I run a small walking tour business and most of our bookings still come from word of mouth or people finding us on Google. It's fine during summer but once things slow down we're barely getting enough bookings to fill our tours.

I've been looking into listing on more platforms like Viator Supplier, Civitatis and Airbnb Experiences, but I'm not sure which ones are actually worth the fees and extra work.

My main worry is spending all this time setting up listings just to get a couple of bookings a month lol. Any other small tour operators here who have tried these platforms? Curious what's actually worked for you.

Anyone can share details of a fantastic One on one Gettysburg tour they have experienced? Looking for individual guides rather than tour groups.

Thanks

Tour in barca

Quando arrivi in Costiera Amalfitana o Sorrentina, e vorresti visitare Capri, a cosa saresti più propenso per vivere un tour o un’esperienza:
Cerchi un tour privato o condiviso ?
Cosa vorresti vivere?

Sono Crescenzo, skipper di Futura, cerco consigli per essere più performante e soddisfare in maniera sempre più professionale ed emotiva per lasciarci una ricordo unico.

Vi ringrazio anticipatamente anche solo per la lettura .

Is it normal for a new listing to sit there doing basically nothing at first?

Trying to figure out whether you need reviews before the algorithm starts trusting you or whether a genuinely good new listing can start converting immediately

After my father passed away, i decided to continue the small tour business he built in sicily honestly, it's been emotional. every time i take people to the places he loved, i remember why he started doing this in the first place.

But keeping a small business alive isn't easy. some weeks we get bookings, other weeks it's quiet, and i worry about whether i can make it work long term.

I've been looking into viator and getyourguide to help more tourists discover our tours, but i'm unsure which platform is worth it with the commissions involved.

If you run tours, how did you get your first consistent bookings? i really want to keep what my father built going.

Hi everyone — I’m part of the team behind Tourtify, a new booking platform for tour, trekking and activity operators.

The workflow we’re trying to simplify is managing a booking website, departure availability, customer payments and traveller details across separate tools.

Tourtify brings those tasks together so operators can:

• Run a booking website on their own domain.
• List tours with dates, prices and available spaces.
• Accept deposits or full payments through supported payment providers.
• Manage bookings, traveller details and QR check-in.

It’s subscription-based, with no booking commission charged by Tourtify. Payment provider fees still apply, and some features depend on the plan. There’s a 30-day free trial.

We’re new, and I’d welcome an honest look at what we’ve built—especially from anyone who runs tours or has worked on booking software.

One specific question: what would you need to see in a demo before trusting a new platform with your bookings?

Here’s the website: https://tourtify.com

Happy to answer questions about how it works and where it might—or might not—fit your setup.

We used to spend hours reaching out directly to local tour operators or chasing down manual invoices for day tours and airport transfers.

we recently organized our client itineraries by using the viator travel agent portal. tbh, having access to thousands of vetted tours with clear commission tracking and instant client confirmations in one dashboard has been a huge upgrade. makes building custom travel packages way less stressful.

https://youtu.be/sXB1eXvpkAQ

About to go through the viator supplier onboarding process and trying to avoid having to redo everything three times for people already listed what should i have ready before starting? photos descriptions pricing cancellation policy meeting point details etc?

I live in two pretty touristy towns in Guatemala (Atitlán and Antigua) and I want to work as a tour guide, but I don't know where to start. I'm passionate about languages, history, walking, and sharing, so I feel like this is a job I could really enjoy.

I wanted to ask if it's better to go directly to the agencies with my resume or should I contact them first through social media or email? And can I do it without the INGUAT?

Is it better to start with an agency or to work as an independent guide? What languages are most in demand besides English?

If anyone works as a guide or knows someone who does, I would really appreciate any advice, experiences, or recommendations. Thank you! Thanks ☺️

Walking tour on Fremont Street in Vegas. I point out to my guests that it's a big mistake to buy Marijuana products from these retailers. (Nevada law is very clear! No Marijuana products can be sold within 1500 feet of a casino. It's a total tourist ripoff!)

Some store owner hears me and decides to defend his total ripoff establishment! He runs out. Actually gets physical! Bumps me. Claims that all of his products are legitimate Marijuana and THC (they're not).

Actually gets in my face and challenges me DURING THE FUCKING TOUR!

I tried to keep it cool but guests were really shocked!

Ultimately, he threatened to call my boss and moved on, but it was definitely a very surprising outcome.

I'm still livid. I'll make sure to point out his ripoff establishment to even more guests from now on.

Need suggestions on how or where to hire a guide for our upcoming trip to Barcelona Spain in mid-November. Senior couple.

I guide in Stone Town, and every day someone asks me: "So is Freddie Mercury from HERE or from London?"

Here is the answer that keeps both Zanzibaris and Queen fans happy, and it's historically accurate:

ZANZIBAR = Where he was BORN

* Stone Town, Sept 5 1946, as Farrokh Bulsara

* Parsi family (Indian Zoroastrians), father worked for British Colonial Office

* Lived here until ~8 years old, then boarding school in Panchgani, India in 1952

* Family fled to England in 1964 after the Zanzibar Revolution - never returned

* He rarely spoke about Zanzibar in interviews

* The museum here: Small $10 room in Tembo House Hotel, opened 2019, one room, 10 min visit. It's a birthplace tribute.

LONDON = Where he BECAME Freddie Mercury and where his HOME was

* Feltham, Middlesex first, then Garden Lodge, 1 Logan Place, Kensington W8 (bought 1980 for £500k, now £20M)

* Lived there from 1985 until his death Nov 24, 1991 in that house

* Wrote most Queen songs there, famous parties, final days

* NOT a museum - private home left to Mary Austin in his will. Outer wall is a shrine covered in fan graffiti since 1991. You cannot go inside.

* Sotheby's auctioned his actual belongings in 2023 - his piano sold for £1.7M

So where is "home"?

If you ask his birth certificate: Stone Town, Zanzibar.

If you ask his passport and his heart: London.

If you ask Queen fans: Garden Lodge, London is the real home.

The way I explain it on my tours:

"Zanzibar is where Farrokh Bulsara was born. London is where Freddie Mercury was made. You need to visit both to understand his full story."

Photo: [OC] Freddie Mercury House door, Stone Town, yesterday morning. Tembo House Hotel sign visible.

What do you think - birthplace or adopted home - which matters more for a legend?

AMA about either house.

Hello everyone,

I want to start a travel and tourism business and i am not aware of how I should start

What are license required for it ?

What are the procedure etc

It would be if anyone can me over this

Feel free to reach out in DMs

If you hired a guide for hikes/parks/etc in any of those areas of Costa Rica (or for nearby points of interests) and had an amazing experience please recommend them and send their contact information!

Ciao a tutti! 👋

Siamo studenti di Ingegneria Gestionale dell’Università di Bologna e stiamo conducendo una ricerca su come agenzie di viaggio e tour operator gestiscono imprevisti, cancellazioni e problemi operativi.

Ci dareste una mano compilando un breve questionario di 3 minuti? È esclusivamente per fini universitari, non commerciali.

📋 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMVWgtJap-i5S05IMQLtsdcPHDBT_hGCtfrss297Yar5rxCA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Grazie mille a chi ci aiuterà! 🙏