Viator offers operators chance to stand out with global Accelerate roll out

Viator offers operators chance to stand out with global Accelerate roll out

Tripadvisor experiences platform claims uplift in bookings will be at least 15% on average

Tripadvisor-owned experiences brand Viator is promising a 15% increase in bookings on average for operators who join its new Accelerate programme.

Viator Accelerate has been found in pilot trials to boost growth by more than 200% as it supports partners to make data-driven decisions to increase visibility on the platform.

This week Viator announced the worldwide launch of Accelerate which it says “allows eligible operators to reach a larger audience through highly-contextual, highly-targeted advertising placements”.

In exchange for taking advantage of the programme, operators must offer increased commission above the minimum rate by as little as 1%.

Ben Drew, president of Viator, said: “Our industry has seen extraordinary growth since the mid-2010s.

“Where travellers once had two or three options for a cooking class, or three or four for a sunset cruise, they now have ten, twenty, or maybe even thirty choices.

“Viator Accelerate exists to help operators stand out from the crowd – on their terms, under their control and where it matters.  It was built with operator feedback at its foundation.”

Phil Coulter, commercial director of London-based Premium Tours, an early adopter of Accelerate, said:

“We have seen a terrific uptick in sales since joining the Viator Accelerate programme. In addition the data that we now have access to will be invaluable in monitoring our competitiveness. I am very encouraged with this new development.”

Viator the 15% uplift in bookings could increase over time as its algorithms hone search sort order.

The firm said: “It enables data-based decision making. Our Visibility Score tool helps an operator determine the value of Viator Accelerate; it measures a product’s current visibility relative to its competition on Viator, and how participation can impact this.

“The programme’s ongoing impact is trackable through the Viator Accelerate Insights dashboard, which shares key metrics including visibility, bookings and page views versus the competition.”