment that fosters trust.
The company also sets rigorous safety, ethical and legal standards for all products. GetYourGuide’s policy forbids experiences that endanger travelers, animals or local communities. Suppliers must comply with local laws, possess necessary permits and maintain proper training and equipment.
Specific guidelines address sensitive activities: tours involving impoverished communities must use local guides and avoid exploitative images ; experiences in red‑light districts or sites associated with dark tourism must be respectful and educational.
The animal welfare policy goes further, rooting its standards in the Five Freedoms framework. It allows only interactions that let animals express natural behaviour, requires accredited facilities and forbids wild animal shows or close-contact experiences such as riding elephants. Self‑guided audio tours, basic transportation services and standalone retail or visa services are also barred. These restrictions mean some operators cannot list certain products, but they also protect the brand’s reputation and travelers’ safety.
Setting Up a Listing
Sign‑Up Process and On‑boarding
Becoming a GetYourGuide partner starts with an online form available on the supplier portal. Xola’s how‑to guide describes a simple workflow: click “Apply now,” fill in details about the services, location, company information, social media and contact details, and submit documents. GYG typically responds within two weeks. Once approved, operators provide banking details, insurance certificates and pricing before the listing is published.
After onboarding, operators should optimise their product pages. The Growth Hub’s “10 Steps to Optimize Your Tours” recommends clear, SEO‑friendly titles that include location, tour type, duration and unique selling points; high‑quality photos; concise short descriptions; and a longer narrative that tells a story. FareHarbor’s Allie emphasises clarity: instead of writing “walking tour,” use “Chinatown food walking tour in NYC,” and ensure meeting points and seasonal variations are clear to avoid disappointment. Operators are also urged to host a “friends and family” tour before going live to capture engaging images.
The Ranking Algorithm and Provider Rating
Once listed, activities compete for visibility in GYG’s search results. A Help Center article reveals that the ranking algorithm considers traveler preferences, market behaviour and activity performance. “Activity performance” includes conversion rates and revenue, meaning listings that consistently turn page views into bookings are rewarded.
Availability is another critical factor: tours with broad availability and last‑minute slots rank higher. Customer review scores also feed into the algorithm. To boost ranking, GYG recommends improving product descriptions, images and pricing and offering long booking windows.
In addition to individual activity ratings, GYG calculates a provider rating—an aggregated score based on reviews across all products. This badge appears on activity cards, detail pages and checkout screens. Because new products rely on the provider rating for initial trust, operators with consistently high customer satisfaction can launch new tours with a built‑in reputation. Conversely, poor reviews on any activity may reduce visibility across the provider’s portfolio.
Optimisation Tactics
Successful operators invest time in ongoing optimisation. In addition to strong copy and photos, GYG’s Growth Hub suggests listing unique selling points in bullet form and creating visual itineraries—adding images of each stop or activity can increase bookings by 25%. The platform allows special offers, such as temporary discounts or extras, which can boost bookings by up to 25%.
Availability is another lever: extending booking windows, offering last‑minute slots and enabling solo bookings (where a single participant can book a group‑priced tour) can significantly increase conversion. Moreover, integration with booking systems like FareHarbor, Bokun or Xola ensures real‑time availability and pricing, reducing the risk of over‑booking and making the listing more reliable.
Reaching International Travelers
Visibility Without Upfront Costs
GetYourGuide’s value proposition is simple: operators pay nothing to list; they only pay a commission on bookings. The official guide explains that commissions typically range between 20 % and 30 % depending on the country; if a ticket price is €100 and the commission is 20%, the operator receives €80. Xola’s overview notes that the commission covers marketing, transaction processing and customer service, and there are no hidden fees.
Allie from FareHarbor clarifies that GYG doesn’t discount tours or compete on price; the commission funds global marketing campaigns so tours are sold at the same retail rate as on the operator’s site.
For small operators, this revenue‑share model removes the risk of paying for advertising without guaranteed bookings. Operators can reach travelers via GetYourGuide’s partner network (airlines, streaming services, blogs and travel apps), which they would be unlikely to afford individually.
One case study from the Polish Vodka Museum notes that limited marketing budgets make OTA partnerships critical; by joining GYG, the museum gained scale and attracted more international visitors. Similarly, the FareHarbor podcast emphasises that GYG is more than a listing site—it is a marketing partner that places tours in front of travelers at the planning stage.
Global Audience, Local Experience
The ability to connect with a global audience is a common theme in GYG testimonials. On the supplier site, a spotlight on City Tours Belgium (based in Ghent) notes that 65 % of the company’s bookings come through GetYourGuide. The founder, Ann Vandermeeren, says that partnering with GYG allowed her to attract international travelers who might never have discovered her small group tours.
Because GYG handles marketing and translation, she can focus on crafting immersive experiences—like using the smell of fish or tasting chocolate to evoke memories—while the platform connects her with travelers from around the world.
Graff Tours, a New York City street‑art tour company, uses OTAs to market their tours and is comfortable sharing revenue because GYG invests in promotion. The founder notes that GYG sends influencers and photographers to create content that strengthens their listings.
