Distribution, explained: How travellers discover and book your experiences

Distribution refers to every channel that helps travellers discover, evaluate, and ultimately book your experiences — from your website and email list to OTAs, affiliates, local partners, and paid marketing.

A traveller might discover your experience through a Google search, see it again on social media, ask a hotel concierge about it, and ultimately book through an OTA. Each touchpoint can play a different role in the customer journey.

There’s no universal distribution mix. Your strategy should reflect your customers, inventory, region, booking patterns, and growth goals.

How is discovering an experience different from booking it?

Discovery and booking aren’t always happening in the same place. Consider these common customer journeys:

Google → Your website: A traveller searches for things to do in your destination, finds your website, and books directly.

Instagram → OTA: A traveller sees your experience in a social post, becomes interested, and later books it through an OTA.

Hotel concierge → Phone booking: A guest asks their hotel for a recommendation. The concierge sends them your way, and the customer calls to book.

Travel blog → Your website: A traveller reads about your destination, discovers your experience through a link, and books directly.

Don’t just ask, “Where did the booking come from?” Ask how customers found you in the first place.

Understanding your distribution channels

Instead of labelling channels as good or bad, consider what each one can do for your business.

Owned channels

Includes: Your website, email marketing, and returning customers
Best for: Building direct demand, strengthening customer relationships, and encouraging repeat bookings

Paid channels

Includes: Google Ads, Meta advertising, and other paid marketing channels
Best for: Increasing visibility, targeting specific audiences, and supporting short-term demand

Partner channels

Includes: Hotels, concierges, local businesses, travel advisers, and other operators
Best for: Generating local referrals, reaching destination-based demand, and connecting with relevant audiences through trusted relationships

Marketplace channels

Includes: Online travel agencies (OTAs) and other online marketplaces
Best for: Expanding reach, accessing new audiences, and supporting inventory that needs additional demand

Is there an ideal distribution mix?

No. There’s no magic percentage of direct, OTA, affiliate, and on-site bookings. Your distribution strategy should reflect your business.

Consider:

• Region: Customer behaviour and channel preferences vary by market
• Seasonality: A channel that helps during slower months may be less important when demand is high
• Capacity: Operators with limited inventory may have different priorities from businesses with more availability
• Booking window: Understanding when customers book can help you decide when and where to focus your distribution efforts
• Audience: Your ideal customers may be easier to reach through some channels than others
• Growth goals: Expanding into a new market requires a different approach than maximising bookings from an established customer base

Your best distribution strategy is the one that fits your customers and your business, not someone else’s benchmark.

How to evaluate your distribution strategy

Start with these five questions.

1. Where do most customers first discover you?

Look beyond the final booking source. Consider search, social media, partners, word-of-mouth, OTAs, and other touchpoints that introduce travellers to your business.

2. Which channels consistently bring you new customers?

A channel that introduces new customers can play a different role from one that primarily captures demand you already have.

3. Which experiences regularly have empty seats or spots?

Your distribution strategy should account for your available inventory. Additional reach can be more valuable when you have the capacity to fill it.

4. Which inventory already sells well without additional promotion?

You may not need to distribute your most in-demand departures as widely as those that need help selling.

5. What business goal are you trying to achieve?

Are you looking for more volume, higher margins, access to new markets, or greater efficiency?

Once you know the answer, you can choose the channels that best support that goal.

Build a distribution strategy that works for your business

As your business changes, your distribution strategy should evolve with it. New markets, seasonal shifts, changing capacity, and new growth goals can all influence which channels deserve your attention.

FareHarbor helps you manage bookings and availability across distribution channels in one place, so you have more time to build incredible tours and activities.

Ready to take a closer look at your distribution strategy? Book a demo with FareHarbor to see how you can manage your bookings and distribution in one place.