Look, I get it. You’ve got your go-to booking platforms when you’re on holiday (or “vacation” as my American guests say). As a tour guide, I’ve heard “I always book on Viator” or “I only do GetYourGuide tours” more times than I can count. I sometimes have the following conversation with guests at the end of the tour, but I thought I’d lay it all out here in a completely honest way, as to why booking direct with tour operators like us is actually the smarter move.
(Quick disclaimer: If you’re a travel agent, travel advisor, or a blogger who relies on affiliate links from online travel agents (OTAs), and you’re reading this, we genuinely do ❤️ you and value our relationship. This post isn’t aimed at you. This is for the folks who are loyally booking through OTAs without realising that there’s even the possibility of booking direct.)
1. The Real Cost of Convenience
Here’s something that might surprise you: those big online travel agents – Viator/TripAdvisor (yep, same company, not many people know that), GetYourGuide, Airbnb – they’re taking a massive cut from tour operators. We’re talking 20 to 30% commission on every single booking. For most small tour companies like ours, that commission is literally our entire profit margin.
And it’s getting worse. GetYourGuide recently tried to increase our commission from 25% to 29% on our Chinatown and Newtown tours. Viator is increasingly pushing their “Accelerate” program, where operators can offer commissions up to 50% (yes, FIFTY per cent) just to be more visible in their search results. It’s becoming a bidding war where the deepest pockets win, not necessarily the best tours.
So when you book through an online travel agent (or an OTA, as we call them in the industry), you’re essentially paying extra so they can take a chunk that could otherwise go toward improving your experience, paying our guides more, or keeping prices lower for guests like you.
2. You’ll Actually Save Money
This one’s pretty straightforward. Given those hefty commission rates, we can offer better prices on our own website. Take our Ultimate Sydney Walking Tour, for example. It’s at least $5 to $10 AUD cheaper on our site, compared to the major platforms – and sometimes the difference is even greater during peak season when demand is hot. We want to reward the guests who book directly with the best deals, while also making hay while the sun shines!
Plus, when you book combo packages directly with us, the savings really add up. Book our Ultimate Sydney Walking Tour and the Secret Bars & Stories tour together, and you’ll get 20% off the second tour. You literally just book the first tour on our website, and the option to add a second tour pops right up.
And since you’re reading this blog post and clearly doing your research (gold star ⭐ for you), here’s an extra little something: use the promo code BOOKDIRECT for another 8% off your first tour. You’re welcome.
3. Way More Flexible Cancellation Policies
Life happens. Plans change. We get it. And when you book direct, we can be much more understanding about that.
Most OTAs now require a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. But when you book directly with us, you can choose to add on our “super flexible cancellation policy” which allows full refunds up until 3 hours before a tour starts. THREE HOURS. That’s basically right up until you’re supposed to be there.
And here’s the thing: we’ll always be more lenient with guests who’ve booked direct because we have a direct relationship with you. We’ve had some real headaches with OTAs (especially GetYourGuide), where their customer service teams approve cancellations or reschedules within 24 hours without even asking us first. So now with OTA bookings, we have to be super strict – as in, “so sorry, never can do” strict. We hate being the bad guys, but they’ve left us no choice.
Book direct, and you’ll get to deal with an actual human (me!) who cares about making sure you have a great experience.
4. You’ll Get the Most Accurate Information
On our website, we have full control over what information we share, which means you get all the good stuff: detailed accessibility information, who each tour is perfect for (or maybe not so perfect for), comprehensive descriptions, and just generally more and better quality info overall.
Some OTAs are getting worse about this, too. Airbnb, for instance, doesn’t even have a section anymore where we can properly list inclusions! Like, how are you supposed to know what’s included in your tour price? 🤯
We’ve also noticed a pattern: the only time guests ever have issues finding the meeting point, or it’s clear they’ve booked a tour that isn’t quite right for them, they’ve come to us via an OTA. They maybe didn’t have all the information they needed before booking, and that’s not their fault – it’s just how these third-party platforms are set up.
5. Direct Line of Communication = Quick Problem Solving
When you book direct with us, my number, email, and all other contact details are right there on your booking confirmation. No middleman, no third party, no “please allow 24-48 hours for a response.” Just a direct line straight to us.
Accidentally booked the wrong day? No worries, shoot us an email and we’ll sort it out in minutes, not days. Have a question about what to wear or whether the tour is suitable for your mobility needs? Text us. Want to know if we can accommodate a dietary restriction on a food tour? We’re right here. 🤙
With OTAs, you’re often stuck dealing with customer service reps who’ve never been on our tours, don’t know the specifics of our operations, and have to act as the middleman between you and us. It’s inefficient, it’s frustrating for us, and it’s unnecessary for you.
Okay, But How Do I Find the Best Tour Companies?
I totally understand the appeal of OTAs – they aggregate everything in one place, making it easy to compare and research. But here’s my insider secret for finding the best local tour companies when you’re researching:
- Search for “TripAdvisor + things to do + [CITY NAME]”
- On the page that shows all the types of tours (usually says “Explore popular experiences”), click “See all”
- Scroll down on the resulting page to the bottom of the left-hand menu with all the filter tick-boxes and click “See All Tour Operators”
- Click the “Sort” button and choose “Traveller ranking”
(Pro tip: Don’t choose “Traveller favourites” – that’s what TripAdvisor/Viator earns the highest commission on or gets the most revenue from, so it surfaces bigger companies with massive marketing budgets, not necessarily the best tours. “Traveller ranking” is actually based on rating scores and recentness of reviews.)
In Sydney, this method currently surfaces three companies as the best-rated out of 951 different tour operators. And guess who’s on that list?
Once you’ve found the best-rated local operators this way, just head to their website directly and book from there.
The Bottom Line
Look, I’m not saying OTAs are evil or that you should never use them. They serve a purpose, especially if you’re booking last-minute and just need something sorted quickly (and yes, some tour operator websites are kinda 💩). But if you have even just a little bit of time to do your research and book direct, you’ll save money, get better customer service, have more flexibility, and actually support small local businesses in a meaningful way.
And hey, if you do decide to book with us directly, don’t forget that promo code: BOOKDIRECT. We’ll see you on the streets of Sydney or Brisbane soon!
About Local Sauce Tours
Local Sauce Tours offers Sydney and Brisbane’s “funnest” small-group experiences, bringing together locals and visitors to make friends and discover the city from a different perspective. Launched in 2018, walking tours explore vibrant inner-city pockets including Chinatown, Surry Hills, Newtown, The Rocks and the city centre, along with an annual calendar of special events and exclusive dining experiences. Passionate and entertaining guides host groups of up to 12 guests on tours that blend foodie experiences with stories of the city’s history, culture, nightlife and street art. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop.