Tours & Activities Blog

This is a blog for tour operators to get the latest news, tools and events for tours and activities in the tour industry.

Is it possible to offer a low-cost booking system for tours & activities?

Online Payments

Jan 2, 2022

Is it possible to offer a low-cost booking system for tours & activities?

While most booking systems charge around 6%, Junglebee is going the low-cost route. How would a 2% booking fee positively impact your tour & activity?

Post by

Michael Rouveure

Should I let the customer pay the booking system fee

Online Payments

Jun 6, 2021

Should I let the customer pay the booking system fee

To decide whether to charge or not a booking fee at checkout to your customers when they book your tours.

Online Booking Setup for Boat Tours (Fast + Clean)

Building a Better Tour

Apr 21, 2026

Online Booking Setup for Boat Tours (Fast + Clean)

A step-by-step playbook to launch online booking for boat tours in a week: offers, availability rules, payments, confirmations, and reminders.

Tour operator marketing: what I'd actually spend on

Term Charters

Jun 22, 2026

Tour operator marketing: what I'd actually spend on

Most tour operator marketing advice was written for SaaS or e-commerce. Here is what I would actually spend the next week on as a small Caribbean operator.

Latest Blog Posts

Filter by:

Oct 2, 2026

Checkfront Pricing: What You Actually Pay (2026)

Checkfront costs $99/month plus a 3% booking fee — and that's before payment processing. Here's what you actually pay at real booking volumes.

How to Start a Tour Guide Business: What I Would Get Right First

Term Charters

Oct 2, 2026

How to Start a Tour Guide Business: What I Would Get Right First

My operator's take on what to get right before launching a tour guide business: the trip, real costs and booking handoff.

Things to Do in Bonaire: What I Would Build Around as a Tour Operator

Caribbean Tour Operators

Oct 1, 2026

Things to Do in Bonaire: What I Would Build Around as a Tour Operator

My operator's take on Bonaire day trips worth building around: reef, wind, mangroves, land outings and what to tell guests before they book.

Sep 30, 2026

Charter Boat Crew: 1099 Contractor or W-2 Employee? A Plain-English Guide

Captain, mate, or dockhand — 1099 or W2? A plain-English test for charter crew, plus the seaman exemption and what misclassification actually costs.

What Makes a Good Tour Guide? What I Learned on the Boat

Boosting Bookings

Sep 30, 2026

What Makes a Good Tour Guide? What I Learned on the Boat

What I learned from Eagle Tours: a strong tour guide pays attention to guests and crew, knows their limits, and gives new guides room to grow.

How to become a Viator supplier: what I would prepare

Building a Better Tour

Sep 29, 2026

How to become a Viator supplier: what I would prepare

What I would have ready before opening the Viator supplier portal: one trip, a clear meeting point, net vs retail, cut-offs, held seats, a weather plan.

Sep 28, 2026

Charter Boat Maintenance Checklist: What Keeps You Legal, Insured, and Running

USCG inspection items, safety-gear service intervals, and the records insurers want — the charter-specific maintenance checklist generic boat guides skip.

Boat Rental App vs Booking Software: What I Would Actually Compare

Online Payments

Sep 28, 2026

Boat Rental App vs Booking Software: What I Would Actually Compare

A boat operator's practical comparison of guest apps, booking software, shared availability, payments, crew handoffs, and a two-week test.

Sep 25, 2026

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo for Tour Operators: Picking an Email Platform for a Seasonal Booking Business

Both are built for online stores. Here's how Mailchimp and Klaviyo actually compare for a seasonal tour or charter business's pricing, lists, and reminders.

SEO for Tour Operators: The First Page I Would Fix Before Buying Ads

Term Charters

Sep 25, 2026

SEO for Tour Operators: The First Page I Would Fix Before Buying Ads

A founder's practical take on SEO for tour operators: fix the trip page and booking path before buying ads or chasing more traffic.

Aruba Snorkeling Tours: What I Would Build Around as an Operator

Caribbean Tour Operators

Sep 24, 2026

Aruba Snorkeling Tours: What I Would Build Around as an Operator

An operator's guide to building an Aruba snorkeling tour around clear promises, clean handoffs, weather plans, and a day the crew can deliver.

Sep 23, 2026

Tap to Pay on iPhone for Tour and Charter Operators: Is It Worth Ditching the Card Reader?

Tap to Pay on iPhone costs the same as a reader but needs signal for every sale. Here's when it works dockside and when charter operators still need a reader.

