Douglas Quinby

If the OTA blurred the lines between distributor and operator with its GetYourGuide-branded Originals, the acquisition of Guidatours only further signals the OTA’s bigger plans to have more say over tour supply and their customers’ experience.

Investors have poured more than $2.4 billion into our industry since 2017 and nearly $500 million since the pandemic. We list all of them here by funding, business model, region, and more.

The move by one of the largest tour and activity companies signals the their intent to become not just a leading city cruise operator, but a global experiences brand. Expect more acquisitions, and more M&A overall as our industry remakes itself post-Covid.

Get ready for another big shift in how tours, activities, and attractions are listed on Google. The search engine is winding down the booking option to shift towards an advertising-focused model similar to Google Hotels.

Since March 2020, Arival has been tracking the pandemic’s impact and outlook for our industry. Take a few minutes to complete our latest trends survey on recovery and planning for 2021-2022.

Interviews with UA partners and Intrepid Group CEO James Thornton make it clear: the end of the brand’s franchise model signals a humbler, tougher era ahead as operators small and large face tough decisions to survive – and revive.

We’re just a few days away and the program is set for this special forum on self-guided. Here’s what to expect, what you’ll learn, and how you’ll benefit.

We may get into some hot water with this post, but there seems to be some widely held misconceptions in our industry about self-guided experiences. So we’re addressing them here.