Aug 17, 2026
How to Get More Direct Bookings: A 2026 Guide
OTA commissions eat 20–30% of every booking. This guide shows operators how to plug checkout leaks, offer deposits, and shift high-intent travelers to an owned channel.
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The Samba blog
Notes from the road.
Playbooks, teardowns, and field notes for tour and activity operators — on winning more direct bookings and running trips with less admin.
Aug 16, 2026
GetYourGuide Commission: The Complete Guide for Tour Operators
GetYourGuide's 20–30% commission takes $900–$1,350 from a $4,500 trip before your fulfillment costs begin. Here's how to model the real economics by product and market.
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Aug 15, 2026
How to Get on Google Business Listings
Your Google Business Profile is the discovery layer between a traveler's search and your checkout. Here's how to set it up, get verified, and make it send bookings to you—not a marketplace.
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Aug 14, 2026
OTA Integration: Sync Tours Inventory and Bookings
OTA bookings now outpace direct sales for many operators. This guide covers how inventory and reservations flow between your booking system and marketplaces—and how to avoid oversells.
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Aug 13, 2026
Google Things to Do Ads: The Operator Setup Guide
Google Things To Do ads run on feed data, not keywords. Here's how to wire your inventory, landing pages, and booking flow so the campaign actually converts.
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Aug 12, 2026
How to List on Google Things to Do: A Tour Operator Playbook
A practical playbook for tour operators on how to get listed on Google Things to Do — covering eligibility, feed setup, booking paths, and what your checkout needs to handle.
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