{"id":2875,"date":"2025-05-29T20:57:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T13:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/the-170-billion-tours-activities-market-why-digital-transformation-has-yet-to-take-off\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T20:57:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T13:57:39","slug":"the-170-billion-tours-activities-market-why-digital-transformation-has-yet-to-take-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/the-170-billion-tours-activities-market-why-digital-transformation-has-yet-to-take-off\/","title":{"rendered":"The $170 Billion Tours &amp; Activities Market: Why Digital Transformation Has Yet to Take Off"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"325\" data-end=\"746\"><em><strong>Despite being a $170 billion global sector\u2014surpassing even domestic aviation in some regions\u2014the Tours, Activities, and Attractions (TNA) market remains one of the least digitized segments of the travel industry. This article examines the behavioral, structural, and technological dynamics that have hindered digital transformation in TNA, and outlines the emerging opportunities that could unlock its full potential. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"753\" data-end=\"809\"><strong data-start=\"759\" data-end=\"809\">TNA: The Silent Goldmine of Modern Travel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"811\" data-end=\"1132\">Travel experiences\u2014from city tours and cooking classes to jungle trekking\u2014have shifted from being optional add-ons to the emotional core of modern travel. Travelers today seek uniqueness, emotional resonance, and &#8220;Instagrammable moments&#8221; that define their journeys. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1134\" data-end=\"1428\">According to Skift Research and Phocuswright, the global TNA market exceeds $170 billion, yet only 13% of bookings occur online in real-time. This digital gap persists despite rising smartphone adoption and increased comfort with online travel purchases. <\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Travel Experiences: How Viator, GetYourGuide, Peek, and Others Change Tours and Attractions Industry\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DKN-V2vgx04?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1435\" data-end=\"1501\"><strong data-start=\"1441\" data-end=\"1501\">The Quiet Decade: Why Viator Couldn\u2019t Disrupt the Market<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1503\" data-end=\"1689\">Founded in 2002, Viator was among the first platforms offering online tour and attraction bookings. For nearly a decade, it operated in relative isolation, as larger OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) like Booking.com, Expedia, and Travelocity focused on flights and hotels. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1691\" data-end=\"2027\">Traveler behavior remained unchanged: most bookings happened offline\u2014via hotel concierge desks, local vendors, or printed brochures. Viator grew, but it failed to reshape consumer habits in the way Booking.com revolutionized hotel reservations.  <\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2034\" data-end=\"2087\"><strong data-start=\"2040\" data-end=\"2087\">Three Core Barriers to Digital Transformation in TNA<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 data-start=\"2089\" data-end=\"2118\">a. Hyper-fragmentation of the supply side <\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2120\" data-end=\"2353\">Unlike hotels or airlines, the TNA ecosystem includes micro-suppliers: local guides, small DMCs, NGOs, museums, and government agencies. Standardizing services and aggregating supply onto digital platforms is inherently difficult. <\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2355\" data-end=\"2423\">b. Travel Planning Fatigue <\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2425\" data-end=\"2733\">By the time travelers secure flights and accommodation\u2014often after visiting 100+ websites\u2014they experience decision fatigue. Experiences become afterthoughts, frequently purchased on location, not during the planning phase.  <\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2735\" data-end=\"2774\">c. Unpredictable Consumer Behavior <\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2776\" data-end=\"3020\">A staggering 85% of leisure travelers decide what to do after arrival. At that point, they rarely use laptops or platforms like Viator, further limiting digital penetration into real-world decision-making.  <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2776\" data-end=\"3020\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1737\" src=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-Copy.jpg\" alt=\"The Operational Bottleneck: Tour Operator Capacity and Risk\" width=\"800\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-Copy.jpg 800w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-Copy-300x144.jpg 300w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-Copy-768x369.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"3027\" data-end=\"3081\"><strong data-start=\"3033\" data-end=\"3081\">The Mobile Revolution and Startup Surge<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3083\" data-end=\"3181\">Real disruption began post-2011, driven by smartphone proliferation:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"3183\" data-end=\"3383\">\n<li data-start=\"3183\" data-end=\"3223\">\n<p data-start=\"3185\" data-end=\"3223\"><strong data-start=\"3185\" data-end=\"3195\">Viator<\/strong> launched its first mobile app in 2011.