What is GetYourGuide and Connectivity Partner Program?   

Founded in 2009, GetYourGuide is the world’s leading sales channel for tours, activities and attractions.  

GetYourGuide Connectivity Partner Program is designed for providers of booking systems and channel managers in the tours & activities industry that offer API integrations with GetYourGuide. Partners are assessed annually based on the partner’s API Performance, API Features, and the Business Value & Engagement with GetYourGuide. Those companies who uphold the highest standards are rewarded with Premium, Advanced or Regular status.  

What does the Premium Status mean? 

GetYourGuide has been an important part of Regiondo’s distribution network for many years. Our customers can easily sell tours and activities on GetYourGuide using their Regiondo account.  

At Regiondo, we aim at providing the best-in-class experience for operators, streamlining booking processes and taking the travel industry to a new level. Premium Partnership has become an important milestone for us, and we’re proud to be given this status for our innovations and long-standing commitment. Regiondo has demonstrated the best API performance, feature set and business engagement, which makes us the best booking system for tour & activity providers in Europe.   

We will continue to maintain these impressive standards through 2022 and beyond to provide better connectivity and distribution to our customers and partners worldwide! 

Interested in connecting to GetYourGuide?  

Would you like to grow your distribution network, promote your offers on a larger scale and experience the best-in-class connectivity experience? Read our article to learn how to connect with GetYourGuide or book a demo with us to learn how your business can take advantage of this integration.    

The post Regiondo Awarded GetYourGuide’s Premium Connectivity Partner Status appeared first on Regiondo.

That’s what Airbnb Experiences offers.

Airbnb Experiences are activities that are designed by local hosts or tour operators around the world. You may already be familiar with Airbnb’s main offering, a platform that connects local homeowners with travelers to that particular destination. However, they’re no longer just showing travelers where to stay, but also what to do.

What is Airbnb Experiences?

Airbnb Experiences connects local tour and activity providers with travelers who want to experience unique tours that they can’t book anywhere else. Indeed, there is increasing demand for more authentic tours and experiences. A Booking.com study of 20,500 global travelers revealed that 62 percent of travelers want to experience new cultures, 52 percent want to taste local cuisines and 33 percent want to embrace meeting new people.

People are indeed calling for unique tours and experiences, and Airbnb heard that call. With their slogan, “live like a local”, Airbnb Experiences offers niche tours that allow travelers to enjoy their hobbies and interests, in a completely new way and in a completely new culture.

The best part about it is that tour guides and activity operators don’t need to host homes on Airbnb in order to host an experience; and travelers don’t need to stay in an Airbnb home in order to take part in an Airbnb Experience. Airbnb Experiences is open to all.

That’s quite exciting.

Here are the ABCs of Airbnb Experiences:

• It caters to all tourists during their stay in a particular place; as well as domestic tourists who want to experience their locale in a different way.
• Experiences are led by locals and go beyond the traditional tours and experiences that typical tour and activity providers offer.
• Any local can sign up on the Airbnb Experiences platform and share their passion with the world.
• There isn’t a single particular market for Airbnb Experiences. Some tourists use the platform to meet new people while others use it to partake in unique local experiences.
• It appeals to both group and solo travelers.
• Airbnb Experiences is a completely different service from Airbnb hosting. Hosts don’t need to have overnight guests in their home in order to partake, unless the experience calls for it.
• Airbnb Experiences hosts can host whenever their schedule permits, with no restrictions as to the number of times they can put on a particular experience.

So, how do Airbnb Experiences compare to other online activity providers and aggregators like GetYourGuide?

Let’s examine the competitive tour and activity landscape for a minute.

Competitor landscape

Airbnb faces competition to quite a few big players in the market.

Airbnb Experiences places itself in the market as a platform that offers unique and exclusive opportunities to travelers who want to “live like a local.” In essence, they are targeting those travelers that don’t want to be seen as “tourists”. However, that market segment is relatively small.

With global revenue from tours and activities estimated at a staggering $135 billion by Phocuswright, only 4 percent of that revenue has been captured through online vendors such as Viator and GetYourGuide. It’s clear, from the data, that people have yet to embrace online resellers when it comes to booking tours. Why?

Because tour companies have not fully tapped into the online market yet, so travelers are also slow to adapt to sudden changes. For example, most travelers are comfortable booking their accommodation (on the other side of the world) online because that is familiar to them — it’s an online travel market that is well established.

When it comes to booking tours and activities, travelers prefer to wait until they’re at the destination before they book. They want recommendations from the hotel they’re staying at, and from locals/other tourists they meet. In fact, according to Phocuswright, tourists don’t know the majority of the tour operation companies that operate in their destination.

So why is Airbnb tapping into such a small market segment with big competitors?

Airbnb Experiences is not really trying to compete with traditional tour operators. They want to appeal to that small and alternative market segment that wants to truly travel like locals. Additionally, the maximum group size for Airbnb Experiences is 10 so the company isn’t trying to compete with traditional tour and activity companies. At least not yet.

