Skift Forum Europe Preview: What Travelers Want From Activities
Photo Credit: Tao Tao, co-founder and chief operating officer of GetYourGuide, will speak about the future of the tours and activities space at Skift Forum Europe in Berlin on April 26, 2018. GetYourGuide
Skift Take
Do locals spend more money on at-home activities than travelers spend on in-trip activities? The answer isn't as pressing as the fact that most of the world's activities are still up for grabs by booking platforms.
By and large, travelers are no longer forced into booking tours and activities on site, on paper, with cash, just moments before taking part in them. Booking online is now common — not necessarily far in advance — but do people consider activities to be a "lead product," or worthy of as much consideration as flights and hotels?
Activities make or break a trip, and should be researched and booked accordingly, said Tao Tao, co-founder and chief operating officer of Berlin-based tours and activities booking platform GetYourGuide. A great many travelers don’t stay in the high-end boutique hotels that are really Instagrammable — they brag about more accessible experiences, like going up the Empire State Building at sunset.
The activities sector is strong these days; TripAdvisor is still a lead player with Viator, which it acquired in 2014 for $200 million. However, GetYourGuide secured a $75 million Series D funding round in November, the sector’s largest single fundraising
