GetYourGuide and Viator Commission: What Tour Agencies Really Pay
Activity platforms take a large slice of every tour price. What the rates look like, the hidden costs and how to grow direct bookings on your own site.
GetYourGuide and Viator commission is the share a tour agency hands to these activity platforms on every tour sold through them, and it comes straight out of the price the guest pays. This article looks at what the rates are, the costs of commission that never show up on the invoice, a sample season calculation and how tour, boat trip and diving agencies around Antalya can grow their share of direct bookings. The aim is not to leave the platforms, but to stop every booking having to pass through them.
What we know about commission rates
Activity platforms do not publish a public rate card. Rates vary by country, tour category, sales volume and the visibility programmes you join. According to third-party industry sources, they usually sit in a 20 to 30 percent range. Suppliers who join programmes that push their listings higher in search results are reported to pay more than that.
Get your exact figure from your own supplier account and contract, not from someone else's blog. Rate changes can be announced mid-season, so do not ignore contract emails. The calculations below use illustrative rates within that range.
A sample calculation: what goes in one season?
Take an agency running daily boat trips in Kaş. The price is 40 euros per person and the rate is 25 percent. On every platform booking, 10 euros per person stays with the platform.
- If 2,000 guests come through the platform in a season: 2,000 x 10 = 20,000 euros in commission.
- If just a quarter of those guests had booked on your own site: 500 x 10 = 5,000 euros stays with you.
- If a visibility programme takes the rate to 30 percent, the same 2,000 guests cost you another 4,000 euros.
Each booking looks small on its own. Added up, the total is often in the same range as a boat's fuel bill, a crew member's season wages or the winter maintenance budget. For dive centres, where course prices are higher, the same rate means a much bigger amount per guest.
The hidden cost of commission
Commission is the part you see on the invoice. The bigger loss is usually elsewhere:
- Guest details stay on the platform. Your access to contact details is limited, so you cannot reach the same person next year.
- Repeat bookings go back to the platform. A happy guest opens the app again on their next holiday and sees your competitors next to you.
- The brand is not yours. Guests remember "a boat trip we booked on GetYourGuide", not your agency's name.
- The rules are not yours. Cancellation terms, payment timing and refunds largely follow the platform's rules.
- The reviews live there. Years of good reviews build the platform's credibility rather than your own site's.
Should you leave the platforms?
No. The platforms are a strong way to reach travellers who have never heard of you and plan their holidays months ahead. They also help fill seats that are still empty early in the season. The right question is not "platform or website?" but "which guest should come through which channel?"
A rough split:
| Guest | Right channel |
|---|---|
| A traveller browsing the platform who has never heard of you | Platform listing |
| A guest recommended by a hotel reception or guide | Your own site |
| A guest searching your name on Google | Your own site |
| Last year's guest coming back | Your own site |
| A tourist who picked up your flyer at the harbour | Your own site (via a QR code) |
Paying commission on the bottom four rows means paying for a customer you had already won.
Ways to grow direct bookings
- Take real bookings on your site. A site with only a contact form or a "message us on WhatsApp" button sends guests back to the platform. Guests should pick a date and group size, see the places left and reserve straight away.
- Take payment on your site. Full payment or a deposit answers the "is my place confirmed?" question and cuts no-shows.
- Sell in the guest's language and currency. Russian, German, British and Polish guests want to see prices in their own language and in euros, pounds or dollars.
- Keep your brand searches. People searching your name should find your own site and Google Business Profile first.
- Measure your referral channels. Give hotel receptions and guides their own link or code and see how many guests each one sends.
- Reach returning guests. Where they have agreed to it, send a short message in their language before the season with your direct booking perk.
The first three steps depend on the site itself. We explain how capacity, deposits and multilingual selling fit together on our page about a commission-free direct booking site. If you want the hotel side of the same problem, read our article on Booking.com commission.
Pricing terms: can I sell cheaper on my own site?
Platform contracts can include pricing clauses. Read yours before showing a different price on your own site. Adding value to direct bookings is usually safer than cutting the price:
- A free hotel pickup
- A digital package of trip photos
- A more flexible cancellation window
- A free place for a child or a group perk
- Free drinks on board
Show these perks on the tour page, right next to the booking button. Guests should see why they should book with you before they reach the payment step.
Common mistakes
- No prices on the site, so guests go back to the platform to find them.
- No remaining places shown, and every question answered one by one on WhatsApp.
- Forgetting to close a seat on the site after selling it on a platform, and selling it twice.
- A site that is only in Turkish with prices only in lira.
- Never tracking where each booking came from.
- Better, newer photos on the platform than on your own site.
Summary
Cutting commission to zero is not a realistic goal. The realistic goal is to take bookings from guests who already know you and search for you, without commission. Growing that share a little each season makes a real difference to the income of a tour agency working a full season in Antalya. For a rough budget for your own site, our quote wizard takes a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What commission do GetYourGuide and Viator charge?
The platforms do not publish a public rate card. According to third-party industry sources, rates usually sit in a 20 to 30 percent range and can go higher with visibility programmes. Check your own rate in your supplier account and contract.
Should I leave the platforms altogether?
No. The platforms are a strong way to reach travellers who have never heard of you. The goal is to take bookings from people who already know you, were recommended or search your name on your own site, without commission.
Can I sell cheaper on my own site than on the platforms?
That depends on the pricing terms in your platform contract, so read it first. Adding value instead, such as a hotel pickup, a photo package or flexible cancellation, is usually the safer route.
How do I work out what commission costs me?
Add up last season's platform bookings, multiply by the average price per person and apply the rate in your contract. The result shows what each booking you move to your direct channel is worth.
What does my website need for direct bookings?
Online booking with date and group size, capacity control, online prepayment or a deposit, content in the guest's language, prices in their currency and clear cancellation terms.
Can I show my platform reviews on my site?
Rather than copying reviews over, point guests to your Google Business Profile and ask for a review there after each trip. Check the platforms' content rules as well.
