A new website is promising to be the world’s first non-biased tour comparison tool, removing hidden commissions and going totally transparent.
Tour Amigo calls itself the “Tinder of the tour industry”, pairing travellers with their perfect tour match, and has its sights set on being a global first.
“The travel industry is hugely competitive, and while there are sites out there to compare flights, experiences and hotels, there wasn’t one to compare tours around the world, which represented a huge gap in the market,” founder Murray Decker said.
Tour Amigo provides advanced filtering of over 7500 unique tours spanning more than 150 countries, but is not just a comparison site alone.
It also features reviews, interactive search maps, destination guides, travel resources and travel stories and advice collected from professional tour guides.
More than 40 tour operators, including Contiki, Intrepid and TopDeck, have signed up to Tour Amigo, making them all easily accessible at the click of a button.
“The Tour Amigo technology has been specially built to allow the user to enter their needs and wants which filters the results,” Decker told Travel Weekly.
“They can then select their top 5 tours (3 on mobile device) which go into their digital backpack and is presented as a comparison table featuring the most important characteristics.”
Decker launched Tour Amigo in May this year, taking his years of experience as a tour guide and entrepreneur to help disrupt the travel industry.
“While on tour, I kept hearing how difficult it was to find an online resource that could help travellers make well-informed, timely decisions on the best tours available,” Decker added.
But the interesting trend here is in the way technology is enabling consumers to book trips on their own, rather than use the expertise of a travel agent.
“Tour Amigo allows travellers the option of finding a tour based on the reputation of the tour operator and suitability of the tour versus taking the advice of an agent who may be working on commission,” Decker said.
But it’s not all about competing with agents, Decker told Travel Weekly, adding that it can also aid agents in seeking out the ideal options for their clients.
“There are plenty of great agents out there who have the same objective as we do. Tour Amigo is a fantastic, free tool for agents to utilise in order to best meet their customers needs,” Decker said.
“It will also help travellers to be better educated prior to contacting an agency or tour operator, saving time for all parties and explaining the difference between 40 different tour operators.”
Tour Operators are currently required to pay to be part of the site, with Decker saying that “remaining unbiased is essential” as it ensures the consumer has all the information required to make informed travel choices.
“We are the Tinder of the tours industry – we hook up travellers with their perfect tour, without the pressure of a sales pitch.”