On the other hand, their competitor, GetYourGuide, believe they are set to claim a bigger market share once travelers become accustomed to booking tours and activities ahead of time. They are also banking on the aforementioned trend that people still prefer visiting iconic monuments and sites. That is why they are focused on curating traditional experiences offered by established and professional tour guides. That model is certainly easily scalable.

Airbnb, on the other hand, have decided to go with a unique model, which some have criticized as being too niche and hard to scale.

Perhaps Airbnb is banking on obtaining more trust with travelers to entice them to book tours ahead of time. Perhaps what they can bank on, to compete with the big boys (Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook) is that they have an aggregating platform, where both novice and experienced tour operators can coexist. So far, it’s working.

And you can get in on it.

Should you host an Airbnb Experience?

The main reason to host an experience on Airbnb is that it is currently one of the largest online travel resellers in the world, servicing millions of travelers. It’s simply a great opportunity to get your tours and offerings in front of potential customers.

Although that exposure is irresistible, you should bear in mind the type of travelers Airbnb Experiences wants to attract: Travelers that want to live like locals and experience truly unique local tours. Indeed, they are not interested in the traditional or “cookie-cutter” high-volume tours and activities. They want unique and bespoke tours that cannot be easily found elsewhere.

Are you ready, willing, and enthusiastic to offer that? If not, Airbnb Experiences may not be the platform for you.

However, if you’re ready to dive in, here’s what you need to know about getting started as an Airbnb Experience host.

Getting started as an Airbnb Experiences host

Create a unique profile

Since Airbnb only wants to offer travelers unique cultural experiences, you need to set yourself apart from the get-go. You should create a unique description of your tour and activity offering that sets you apart from the competition. (Consider making use of visuals like videos to entice travelers and help you stand out.)

Specialize

If you’re not sure about whether your company is the right fit for Airbnb Experiences, why not consider offering a specialized tour that is not offered by your competition? Indeed, it’s a good opportunity (if nothing else) to test out new tours or one of your less popular tours.

Review the Airbnb Experiences guidelines

Before you sign up, it may be a good idea to read through the Airbnb Experiences guidelines. Once you’ve read through the guidelines, you can fill out a (straightforward) online application. Once approved, you can begin hosting.

Understand the Airbnb Experiences commission fees

There is a big difference in commissions fees between Airbnb’s accommodation business and their Experiences service. Whilst they charge a 3 percent commission fee (and charge guests additional fees) via the accommodation service, they charge a 20 percent commission per booking for their Experiences service.

You need to keep the 20 percent commission fee in mind as you determine your price structure (the commission fee is deducted before you receive your payments).

The Airbnb Experiences Calendar

Airbnb has a calendar to help you manage your bookings on its platform. However, they don’t have the capability to connect their calendar to your own reservation system. That means that you have to manually keep track of your reservations or find a way to import Airbnb bookings into your own reservation system.

If you’re using Regiondo as your booking software, you can manually import your Airbnb bookings. No account yet? Start your free trial today.

Payments and Insurance

Airbnb issues payment within 24 hours of hosting your activity or tour. The payment is sent to the payment method you choose, which varies by country. Local insurance and licensing cover are up to you — Airbnb does not provide free insurance cover against liability claims above $1 million.

Consider the guest minimums

There are no guest minimums on Airbnb Experiences. That means that you have to hold your tour or activity even if it is booked by only one customer. There are however rare circumstances in which you can cancel a reservation due to an emergency. If you repeatedly cancel reservations, Airbnb reserves the right to delist you.

Once you have gone through those criteria, you will be able to make an informed decision about whether Airbnb Experiences is suitable for your tour and activity business.

Wrapping up

The data doesn’t lie. Travelers today are craving unique travel experiences. Airbnb is feeding that craving and positioning itself to grab a large share of that market. However, it may be a while before they dominate that market.

The competitive landscape is tough, and the fact that travelers have yet to embrace online tour and activity resellers makes it even tougher. But Airbnb is betting on itself, perhaps we should too?

You might also like: 

• How to Become a Viator Supplier and What You Need to Get Started
• How to Boost Sales in Asia with Klook
• Reserve with Google: Sell your Tours and Activities Directly on Search Results

The post What You Should Know About Hosting an Experience On Airbnb appeared first on Regiondo.

Today we’ll look at everything you need to know about becoming a GetYourGuide supplier. Starting with some background information, we’ll do a deep dive on the reasons why joining GetYourGuide is a good idea. Next, we’ll look at details like how to get support and key contact info. Finally, we’ll explore how to sign up as a GetYourGuide supplier and provide you with a super easy way to do that.

Ready? Let’s go.

Activate GetYourGuide and many more channels in the Regiondo Channel Manager. Update your offers and availability from a single place instead of manually going through each listing. Not registered with Regiondo? Book a demo with us!

What you need to know about GetYourGuide – the facts

GetYourGuide was founded in Zurich in 2009. Despite this, the main office is in Berlin and they have a presence in cities across the world such as Paris, Hong Kong, and Barcelona.

