GetYourGuide Targets Boom in Independent Travel Experiences With New Tools

GetYourGuide launched a suite of tools for tour and activity operators on Tuesday. The company, which has raised roughly $1 billion in funding, aims to make it easier for solo and mom-and-pop entrepreneurs to sell their walking tours, cooking classes, and other services through its online travel app.

The company said sales were growing fastest for tours and activities run by "independent creators" instead of operators of big bus tours and large-group tours. Sales in this independent category were up 71%, year-over-year.

Yet many suppliers lack savvy about online selling. So GetYourGuide has introduced more tools to clarify how to create and manage online listings. The move came as rival company Viator upgraded its pay-for-visibility tool for suppliers last year.

GetYourGuide said that more than 20,000 suppliers of tours, activities, and attractions list their travel experiences on its app. It displays 110,000 offerings.

Analysts estimate that the company processes less than 1% of all travel experience sales online and offline — forecasted to be $300 billion by 2025. Today about 70% of all available travel experiences are still sold offline, mostly from walk-ups.

GetYourGuide's new tools offer several functions, including:

• An "analytics dashboard," which strives to highlight trends for revenue, bookings, customer ratings, and conversion rates. The tool can filter performance by product, comparing trends year-over-year.

• A step-by-step guide to creating product listings, recommending tips for online marketing.

• A tool to help create "special offers," such as discounted pricing for last-minute, early bird, and limited-time promotions.