The company still receives about 10 % of its bookings from GYG but attributes a 102 % revenue increase from 2022 to 2023 to the added exposure. These examples highlight how local guides can access travelers in distant markets who rely on OTAs for trip planning.
Multilingual Reach and Currency Support
Another advantage is GYG’s support for multiple languages and currencies. Xola’s overview emphasizes that the platform handles translation and international payment processing , enabling a Peruvian hiking guide or Thai cooking class host to sell to French or Japanese travelers without building a multilingual website. This global accessibility allows small operators to diversify their customer base and reduce dependence on domestic tourism.
Commission Structures and the View From Small Operators
Commission as Marketing Spend
Many operators view GetYourGuide’s commission as a marketing expense rather than a cost of sale. Arival’s analysis notes that OTAs captured 33 % of tour and activity bookings in 2024 (up from 24 % in 2019). Technology and distribution expert Meredith Rangel explains that with OTAs, “you only pay the sales and marketing costs when you get the booking,” making the expense performance‑based.
Judit Holp of Absolute Tours Budapest suggests that GYG’s commission is understandable given that competitor Viator charges 27 % and that higher commission can buy better visibility.
Recent Commission Increases and Backlash
However, not all operators are satisfied. In June 2025, GetYourGuide notified some partners that their commission rates would rise—sometimes to 30 % or higher—to “reflect market conditions”. Operators criticised the short notice and considered raising prices, restricting availability or even de‑listing. A scuba diving operator complained about the loss of personal support and said the human connection had been “discontinued”.
Another operator argued that if GYG wants to earn more, it should “sell more” rather than raise rates. Although some operators successfully appealed and had the increases reversed , the episode highlights tensions between small businesses and large platforms. Even proponents admit that higher commissions can push the marketing expense beyond what small operators consider reasonable.
Negotiating and Diversifying Distribution
Operators can often negotiate commission rates, especially if they offer high volumes or unique experiences. Xola notes that GYG’s commission may vary by location and volume and encourages suppliers to contact the platform to discuss terms.
In addition, some operators choose to limit availability on OTAs to off‑peak periods or to list only certain products, using the platform as a supplementary channel rather than their primary sales source. Diversification strategies include building direct booking channels, working with multiple OTAs, and leveraging local marketing. As distribution expert Martin Harlow advises, regular reevaluation of OTA relationships should be part of every operator’s business routine.
The Power of Reviews and Ratings
Social Proof and Consumer Trust
Customer reviews are the lifeblood of OTA marketplaces. GetYourGuide’s Travel Experiences Trend Tracker shows that increasing an activity’s average rating from three to four stars boosts conversion by nearly 40 %. It also reveals that 91 % of travelers aged 18–34 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations and that activities with 15 reviews get ten times more bookings than those with none. GYG’s algorithms incorporate review quantity and quality into search ranking , meaning that a steady flow of positive reviews directly influences visibility.
The platform has introduced tools to make gathering and managing reviews easier. Operators can generate QR codes or shareable links to request reviews and can respond directly within the supplier portal to provide context or thank customers. AI‑generated summaries highlight recurring themes in reviews, and the system suggests responses to save time. FareHarbor’s Allie notes that 25 % of positive reviews mention a moment where something went wrong but the operator handled it well. The takeaway is that travelers value human connection and how a guide responds to challenges more than perfection.
Encouraging Reviews
GetYourGuide encourages operators to actively solicit reviews. The Growth Hub suggests leaving physical prompts such as QR codes on vehicles or at meeting points and sending follow‑up emails soon after the tour. Ann Vandermeeren of City Tours Belgium trains her guides to ask each customer to share feedback and uses review comments to continuously improve her experiences.
Graff Tours aims for a minimum of 15 reviews per activity to avoid appearing risky and to feed the algorithm. Because travelers often browse reviews before booking, a single negative comment can deter potential customers—making it crucial to maintain quality and respond promptly.
Provider Rating and Consistency
As noted, the provider rating aggregates reviews across all activities. This system motivates operators to uphold standards across their portfolio and underscores the importance of training staff and monitoring service quality. City Tours Belgium’s high provider rating not only brings more bookings to existing tours but also enables Ann to launch new experiences confidently. Conversely, poor service on one product can undermine an operator’s entire presence on the platform.
Case Study: Growth Through Passion and Partnership
When Ann Vandermeeren launched City Tours Belgium, she offered small‑group city walks in Ghent and Brussels focusing on storytelling and local culture. Her early tours aimed to stimulate all the senses—she incorporated the smell of fish, the taste of Belgian chocolate and ambient sounds to evoke lasting memories. She soon realised that to reach more travelers, she needed a marketing partner.
After partnering with GetYourGuide, bookings surged: 65 % of her customers now come through the platform. The result has been dramatic—City Tours Belgium recorded 200 % year‑over‑year growth after joining GYG.
