Football fever has infected the office and isn’t set to break until the end of the week—or maybe even longer. Why? This Saturday, GetYourGuide will face off against 11 other young startups at the first Startup Cup in Berlin, a new endeavor generously organized by Lieferheld.

This athletic event gives local startups a shot to prove their market value outside of the office—more specifically, on the artificial turf of the BoBo Fuego Fußballarena at Berlin-Weißensee. The following startups will be in competition with GetYourGuide: Absolventa, eDarling, Groupon, Hitfox, Lieferheld, Mister Spex, Möbel-Profi.de, SoundCloud, SponsorPay, tape.tv and Zalando. It won’t be an easy win, that’s for sure, but our team’s motivation is superhuman, and once our players slip into their specially designed football shirts (intentionally too short for air circulation! Seriously!) their sights will be set on winning!

At 10 a.m. all the teams will be introduced and game time is 10:30 a.m. Two groups have been created (A and B) and the best team of each group will have the chance to play in the finals. GetYourGuide was placed in group A, alongside Groupon, SponsorPay, SoundCloud, eDarling and Möbel Profi. The award ceremony is set for 3:30 pm followed by a networking event with beer for everyone, meaning fans and observers are invited to join this event, too. And for very enthusiastic (and very lucky) fans, our players might even throw their patented, top-notch shirts into the crowd. Be sure that you don’t miss the opportunity to take one home!

The New Year has just begun and we’ve already added another 1,000 tours to our product offering. After our last milestone of 8,000 tours in November 2011 we have more than 9,000 products available online now!

But this achievement is only a small step toward hitting a milestone number of tours and attractions and leaping over the five 5-digit mark. 10,000 offerings is almost within reach and our highly motivated product teams in Berlin and Las Vegas are working constantly to extend our portfolio. Clearly, now is not the time to rest: we are going to work even harder.

As 2012 kicks into gear, we have our sights on keeping our current position as the world’s largest online platform for tours and activities while extending our inventory of worldwide offerings even further. Our goal is to connect more and more local suppliers with travelers from all over the world to provide an extraordinary amount of exciting opportunities for vacations and free time. Let’s do this!

Especially around christmas, there is a growing desire to help the ones who suffer. We close ranks, we want to share warmness, and we want to support those people who need our help. Above all, children around the world desperately need this support.

Only 6 weeks ago, we announced that GetYourGuide provides 7.000 products. We thought: Wow, what a number!

But in this very glorious moment we are happy and proud to offer 8.000 products for travellers all around the world. This is simply unbelievable since we are now officially the biggest online platform for tours and attractions worldwide.

We would like to seize this special moment and send a very big THANK YOU to our wonderful suppliers. The success of GetYourGuide wouldn’t be possible without their amazing products. Moreover, our Product Team, which has a large share in achieving this milestone keeps the pace and they’ve already reached their full year target. Congratulations!

We are convinced that we can celebrate the attainment of our next goal very soon. We keep the dream alive….

Likemind started some years ago in New York. Today, it’s organzied all over the world on every third Friday of the month. At 9:00 in the morning, different Start-ups meet and enjoy a cup of coffee before going to their respective offices. It’s always nice to see how Likemind connects different people from different companies.

Your personal voucher code is:
GYGX-2011-1111 

Redeem now

A recent study conducted by Chris Anderson of Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research showed that hotels listed on an OTA (Online Travel Agent) website benefit from increased numbers of direct bookings. This is known as the Billboard Effect.  As Tnooz reports, about 62% of hotel bookers first viewed their chosen hotel’s profile on an OTA before booking directly through the hotel’s own website. 

Although this study was conducted for OTAs distributing hotels, it seems very reasonable that the same pattern is also applicable to tours and activities booked via a third party. Potential customers come to an OTA website to obtain information and compare products, and also (possibly) to make a booking. Thus OTAs perform the distinct, complimentary functions of acting both as portals of information and as platforms for booking.

