GetYourGuide, Europe's largest online tour booking platform, will shift its digital services tax burden directly to tour operators and activity providers instead of absorbing the cost itself. The Berlin-based company faces levies across multiple European countries including France, Austria, Spain, and Italy, where digital services taxes range from 2-5% on online platform revenues.
Rather than reduce profit margins, GetYourGuide plans to add surcharges to operator payouts. This means smaller tour companies, cooking class hosts, and adventure guides will see reduced commissions on bookings made through the platform. The move reflects a broader industry pattern where large digital platforms pass regulatory costs down the supply chain to those with less negotiating power.
Digital services taxes emerged across Europe as governments sought revenue from tech giants operating in their markets. France pioneered the approach in 2019, targeting advertising and online services. Other nations followed, creating a patchwork of regulations. GetYourGuide's revenue model depends on commission percentages from tour operators, typically ranging from 15-30% per booking.
Tour operators already operate on thin margins after pandemic recovery. Small independent guides and activity providers face particular pressure since they lack the scale to absorb commission cuts. Some may exit platforms entirely or reduce their European operations.
GetYourGuide's decision highlights a tension in digital taxation policy. Regulators intended to capture profits from platforms themselves, not redistribute costs to tourism's backbone of small businesses. The move raises questions about whether digital services taxes will ultimately harm European tourism's competitive position against competitors like Viator and Klook, which operate from different jurisdictions.
Industry bodies representing tour operators have begun pushing back against platform policies that shift tax obligations downward. The outcome could reshape how online travel platforms operate in Europe and influence which destinations benefit from tour bookings.