How to Become a Travel Agent for Tours: What I Would Learn First

Boosting Bookings

Sep 23, 2026

How to Become a Travel Agent for Tours: What I Would Learn First

Michael's operator-first advice for selling tours: learn the dock, confirm availability, and build a clean handoff before chasing more guests.

OTA Advertising for Tour Operators: What I Would Actually Pay For

Building a Better Tour

Sep 22, 2026

OTA Advertising for Tour Operators: What I Would Actually Pay For

A practical way to buy reach without buying more booking chaos, from a founder who has watched tour bookings break at the handoff.

Sep 21, 2026

USCG Vessel Documentation vs State Registration: What Actually Changes for Charter Boats

Documentation and registration solve different problems. See which one your charter boat needs, what each endorsement allows, and common costly mistakes.

Checkfront Alternatives for Caribbean Tour Operators: What I Would Compare

Online Payments

Sep 21, 2026

Checkfront Alternatives for Caribbean Tour Operators: What I Would Compare

My practical comparison for Caribbean operators: test the booking handoff, payment path, partner bookings, and weather-day changes before you switch software.

Sep 18, 2026

Local SEO for Tour Operators: Win the Map Pack (No Agency)

Map Pack ranking factors for tour and charter operators: the right GBP category, review cadence, and dock/service-area setup, no agency needed.

The Online Reservation System I Wish We Had Before the First Booking

Term Charters

Sep 18, 2026

The Online Reservation System I Wish We Had Before the First Booking

An operator's test for an online reservation system: real availability, payment status, crew handoff, and the changes that happen on the water.

How to Start a Tour Business in Curacao: What I Would Set Up Before the First Guest

Caribbean Tour Operators

Sep 17, 2026

How to Start a Tour Business in Curacao: What I Would Set Up Before the First Guest

Michael Rouveure's practical guide to starting a Curacao tour business, from the first trip and handoff to payments, cancellations, and guest care.

Sep 16, 2026

100 Ton Captain's License: Moving Up From a Six-Pack

What changes when a six-pack captain moves up to a 100-ton Master license: sea time, TWIC, the exam, real costs, and when the upgrade actually pays off.

The Tour Booking Thank-You Email I Would Actually Send

Boosting Bookings

Sep 16, 2026

The Tour Booking Thank-You Email I Would Actually Send

The first booking email should thank the guest, confirm the details, and make the next handoff clear.

How to Build a Free Online Booking Website for Your Tour Business

Building a Better Tour

Sep 15, 2026

How to Build a Free Online Booking Website for Your Tour Business

A practical guide to building a free online booking website for a tour business, from the booking path to payment and weather-day handoffs.

Sep 14, 2026

Food Tour Booking Software: What Small Operators Need

Multi-stop capacity limits, dietary vs. allergy intake, and no-show deposits: what food tour booking software needs that generic platforms miss.

Ticketing System vs Booking System for Tour Operators: What I Would Use

Online Payments

Sep 14, 2026

Ticketing System vs Booking System for Tour Operators: What I Would Use

A practical comparison of ticketing systems and booking systems for tour operators, from guest handoffs to weather days.

Sep 11, 2026

Seller of Travel Laws: The States That Require Tour Operators to Register (and the Exemption Most Miss)

Only CA, FL, HI & WA still enforce seller of travel laws. See which actually reach tour operators, the exemption most miss, and the registration risk.

Tour Operator Management Software: The Handoff I Would Fix First

Term Charters

Sep 11, 2026

Tour Operator Management Software: The Handoff I Would Fix First

A founder's view of the booking handoff that makes busy boat days harder than they need to be.

Starting a Snorkeling Tour Business in St. Barts: What I Would Set Up Before the First Run

Caribbean Tour Operators

Sep 10, 2026

Starting a Snorkeling Tour Business in St. Barts: What I Would Set Up Before the First Run

The operator setup I would build before launching a snorkeling tour in St. Barts, from the first run to the first weather day.

Sep 9, 2026

Economic Nexus Sales Tax: A Guide for Tour Operators

Running trips across state or island lines? Learn when economic nexus sales tax kicks in, the Texas/NY/Florida traps, and what multi-state operators should do.

Tour Operator Software With Inventory Management: What Actually Needs Tracking

Boosting Bookings

Sep 9, 2026

Tour Operator Software With Inventory Management: What Actually Needs Tracking

A founder's view of the inventory details that matter when boats, crews, weather, and booking channels all share capacity.

