Here's a step-by-step guide to building a travel experiences marketplace that rivals Viator or Airbnb. Use Shipturtle's multivendor solutions to manage listings and more!
Your Guide to Launching an Online Travel Marketplace Platform
Manav Gupta
Author
Sharad Kabra
Editor
Manav Gupta
Author
Sharad Kabra
Editor
Read on:
TL;DR (too long; didn't read)
For travel entrepreneurs, tour operators, and experience curators looking to launch an online travel experiences marketplace.
- Travelers seek personalized, local, and authentic experiences—making marketplaces the perfect model for discovery and booking.
- Marketplace models to consider:
- Experience-only platforms (like GetYourGuide, Airbnb Experiences)
- Experience + Product hybrids (offering travel kits, gear with tours)
- Subscription or commission models (for listing or revenue sharing)
- Must-have features: location filters, real-time booking, multilingual support, mobile optimization, vendor onboarding, reviews & ratings.
- Why Shipturtle? Build a no-code travel experiences marketplace on Shopify with Shipturtle—offering vendor management, custom booking logic, payment handling, and 5000+ integrations to scale globally.
Imagine creating a marketplace that connects tourists with everything they need—flights, accommodations, experiences, and transportation—all in one place. An online travel marketplace makes this vision a reality, bridging the gap between service providers and travelers while unlocking significant revenue potential.
Global platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia have transformed how people plan their trips, serving over 500 million users annually. Regional players like GetYourGuide are also making their mark in this space.
The journey starts with understanding who might want to create such a platform and why:
- Travel Agencies: Looking to expand their operations by offering customers a unified booking experience for accommodations, tours, and transport.
- Tech Companies: Leveraging their expertise to create scalable platforms that cater to the growing demand for digital travel solutions.
- Local Entrepreneurs and Tourism Boards: Wanting to showcase regional attractions, cultural experiences, and unique stays to global audiences.
This blog will explore why building a market for travel and experiences is a lucrative idea, what types of marketplaces are best suited for this industry, and how to build a successful platform. It will also discuss the key features, monetization strategies, marketing techniques, and the future trends shaping this dynamic sector.
Why Should You Build an Online Travel Marketplace Platform
The growing demand for unique travel experiences has paved the way for building online marketplaces. The global travel and tourism market is currently at $600 billion and only expected to grow.
Travelers are no longer satisfied with generic vacation packages; they crave authentic, personalized journeys. This increasing demand for customized user experiences presents an excellent opportunity for businesses in the travel industry to create value for customers.
Market leaders have set a precedent for niche markets tailored to specific segments of travel and experiences, such as adventure travel, wellness retreats, or cultural immersions. Here are some emerging marketplace ideas to implement:
- Heritage Travel: Focuses on exploring historical landmarks, cultural heritage, and traditions.
- Adventure Travel: Involves activities that are physically challenging and adrenaline-pumping.
- Eco-Tourism: Emphasizes conservation and responsible travel to natural areas.
- Culinary Trips: Centers around exploring a region’s local food and drink.
- Religious Travel: Focuses on visiting spiritual or religious sites.
- Wildlife Trips: Involves observing animals in their natural habitats.
- Sports Travel: Traveling to participate in or watch sporting events.
- Business Tourism: Involves travel for business-related purposes like conferences or meetings.
- Health and Wellness Tourism: Focuses on improving health through spa treatments, meditation, or fitness retreats.
- Agri-Tourism: Focuses on rural farm stays and activities related to agriculture.
- Luxury Travel: Involves high-end experiences in exclusive locations with premium services.
- Sustainable Trips: Focuses on minimizing the negative impact on the environment while promoting conservation.
Now is the right time to launch a travel marketplace that serves the growing needs of experience-driven travelers.
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Types of Marketplaces and Their Key Features
Here's a breakdown of types of marketplaces in the travel experience niche, along with their key features:
I. Service bookings marketplace
Example: Viator
- Such marketplaces connect travelers with local service providers for various travel-related services like guided tours, adventure activities, cultural experiences, and personalized services.
- Key features:
- Instant Booking & Scheduling: Allow travelers to view availability and book services directly.
