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The latest Arival Global Operator Landscape report dives into the state of booking technology, what operators are using and why.
The experiences sector, which includes tour, activity, and attraction operators, is facing a technology crossroads. Booking systems have evolved from a luxury to a necessity, acting as the operating system for growing businesses and setting the stage for increased efficiency, capacity management, customer engagement, and revenue optimization. Yet, even with improvements in technology, global adoption is far from universal. According to Arival’s research, nearly two in five operators, that’s 39%, still run their businesses without any kind of modern booking system. Most of these non-adopters are smaller or newer businesses, stuck in manual mode with spreadsheets, email threads, and basic calendars serving as their primary tools.
A fragmented, overwhelming tech landscape
One reason for slow adoption: the market is confusing and fragmented. Operators reported that there are more than 300 different systems on the market, which creates real decision paralysis. The result? Many business owners mistakenly think that OTA extranets, shared Google calendars, or even dedicated email inboxes are “good enough.” This confusion slows down digitization and stifles growth and revenue.
The OTA connection: Central in tech decisions
When operators finally leap into booking tech, OTA connectivity jumps straight to the top of their lists. OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) such as Viator, GetYourGuide, and Expedia, have become powerhouses for distribution in tours and attractions. Connectivity with these platforms isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it’s now mission-critical for operators looking to maximize sales, visibility, and distribution across multiple channels.
In fact, the report finds OTA connectivity ranked together with core booking functionality and ease of use as top priorities when operators evaluate systems. For large and enterprise operators, OTA connectivity is even more important, 42% of surveyed enterprise businesses name it as a leading factor, compared to 27% of small operators. This makes sense since bigger businesses are distributing across more channels and managing higher volumes, so the efficiency gains from seamless OTA integration are massive.
Regional trends: North America leads, the rest are catching up
North American operators are the most advanced in terms of tech adoption. By 2024, 81% of operators in the US and Canada were using some kind of third-party or custom booking system, up from just 68% in 2019. Contrast that with just 58% adoption in the Asia-Pacific region, and 53% in the Middle East and Africa. The global trend, however, is clear: more operators in every area are digitizing, learning new systems, and partnering with tech vendors. This infrastructure shift is about keeping up with customer expectations and survival and growth in an ecosystem increasingly dominated by digital distribution.
Small operators lag, but the gap is closing
More than half of small operators (58%) still run things manually, compared to just 21% of large businesses. Often, they’re not even sure what “booking tech” should really mean. Many small operators need targeted education and user-friendly options that are affordable and don’t demand massive change all at once. The bright spot is that the landscape is changing fast, and the growth in third-party system usage is strongest among small and medium businesses, signaling that the barriers are starting to fall.
Operators are “Sort of” Satisfied with Their Technology
Are operators happy with their booking systems? The answer is “meh”. Only about 40% describe themselves as satisfied or very satisfied. The rest are either ambivalent or dissatisfied altogether. For those falling short of expectations, changing their booking platform is now a top business priority. The main sources of frustration mirror the criteria for selection: outdated user interfaces, poor OTA connectivity, insufficient integrations, and mounting costs.
WhatoOperators want (and need)
When it comes to features, operators across the board value four things:
- Ease of Use - A system needs to work for staff on the ground, not just IT people in the back office.
- Booking Functionality - Core features, such as reservation management, calendar syncing, and resource allocation, remain table stakes.
- OTA Connectivity - As mentioned above, being able to manage OTA relationships from a single dashboard is vital, especially for medium and large firms.
- Cost - Smaller operators, in particular, watch every expense closely.
Other features, such as website integration, analytics, dynamic pricing, marketing tools, and resource management, are important but often take a back seat during the initial purchase stage. As businesses grow, their needs become more sophisticated, driving demand for more integrations and deeper analytics.
What this means for operators
Booking systems are foundational for anyone hoping to thrive in the experience economy. The OTA connection is the “power cable” that links you to global demand, and choosing the right system can vastly improve both direct and indirect sales.
But don’t get swept away by features. Start with an internal assessment, define exactly what your business needs, where you want to grow, and which OTAs actually drive bookings for your market. If you’re a small or new operator, look for systems you can grow into, with clear roadmaps for adding integrations and scaling up OTA connections as your business expands.
And don’t ignore ongoing satisfaction. The perfect system today could become a bottleneck in 18 months. Make it a habit to review your tech stack, and be open to switching when growth, new partnerships, or evolving OTA requirements make your needs outgrow your tools.
The road ahead: More than just another system
The future for booking systems isn’t just about “doing the basics.” Features like advanced marketing automation, AI content creation, smarter analytics, advanced refund protection, and especially dynamic pricing (think airline-style price optimization for tours) are just over the horizon. The best tech partners aren’t just selling software, they’re helping operators future-proof their businesses, adapting to the continually evolving OTA and direct landscapes.
And with OTAs themselves investing in richer integrations, faster payout systems, and better data sharing, operators who invest wisely in the right platforms stand to benefit the most.
Sources
https://arival.travel/article/state-of-booking-tech-2025/