How to Start a Sunset Cruise Business: What I Would Set Up Before the First Guest

Building a Better Tour

Sep 8, 2026

How to Start a Sunset Cruise Business: What I Would Set Up Before the First Guest

A practical founder-operator guide to building a sunset cruise product, route, weather plan, and booking handoff before the first guest.

Sep 7, 2026

Google Ads for Tour Operators: Is Paid Search Worth It?

Real CPCs, minimum budgets, and Smart Bidding thresholds for tour operators weighing Google Ads — plus when SEO or direct booking wins instead.

Tour Booking Software vs a Spreadsheet: What Actually Breaks First

Online Payments

Sep 7, 2026

Tour Booking Software vs a Spreadsheet: What Actually Breaks First

I compare the spreadsheet with the handoffs a tour booking system has to own, using the operator problem that started me building software.

Sep 4, 2026

AI Chatbot for Tour Operators: What to Automate

A tour operator's guide to AI chatbots: what to automate (pricing, availability, cancellations) and what still needs a human.

Tour Booking Handoffs: The Operator Story I Keep Coming Back To

Term Charters

Sep 4, 2026

Tour Booking Handoffs: The Operator Story I Keep Coming Back To

Tour booking handoffs are where good trips get lost. I share the operator lesson that made me rethink every booking system.

Things to Do in St. Lucia: What I Would Build Around as a Tour Operator

Caribbean Tour Operators

Sep 3, 2026

Things to Do in St. Lucia: What I Would Build Around as a Tour Operator

An operator's shortlist of St. Lucia products: the Pitons, Soufriere, Pigeon Island, and how to build tours the crew can actually deliver.

Sep 2, 2026

Charter Boat Insurance Requirements for Six-Pack Operators

Six-pack charter insurance isn't one federal rule. See where marina, permit, and policy requirements come from, plus the coverage stack you need.

SEO for Tour Operators: Why Your Booking Page Should Sound Like a Boat Schedule

Boosting Bookings

Sep 2, 2026

SEO for Tour Operators: Why Your Booking Page Should Sound Like a Boat Schedule

A founder's practical take on writing tour pages guests can find, understand, and book - without turning your schedule into marketing jargon.

Tour Operator Software With Reporting: What I Actually Check

Building a Better Tour

Sep 1, 2026

Tour Operator Software With Reporting: What I Actually Check

The reports I would check before every trip: pending confirmations, deposits, balances, capacity, booking source, and the handoffs that still go wrong.

Aug 31, 2026

Click-to-WhatsApp Ads for Tour Operators: A Cheaper Way to Get Direct Bookings in 2026

How click-to-WhatsApp ads work, what they really cost, and why they're a cheap direct-booking channel for tour and charter operators in 2026.

Jurassic Canyon Costa Rica: What I Would Compare Before Booking an Adventure Tour

Online Payments

Aug 31, 2026

Jurassic Canyon Costa Rica: What I Would Compare Before Booking an Adventure Tour

A boat operator's take on what to compare before selling an adventure tour in Jurassic Canyon Costa Rica.

Aug 28, 2026

The 1099-K Threshold Rollback: What It Means for Your Tour Payouts in 2026

OBBBA raised the 1099-K threshold to $20K/200 transactions — but card payments have no minimum. Here is what tour operators actually need to know for 2026.

Bus Charter Booking Software: The Handoff I Would Fix First

Term Charters

Aug 28, 2026

Bus Charter Booking Software: The Handoff I Would Fix First

A founder's take on why the driver, office, and guest need one current bus charter trip record.

Things to Do in San Diego for Couples: What Tour Operators Should Sell

Caribbean Tour Operators

Aug 27, 2026

Things to Do in San Diego for Couples: What Tour Operators Should Sell

A founder's guide to building romantic San Diego boat products that run well, from the route and weather plan to the booking handoff.

Aug 26, 2026

Credit Card Surcharge Laws by State: 2026 Guide

A plain-English, state-by-state look at where credit card surcharges are banned, capped, or disclosure-only in 2026 — and how tour operators add one compliantly.

Attraction Booking Software: Where the Real Bottleneck Lives

Boosting Bookings

Aug 26, 2026

Attraction Booking Software: Where the Real Bottleneck Lives

The calendar is easy. A founder's take on the handoff between guests, agents, and the attraction crew.