From a consumer standpoint, GetYourGuide helps you book tours, attractions, and activities from around the world. Its main focus is on providing a relevant and personalized experience to end-users. People can filter results by location and even local landmarks, saving a lot of time in the process.

On the other hand, GetYourGuide’s main revenue comes from supplier commission fees. Therefore, the team is dedicated to providing a robust booking platform and even developed a mobile app for suppliers to track booking activity.

With a network of more than 1,000 distribution partners, GetYourGuide helps suppliers reach a global audience. Apart from the nearly 5 million monthly visits on its main website, it has notable partnerships with travel sites and big airlines like EasyJet, Emirates, and KLM.

Having raised more than $170 million in funding and acquired 2 of its competitors in 2013, GetYourGuide has turned into a global player. However, competitors like Viator are pouring serious cash into advertising so it’s tough to get ahead. With a total market share of just 2-3%, there’s a lot of room to expand for GetYourGuide.

That said, it seems like CEO Johannes Reck and his team are betting on a superior user experience to drive growth. GetYourGuide’s mobile apps draw close to 200,000 monthly downloads combined and boast high ratings, showing consumers are treated well. As a comparison, that number is nearly 4 times higher than Viator’s monthly downloads.

Why become a GetYourGuide supplier

As a commission-only service, GetYourGuide has a high incentive to deliver results for you. The company’s revenue grows with supplier sales so they work hard to get you bookings. How exactly do they do that?

First, GetYourGuide’s global exposure is meant to reach new customers that you otherwise can’t access. You can benefit from the platform’s availability in 22 languages and win more international travelers, especially if your website is optimized for local search only and fewer languages. They are able to reach this audience through their own site and 1,000+ distribution partners across the globe.

Like other Online Travel Agents (OTAs), the main advantage is they do efficient marketing at scale for you. But unlike most competitors, GetYourGuide displays your name along with your offers so people can choose to book directly. That’s a good way to improve brand exposure and increase direct bookings.

Another way GetYourGuide can help you is with their free product optimization and translation services. As mentioned earlier, the company only makes money when you do so they take extra care in making sure you stand out. You also get powerful analytics tools to track the results you’re getting and make tweaks whenever needed.

In addition, GetYourGuide is still independent as they haven’t been acquired by huge brands like some competitors have. Combined with their large funding rounds, they can truly focus on providing a superior user experience without any corporate influences. This gives them the ability to plan for the long-term so GetYourGuide is a reliable partner.

And how are they able to provide such a good service to consumers? Because they don’t include additional travel services like hotel and flight bookings, GetYourGuide’s resources can be allocated to delighting a specific set of customers. This means they can get you in front of a highly targeted and relevant audience, not just general travelers.

Finally, if your offers are not well optimized for mobile phones, you can tag along for the great smartphone apps. This way, you can get in front of GetYourGuide’s growing mobile-first user base without investing large sums of money.

Activate GetYourGuide and many more channels in the Regiondo Channel Manager. Update your offers and availability from a single place instead of manually going through each listing. Not registered with Regiondo? Start your free trial today.

GetYourGuide supplier support and contact details

One great aspect of being a GetYourGuide supplier is their knowledge base and support. There are clear guidelines for everything from signing up to managing your account and billing information.

And if you have a question that’s not covered, you can quickly get in touch via their contact form. In addition, you can follow GetYourGuide on their Social Media platforms where you can quickly start a chat and track updates.

GetYourGuide commission fees

As soon as you register, a member of GetYourGuide’s team will get in touch to discuss commission rates with you. Fees are based on your destination and the type of activities you offer. Generally, you can expect commission rates in the range of 20% – 30% with discounts for high volume suppliers.

How to sign up as a GetYourGuide supplier

GetYourGuide suppliers range from tour and activity providers to ground transportation, shows, and events. If you offer any sort of tickets or bookable venue, you’re likely a good fit for their marketplace.

Registration is free and takes less than 5 minutes. You will need to fill in your contact and business information to get started. Next, a confirmation email will be sent to you. Keep in mind, however, that there’s no guarantee you will be listed.

You can also start selling on GetYourGuide by activating it in your Regiondo account. This takes a single click and then your offers will get listed on GetYourGuide. In addition, you can activate dozens of other distribution channels and update your offers or availability in a single place instead of manually going through each of your listings.

Conclusion

GetYourGuide is a great supplement to your overall online strategy. As a company with a strong global presence, it lets you reach a wide audience and increase your brand exposure. Their focus on providing a great user experience ensures they can be a reliable long-term partner. GetYourGuide is especially useful if you want to reach mobile users and international travelers. The GetYourGuide supplier support is comprehensive and getting in touch with a rep is easy.

You might also like: 

• What You Should Know About Hosting an Experience On Airbnb
• How to Become a Viator Supplier and What You Need to Get Started
• How to Boost Sales in Asia with Klook
• Reserve with Google: Sell your Tours and Activities Directly on Search Results

The post How to Become a GetYourGuide Supplier the Easy Way appeared first on Regiondo.