Direct Bookings for Tourism Operators · NZ, AU, US, UK & CA
Win more direct bookings and rely less on OTAs.
Viator, GetYourGuide and the rest fill your calendar, and keep a big slice of every booking. We help tourism operators get found and booked on their own site, so you keep more of what you earn and own the guest relationship.
Illustration only. OTA commission commonly runs around 20 to 30% and varies by platform and contract. Direct bookings have their own costs, like payment fees and the marketing that wins them.
The basics
What are direct bookings?
A direct booking is one a guest makes with you, on your own website or by contacting you, rather than through an online travel agency (OTA) like Viator, GetYourGuide or Booking.com. You keep the booking and the guest relationship, and you avoid the OTA’s commission.
EightySix Digital helps tourism and adventure operators win more direct bookings by combining web design, SEO, Google Ads and AI search, from Christchurch, New Zealand.
- It’s a mix, not a switch. Most operators keep some OTA bookings for reach and grow the direct share.
- Direct isn’t free. You pay for the site, search and ads that win the booking, so we track what a booking costs on every route.
- It starts with being found. A booking site nobody finds takes no bookings.
What commission really costs
The OTA maths, with your numbers.
Commission feels small booking by booking. Added up across a season, it’s often one of the biggest costs in the business. The sum is simple: bookings, times average booking value, times commission rate.
The boxes start with round example numbers. Swap in your own, and check your agreements and statements for your real commission rate. For the full annual view, with a three-year saving and five currencies, use the OTA commission calculator.
Get help with your numbers →Your numbers (example values to start)
| Booking value through OTAs, a month | $25,000 |
|---|---|
| Commission paid, a month | $6,250 |
| Commission paid over 12 months at this level | $75,000 |
| Bookings moved direct, a month | 20 |
| Commission avoided, a month | $1,250 |
| Commission avoided over 12 months | $15,000 |
A guide only, in any currency. It’s before the cost of winning bookings direct, which is why we track cost per booking on every channel. Seasonal businesses should use their own typical month.
How we shift bookings
Four pieces. One plan.
Each piece is a service in its own right. Together they take a traveller from searching to booked on your own site.
Be found
SEO and your Google Business Profile put you in front of travellers searching for the activity and the place, in the map pack, in Google and in AI answers. Reviews do a lot of the persuading.
fromNZ$600/mo
SEO for tourism operators →Be chosen and booked
A fast, mobile-first site with your booking system built in, clear information and real photos, so a visitor picks you and books in a few taps instead of drifting back to a listing.
fromNZ$900 one-off
Web design for tourism operators →Be there when it counts
Google Ads puts you at the top while travellers plan, aimed at the countries your guests come from, and keeps your own name from being bid on by someone else’s listing.
fromNZ$600/mo
Google Ads for tourism operators →Be named by AI
GEO builds the mentions, citations and clear information that help ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity recommend you when a traveller asks, with a link to your site.
add-on fromNZ$600/mo
GEO for tourism operators → See how AI visibility is tested →Not sure where your bookings come from today? Start with a free SEO audit of your site, then we’ll build a tailored plan around your seasons, your booking system and your budget. See the full tourism marketing picture.
Get your free audit →Straight comparison
OTA or direct? An honest look.
OTAs do a real job, and they aren’t the enemy. Here’s what each route gives you, and what each costs.
| Booked through an OTA | Booked direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | Commonly around 20 to 30%, varying by platform and contract. | No OTA commission. You still pay payment fees and the cost of winning the booking. |
| Reach | A built-in audience, strong for being discovered. | You have to earn it, with SEO, ads and AI visibility. |
| Guest relationship | Depends on the platform’s rules. | Yours. You look after guests and invite them back. |
| Reviews | Collected and shown on the platform. | Collected on Google and your own site, with follow-up in your hands. |
| Pricing and offers | Set within the platform’s terms. | Your call, subject to any agreements you’ve signed. |
| Risk | Fees, rankings and policies can change under you. | Spread across channels you own and control. |
Playing it sensibly
Shift the share you can. Keep what helps.
The aim is a healthier mix, not a leap into the unknown.
Keep OTAs for reach
They’re useful for quiet months and for people who’d never find you otherwise. Keep them where they earn their cost.
Steer repeat and referral guests direct
Past guests and their friends already know you. They’re the easiest direct bookings to win, and the cheapest.
Read your agreements first
Some agreements have rules about pricing or how you contact guests. Check yours before you change how you sell. We build the marketing, but we don’t give legal advice.
Results from a tourism client
Found by travellers, not just locals.
How we work
From OTA-dependent to booked direct.
- 01
Audit your sources
We work out where bookings come from today, and what each source really costs you once commission and marketing are counted.
- 02
Plan the shift
We pick the bookings worth winning direct first, usually your best-margin experiences and your repeat guests, and set a realistic target.
- 03
Build the pieces
Site, search presence, campaigns and AI visibility, with tracking so every booking has a source.
- 04
Measure cost per booking
We compare what a booking costs on each route, then put the effort where it pays, season after season.
Awesome experience with setting up a new business website, patient, helpful, great explanations and communication, brilliant timeframe. Highly recommend!
Karamu Horse Adventures · Google review
What is a direct booking?
A direct booking is one a guest makes with you, on your own website or by contacting you, rather than through an online travel agency (OTA). You keep the booking and the guest relationship, and you don’t pay the OTA’s commission, though you do still pay payment fees and the cost of the marketing that wins the booking.
How much commission do OTAs take?
It varies by platform, product and contract, but around 20 to 30% of the booking value is common. Check your own agreements and statements for your actual rate. The calculator above shows how it adds up across a season.
What’s the first step to getting more direct bookings?
Know where your bookings come from today. Once you can see how many arrive direct, through OTAs and from repeat guests, and what each costs, you can pick the experiences and audiences worth shifting first. Most of the early wins come from being easier to find and easier to book, which starts with your website and your Google profile.
Will I lose OTA bookings if I focus on direct?
Not necessarily. Most operators keep their OTA listings for reach and grow the direct share alongside them. Some bookings may move, which is the point, but we track results by channel so you can see what’s happening and adjust. We don’t recommend switching OTAs off in a hurry.
How long does it take to shift bookings direct?
It depends on your starting point, destination and season. Google Ads can bring visitors to your site within days. SEO and a stronger Google profile usually take a few months to build, and AI visibility is a longer game again. We won’t promise numbers, and starting before your busy season gives the work time to land.
What does it cost to win a direct booking?
That’s the number that matters, and we track it. A tourism website starts from NZ$900 one-off, SEO from NZ$600/mo, Google Ads management from NZ$600/mo plus your ad budget, and GEO is an add-on from NZ$600/mo. Compare your cost per direct booking with the commission you’d otherwise pay. See full pricing →
Can I offer a better price when guests book direct?
Some operators do, and some OTA agreements have rules about pricing, so check yours before you change anything. We can’t advise on contracts, but we can help you give guests other reasons to book direct, like clearer information, flexible options and a smoother booking.
Do you work with tourism operators outside New Zealand?
Yes. We work with businesses across New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and price in NZD, AUD, USD, GBP and CAD. See digital marketing for tourism operators for the full picture.
Keep reading
Related tourism guides.
- What Viator Really Costs NZ Tour Operators (and How to Keep More of Each Booking)
- How to Get More Direct Bookings for Your Tour Business
- Choosing and Integrating Booking Software on Your Tourism Website
Let’s keep more of every booking.
Tell me about your experiences and where your bookings come from today, and I’ll show you the smartest way to book more of them direct.