Kayak Rental Software: What I Would Set Up Before the First Launch

Building a Better Tour

Aug 25, 2026

Kayak Rental Software: What I Would Set Up Before the First Launch

A dock-first guide to the kayak rental software checks I would run before the first guest arrives.

Aug 24, 2026

OUPV License: What a Six-Pack Captain Actually Needs

The real OUPV/six-pack requirements: sea time, TWIC, drug testing, the exam, and what changes the day you take your first paid charter booking.

Adventure Tour Booking Software: What Has to Work When the Weather Turns

Online Payments

Aug 24, 2026

Adventure Tour Booking Software: What Has to Work When the Weather Turns

The ugly-day test I would use before choosing adventure tour booking software for a weather-sensitive operation.

Aug 21, 2026

Things to Do in the Cayman Islands: An Operator's Shortlist

An operator's honest take on Grand Cayman: cruise-day picks vs. full-stay picks, Stingray City logistics, Bio Bay timing, and what to skip.

Discounts Are Not a Booking Strategy: What I Learned Running Tour Boats

Term Charters

Aug 21, 2026

Discounts Are Not a Booking Strategy: What I Learned Running Tour Boats

A founder-operator take on why blanket discounts miss the point - and how to use timing, capacity, and guest value to fill a specific departure.

Montego Bay Hip Strip: How I Would Plan a Tour Around It

Caribbean Tour Operators

Aug 20, 2026

Montego Bay Hip Strip: How I Would Plan a Tour Around It

A practical operator guide to timing, pickups, and building a better Montego Bay Hip Strip tour.

Aug 19, 2026

Things to Do in Antigua: An Operator's Shortlist

An operator's honest take on Antigua: cruise-day picks vs. full-stay picks, Shirley Heights timing, Stingray City, and the Barbuda day trip.

Weather Days Are Part of the Product: How I Decide When to Cancel a Tour

Boosting Bookings

Aug 19, 2026

Weather Days Are Part of the Product: How I Decide When to Cancel a Tour

A boat operator's view on making weather calls, protecting guests, and building a cancellation process the crew and office can actually follow.

Building a Better Tour

Aug 18, 2026

Tour newsletter examples: what I would send before and after a trip

Three practical newsletter formats I would send before and after a tour, with the one test I use to help guests choose and book.

Aug 17, 2026

Things to Do in Curacao: An Operator's Shortlist

An operator's honest take on Curacao: cruise-day picks vs. full-stay picks, the dives and hikes worth booking, and what to skip.

Peek Pro Pricing: The Number I Would Actually Compare

Online Payments

Aug 17, 2026

Peek Pro Pricing: The Number I Would Actually Compare

A practical way to compare Peek Pro pricing: count the real cost of bookings, payment handling, refunds, and your own time.

Aug 14, 2026

Accounting Software for Tour Operators: Payouts, FX & Tax

A practical guide to reconciling OTA payouts, handling multi-currency sales, and staying tourism-tax compliant — for small tour and charter operators.

Aug 14, 2026

Free Tour Booking Software: What "Free" Actually Costs You

Freemium caps, commission cuts, and hidden card fees — an honest breakdown of what "free" tour booking software actually costs your business in 2026.

Web-Based Tour Operator Software: What Changes When Your Office Is the Boat

Term Charters

Aug 14, 2026

Web-Based Tour Operator Software: What Changes When Your Office Is the Boat

A boat-operator test for web-based software: the handoffs, phone access, changes, and payment details that must work away from the desk.

How to Start a Surf Tour Business in Montego Bay

Caribbean Tour Operators

Aug 13, 2026

How to Start a Surf Tour Business in Montego Bay

A practical operator guide to selling surf days you can actually deliver, from weather calls and pickups to clean booking handoffs.

Aug 12, 2026

Gift Cards for Tour Operators: Rules, Risks & No-Shows

Selling gift cards for your tour business? Learn CARD Act rules, state law, and how to avoid losing money on partial redemptions and no-shows.

Tour Operator Capacity Planning: Why a Full Calendar Can Still Lose Money

Boosting Bookings

Aug 12, 2026

Tour Operator Capacity Planning: Why a Full Calendar Can Still Lose Money

A founder's take on why a full calendar can still lose money - and how to plan around the trips your crew can actually deliver.

How to Start a Food Tour Business Without Losing the Guest in the Handoff

Building a Better Tour

Aug 11, 2026

How to Start a Food Tour Business Without Losing the Guest in the Handoff

A founder-operator guide to launching a food tour: choose the route, price the whole experience, and build a handoff guests and partners can trust.

