An “OTA booking system” is a system that allows you to manage bookings from all online travel agencies (OTAs) — such as Viator, GetYourGuide, Expedia, etc. — in a centralised location.
Instead of managing calendars and availability on each channel separately, you have one consolidated calendar where you can see and manage everything. This prevents blunders like accidentally double-booking customers.
Many OTAs recommend connecting with online booking software to manage reservations and make booking easier for travellers. Some, like Viator, will even promote you higher in listings for taking this extra step.
There’s an array of OTA booking systems for different travel services — some designed for hotel groups or property management services, others for travel agents, airlines, car rental groups, and tour operators and activity providers.
Before you can start comparing options, you have to narrow down the options for your niche.
We put together this guide to review 6 of the best OTA booking systems for tour operators so you can compare options and find what’s best for your business.
We’ll start with our solution, Bókun. As a Tripadvisor brand and Viator Top Connectivity Partner, we’ve been working with tour and activity operators (for 10+ years) as they begin selling online and grow their distribution network. We’ve designed our solution with the tools to keep your booking calendar and back-office operations organised as you grow.
To further explore Bókun, keep reading or start a free 14-day trial.
6 Best OTA Booking Systems
1. Bókun
Scalable OTA booking system to support tour operators at all growth stages
Bókun’s booking system is tailored to tour operators with features to:
- Create a booking website and enable direct bookings.
- Connect with (unlimited) OTAs and manage a centralised calendar.
- Establish partnerships with other businesses in the travel industry to cross-promote each others’ services.
- Update tour availability across all sales channels in real-time.
- Automate back-office tasks like sending booking confirmations and tickets.
Collectively, our tools allow you to keep your operations organised, increase bookings, and offer a better experience for travellers. They can book with you online 24/7, confirm tours instantly, modify or cancel reservations, and check in with convenient mobile tickets.
What sets us apart from other OTA booking systems is our Viator partnership — Viator is one of the most popular OTAs, with over 30 million monthly website visitors worldwide.
Plus, Viator listings are often featured at the top of Google when travellers search for tours and activities, pushing their users’ online reach even further.
Our site seamlessly connects with Viator, so you can manage bookings in our system and even push Viator products over to Bókun so you can sell them on your booking website — you can import products with just a few clicks, so setup takes virtually no time.
We waive Bókun booking fees on Viator reservations, so you can minimise costs while using this channel to grow your business.
In addition, we’re a Premium Connectivity Partner with GetYourGuide, which means our platform offers the highest API performance (less than 1% error rate) among the booking software that integrates with GetYourGuide. It also earns you better visibility on GetYourGuide’s platform.
Our booking fees are the lowest amongst competitors (1.5%), so you can keep costs low regardless of the channel you sell on.
In the sections below, we’ll review our core features so you can see how Bókun supports business growth and simplifies operations. But again, you can always start a free trial to explore Bókun at your convenience.
Selling Online & OTA Connections
If you don’t already have a website, or you have a website but no booking engine, we’ve got you covered:
- You can create a booking website from our gallery of templates — simply plug in the fields with logos, images, and background about your business, and your site can be up and running in an afternoon. The booking engine is automatically included, and we’ll cover domain charges to secure your preferred website name.
- Alternatively, you can embed our booking engine widget on existing sites with just a few clicks.
You can connect Bókun with unlimited OTAs — and we don’t charge fees to add channels.
As mentioned above, our site connects with Viator, but it also connects with:
- GetYourGuide
- Expedia
- Civitatis
- Tiqets
- Klook
- Trip.com
- Headout
- TourRadar
- Google Things to do
- And more
After you connect platforms, bookings across all websites populate in your Bókun calendar, and you can manage availability across all sites from Bókun. It’s easy and effortless.
We charge the lowest booking fees — 1.5% — for direct bookings and bookings from OTAs and partners. More on partners below.
Channel Manager
We also offer Bókun’s Channel Manager, a module designed for teams that already have a reservation system and want to use Bókun to connect with OTAs and manage bookings.
Acting as a middleman, our system integrates with your existing software and OTAs and communicates with all systems to centralise bookings, check availability, and update OTAs.
This way, you can see all bookings — from your website, OTAs, and other online or offline channels — in your existing system’s calendar and continue to use your current calendar to manage availability across all sites.
Bókun Marketplace
In addition to OTAs, the Bókun Marketplace is home to thousands of businesses in the travel and tourism sector. When you start a PRO subscription, you’re automatically added to the Marketplace.
Within our Marketplace, you can establish partnerships with other tour and activity operators, hotels and resorts, rental providers, travel agents, DMOs, and other travel companies. You can also manage all communications and contracts in our system so they’re easily accessible for you and your partners.