Displaying the names of affiliated companies on an OTA website adds trust to the brand name, since customers know this supplier has third party approval. In addition, OTA websites offer more detailed information than most brand websites do, giving potential customers the chance to compare distributors and their products without needing to visit several websites.  The customer can then choose where to book the product from.

This is yet another advantage for GetYourGuide suppliers. Not only do you receive bookings through our website, you are also contacted directly by customers who have found you via GetYourGuide, and then, for instance, find you via Google or locally, and contact you directly to book.  Think of it as free advertisement.

To use the Analytics Tool, log on to the Supplier Administration area of GetYourGuide and then select “Analytics” from the menu on the left.

You can see how well individual products are performing by selecting a product name from the drop-down list. To filter by date, choose a start date and an end date.

You can also switch between different report types by clicking on the tabs below the graph:

Products Found displays how often a product has been viewed on a search results page. E.g. if your product appears on page 2 of a user‘s search results, your product will only count as “found” if the user then clicks through to the second page of his search results.

Products Viewed shows you how often an individual product page has been viewed.

Products Booked tells you how often a product has been booked.

You can also see how many views or bookings were made on a single day by hovering your cursor over the dots that represent the dates in the range displayed at the top of the graph.

What is conversion rate?

The conversion rate represents the number of sales of a product as a percentage of total product views. The calculation asks: of all the people who viewed my product, how many actually made a booking?

This is calculated as: total sales divided by total views multiplied by 100.

E.g. A tour with 456 views and 16 sales has a conversion rate of: 16 / 456 x 100 = 1.79 %

Conversion rates between 1.6  % and 2.2 % are considered to be very good.

Why does my product convert poorly?

There may be several reasons why a product converts poorly. You can use this helpful checklist to see if there are ways you could improve your conversion rates:

• Is your tour description easy to understand? Your description should use clear, readable language and also not be too long. Remember that many of our customers are browsing the website in their second language.
• Have you mentioned all of the reasons to book (RTBs)?  Make sure you highlight the key itinerary items or points of interest, as well as any other details which make your tour uniquely attractive.
• Have you answered all of the questions a potential customer may have? Put yourself in the customer’s position – try to anticipate the questions they want answered before they book. Make sure your description is rich in information, place names and keywords.
• Does your product have a good number of photographs? Customers like to see pictures and this is proven to boost conversion. Clear, high-resolution photographs are the best!

Try editing your product descriptions with these points in mind, and then track performance using the Analytics Tool. If you have any questions, your product manager at GetYourGuide will be happy to review your listings and suggest improvements.

You find more information about the available positions here.

Since we have had the best experience so far hiring people through our personal & professional networks, we have set-up a special reward system for you to recommend us friends that you believe would fulfill our requirements: If you recommend someone that we end up hiring, you get a 1000 USD bonus plus a 300 USD voucher for all of our tours & attractions!

This is how it works: Simply forward this article to your friends, post it on Facebook or Twitter and ask your friends to apply directly to jobs.zurich@getyourguide.com. In their written application your friends only need to mention that they were referred by you. We will notify every referrer, if we invited the referee for an interview.

Just two months after achieving our last milestone and the incredible number of 6000 products we proudly announce the completion of our next goal: Now, travellers from around the world can choose from a range of 7000 tours, activities and attractions on GetYourGuide.com. Hence, we keep pace on the road of success.

In the moment of writing this post, we offer 7200 products – live and online! With the support of our suppliers we are able to add new products daily, so that we are full of confidence to reach the next milestone of 8000 products very soon. For the purpose of offering suitable products for everyone we work hard to reach that goal, which then would make us the biggest online platform for tours and attactions globally.

We work hard, motivated and efficient to make this vision come true. But of course we won´t rest and set our sights on achieving new and even more ambitious objects.

GetYourGuide is pleased to announce their inclusion in the updated version of KAYAK’s travel app for flight, hotel and car searches, as well as flight status and trip management. The app allows users to search seamlessly for tours, activities and attractions available on GetYourGuide.com while planning their trip with KAYAK.

Here is an example of how great it is and how easy to use.

Step 1

On the App’s menu page there is a section labeled “Tours and Attractions.”

