When it comes to selling tours and rentals through online travel agencies (OTAs) and resellers, standing out in a crowded marketplace is critical. Operators who take a strategic approach—rather than just listing their products and hoping for the best—tend to see the highest returns.
In my book Mastering OTAs, I talk about how being on an OTA is just the start. You need to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward. Customers browsing resellers like Viator, GetYourGuide, and TripShock are comparing dozens of similar offerings, so you need to give them a reason to choose you.
Here are five ways you can set yourself apart from the competition and maximize your reseller success.
1. Keep Your Branding Consistent Across All Channels
If someone finds your tour on an OTA but isn’t ready to book, what do you think they might do next? Many potential customers will Google your company name to see if they can book direct, find more information, or even just confirm you’re a legitimate business.
That’s why it’s crucial that your tour titles, descriptions, and photos are consistent across all reseller channels. If your offerings look wildly different from platform to platform, potential customers may second-guess your credibility. Worse, they might not recognize your brand when they search for you later.
✅ Actionable Tips:
- Use the same high-quality images across all platforms.
- Keep your tour names identical (or as close as possible) to avoid confusion.
- If your direct booking site offers lower prices or added value, make that clear when people land there.
2. Get Serious About Your Photos—Hire a Photographer
One of the biggest mistakes operators make is skimping on photos. If you’re still relying on grainy iPhone pictures from 2017, you’re leaving money on the table.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: professional photography will be the best return on investment you’ll ever make in your marketing. When people are scrolling through an OTA, they aren’t reading every detail—they’re scanning photos. Great images stop the scroll and make people click.
Think about it: if you’re choosing between two similar jet ski rental listings, but one has stunning, high-resolution action shots with crystal-clear water and smiling customers, while the other has dull, outdated photos, which one are you clicking on?
✅ Actionable Tips:
- Hire a professional photographer with experience in action/water sports.
- Capture a mix of lifestyle shots (people enjoying the experience) and detail shots (equipment, features).
- Find the key moment for your product and make that your primary image.
- Refresh your images every 1-2 years to keep them current.
3. Highlight What Makes Your Business Unique
Let’s be real—if you’re offering jet ski rentals, dolphin tours, or pontoon boat rentals, you’re competing in a crowded category. That means you need to differentiate.
In Mastering OTAs, I emphasize that if your offering looks the same as everyone else’s, customers will default to price. But if you highlight unique value, you give people a reason to choose you even if you’re not the cheapest.
Do you offer free fuel when others don’t? Do your boats come with upgraded engines for a faster, more thrilling ride? Do you include premium water toys that add extra fun? These are the details that matter when people are deciding who to book with.
✅ Actionable Tips:
- Make a list of 3-5 things that make your experience better than your competitors’.
- Weave these details into your OTA descriptions, website, and marketing materials.
- Consider adding small but high-perceived-value perks to increase your appeal.
4. Be Smart About Pricing—Know Your Competition
Pricing is one of the biggest factors in OTA success. Customers compare, and if your price seems off—either too high without justification or suspiciously low—you’ll lose out.
That’s why you need to do a deep dive into your competition. What are similar operators in your area charging? Are they offering add-ons or discounts? Are you in a premium category, or do you need to be competitive to gain market share?
If you offer more value than competitors (newer boats, extra inclusions, a better location), you don’t always have to be the cheapest, but you do need to justify your pricing.
✅ Actionable Tips:
- Regularly audit competitor pricing on OTAs and direct websites.
- If your price is higher, make sure your listing clearly communicates why.
- Experiment with different price points to see what drives the best conversion.
5. Control Your OTA Inventory to Maximize Profits
OTAs are a fantastic way to fill seats, but you don’t want to become too dependent on them—especially if they start taking over more than half of your bookings.
As I discuss in Mastering OTAs, your goal should be to use OTAs to supplement your revenue, not to control it. If more than 20% of your bookings are coming from a single OTA, it may be time to adjust your inventory allotment. The more demand you generate for direct bookings, the less you have to pay out in commissions.
✅ Actionable Tips:
- If you start selling out frequently, consider reducing your OTA inventory for those dates.
- Make sure your direct booking website is optimized and easy to find.
- Use OTAs strategically during slow seasons, but try to shift more demand to direct bookings over time.
Final Thoughts
If you want to thrive on OTAs, you can’t just list your tours and hope for the best. Consistency, great visuals, clear differentiation, competitive pricing, and smart inventory management all play a role in how successful you’ll be.
Follow these five strategies, and you’ll not only stand out on resellers—you’ll create a stronger, more resilient business overall.
Need help managing your OTA strategy? WaveRez is designed to streamline your reservations and help you maximize your bookings. Schedule a demo today!
About the Author
Greg Fisher