Aug 10, 2026

Brewery and Distillery Tour Booking Software: What Small Operators Actually Need

Age checks, permit-capped pours, and bonded-premises rules: here is what generic booking software misses for brewery and distillery tours.

Tour Operator Software Reviews: What I Look For Before I Believe One

Online Payments

Aug 10, 2026

Tour Operator Software Reviews: What I Look For Before I Believe One

Michael Rouveure explains how he reads tour operator software reviews: test the handoff, payment trail, bad days, and real operator fit.

Aug 7, 2026

Channel Manager for Tours: Do You Actually Need One?

A plain-English guide for small tour operators: what a channel manager does, real pricing, and the exact point (3+ OTAs) where it starts paying for itself.

Hotel Activity Desk Bookings: The Paper-Slip Problem I Helped Solve

Term Charters

Aug 7, 2026

Hotel Activity Desk Bookings: The Paper-Slip Problem I Helped Solve

Michael Rouveure on the hotel activity desk handoff, the paper-slip problem, and the test that keeps referrals from becoming dockside chaos.

Booking Software for Eco Tours in Jamaica: What Has to Work on the Water

Caribbean Tour Operators

Aug 6, 2026

Booking Software for Eco Tours in Jamaica: What Has to Work on the Water

A founder's take on why eco-tour booking software in Jamaica has to connect hotel desks, crew, capacity, weather changes, and payments.

Aug 5, 2026

How to Add a Booking Widget to Your Tour Website Without a Developer

Add a booking widget to your tour or charter website in an afternoon — no developer needed. Embed styles, platform steps, and a testing checklist.

Booking Software for Shuttle Operators: The Handoff Matters More Than the Calendar

Boosting Bookings

Aug 5, 2026

Booking Software for Shuttle Operators: The Handoff Matters More Than the Calendar

A founder's take on why shuttle booking software should be judged by the handoff, guest updates, and changes - not just the calendar.

Tour Booking Confirmation Emails: What Guests Actually Need

Building a Better Tour

Aug 4, 2026

Tour Booking Confirmation Emails: What Guests Actually Need

A practical guide to tour booking confirmation emails: the details guests need, the mistakes that create dockside confusion, and the simple operator test I use.

Aug 3, 2026

Is Your Tour Booking System PCI Compliant? A Plain-English Guide for Small Operators

Hosted booking widgets can put tour and charter operators in the simplest PCI bucket, SAQ-A, instead of a 300+ point audit. Here's how to check yours.

Fishing Charter Booking Software: What Actually Matters on the Dock

Online Payments

Aug 3, 2026

Fishing Charter Booking Software: What Actually Matters on the Dock

Fishing charter booking software should handle deposits, weather changes, crew capacity and dock-day reality - not just put a calendar online.

Jul 31, 2026

Tour Operator Business Plan: A Real Example With Numbers

See a real tour operator business plan: actual startup costs, break-even math, margins, and booking-channel mix — not a fill-in-the-blank template.

Why operators look at FareHarbor competitors

Term Charters

Jul 31, 2026

Why operators look at FareHarbor competitors

Why tour operators end up shopping for FareHarbor competitors - the specific moments that push them to look, and how I would map the alternatives.

Caribbean Tour Operators

Jul 30, 2026

Things to do in St Lucia

A Caribbean operators list of what to actually do in St Lucia - Pitons hikes, sulphur springs, snorkel and sail runs, and the small things guests keep asking me about.

Jul 29, 2026

WeTravel Reviews: What Tour Operators Should Know

An honest read of WeTravel reviews on Capterra, GetApp, and Trustpilot — real pricing, payout timing, verification, and who it's actually built for.

What changes after you switch tour booking software

Boosting Bookings

Jul 29, 2026

What changes after you switch tour booking software

The parts of an operators week that shift after moving to real tour booking software - what gets easier, what gets weirder, and what nobody warns you about.

Charter boat booking software: an operators guide

Building a Better Tour

Jul 28, 2026

Charter boat booking software: an operators guide

The things I would check before I picked charter boat booking software again - deposits, captain changes, guest comms, payments, and the ones vendors never bring up.

Jul 27, 2026

Adventure Tour Booking Software: What ATV, Jeep, and Zipline Operators Actually Need

See what ATV, jeep, and zipline operators need from booking software: vehicle capacity, digital waivers, weather rebooking, and lower fees than OTAs.

