How to List Your STQRY Tour on Viator and Tripadvisor

Viator is one of the world's largest online travel marketplaces, with over 400,000 bookable experiences connecting millions of travelers with tours, activities, and things to do. Viator is a Tripadvisor company, so listing your tour on Viator also makes it available on Tripadvisor and their wider distribution network of affiliate partners.

STQRY can handle the entire Viator listing process for you — from writing and optimizing your listing copy, selecting and uploading photos, connecting your booking system, to submitting the listing for Viator review. 
To get started, simply contact your Customer Success Manager or email support@stqry.com.

If you'd like to manage the listing yourself or want to understand how the process works, the rest of this guide will provide more information.

STQRY - Managed Pricing Info:

There is a one-time $29 listing fee per product submitted for review. For customers on STQRY's Basic plan, we charge the $29 listing fee at cost. For Standard and Pro plans, this fee is included.

Customer-Managed Setup Details:

To Create a Viator Supplier Account, go to supplier.viator.com and sign up for a free supplier account. You'll need to provide your business name, contact details, and a valid email address. A Viator representative will reach out within 48 hours to confirm your account and discuss next steps.

During setup, Viator will also prompt you to link your Tripadvisor business profile. If you don't have one, the setup process will guide you through creating it. This allows travelers to read about your business, view and book tours, and leave reviews on Tripadvisor.

Viator requires identity and account verification before you can submit your first experience. This may include verifying your business details, providing accreditation IDs, or supplying proof of authority to offer the tour. Viator may also use a third-party provider to verify your identity. This process typically takes 24–48 hours after signup.

Product Title

Your title is the first thing travelers see in search results. Keep it under 62 characters, keyword-rich, and specific about what the experience is and where it takes place.

Example: NY Crime Self Guided City Tour of the Most Infamous Scandals

Description

 Include what makes your tour unique, what travelers will see and hear, the pace and style of the tour, and who it's best suited for. Be specific about landmarks and locations — this helps with both search visibility and setting traveler expectations.

Photos

Photos are one of the biggest factors in whether travelers click on your listing. Viator recommends uploading at least 6 high-quality photos (20+ for an "Excellent" quality rating). All photos should be:

• High resolution (minimum 2048px on the longest side)
• Taken with a camera or modern smartphone
• Horizontal (landscape) orientation preferred
• Candid and natural — showing the real experience
• Free of logos, watermarks, or text overlays

Your first photo becomes the cover image that appears in search results, so choose your most visually striking shot.

Pricing

Tour price should be at least $5 USD — Viator does not allow free listings. Viator charges a commission on completed bookings, typically between 20–30% depending on the location. 

Inclusions and Exclusions

Clearly state what's included and excluded. For a self-guided audio tour, standard inclusions are:

• Self-guided audio walking tour
• Offline-capable audio content
• Lifetime access to tour content
• GPS-enabled interactive map

Standard exclusions: meals, public transportation, smartphone and headphones.

Meeting Point

There should be a clear starting point with a full street address and directions. Include landmarks or transit stops to help travelers find the location easily.

Duration and Availability

The total tour duration and your availability calendar can be added. For self-guided tours, availability is typically open daily since there's no guide or group to coordinate.

Ticket Information and Special Instructions

Provide any specific ticket information and include special instructions on how to access the app content. This is highly recommended, as these instructions are automatically included in the booking confirmation email that Viator sends to every traveler.

Special instructions should include:

• How to download the app
• How to redeem the access code or find the tour in the app
• Any setup steps to complete before arriving at the starting point

You can also send a manual confirmation message to each customer as bookings come in. 

For a fully automated workflow, the most common practice is to connect Viator with your booking system and set up a webhook that triggers on each new booking, automatically sending access codes to travelers without any manual work on your end (see more details below).

Booking and Reservation System Info

*This is Highly Recommended if you are managing the process. There are two ways to handle booking confirmations on Viator:

Option 1: Viator only — You can add special instructions in the ticket information field. Viator automatically includes these in every booking confirmation email, so travelers receive your access details without any extra tools. This is the simplest setup and works well if every buyer receives the same access instructions.

Option 2: Booking system + automation tool — If you need to send a unique access code to each traveler, you'll need to connect a booking system to Viator and pair it with an automation tool. The booking system receives the booking from Viator, triggers a webhook, and the automation tool generates and sends a unique code to the traveler automatically. This is the recommended setup for publishers distributing individual access codes per booking.

To connect your booking system:

• Log in to the Viator Management Center
• Go to Product Connection and follow the steps to link your booking system
• Enable auto-import to sync your product listings
• Turn on instant confirmation so bookings are confirmed automatically

A connected booking system is also one of the requirements for earning Viator's "Excellent" quality badge, which gives your listing higher visibility in search results.

Viator integrates with several booking platforms. For the full list, visit Viator's Connectivity Partners.

