Why This Question Matters for Outfitters and Tour Operators
Most outfitters encounter OTAs early. You’re trying to fill your calendar, someone tells you to list on Viator, and suddenly you’re getting bookings. It feels like a win. And in some ways it is…. at first. But there’s a cost to that convenience that compounds over time, and a lot of operators don’t do the math until it starts to sting.
Understanding what OTAs actually are, how they work, and what they cost you in the long run is one of the most important business decisions you’ll make.
What Exactly Is an OTA?
An OTA is a marketplace. Think of it like Amazon, but for tours and experiences. Guests can search by destination, activity type, or price and browse dozens of options in one place. The OTA handles the transaction, takes its cut, and passes the rest to you.
The major OTAs in the outdoor and tour space include:
- Viator (owned by TripAdvisor) — the largest platform for tours and activities globally
- GetYourGuide — popular in Europe and growing in North America
- Airbnb Experiences — skews toward unique, intimate, host-led experiences
- Expedia Experiences — bundled with flights and hotels, which can drive volume
- TripAdvisor — review-heavy, with its own booking functionality
Each platform has its own fee structure, its own audience, and its own rules about how your listing appears.
What Do OTAs Actually Cost You?
The commission rate is the number most people know. Viator charges around 20 to 30% per booking. GetYourGuide is similar. On a $200 rafting trip, that’s $40 to $60 gone before you’ve paid a single guide wage.
But the commission isn’t the only cost. Consider:
You don’t own the customer relationship. When a guest books through an OTA, the platform owns that data. You often can’t market directly to that guest after the trip. They came through someone else’s door, and they’ll likely return through that same door next time.
You’re competing on price. OTA listings put you side by side with every other operator in your area. That environment pushes prices down, not up. It’s hard to hold a premium position when you’re two rows below a competitor who undercut you by $15.
You’re building someone else’s platform. Every review a guest leaves on Viator makes Viator stronger. That same review on your Google Business profile makes your business stronger.
So Should You Use Them?
The honest answer: it depends on where you are in your business.
OTAs make the most sense when you’re newer, have gaps in your calendar you genuinely can’t fill through your own channels, or are trying to reach international travelers who discover trips through platforms rather than Google searches. They can also be useful for filling last-minute availability without discounting directly on your own site.
They make less sense as a long-term primary strategy. The operators who become most dependent on OTAs often find themselves in a cycle they can’t easily break: commissions eat margin, margin pressure makes it hard to invest in their own marketing, and without their own marketing, they stay dependent on the platforms.
Think of OTAs the way a good outfitter thinks about a shuttle driver. Useful for getting people from point A to point B. Not the same as owning the whole experience.
What a Smarter Approach Looks Like
A fly fishing lodge in Montana used OTAs to fill shoulder-season dates for two years while building out their own website, SEO, and email list. Over time, the ratio shifted. OTA bookings, which once made up the majority of their calendar, dropped to around a quarter of total bookings, with the rest coming directly through their own channels. Their margin improved. Their repeat guest rate improved. And they stopped waking up worried about a platform changing its algorithm or fee structure.
That’s the goal: use OTAs as a tool, not a lifeline.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying on OTAs from day one without building your own presence. Every month you spend growing someone else’s platform is a month you’re not growing your own.
Not reading the contract terms carefully. Some OTAs have rate parity clauses that prevent you from offering lower prices on your own site. Know what you’re agreeing to.
Ignoring the reviews you earn on OTAs. Even if your goal is to move guests toward direct bookings, OTA reviews can feed your credibility. Screenshot them. Share them. Use them.
Treating OTA traffic as your only audience. Guests who find you on Viator can be nudged toward your email list, your Instagram, and your own site if you’re intentional about it post-trip. Don’t let that relationship end at checkout.
Abandoning OTAs too fast. If you’re still building your direct channels, pulling out of OTAs before you have something to replace that volume is a fast way to have a very quiet season.
Quick Recap
- OTAs are third-party booking platforms that list your tours alongside competitors and charge 20 to 30% commission per booking
- They can be useful for newer operators or filling calendar gaps, but they come with real costs beyond the commission rate
- The biggest hidden cost is that you don’t own the customer relationship
- A smart strategy uses OTAs selectively while consistently building your own direct booking channels
- The goal is to reduce OTA dependence over time, not eliminate them overnight
The Bottom Line
If you’re trying to figure out the right balance for your business between OTA volume and direct bookings, that’s exactly the kind of conversation we have every day. Schedule a free call with our team and we’ll help you think through what makes sense for where you are right now.