Online Payments

Jul 27, 2026

Xola vs FareHarbor for tour operators

An operators honest take on Xola vs FareHarbor - who each one really fits, where they diverge on price and philosophy, and how to pick without wasting a season.

Jul 26, 2026

Is Expedia Local Expert Worth It for Tour Operators?

Expedia Local Expert charges 15-30% commission and is closed to most new suppliers — see the real costs, contract terms, and better alternatives.

What tour operator insurance actually costs me

Term Charters

Jul 24, 2026

What tour operator insurance actually costs me

An operator opens the books on tour insurance - what he pays, what changed after a bad claim, and what he wishes he had asked before signing.

Caribbean Tour Operators

Jul 23, 2026

Things to do in Turks and Caicos

An operators honest guide to Turks and Caicos - the water, the reef, the small tours worth booking, and the ones every visitor should skip.

Online booking system choices that actually move revenue

Boosting Bookings

Jul 22, 2026

Online booking system choices that actually move revenue

An operators take on the online booking system decisions that actually change money, not the checkbox feature lists everyone else compares.

Jul 21, 2026

Tour Operator Insurance: A Plain-English Guide to What Coverage You Actually Need

What tour operator insurance actually costs by activity risk — general liability, auto, workers' comp, E&O, and what OTAs require. No broker jargon.

Jul 21, 2026

Do Small Tour Operators Need a CRM? Or Does Your Booking Software Already Do the Job?

Every 'tour operator CRM' guide online is written for travel agencies. Here's what your booking software already covers, and 3 signs you've outgrown it.

What a tour operator waiver should actually say

Building a Better Tour

Jul 21, 2026

What a tour operator waiver should actually say

Not legal advice. An operators mental model for what a real tour waiver should say, why gross negligence gets through, and why storage matters.

Checkfront vs Fareharbor for tour operators

Online Payments

Jul 20, 2026

Checkfront vs Fareharbor for tour operators

One is a booking system. The other is a distribution machine that happens to include a booking system. An operators honest take on both.

Term Charters

Jul 17, 2026

How to start a tour operator business

The 12-step business plan tells you to write a mission statement. Here is what actually happens: no boat, four months of revenue, and the phone.

Caribbean Tour Operators

Jul 16, 2026

Things to do in Barbados

The two hours near Bridgetown, the full day, and the week you actually want, told through a couple who lost theirs at a cruise-pier kiosk.

The five metrics small tour operators should track

Boosting Bookings

Jul 15, 2026

The five metrics small tour operators should track

Every dashboard shows the same five vanity metrics. Here are the five that actually predict whether a small tour operator survives.

Building a Better Tour

Jul 14, 2026

Marketing automation for tour operators

What to actually automate as a small tour operator: the four money-and-trust wins, two shiny traps to skip, and one thing to keep manual.

Tour operator booking software: what to compare

Online Payments

Jul 13, 2026

Tour operator booking software: what to compare

A demo-day playbook: features are commodity. Here are the six questions that flush out real fit from expensive mistake in five minutes.

Jul 10, 2026

Wine Tour Booking Software: What Small Operators Need

Age checks, permit-capped seating, tasting fees, group buyouts—here's what wine tour booking software must handle that generic roundups skip.

How Caribbean tour operators survive low season

Term Charters

Jul 10, 2026

How Caribbean tour operators survive low season

A first person operator survival essay on the Caribbean low and hurricane season. What you cut, what you cannot, and why cash discipline wins.

Jul 9, 2026

GetYourGuide vs Viator: Which OTA Should Small Tour Operators List On?

GetYourGuide vs Viator compared for tour operators: commissions, contracts, payouts, and audience reach — plus how to keep more bookings direct.

Viator commission rate: what it actually costs you

Boosting Bookings

Jul 8, 2026

Viator commission rate: what it actually costs you

What Viator's commission really costs a small tour operator: the 20-30% headline, the lost re-book, the promotion pressure, and when it's still worth it.

Building a Better Tour

Jul 7, 2026

How to market a tour company

A guide to the four channels that actually move seats for a small tour company: concierge, Google Business Profile, direct bookings, and OTAs.

How to start a yacht charter business, honestly

Term Charters

Jul 3, 2026

How to start a yacht charter business, honestly

An honest operator walkthrough for starting a yacht charter business: boat, USCG license, insurance, dockage, first bookings, and the mindset shift.