Expedia Partners With GetYourGuide on Tours and Activities in a Blow to Viator

GetYourGuide, the Germany-based tours and activities platform, secured a major partnership with Expedia Group that will launch this month, Skift has learned.

In a communication to its tour operator clients, GetYourGuide said it will “handle all of the technical and operational distribution with Expedia, meaning suppliers will not incur any new complexities with their bookings (e.g. increased number of systems, points of contact or contracts to manage.) News of the deal first appeared on Facebook Friday morning.

Expedia, though, still maintains direct relationships with other suppliers, including Tripadvisor’s Viator, which is a major GetYourGuide competitor.

GetYourGuide experiences will be bookable on Expedia.com.

“We are excited to unlock more unique and unforgettable experiences for Expedia’s customers,” said Emil Martinsek, chief marketing officer at GetYourGuide. “At the same time, we are opening up new opportunities for our incredible local partners to grow and manage their businesses through the travel recovery without increased complexity.”

The partnership could conceivably lead to a weaker partnership between Expedia and Tripadvisor-owned Viator, which has traditionally be a major tours and activities partner.

Expedia stated: “We know the traveler experience is enriched when they book fun and enjoyable experiences as part of their destination plans. We’ve been evaluating how best to provide activities inventory to travelers booking through Expedia Group sites. We are now offering activities to Expedia Group travelers through third-party websites such as Viator or GetYourGuide. These offerings, in addition to our direct offers, will provide travelers with the best choice and content, compelling prices, and great customer experience.”

In the past, Booking.com tested a partnership with GetYourGuide, but it didn’t lead to a major deal.

The Expedia-GetYourGuide partnership follows TUI Musement contracting in 2020 to handle a major portion of Booking.com’s tours and attractions distribution.

The Expedia-GetYourGuide partnership does not involve an investment.

Viator couldn’t be reached for comment.