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3224\" data-end=\"3276\">\n<p data-start=\"3226\" data-end=\"3276\"><strong data-start=\"3226\" data-end=\"3242\">GetYourGuide <\/strong>(Berlin, 2008) released theirs in 2013.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3277\" data-end=\"3327\">\n<p data-start=\"3279\" data-end=\"3327\"><strong data-start=\"3279\" data-end=\"3287\">Peek<\/strong> (US-based) entered in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3328\" data-end=\"3383\">\n<p data-start=\"3330\" data-end=\"3383\"><strong data-start=\"3330\" data-end=\"3339\">Klook <\/strong>(Hong Kong, 2014) quickly dominated Asia.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3385\" data-end=\"3627\">These startups understood that <strong data-start=\"3414\" data-end=\"3443\">tour bookings<\/strong> needed to be as easy as booking a ride. They developed real-time booking systems, multilingual UIs, integrated payment gateways, and instant confirmations\u2014features Viator initially lacked. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3629\" data-end=\"3895\">By 2016, regional dominance emerged: Klook in Asia, GetYourGuide in Europe, Peek in North America. Yet, despite their success, TNA remained a peripheral niche\u2014overlooked in the broader tourism strategy landscape. <\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"3902\" data-end=\"3965\"><strong data-start=\"3908\" data-end=\"3965\">The Corporate Response: M&amp;A as a Shortcut to Digitization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3967\" data-end=\"4043\">TNA\u2019s rise forced legacy players to respond:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"4045\" data-end=\"4405\">\n<li data-start=\"4045\" data-end=\"4132\">\n<p data-start=\"4047\" data-end=\"4132\"><strong data-start=\"4047\" data-end=\"4055\">2014<\/strong>: TripAdvisor acquired Viator, integrating tours into its review ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4133\" data-end=\"4176\">\n<p data-start=\"4135\" data-end=\"4176\"><strong data-start=\"4135\" data-end=\"4143\">2016<\/strong>: Booking.com launched its Experiences vertical.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4177\" data-end=\"4258\">\n<p data-start=\"4179\" data-end=\"4258\"><strong data-start=\"4179\" data-end=\"4187\">2016<\/strong>: Airbnb unveiled Airbnb Experiences, emphasizing local immersion.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4259\" data-end=\"4334\">\n<p data-start=\"4261\" data-end=\"4334\"><strong data-start=\"4261\" data-end=\"4269\">2018<\/strong>: Booking bought <strong data-start=\"4283\" data-end=\"4297\">FareHarbor <\/strong>to support tour operators with B2B tools.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"4335\" data-end=\"4405\">\n<p data-start=\"4337\" data-end=\"4405\"><strong data-start=\"4337\" data-end=\"4345\">2018<\/strong>: TripAdvisor acquired <strong data-start=\"4363\" data-end=\"4372\">Bokun<\/strong>, FareHarbor\u2019s direct competitor.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"4407\" data-end=\"4552\">These moves drove professionalization across the value chain\u2014from UX design and payment integration to real-time inventory management and consumer behavior analytics.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4407\" data-end=\"4552\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1739\" src=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-3-Copy-1024x627.jpg\" alt=\"The Operational Bottleneck: Tour Operator Capacity and Risk\" width=\"1020\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-3-Copy-1024x627.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-3-Copy-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-3-Copy-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-3-Copy.jpg 1145w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"4559\" data-end=\"4629\"><strong data-start=\"4565\" data-end=\"4629\">The Operational Bottleneck: Tour Operator Capacity and Risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4631\" data-end=\"4904\">Unlike hotels (which can sell a room regardless of occupancy), most tours <strong data-start=\"4718\" data-end=\"4735\">require<\/strong> a minimum group size to operate. Selling last-minute tours online becomes risky without intelligent support systems. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4906\" data-end=\"5036\">The missing link is the<strong data-start=\"4922\" data-end=\"4947\"> tour management system<\/strong>\u2014a TNA equivalent to the hotel <strong data-start=\"4968\" data-end=\"4987\">channel manager<\/strong>. These tools help operators: <\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"5038\" data-end=\"5188\">\n<li data-start=\"5038\" data-end=\"5074\">\n<p data-start=\"5040\" data-end=\"5074\">Track inventory, schedules, and pricing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5075\" data-end=\"5146\">\n<p data-start=\"5077\" data-end=\"5146\">Distribute products across multiple OTAs (Klook, GYG, Viator, etc.)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5147\" data-end=\"5188\">\n<p data-start=\"5149\" data-end=\"5188\">Automate confirmations, cancellations, and refunds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"5190\" data-end=\"5307\">Without such software, many small operators still rely on email or phone bookings, slowing down digital adoption across the entire supply chain.