Step 2

When travelers click on this section they will move to a search page where they can easily type in the location of their travel destination . GetYourGuide has over 500 destinations and 6000 tours for the users to choose from, providing a lot of choice and variety for all types of travelers.

Step 3

When the destination is entered, a page will load with all the tours and activities available in the chosen destination. Big, clear pictures with tour titles provide the users with a simply way to scroll through the tours and choose. The inviting pictures also create a fun atmosphere that gets the users excited about travelling to their chosen destination and seeing the sights.

Step 4

When a tour is clicked, the app links to GetYourGuide’s mobile website where the users can see all information regarding the tour including: tour description, tour highlights, tour times, price, starting point and availability. From there, it is just one last click on the “book now” button to secure the desired tour.

iPhone users interested in adding this App, please visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-pro-flights-hotels-flight/id338227344?mt=8

Today GetYourGuide lauched a new Travel Photo Contest open for residents in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Throughout the duration of the competition, contestants will be able to upload up to ten photographs that are able to be voted on by viewers on the site. The photographers will display their photos on a profile page, showcasing their talents and interacting with other contestants and viewers. This will create a friendly sharing community where social media networks can be shared and connections made.

The votes collected on the website will be used to decide the winners of the two main categories; best photo and best photographer. The photo with the highest amount of votes will win the best photo category and a trip for two including flights, accommodation and tours to Miami. The 20 photographer collections with the highest amount of votes will move on to the jury stage for the best photographer category, along with five picks from the GetYourGuide staff. The winner will win a trip for two including flights, accommodation and tours to New York. Small weekly prizes will also be awarded every Monday.

We are looking forward to seeing all the entrees and please everyone sign up and be in to win great prizes.

It has only been 7 weeks since we celebrated reaching the 5000 tours & activities milestone. And here we are again announcing the completion of yet another all-time high. There are now as of this minute 6027 tours & activities on GetYourGuide!

This type of growth is unprecedented in the history of tours & activities. Rather than being a result of a 50-man sales team, we are proud to say that we are growing while staying lean and mean, very much in line with our core value of working economically and goal-driven.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our suppliers providing all these amazing experiences on GetYourGuide. For that we are very grateful.

Next stop: 7000 products.

Step 1: Sign-up as a Partner (Already a Partner? Go straight to Step 4!)

If you haven’t yet registered with the GetYourGuide Partner program, simply visit https://partner.getyourguide.com/en/ and click “Sign Up Now” under the yellow “Access Partner Backend” button on the right hand side of the screen.

You will then be asked for your contact information and details about your company.

We also require that you list your banking information, as we deposit your commissions directly into your account on the 5^th of every month.  Without this information, we will not be able to pay you.  All of your information is confidential, and you can trust that GetYourGuide will only use your information for the reasons stated.

Step 2: Designate your Integration Type as Travel Agent

Another very important field within the sign up form is Integration Type field. It is imperative that the box that says “Offline Travel Agent Solution” is checked.

Without this box checked, we won’t be able to give you access to travel agent solution. If you are interested in additional affiliate solutions, you can of course check the respective boxes in addition to the checking Offline Travel Agent Solution.

Once you have entered your contact information, company information, banking information, and designated “Offline Travel Agent Solution” as your integration solution, go ahead and hit submit!

Step 3: Access Your Account

Once the registration process is complete, it will take between 3 and 5 days for GetYourGuide to verify your account and approve your partnership with us.  Once your account is approved, you will receive an email containing a link to activate your account.  Follow the link to activate immediately!

Step 4: Activate Partner Tracking

Once you log in to activate your account, there will be a tab on the top right titled “Solutions.”

On the solutions page, you will see a big yellow button that says “Activate Partner Tracking.”

Once you click that button, you will be redirected to the www.getyourguide.com site and you will see a banner that indicates that the transaction is being tracked.  All bookings you make here will be tracked and linked to your account. We are then able to transfer your commissions quickly and easily on the 5^th of each month.