- Reviews & Ratings: User-generated reviews help validate the quality and authenticity of services.
- Multi-language & Currency Support: Essential for catering to international travelers.
- Mobile-Friendly Interface: Most travelers book experiences on the go, so a mobile-optimized platform is key.
- Secure Payment System: Provides secure options for online payments, often supporting various payment methods.
- Service Categorization & Filters: Allows users to easily browse by category, location, activity type, and duration.
- Cancellation & Refund Policies: Clearly outlined policies for cancellations and refunds, critical for service-based bookings.
- Real-Time Customer Support: Provides support via chat, email, or phone to address last-minute traveler questions or concerns.
- User-Generated Content: Photo galleries, reviews, and testimonials from previous travelers to enhance reliability.
II. P2P rental marketplace
Example: RVShare
- A peer-to-peer (P2P) rental marketplace connects individual property owners (or vehicle owners, equipment lenders) with travelers seeking temporary rentals.
- Key features:
- Listing Management for Hosts: A dashboard for property or vehicle owners to list, manage, and update their rental offerings.
- Advanced Search & Filtering: Enables travelers to filter by location, price, amenities, property type, and reviews.
- Calendar & Availability Management: Allows hosts to control booking availability and block dates for accurate scheduling.
- Trust and Verification Tools: Identity verification, background checks, and safety protocols for both hosts and guests to build trust.
- Flexible Payment Options & Security Deposits: Secure payments, often with options for installment plans or pay-at-checkout. Security deposits are sometimes held for higher-value rentals.
- Damage Protection & Insurance: Options for renters and hosts to insure against damages, commonly provided as an add-on or partner service.
- Two-Way Reviews: Ratings for both hosts and travelers to establish transparency and reliability.
- Community Guidelines & Policies: Clear policies around cancellations, damages, and guest conduct.
III. Local guides & freelancers marketplace
Example: Flytographer
- A marketplace that connects travelers with local freelancers like photographers, translators, personal guides, or even local chefs.
- Key features:
- Freelancer Profiles & Portfolios: Showcase each professional's experience, certifications, and skills.
- Booking & Availability Calendar: Freelancers can manage their schedules and accept bookings directly through the platform.
- One-to-One Messaging: Direct communication channel between travelers and freelancers to discuss services and expectations.
- Verification & Background Checks: Ensures trustworthiness and reliability for one-on-one experiences.
- Personalization Options: Allows travelers to request specific types of experiences or service customizations.
- Rating & Review System: Feedback from previous customers to maintain service quality.
Recommended marketplace business model
i. Commission-Based: Vendors pay a percentage of each sale to the platform. This model aligns with the marketplace’s success as revenue grows with the number of reservations. It is commonly used by Airbnb and Booking.com.
ii. Subscription Model: Vendors or buyers pay a recurring fee to access the market. This model provides steady revenue and works well for businesses offering ongoing services or access to premium features.
Recommended marketplace business model
iii. Listing Fees: Vendors pay to list their services on the platform. This encourages vendors to curate their listings carefully. The platform may have only a few participants if the fees are too high.
iv. Featured Product Placements: Vendors can pay for enhanced visibility through sponsored listings or ads. This model is suitable for established vendors looking to boost their presence.
"... I needed a solution to convert my vendors' currency into mine, a feature no other marketplace solution offered... I required automatic synchronization of my vendors' inventory (and product prices) with mine... Shipturtle developed an efficient solution for this …“
Tuomo Juvonen
Sasskistore, Poland
Strategies to Overcome Challenges in Building a Marketplace
Building a market has its own challenges, especially in the travel and experiences sector. However, these hurdles can be overcome with the right strategies that help in the travel marketplace platform development.
I. Vendor acquisition and onboarding
- Challenges: Attracting quality vendors, simplifying the onboarding process, and encouraging vendor retention are common hurdles.
- Shipturtle Solutions:
- Incentive Programs: Shipturtle’s platform can support flexible commission structures and referral programs to attract vendors by incentivizing initial sales and vendor referrals.