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"5314\" data-end=\"5377\"><strong data-start=\"5320\" data-end=\"5377\">The State of TNA Today: Technically Ready, Behaviorally Inert<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"5379\" data-end=\"5500\">Despite available infrastructure\u2014mobile apps, API integrations, global payments\u2014key frictions persist:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"5502\" data-end=\"5722\">\n<li data-start=\"5502\" data-end=\"5571\">\n<p data-start=\"5504\" data-end=\"5571\">Many providers still use Excel spreadsheets and printed brochures<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5572\" data-end=\"5645\">\n<p data-start=\"5574\" data-end=\"5645\">Travelers often book at hotel desks or local kiosks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5646\" data-end=\"5722\">\n<p data-start=\"5648\" data-end=\"5722\">Digital booking remains common only among tech-savvy users<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"5724\" data-end=\"5848\">Major OTAs coexist rather than compete aggressively in this space Thus, the market remains under-digitized, lacking a true inflection point or disruptive force.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5724\" data-end=\"5848\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1738\" src=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-2-Copy-1024x794.jpg\" alt=\"The Operational Bottleneck: Tour Operator Capacity and Risk\" width=\"1020\" height=\"791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-2-Copy-1024x794.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-2-Copy-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-2-Copy-768x596.jpg 768w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Thi-Truong-Trai-Nghiem-Du-Lich-170-Ty-USD-Tai-Sao-Van-Chua-Duoc-So-Hoa-Dung-Nghia-2-Copy.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"5855\" data-end=\"5913\"><strong data-start=\"5861\" data-end=\"5913\">Unlocking the Future: A Need for an Open Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"5915\" data-end=\"6003\">What the TNA market needs is not another app\u2014but a comprehensive, <strong data-start=\"5981\" data-end=\"6002\">interoperable ecosystem:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"6005\" data-end=\"6262\">\n<li data-start=\"6005\" data-end=\"6062\">\n<p data-start=\"6007\" data-end=\"6062\">Scalable tools for small operators<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6063\" data-end=\"6128\">\n<p data-start=\"6065\" data-end=\"6128\">AI-powered, context-aware personalization of experience suggestions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6129\" data-end=\"6197\">\n<p data-start=\"6131\" data-end=\"6197\">Smart tour-building engines that reduce planning fatigue<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6198\" data-end=\"6262\">\n<p data-start=\"6200\" data-end=\"6262\">Standardized content formats (tour descriptions, imagery, certifications)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"6264\" data-end=\"6396\">There is still no Booking.com equivalent for tours\u2014a seamless, trusted, and highly automated experience platfor<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6398\" data-end=\"6549\">Airbnb\u2019s \u201cAdventures\u201d initiative, offering multi-day curated experiences, hints at a possible disruption. If successful, Airbnb could break the inertia that has stalled the market for two decades.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"6556\" data-end=\"6623\"><strong data-start=\"6562\" data-end=\"6623\">The $170 Billion Market Still Awaits Its \u201ciPhone Moment\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"6625\" data-end=\"6749\">Two decades in, the TNA market has not yet experienced the kind of tipping point that the iPhone brought to smartphones.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6751\" data-end=\"6907\">The root cause is not technological\u2014it is human behavior, on both the supply and demand sides. To unlock this market, stakeholders must: <\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"6909\" data-end=\"7057\">\n<li data-start=\"6909\" data-end=\"6952\">\n<p data-start=\"6911\" data-end=\"6952\">Understand real-world booking behavior and its contextual triggers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6953\" data-end=\"6995\">\n<p data-start=\"6955\" data-end=\"6995\">Design frictionless tools, as intuitive as hailing a ride<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"6996\" data-end=\"7057\">\n<p data-start=\"6998\" data-end=\"7057\">Collaborate instead of consolidate, given the market\u2019s inherent fragmentation<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"7059\" data-end=\"7236\">Only when tour booking becomes transparent, intuitive, and valuable for both travelers and operators can this sector realize its full potential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite being a $170 billion global sector\u2014surpassing even domestic aviation in some regions\u2014the Tours, Activities, and Attractions (TNA) market remains one of the least digitized segments of the travel industry. This article examines the behavioral, structural, and technological dynamics that have hindered digital transformation in TNA, and outlines the emerging opportunities that could unlock its&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2433,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346,402],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-tourism-technologies-en","category-tourism-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}