There are a few ways you can leverage our Marketplace:
- If you want to increase bookings, reseller partnerships are invaluable; these partners promote your tours and experiences to their customers to help earn you new business.
- If you’re booked out and looking to increase revenue, you can act as a reseller for commission by promoting others’ tours, rentals, and travel services.
We suggest doing a mix of both to increase bookings and revenue together.
You can also create tour or travel packages with partners to offer travellers unique and convenient experiences.
You can combine forces with other tour operators for all-day excursions. For example, if you offer a bike tour and an operator nearby offers a food tour, you could incorporate the two and keep travellers busy all day.
You could also partner with a nearby hotel or car rental service to cover other parts of your customers’ travel.
You can get creative with packages in many ways — you can even design them for groups, like bachelor or bachelorette trips, or offer limited-time holiday packages when people are often travelling.
Here are a few more guides with tips on creating packages and leveraging partnerships:
Managing Experiences, Pricing & Availability
Our system makes it easy to build engaging tour listings, set pricing, and manage availability.
The Experiences tab is your hub for setting all of this up, and our product builder will walk you through the steps so there’s no confusion. You can even save templates after creating tour listings to easily create similar listings in the future.
Here’s a peek at our product builder:
The screenshot above shows all the fields you’re prompted to complete when designing your tour listing.
You want to add detailed itineraries, catchy photos and videos from past experiences, and any essential information travellers need for the day of. You can offer add-ons for customers to purchase extras for the experience. Our site also connects with Tripadvisor to feed customer reviews between platforms.
Pro tip: We suggest adding at least six images with each listing; this helps showcase experiences to travellers and can help you earn Viator’s Badge of Excellence.
Then, you can choose how travellers book with you — whether they select a specific day and departure time, reserve a day, or buy a visitor’s pass — and manage availability.
- Set start and close-out dates
- Choose the days of the week tours are offered
- Add departure times
- Specify minimum or maximum capacities
- Set booking cutoffs
You can set availability rules per product so these populate your calendar and reflect on OTAs automatically.
At this point, you’ll choose pricing. Again, there are various routes to take here.
You can create tiered pricing categories, charge one flat rate, add separate rates for private tours, give a discount for children or seniors, and enable bulk discounts. We also have a dynamic pricing tool that adjusts rates automatically under certain conditions — during certain days or seasons or when the booking cutoff is approaching, for example.
Bókun’s Suite of Back-Office Tools
Let’s cover some of our features to keep your operations and staff running smoothly.
Booking Calendar
First, we have the centralised booking calendar we’ve discussed throughout. This calendar consolidates bookings across all channels for you. It also simplifies availability management, as availability updates across all channels when new reservations come in or you make changes to your calendar.
Integrations
Then, we offer integrations with online payment providers and POS systems so customers can pay at the time of booking (online or in person), and you can track revenue in our system.
Our system conveniently connects with Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Braintree, Worldpay, Raypd, and more. We even partner with Klarna to offer customers different payment options.
Our Klarna integration is especially beneficial for tour and activity providers with expensive experiences, as it can widen your customer base and make your tours accessible to travellers who wouldn’t normally be able to book with you.
In addition, Bókun has a feature to create payment links for customers who don’t book on an OTA or your website (e.g., walk-ins, phone, or email) to pay for tour reservations online.
Our system generates and sends a link, where the customer can enter their payment details and finish checkout securely. They don’t have to share payment details with the operator team (in person, over the phone, or by email) to complete bookings.
Note: Operators can also choose to offer deposit options through payment links.
Native CRM
Bókun includes a CRM system that automatically stores traveller information (names, email addresses, phone numbers) when they contact you or book a tour. The CRM can also track customers’ booking history so you can spot repeat customers and the tours they prefer.
This lends itself to our…
Automated Communications Tool
Our system can send customer emails automatically, so you don’t have to send booking confirmations or tour tickets yourself. You can even use this system to send newsletters, retargeting emails, upsells, discounts, and more.
We provide a template library for you to customise and schedule, and then Bókun takes care of the rest.
Customer Portals
Travellers can modify or cancel tours directly from the booking confirmation email without going back and forth with your team. Our system sends notifications and updates your calendar in real-time to show changes and cancellations; it also sends automatic email confirmations to travellers after they make changes.
Mobile Apps
Our system comes with mobile apps (for iOS or Android) so tour guides can access the booking calendar on the go. They can stay up-to-date with booking changes and see the details of reservations (like who’s scheduled to arrive) to manage check-ins.
On that note, our apps also include a ticket scanning functionality to streamline customer check-in.