- Streamlined Onboarding: Shipturtle simplifies onboarding by providing easy-to-use vendor dashboards, pre-built integrations, and automation tools that guide vendors step-by-step. It can also support vendors with mobile app for on-the-go management.
- Onboard offline vendors: Shipturtle's configurable dashboard enables you to connect with offline vendors via cloud dashboard.
- Automated Training & Support: By providing onboarding tutorials, automated checklists, and continuous support, Shipturtle helps vendors start with confidence, reducing early churn.
II. Building customer trust
- Challenges: Trust is paramount in travel, where customers need reassurance about safety, quality, and service reliability.
- Shipturtle Solutions:
- Robust Review and Rating System: Shipturtle’s built-in review system allows customers to rate their experiences, which builds transparency and trust. This feedback mechanism holds vendors accountable and helps customers make informed decisions.
- Clear Refund & Cancellation Policies: Shipturtle’s platform allows for transparent, customizable refund and cancellation policies, helping marketplaces establish fair and clear practices that increase customer confidence.
- Customer Support Integration: Shipturtle’s integration capabilities mean marketplaces can easily connect customer service tools, providing travelers with fast support and dispute resolution.
III. Scaling the marketplace
- Challenges: As the marketplace grows, maintaining quality control, handling large volumes of transactions, and managing vendor operations become complex.
- Shipturtle Solutions:
- Vendor Management Automation: Shipturtle automates many repetitive tasks, such as order and payment processing, inventory updates, and performance tracking, reducing the burden on marketplace admins.
- Scalable Infrastructure: Shipturtle supports seamless scalability, handling growth in vendor numbers and transaction volumes without slowing performance. This allows you to manage hundreds or thousands of vendors as your marketplace expands.
- Quality Control Tools: Shipturtle enables performance tracking through dashboards, KPIs, and reporting features, allowing marketplaces to monitor vendor activity, maintain quality standards, and identify top-performing vendors to incentivize further.
IV. Enhanced user experience and personalization
- Challenges: Providing a personalized and convenient experience for users helps increase retention and customer satisfaction.
- Shipturtle Solutions:
- Flexible Search & Filtering: Shipturtle’s customizable platform allows you to create intuitive search and filtering options for users, helping them find tailored experiences based on preferences like location, price, and rating.
- Personalized Recommendations: Shipturtle can integrate with recommendation engines that suggest relevant vendors or experiences based on user behavior, making the platform more engaging.
V. Data-driven insights for growth
- Challenges: Identifying growth opportunities and making data-informed decisions are critical for sustained success.
- Shipturtle Solutions:
- Analytics and Reporting: Shipturtle provides detailed analytics on customer behavior, vendor performance, and booking trends. These insights allow marketplace owners to refine strategies, optimize offerings, and target marketing efforts.
- Vendor Insights: Shipturtle’s vendor-specific analytics help vendors understand their performance, see their best-selling offerings, and make improvements based on data, which in turn benefits the entire marketplace.
Trends and growth opportunities
- Adoption of New Technologies: AI, machine learning, and automation are making it easier for travelers to discover experiences tailored to their preferences. Chatbots, personalized recommendations, and dynamic pricing are examples of how technology enriches travelers experiences.
- Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices: Today, travelers are looking for sustainable travel options. Marketplaces focusing on eco-friendly experiences or supporting local communities can tap into this growing trend.
- Workcations: With the rise of digital nomads and remote work, there is a growing demand for international travel experiences. Markets that cater to these trends by offering unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences will thrive.
How to Launch a Travel and Experiences Marketplace
Careful planning and execution are necessary to build a successful marketplace for travel. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you get started:
i. Research & development: Begin with thorough market research to understand your audience, competitors, and customer needs. Identify gaps in the market and tailor your offerings accordingly.
ii. Choosing the right platform: Decide whether to build your market from scratch, use a CMS like WordPress, or utilize plugins like Shopify + Shipturtle. Consider factors like scalability, customization, and cost when choosing your platform.
iii. Vendor onboarding: Attracting the right tour and activity operators is crucial to your market’s success. Offer clear incentives and an easy onboarding process. Ensure that travel suppliers meet quality standards and provide a smooth experience for users.
iv. Designing UX: Focus on creating an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface. The design should reflect travelers unique needs and make it easy for users to search for and book experiences.
v. Testing and launch: Conduct extensive beta testing to gather feedback and identify potential issues. Once the platform is optimized, proceed with the official launch and continue to gather user feedback for improvements.