Ann credits GYG’s personalised support for part of her success. She broke her leg while guiding, forcing her to hire freelance guides. Rather than reduce operations, she used the downtime to partner with other operators and offer combo tickets, such as a city tour plus a chocolate tasting. GYG’s regional manager helped her select photos that resonated with international audiences and coached her on promoting tours.
Ann now works with 60 guides and says the platform’s global reach allows her to compete with larger companies. To maintain visibility, she actively encourages guides to request reviews and analyses feedback to refine tours.
Case Study: Standing Out Through Unique Experiences
Graff Tours, a New York City company offering street‑art tours and graffiti workshops, illustrates a different path. Founder Marc Saint Fé said he relies heavily on OTAs for marketing and is happy to share commission because he lacks the resources to reach international travelers himself. GetYourGuide has invested in his listing by sending influencers and photographers to generate professional content.
However, he stresses that having a unique product is essential: with hundreds of walking tours in New York, he differentiates by partnering with graffiti artists and offering hands‑on workshops. Graff Tours strives to collect at least 15 reviews per tour to build trust, aware that the algorithm rewards review volume.
The company receives about 10 % of its bookings from GetYourGuide, but the exposure has contributed to a 102 % revenue increase between 2022 and 2023. Marc acknowledges that OTAs are not the sole answer; he still invests in direct marketing, partnerships and events. Nonetheless, the platform helps him tap into markets he would otherwise struggle to reach, especially international travelers who prefer to book through a trusted marketplace.
Challenges and Criticisms
Dependence on Algorithms and Commission Changes
While GetYourGuide offers powerful marketing, some operators worry about dependency. Because the ranking algorithm determines visibility, sudden changes in performance metrics or reviews can drastically affect bookings. The 2025 commission increase controversy underscores this vulnerability: a unilateral rate hike can erode profitability and trust. Operators without alternative channels may feel pressure to accept higher commissions or risk losing significant business.
Ethical Concerns and Animal Welfare
GetYourGuide has faced criticism for listing wildlife experiences that animal rights groups consider exploitative. A 2024 article notes that the company was accused of “profiting from the exploitation of elephants, dolphins and other wild animals” and lists of activities such as elephant bathing and dolphin shows that have drawn protests.
Organizations like World Animal Protection claim GYG sold harmful wildlife encounters and called for a comprehensive animal welfare policy. Responding to such backlash, GYG published a detailed animal welfare policy in May 2025, explicitly prohibiting wild animal performances and close-contact experiences, requiring accredited facilities and ensuring animals can exhibit natural behaviours. Compliance is monitored through AI and human review, and non‑compliant products are removed.
Restrictive Categories and Disallowed Products
GetYourGuide also restricts certain categories entirely. Self‑guided discovery games and audio tours, basic transport services, accommodation bookings, and standalone retail are not allowed on the platform. Activities in countries subject to sanctions or safety concerns—such as Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela—are barred. Additional restrictions include gambling, drug consumption or tours promoting exploitation. These policies aim to uphold quality and safety but may disappoint operators whose products fall into these niches.
Maintaining Quality at Scale
Finally, as small operators scale through GetYourGuide, maintaining quality across multiple guides can be challenging. Ann Vandermeeren’s success required training 60 freelance guides, ensuring each understood her storytelling approach. Negative reviews from inconsistent guides could undermine her provider rating and reduce visibility. Similarly, Graff Tours emphasises constant product improvement to stay ahead of competitors. Operators must balance growth with consistency and authenticity.
The Path Ahead for Tour Operators
GetYourGuide has become a vital distribution channel in the experience economy, helping small guides and attractions reach travelers they could never have touched on their own. Its user‑friendly listing process, marketing muscle, and emphasis on reviews democratise access to global tourism. Case studies like City Tours Belgium and Graff Tours show how passionate entrepreneurs can leverage the platform to scale quickly and sustainably when they invest in quality experiences and engagement with customers.
At the same time, the platform’s control over visibility and commission rates means operators should treat it as one part of a broader strategy. Diversifying across OTAs, building direct booking channels, nurturing repeat customers and negotiating fair commissions can reduce dependency. Ethical considerations, particularly regarding animal welfare and community impact, require vigilance and may spur further industry reforms.
For travelers, GetYourGuide offers convenience and a curated selection of experiences. For operators, it remains a double‑edged sword—an indispensable marketing partner but one that demands constant attention to quality, reviews and business fundamentals. By understanding how the platform works and proactively managing listings, small guides can tap into global demand while preserving the authenticity and care that make their tours unique.
FAQ
Is GetYourGuide free for tour operators to join?
Yes, listing is free. Operators pay a commission (20–30 %) only when a booking is made.
How does GetYourGuide verify suppliers?
The platform requires registration, insurance, and compliance documents before approving listings.
What determines ranking on GetYourGuide?
Conversion rate, availability, customer reviews, and consistent performance influence visibility.
Can small tour operators negotiate commissions?
Yes. Volume sellers or unique operators can often negotiate rates with GYG’s account managers.
Why are reviews so critical?
High ratings directly affect ranking and bookings; listings with 15+ reviews perform up to ten times better.