Bókun App Store
We also offer an array of apps to customise Bókun and supplement our core features. Many of these apps are free, but we include a few paid add-ons, such as:
- Channel Manager API (discussed above)
- Digital waivers
- Custom reporting
- Subvendor management
- Travel agent solutions
You can explore the Bókun app store here.
Reporting
Bókun includes a native reporting suite to measure bookings and revenue.
Our reports let you see big-picture metrics (like the total number of bookings in a certain period) and details of reservations (like who is booking and how many tickets customers book at once), so you can:
- Better understand who your customers are
- See which experiences are most popular (and which aren’t booked as often)
- Prepare for busy and slow seasons
- Measure bookings by sales channel or partner
- See where revenue comes from and double down on more of what’s working for you
Pricing & Getting Started
As we’ve mentioned throughout, we offer a free 14-day trial for all customers to explore our platform and determine whether it fits their processes and goals.
Our PRO subscription is available for $49/month, includes all core features, and lets you connect with unlimited OTAs and establish unlimited partnerships. You don’t have to upgrade between packages to access certain features or worry about extra fees as you grow.
Then, Bókun booking fees are straightforward:
- We waive Bókun fees on Viator reservations.
- Offline bookings are free.
- Website bookings, bookings from partners, and OTA bookings are subject to a 1.5% fee — you can choose to cover this fee or pass it onto the customer (we’ll consolidate fees with the total price so it doesn’t appear as an added cost).
We’ve worked with teams big and small across the globe. Our team can even offer consulting as you start to increase bookings and need guidance on taking steps forward or choosing new sales channels.
Start a free 14-day trial of Bókun today and explore our OTA booking system for your business.
2. Travelotopos
Travelotopos is a popular OTA booking system because it has a preferred connectivity partnership with GetYourGuide. This brand was born and raised in the UK and has been historically popular among European-based tour operators.
This OTA booking system is a fine option for teams at all growth stages — it’s easy to use and scalable. The only note is they don’t offer a website builder, only booking widgets, so teams at very early stages may need something more entry-level.
Overall, Travelotopos booking fees are moderate — charging 3% for bookings from OTAs.
Features
- Connections with OTAs & channel management
- Preferred partnership with GetYourGuide
- Online booking engine
- Booking calendar (with offline reservation management)
- B2B reseller marketplace
- Resource management
- Integrations with: major payment gateways, hotel reservation systems, and other business applications like ERPs
- Options to offer coupon codes, promotions & vouchers
- Reporting
- Mobile apps
Pricing
Travelotopos charges a one-time set-up fee of $270. Then, they charge booking fees on each reservation: 3% for online reservations and 1.5% on agent and reseller bookings.
3. Bookingkit
Bookingkit is another favoured software option for tour operators in the UK, but this option is typically reserved for larger tour companies (due to both the features and pricing).
As far as OTA-specific benefits go, bookingkit doesn’t offer any dedicated partnerships, but the platform connects with dozens of travel sites and offers convenient, user-friendly channel management.
Users praise the platform’s ease of use and intuitive feature set — but warn that customer service can be hard to get a hold of and less than helpful if you have questions or run into challenges.
Bookingkit charges moderate booking fees, at 3% per booking. This isn’t as steep as competitors like FareHarbor or Peek Pro — whose fees can be as high as 6% — but bookingkit ends up being a pricey platform because they also charge monthly subscription fees plus transaction and ticket fees with every booking.
Features
- Channel management & OTA connections
- Online booking widget
- Centralised booking calendar
- B2B reseller platform
- Product management
- Availability management
- Resource management
- Integrations with payment processors (e.g., Google Pay and Apple Pay)
- Email campaign manager
- Options to sell gift cards & vouchers
- Ticket scanning for fast check-in
- Mobile apps
Pricing
Bookingkit offers three packages, but you have to opt for the Businesskit to access channel management.Their plans include:
- Starterkit — their intro plan — supports one user seat and includes essentials to sell online; however, you can’t manage OTA bookings with this plan. Bookingkit only offers this plan as an annual subscription at €49/month, plus a 3% booking fee, a 3% transaction fee, and a 60¢ ticket fee per reservation.
- Businesskit — their most popular plan for tour operators — grants access to OTA connections and channel management. Bookingkit charges €99/month for this package when paid annually and €119/month when paid monthly. You also pay 3% booking fees, 2% transaction fees, and a 60¢ ticket fee per reservation in this plan.
- Prokit — their tailor-made plan — fees are only available upon request, so you’ll need to reach out to their team.
4. Xola
Xola offers modern, advanced tour operator software with extra tools to help drive new bookings and grow your customer base. It’s unique from other solutions in that it offers an “optimised booking engine” that supports travellers through the entire checkout flow to increase booking conversions from your website.
