Isaac · Creative Director, Aphelion
Updated September 29, 2026 · 9 min read
If you run tours or experiences, you probably sell in two ways: through platforms like Viator or GetYourGuide, which charge a commission on every seat, and through WhatsApp, where you answer each question by hand. Both leak money. The platforms are worth it for the tourist who did not know you; the problem is paying that commission on everyone else. And WhatsApp is where you lose the tourist who asked at night, did not get an answer, and booked the next option that let them pay in the moment. The fix is a website that sells on its own and a clear process for the questions that still come in.
How much the platforms charge
There is no single published rate. GetYourGuide’s supplier terms say its commission is “a percentage of the Retail Price for a Booking, as specified in the Supplier Account”, so each operator has its own. Industry guides for tour operators report ranges of 20% to 30% for both Viator and GetYourGuide, with 25% as a common figure on Viator.
A round-number example: on a 1,500-peso tour, a 25% commission is 375 pesos per person. On a boat with 12 seats, that is 4,500 pesos per departure going to the platform. For a tourist who found you there, it can be worth it. For one who was recommended by your hotel or saw you on Instagram, it is money you did not need to spend.
What the platforms are good for
They bring foreign tourists who plan from home, they give you reviews in English and they sell in currencies and languages you might not handle. They are also where many travellers first discover an experience and then search for it by name. That is why leaving them is rarely a good idea.
Treat them like the OTA (online travel agency)Platforms like Booking, Expedia, Airbnb, Viator or GetYourGuide. They bring you customers in exchange for a commission on every booking. are treated in hotels: a shop window for new customers. The strategy is to make sure that when someone searches for you by name, they find a website where they can book without the middleman.
Selling only through WhatsApp loses bookings
The typical conversation goes: “Is there space on Saturday?”, “How much?”, “What time?”, “Can I pay by card?”. Four messages before the tourist can pay, and each one waits for you to be free. A 2011 Harvard Business Review study audited 2,241 US companies and found that those who responded to an online inquiry within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the LeadSomeone who showed interest in what you sell and left their details or messaged you, but has not bought yet. as those who responded later. Only 37% responded within the hour.
A tourist has even less patience: they are on holiday, with several options open on their phone. The answer is a Booking engineThe system on your own website where customers check availability, pick a date and pay, without going through a platform that charges commission. on your website with a calendar, available seats, a deposit and a confirmation that arrives on its own. WhatsApp stays for real questions, and your automatic reply can include the link to book. We explain how to automate those replies in WhatsApp Business API.
Google can show your tour for free
Google has a section called Things to do that shows tours and activities when someone searches for a destination, and it includes free listings. According to Google, the recommended way to appear is through a connectivity partner, which is usually the same booking software a tour operator uses. When choosing your booking system, ask whether it connects to Google Things to do.
The basics come first: a complete Google Business ProfileYour free listing on Google and Google Maps with your address, hours, photos and reviews. It is the first thing many people see when they search for your business.Read more → with photos of the experience, the meeting point on the map, hours and recent reviews. A tourist who searches “whale watching Ensenada” sees the map and the reviews before any website.
A clear policy for weather, cancellations and deposits
Many tours depend on the weather, and that is where most arguments start. Write your policy before anyone pays: what happens if the trip is cancelled for weather, how much notice the customer needs to give to cancel, and whether the deposit is refunded or moved to another date. Show it on the booking page and in the confirmation.
A clear policy does not scare customers away. It removes the doubt that makes them hesitate, and it protects you on the day the port closes.
In English, and on video
In Baja California a large share of tourists come from the United States. A website only in Spanish loses them before they read the price. The experience also sells better when people can see it: a short video of the boat, the landscape or the activity says more than ten photos. We explain how to use it in our video marketing guide, and aerial shots have rules in Mexico we cover in drone regulation.
How to measure it
Every month, count how many seats you sold through each channel: platforms, your website and WhatsApp. Also note how many WhatsApp conversations ended in a booking. If the website share grows and the platforms’ share falls without losing total sales, you are keeping the commission.
Our free diagnostic for tourism tells you in a few minutes what to fix first in your website, your Google profile and your booking process.
Frequently asked questions
They do not publish a single rate. GetYourGuide’s terms say the commission is a percentage of the retail price set in each supplier’s account. Industry guides report ranges of 20% to 30% on both platforms, with 25% as a common figure on Viator.
Usually not. They bring foreign tourists and reviews you would struggle to get on your own. Use them as a shop window for new customers and focus on getting those who search for you by name, are referred or come back to book on your own website.
Because every question waits until you are free, and the tourist has other options open. A Harvard Business Review study found that responding within an hour makes qualifying a lead nearly seven times more likely. A booking engine on your website lets people pay in the moment, at any hour.
Google recommends doing it through a connectivity partner, which is usually your booking software. When choosing a system, ask whether it connects to Google Things to do. In the meantime, keep your Google profile complete with photos, meeting point and reviews.
One that states in writing what happens if the trip is cancelled for weather, how much notice the customer needs to give to cancel, and whether the deposit is refunded or moved to another date. What matters is showing it before payment and repeating it in the confirmation.
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