Yes — but not by quitting OTAs cold turkey. The smart play is to use Viator and GetYourGuide as a discovery engine while building a direct booking channel that captures guests before they book through the platform. I’ve done this with my own tour business and I help other operators do the same. It takes time but the margin difference is significant.

Absolutely not. OTAs are brilliant for reaching international visitors and filling seats in the shoulder season — that reach takes years to build on your own. The goal isn’t to abandon them, it’s to stop letting them be your only source of bookings. I help you use them strategically while growing your direct channel at the same time.

Honestly — it depends. Technical fixes like cleaning up your site structure and Rank Math settings can show results within weeks. Organic ranking for competitive keywords typically takes 3–6 months of consistent work. I focus on high-intent local keywords that bring in travellers who are ready to book, not just browsing. That’s a smarter use of your SEO budget than chasing broad terms you’ll never rank for.

This is the most common problem I see. A website that looks good but doesn’t convert is just an expensive digital brochure. Usually the issue is one of three things — the booking process has too much friction, the site is slow or hard to use on mobile, or there aren’t enough trust signals to make a first-time visitor comfortable enough to hand over their credit card. I find exactly where people are dropping off and fix it.

Local SEO is what gets your business into the Google Map Pack — those three listings that appear at the top of the results when someone searches “tours near me” or “private charter Sydney.” For tourism experience businesses, that Map Pack is gold. Your Google Business Profile is the key to getting there, and most operators haven’t optimised it properly. I do that as part of my tourism SEO service.

A contact form is killing your bookings. Travellers expect to book instantly — if they have to send an email and wait for a reply, they’ll book with someone else before you’ve even seen the message. A proper booking system like Rezdy or FareHarbor handles payments, availability, confirmations and waivers automatically. I integrate these platforms into your website so the whole process runs without you having to lift a finger.

Yes. The number one digital leak for most tour operators is surrendering 20% to 30% of their revenue to OTAs like Viator because their own website’s checkout is too clunky. I build highly optimized, mobile-first booking flows using platforms like Rezdy so that when a customer lands on your site, they book directly with you. By combining targeted Google Ads with a seamless checkout experience, we turn your website into your most profitable sales channel, keeping the full margin in your pocket.

Absolutely — in fact solo and boutique operators are exactly who I built Drumroll for. You can’t compete with the big operators on budget, so you have to be smarter about how you use digital. A well-optimised website, a strong Google presence and a clean Viator listing can level the playing field significantly. I work with operators running everything from a single vehicle to small fleets — the digital principles are the same.

Very little — that’s the whole point. I’ve spent nearly two decades in this industry and I know your time is your most limited resource. Once we agree on a plan I handle the technical side in the background. You don’t need to be in endless meetings or learn a bunch of new software. You keep your hands on the wheel and I handle the digital engine.

Because I don’t just know the digital side — I know your industry. I’ve spent nearly two decades running coach and private tours across NSW and QLD. I know what it’s like to manage logistics, deal with a booking system that goes down on a long weekend, and watch 30% of a hard-earned booking disappear into Viator’s pocket. I build digital strategies rooted in the operational reality of running a tourism business — not in a marketing textbook. And you deal directly with me, not an account manager who’s never seen a tour bus.