Tour operators also like Xola’s eCommerce features and Xola Bot — an automated tool that can help win new reservations and revenue by retargeting customers, promoting upsells, or adjusting tour rates.
Like bookingkit, Xola doesn’t have partnerships with any one site and offers standard channel management to centralise bookings and update availability. But they can be an appealing option for tour operators selling on OTAs because they don’t charge typical booking fees. (Instead, they charge a small “partner fee” for each booking.)
Features
- Channel management & connections with OTAs
- Distribution network
- Website building service
- Online booking widgets (for existing sites)
- Inventory management
- Availability management
- Staff management
- Phone booking system to manage offline reservations
- Native POS
- CRM
- Marketing tools to promote your tours & retarget customers
- Digital waiver solution
- Customisable tickets (and ticket scanning tools for convenient check-in)
- Reporting
- Mobile apps
Pricing
Xola’s partner fee is 1.9% + 30¢ per booking (but this fee can vary outside the United States).
5. Checkfront
Checkfront’s OTA booking system includes more than 100 features to sell tours online, expand your online reach, and efficiently manage reservations, staff, and customer experiences. It connects with unlimited OTAs and supports unlimited bookings.
The platform is easy to set up and get started with, and tour operators enjoy Checkfront’s straightforward pricing structure. As with Travelotopos and bookingkit, Checkfront charges moderate booking fees at 3%. (They don’t charge subscription or transaction fees.)
Checkfront (along with Regiondo) recently merged with Rezdy, a larger booking software brand, to broaden its network and work with tour operators in dozens of countries. It now offers a standard package for smaller and growing teams — so all users have access to Checkfront’s 100+ features — and custom plans for enterprises.
While this merger brings many benefits, it also comes with drawbacks: it’s worth mentioning that users have noted various changes to the platform and functionality since. We should also note that Checkfront only integrates with Stripe’s online payment solution and is, therefore, only available in the countries that support Stripe.
Features
- Channel management & OTA connections
- Online booking widget
- Centralised booking calendar
- Availability management
- Online payment tools (Checkfront integrates with Stripe, connects with your POS, and lets you send custom invoices or offer a “Buy Now Pay Later” option)
- Digital waiver solution
- Integrations and developer API
- Reporting and ROI tracking
- Mobile apps
Pricing
Checkfront offers one plan — Growth — and custom enterprise packages. All customers can access Checkfront’s full (100+) feature set.
They don’t charge subscription fees for the Growth plan, but instead, 3% booking fees on every reservation. You can pass these to travellers or cover them on your end.
Checkfront offers custom pricing for enterprise packages.
Read more: Best Checkfront alternatives + comparison guide
6. TripWorks
The last option on our list, TripWorks, is a more common software solution for larger tour companies that already have some experience selling online and are interested in digital marketing strategies to earn new customers. They also appeal to global brands with multi-location features.
In addition to OTA connections, channel management, and other essential features to manage staff and operations, TripWorks includes a suite of online marketing tools to create pay-per-click advertising campaigns, send newsletters, and monitor social media performance. You can also integrate with your marketing software to push data between systems and see where you earn leads.
TripWorks offers a standard package — all users have access to all features — and custom enterprise plans. Its booking fees are on par with other competitors listed above: you pay a 2.9% + 30¢ fee when travellers book and pay online.
The platform is user-friendly and easy to learn, and the TripWorks team offers a free consulting call before starting to answer your questions and show you how their system works.
Features
- Channel management & OTA connections
- Online booking widget
- Reservation management
- Reseller network
- Product management
- Availability management
- Marketing tools to build & manage online advertising campaigns
- Integrations with marketing software & other business applications
- Dynamic pricing
- Native POS
- Integrations with Apple Pay & Google Pay
- Options to sell gift cards & vouchers
- Digital waivers
- Reporting
Pricing
As mentioned above, TripWorks offers a free trial, one standard package, and custom enterprise plans; however, they don’t disclose their subscription fees online — only the booking fees we mentioned above — so you have to request a demo to learn more.
Now, here’s why we say pricing mostly appeals to larger teams: TripWorks requires you to process at least $5k in credit card transactions each month (or $30k in six months), or they charge a $49/month “inactivity fee” for not meeting the minimum.
Note: During your research for OTA booking systems, you may find solutions like Travelopro, SiteMinder, and OTA Sync that cater to other types of travel businesses (to manage flight bookings, hotel bookings, etc.). Sometimes these larger software providers will have solutions for tour operators, so you may want to check their overall offerings, but these solutions are typically expensive or overly complicated to use for tour operator software.
Start a free 14-day trial of Bókun to explore our platform and reap the benefits of our Viator partnership.
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