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Building travel experiences marketplace on your own
i. Custom coding and integrations are costly.
ii. Building and testing take significant time.
iii. Requires advanced backend systems for scalability.
iv. Needs experienced developers and designers.
v. Ensuring strong security measures and compliance.
vi. Continuous updates and bug fixes are necessary.
vii. Compatibility issues with payment, shipping, and CRM tools.
viiii. Balancing design with functionality for ease of use.
Building travel experiences marketplace with Shipturtle
i. Shopify store or any CMS platform
ii. Shipturtle app and its open APIs
That's how simple it is to create a multivendor marketplace or platform with Shipturtle!
Moreover, it is way more cost-effective with pre-built 400+ marketplace workflows and at the same time, flexible to customize based on your unique requirements!
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Go live on Shopify in less than 48 hours using our out-of-box multivendor functionalities. Our solution offers 400+ pre-built workflows, including vendor management, product listings, order processing, and payment management. The app is configurable, has no code & boasts 1000+ integrations!
Top 5 Travel and Tourism Marketplaces
I. Airbnb
Image: Airbnb Home
Airbnb is a peer-to-peer marketplace that allows hosts to rent their homes or offer unique experiences. It’s one of the most popular platforms in the global travel market.
Key Factors of Success:
- Unique Experiences: Airbnb offers curated local experiences along with lodging, allowing travelers to enjoy authentic, one-of-a-kind activities.
- Global Reach: With listings in over 220 countries and regions, Airbnb provides access to a wide variety of rooms and experiences.
- Trust System: Airbnb’s review system and user ratings on its travel website help build trust between hosts and guests, ensuring a high standard of quality.
- User-Friendly Interface: The platform’s intuitive design and easy-to-navigate mobile application enhance customer satisfaction, making reservations simple.
- Flexible Business Model: Airbnb adapts to different market needs, offering both budget-friendly accommodations and luxury stays, which broadens its customer base.
II. Viator
Image: Viator Home
Viator, owned by TripAdvisor, is a B2C travel platform specializing in tours, activities, and unique experiences. It connects travelers with tour operators and local guides.
Key Factors of Success:
- Diverse Offerings: Viator features a wide range of experiences, from city tours and outdoor adventures to niche travel activities catering to all types of travelers.
- Strong Partnership Network: The platform collaborates with local tour operators worldwide, giving customers a seamless user experience in over 2,500 destinations.
- Integration with TripAdvisor: Viator benefits from its association with TripAdvisor, leveraging customer reviews and ratings to boost reservations.
- Book Now, Pay Later: This payment flexibility appeals to travelers who want to secure their plans but pay later.
- Excellent Customer Support: Viator provides 24/7 customer service and offers easy cancellation options, enhancing customer trust and satisfaction.
III. Expedia
Image: Expedia Home
Expedia is a B2C platform that offers a wide array of travel services, from flights and hotels to car rentals and vacation experiences.
Key Factors of Success:
- All-in-One Platform: Expedia’s ability to bundle travel services—flights, hotels, and experiences—makes it a convenient option for travelers planning their trips.
- Global Presence: With listings in nearly every country, the platform has a massive reach. It allows online booking to help users book tours and activities from virtually anywhere in the world.
- Loyalty Programs: The Rewards program encourages users to book on the platform by offering discounts, points, and member-only benefits.
- Powerful Search Filters: The user-friendly platform offers extensive filtering options for users to find what they need, whether it’s a specific price range, activity type, or hotel category.
- Mobile Optimization: With a dedicated mobile app and exclusive app-only deals, it caters to travelers on the go, ensuring an easy experience.
IV. GetYourGuide
Image: GetYourGuide Home
GetYourGuide is a popular online travel company that connects travelers with tours, activities, and attractions worldwide. It meets travelers expectations and focuses heavily on providing exceptional experiences and services.