Submission Info

The review process typically takes up to 7 working days. Common reasons for rejection include missing details, low-quality photos, or content that doesn't match Viator's product guidelines.

Once approved, your tour appears on Viator immediately. It then syncs to Tripadvisor within 2–3 working days.

Tripadvisor requires a separate business listing for each city where you offer tours. If you sell tours in multiple cities, you'll need to create a Tripadvisor listing for each one. Viator will prompt you to set this up during the product creation process.

Viator's Quality Standards

Viator has two quality tiers: Good and Excellent. Your listing must maintain at least a "Good" rating to remain active on the platform.

Good (Minimum Requirements)

• Future availability set
• Complete product details
• At least 2 high-quality photos
• Less than 5% supplier cancellation rate
• 3+ average star rating

Excellent (Badge of Excellence)

• 6+ high-quality photos
• Less than 2% cancellation rate
• Mobile tickets provided
• 15+ customer reviews
• Standard cancellation policy offered
• Connected to a booking system for instant confirmation
• Booking cutoff of less than 4 hours

Tours that earn the Badge of Excellence rank higher in search results and receive more visibility across Viator's platform.

Getting Reviews

Positive reviews are one of the biggest factors in how well your tour performs. Tours with strong reviews rank higher in search results, appear in more recommendations, and convert more browsers into buyers.

Tips for getting your first reviews:

• Ask your existing customers — Reviewers on Tripadvisor don't need to have booked through Viator to leave a review. Reach out to past customers or anyone who has experienced your tour and ask them to leave an honest review on your Tripadvisor listing.
• Share the listing link — Once your tour is live, share the direct Tripadvisor link with customers so they can find and review your tour easily.
• Keep it genuine — Tripadvisor has a zero-tolerance policy on fake reviews. All reviewers should have actually experienced the tour. Reviews that are found to be fraudulent or incentivized may result in your listing being penalized or removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to list on Viator?

Viator charges a one-time $29 listing fee per product and a commission on completed bookings (typically 20–30%). There are no monthly subscription fees. STQRY covers the listing fee for customers on Standard and Pro plans. For Basic plan customers, STQRY charges the $29 listing fee at cost..

Can I list a free tour on Viator?

No. Viator only allows paid experiences. Your tour must have a price greater than $5 USD.

How long does the approval process take?

Viator typically reviews new listings within 7 working days. Once approved on Viator, it takes another 2–3 working days for the tour to appear on Tripadvisor.

Do I need a booking system and an automation tool?

Neither is required. Without them, you can add special instructions in your ticket information field and Viator will include these in every booking confirmation email automatically. However, a booking system and an automation tool are highly recommended if you want to distribute unique access codes per booking, sync availability across multiple sales channels, or automate the entire post-purchase experience. A connected booking system is also one of the requirements for earning Viator's "Excellent" quality badge, which gives your listing higher visibility in search results.

How do I get paid for Viator sales?

If STQRY manages the listing for you, earnings appear in your Marketplace Earnings tab in the Publisher Dashboard, and you can request payouts once your balance exceeds $150. If you manage your own Viator account, payouts are handled directly by Viator.

What Can Be Listed on Viator?

Viator accepts five types of experiences: tours, activities, tickets/passes, rentals, and transportation. Products that don't fit one of these categories — or are unrelated to recreational travel — may be rejected.

There are also specific restrictions to be aware of:

• All products must meet a minimum commission rate — Viator's model is commission-based, so all experiences must be priced. Free or donation-based tours cannot be listed.
• Unauthorized ticket reselling is not allowed — Tickets and passes that provide admission to attractions (museums, monuments, parks) are accepted, but only if you are the direct operator or are authorized to sell them. Unauthorized resale will be rejected.
• Some categories may be restricted — Viator may limit listings for transfer/transit services, scavenger hunts, destinations that already have a large number of the same experience type, or identical experiences listed separately by the same supplier.
• Standard car rentals, accommodations, and physical goods are not experiences — Recreational equipment rentals (jet skis, snowboards) are fine, but car rentals, hotel-only products, and merchandise sales are not accepted.
• Animal welfare policy — Experiences involving hunting, direct contact with captive wild animals (elephant riding, big cat handling), animal performances, or animal exploitation are prohibited.
• Safety and legal compliance — Products must comply with all applicable laws, and operators must maintain valid certifications and licensing. Experiences involving participatory combat sports or services in a traveler's accommodation are not permitted.

For the full list of product guidelines, visit Viator's Product Guidelines.

Self-guided audio tours are eligible to be listed on Viator and Tripadvisor as long as they are paid experiences that meet Viator's product guidelines and quality standards.

Ready to get started? Contact your Customer Success Manager at support@stqry.com to learn more about STQRY's managed listing service. Alternatively, you can create a Viator supplier account and manage the process and account.