It is important that every time you want to make a booking, you first sign into the partner site with your GYG Log-In and Password to make sure your booking is tracked!

Step 5: Begin Booking and Making Commissions Immediately!

You now have access to a world of tours, attractions, and activities. We currently offer more than 6000 products in more than 500 destinations all over the world. This partnership gives you the tools you need to book all your clients through GetYourGuide. You can view your bookings and commissions earnings data in the Analytics section of the site.

More sales and brand awareness through the “GetYourGuide – Official Supplier Badge”

Official suppliers and partners of GetYourGuide not only benefit from our extensive marketing support, but also have the opportunity to use our wide range of marketing instruments. One of the most effective tools in this range is the “GetYourGuide – Official Supplier Badge”. Integrate your personal badge today and…

Benefit from the popularity of GetYourGuide

Increase your sales

Improve your customer retention

Improve your brand awareness

The Badge is easy to integrate into your website or e-mail signature and can be specifically designed for your business. You can download the Badge in two versions:

Option 1:                                            Option 2:

The number one reason that most travel agents make initial contact with us is because GetYourGuide has a tour (or tours) that they cannot find anywhere else, or due to the fact that GetYourGuide has the tour for a better price than our competitors. The next obvious question they ask is “Does GetYourGuide offer a commission to travel agents?” and they are very pleased to learn that the answer to that question is without a doubt “YES”!

The offer to become a partner with GetYourGuide gets even sweeter when travel agents come to understand that GetYourGuide does not charge any surcharge for processing credit cards. Many of our travel agent partners admit that credit card processing fees can definitely take a bite out of their income. GetYourGuide also does not charge any fees for signing up as a partner with us, no monthly membership fees, no hidden costs, no tricks, no gimmicks, and no surprise fees. It may sound almost too good to be true, but the truth is, GetYourGuide believes very strongly in an honest value system that allows everyone to get paid for their efforts. At GetYourGuide, it is our values as a company that truly sets us apart from our competition.

In addition to absorbing the processing fees for credit cards, GetYourGuide offers an additional incentive for our partners to book multiple tours within each month with us. GetYourGuide pays commission to travel agents on an increasing scale based on the total dollar amount of bookings for an entire month. This offers a great motivation to book all of their tours through the GetYourGuide site. Not to mention that GetYourGuide continues to add new products and suppliers daily, so they are certain to find everything they need to suit their clients’ needs in just one place.

Due to the ever increasing amount of interest from travel agents to partner with us, GetYourGuide recently updated our site so that travel agents no longer have to track their sales and then send us an invoice each month in order to get paid. With our new system, they will book tours through their partner log in and everything will be tracked automatically. Payments will then be wire transferred directly to each partner’s bank account respectively each month on a regular basis. How much simpler can it get?

GetYourGuide also offers only the best in customer service so that each partner knows that both their client’s and their own interactions with us will always lead to a pleasant experience.

In this day of automated, impersonal service, GetYourGuide truly realizes the opportunity to stand out with real people who will address any concerns in a timely manner. It goes without saying that amazing customer service and a personal touch is a rare and appreciated trait in today’s world.

The prize which is endowed by 100.000 SFr. of the W.A. de Vigier Foundation was awarded the first time in 1989 and is the highest endowed and renowned prize for young entrepreneurs in Switzerland. William A. de Vigier wants to help young entrepreneurs with what was missing at the time of his own company foundation and what misses often to good ideas: the necessary seed capital. Therefore, the target of the W.A. de Vigier Foundation is active business development through financial support of young people with creative business plans as for example GetYourGuide.

The awarded prize does not only include 100.000 SFr., the startup-founders also benefit from the long-term accompaniment of the foundation council. Its president is the entrepreneur Moritz Suter who is also the administration president of Hello Airlines and as well involved in tourism business.

GetYourGuide Inc. is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and was founded in June 2009. The head office of GetYourGuide is located in Zurich and other offices are situated in Berlin and Las Vegas.