Key Factors of Success:
- Quality Control: GetYourGuide partners with top-rated local providers and ensures all listings meet a high standard, giving travelers confidence in their reservations.
- Easy-to-Use App: The app offers smooth booking, ticket access, and real-time updates, greatly enhancing the overall travel experience.
- Customer Reviews and Photos: Detailed customer reviews and user-uploaded photos give potential buyers a clearer picture of what to expect.
- Exclusive Access: GetYourGuide offers authentic experiences, including skip-the-line tickets to major attractions, differentiating it from competitors.
- Flexible Cancellations: The platform allows free cancellations up to 24 hours before the activity, giving travelers peace of mind.
V. Klook
Image: Klook Home
Klook is an online travel agency (OTA) and experiences platform primarily catering to Asian markets but with a growing global presence. It offers tours, transportation, and attraction tickets.
Key Factors of Success:
- Mobile Focus: Klook has developed a technology platform for travelers who prefer to book experiences on the go.
- Exclusive Deals: Klook frequently offers exclusive discounts and promotions on popular attractions, which attracts budget-conscious travelers.
- Diverse Range of Activities: Klook provides access to various experiences, from local tours and transportation services to amusement park tickets.
- Seamless Booking Process: The platform simplifies the reservation process by providing instant confirmation and e-vouchers, enhancing convenience for users.
- Localized Offerings: Klook focuses heavily on regional markets, particularly in Asia, allowing it to offer more culturally relevant and localized experiences for travelers.
These platforms stand out by offering innovative, easy-to-use features and creating trust among service providers and travelers worldwide. Their ability to adapt to market trends, provide diverse travel experiences, and maintain a focus on customer satisfaction has contributed to their continued success.
Start an Online Travel Marketplace in Less Than 48 Hours
It’s time to seize the opportunity, as the travel and experience tourism sector will continue to expand. With proper planning and marketing strategies, your marketplace can become a leader in this space. Whether you're an entrepreneur just starting or looking to grow an existing platform, building a successful travel marketplace is within your reach.
Take a demo to explore our use case to implement your business idea.
FAQs
1. What are the key components of a successful online travel marketplace platform?
A successful online travel marketplace platform integrates robust vendor management, a user-friendly interface, and secure payment gateways to ensure seamless transactions. It combines an extensive travel inventory, efficient booking systems, and responsive customer support to cater to both vendors and customers. Utilizing modern technology stacks along with strategic digital marketing and SEO practices is essential.
2. How can multi-vendor management enhance an e-commerce travel platform?
Multi-vendor management enables travel marketplaces to offer diverse travel experiences by partnering with multiple service providers, such as tour operators, hotels, and local guides. This model fosters healthy competition and encourages quality improvements, while providing customers with a wide range of options. A centralized system can efficiently manage vendor profiles, commissions, and inventory, ensuring smooth transactions and consistent service quality. Shipturtle can simplify these processes, making it easier for e-commerce store owners to handle complex vendor relationships and deliver a superior customer experience.
3. What current trends should be considered when launching an online travel marketplace?
Today’s digital landscape emphasizes mobile-first design, personalized customer experiences, and the integration of artificial intelligence for better user engagement. Social media marketing, user-generated content, and seamless payment integrations are also trending strategies that boost visibility and customer retention. Additionally, ensuring robust data security and compliance with international regulations has become increasingly important.
4. What best practices should be followed for scaling an online travel marketplace platform?
Scaling an online travel marketplace successfully involves a blend of technology upgrades, strategic partnerships, and effective marketing. Store owners should focus on enhancing site performance, optimizing SEO, and incorporating scalable cloud-based infrastructure to accommodate increasing traffic. Regular data analysis and feedback collection are also vital to understanding user behavior and refining service offerings. Furthermore, expanding the vendor base and investing in automation tools for inventory and order management can significantly streamline operations. Solutions like Shipturtle can play a crucial role in this process by providing scalable multi-vendor management capabilities that help manage growth efficiently.
Get advanced functionalities like C2C, rental booking & scheduling options, along with configurable vendor management, payment features, and more. Install Shipturtle today from the Shopify App Store and enjoy a free trial to experience its benefits firsthand.