GetYourGuide is the leading platform for booking tours, attractions, excursions & activities for your next vacation or trip. At GetYourGuide you can find everything from adventure tours, sightseeing tours, shopping tours, wine tastings and desert safaris.

Furthermore, GetYourGuide is only working together with experienced local travel companies who can let you experience things that you could never experience on your own.

The secret of success of GetYourGuide is that the portal offers users a widespread choice and at the same time an attractive service to suppliers. In the beginning of 2010, the founders started the online portal and today more than thousands of travelers from all over the world book tours on this platform.

This increase happened for a good reason. The target of GetYourGuide is to become the world leader in the amount of products until the end of 2011. The foundation stones for this step are laid and GetYourGuide is on a good way to reach this target.

The other awardees are Malcisbo, Skybotix, ViSSee and Abionic. Moreover, the initiate of the Technopark in Zurich, Thomas von Waldkirch, was awarded with the prize «Startup supporter of the year 2011».

A drinks reception, held at The Orangery at Kensington Palace, saw us mingling with a range of guests and enjoying the beautiful surroundings (and delicious finger food!). A keynote speech by a BBC representative addressed the emerging importance of the role of cities in the world – by 2080, some 75% of the world’s population will live in cities! Some of us took the tour of Kensington Palace and learned about the role this plays in the history of the British Monarchy, and we met with a range of people attending the event.

The actual fair itself saw two conference rooms set up with approximately 150 tables, where tourism boards, hoteliers, tour operators and other people from the tourism industry were able to meet with and establish relationships, discuss potential ways to work together and build networks face to face. A lunch was provided, and during this time there was a panel of experts who discussed some of the challenges and opportunities of the tourism industry today. Following the lunch, a further full session of discussion and contracting took place, before a late night flight home to Berlin.

We really care about establishing face to face relationships – the internet serves to connect people, and it’s important to remember that the people it connects are real, with interests, passions and backgrounds that are diverse – just the same as meeting people in a real life, brick and mortar setting. We look at events like CityFair as a great opportunity to meet with people from around the world, and develop relationships that aren’t held together by pixels and bandwidth!

You now have the option to show ‘Opening Hours’ instead of ‘Starting Times’. Opening hours are suitable for a supplier who has an attraction or tour that commences at any time of the day, i.e. a City Card, Hop-on-Hop-off tour, museum or most other attractions. You still have flexibility to choose specific times and dates for the days that are open – seasonal opening hours are common, and the GetYourGuide engine is capable of variations in opening hours across all dates.

The technical team here at GetYourGuide are constantly improving our site based upon the feedback we receive from suppliers and customers – we implement changes regularly, and if you encounter a specific aspect of the site that you believe could be improved feel free to contact your Product Manager about this! We want to deliver the best possible site and hearing about usability problems is a good way to ensure we are constantly improving.

Note: Please don’t use this new feature for private tours with flexible starting times as we currently are working on a solution for private tours with custom starting times. Thank you for your patience.

Five thousand, fünftausend, cinco mil, cinq mille, 五千…

In anyone’s language, five thousand is a significant number, and this week, we passed a fantastic milestone – 5,000 tours; live, online, and promoted to millions.

GetYourGuide is growing rapidly, with supplier signups and tours being added from 6 continents daily (we’re still working on Antarctica!).

Since our last post announcing the partnership with Lastminute.de, we have opened our Las Vegas office (howdy!), focused on acquisitions from all around the world and some of us have even been working on our German language learning! As a result, we are seeing sensational growth in all of the key statistics for our and your businesses – site visits, tour views and most importantly, booking rates – and the best part is that these figures are being replicated consistently from week to week.

What does this mean for suppliers partnered with GetYourGuide? As our profile in the global travel community increases, and we see more visits and more bookings more often, it has never been a better time to work with us, and we’re encouraging all our suppliers to consider what additional products they can list. If you have only some of your inventory online, why not load more products? Contact your Product Manager to discuss how we can promote your business better, and get ready for the European high season! If you’re in an area heading into a slower season (like Australia for example), this is a great time to plan ahead and look for ways to increase your guests from the North American and European regions.