skills/activities-tours/references/marketplace-method.md

# Activity marketplace method

GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Tripadvisor, Musement, Airbnb Experiences, Tiqets, and regional platforms can reveal inventory and traveler feedback. Treat them as commercial marketplaces, not neutral rankings. Supplier commission or paid visibility can influence placement, so never equate default sort order with traveler fit.

## Capture

- exact listing URL and marketplace;
- operator name and direct URL, if identifiable;
- product type, duration, schedule, language, group size, and transport;
- inclusions, exclusions, admission, pickup, and meeting point;
- accessibility, age, fitness, equipment, and transfer requirements;
- observed total for the party, currency, taxes/fees, and date checked;
- cancellation terms and weather policy;
- review count, rating, recency, and repeated themes.

## Evaluate reviews

Read recent low and mid ratings as well as highlights. Look for repeated specifics about guide quality, crowding, sales pressure, transport, skipped stops, accessibility, and mismatch between listing and delivery. Weight verified/completed-booking reviews, recency, repeated operational detail, and traveler photos more than generic praise. Do not compare raw ratings across platforms as if scoring systems and cohorts were identical. A perfect score from a handful of reviews should not automatically outrank a stable high score from hundreds; report review volume, recency, and confidence separately.

## Verify and deduplicate

Search distinctive listing phrases, itineraries, meeting points, and photos to detect the same operator sold under multiple storefronts. Verify decisive facts on the operator, venue, transport provider, or official tourism source. If the operator cannot be identified, say so and lower confidence.

## Recommend

Rank serious candidates on traveler fit (25%), distinctiveness (15%), review evidence (15%), operator credibility (15%), logistics (10%), like-for-like value (10%), cancellation flexibility (5%), and local/community benefit (5%), with safety, identity, access, and reliability penalties up to 30 points. A high score with low confidence is not a top pick.

Preserve both marketplace and direct links so the traveler can compare final terms at booking time. Direct booking is not automatically better: compare identical dates, options, inclusions, language, group size, support, and cancellation. Disclose affiliate or commission relationships clearly and never let them affect ranking.

Use ordinary web research or authorized APIs. Do not evade access controls or programmatically extract reviews or supplier data where platform terms prohibit it. Useful policy references include [GetYourGuide terms](https://www.getyourguide.com/c/general-terms-and-conditions/), [GetYourGuide review guidance](https://supply.getyourguide.support/hc/en-us/articles/13981000922141-Understanding-Customer-Reviews-on-GetYourGuide), [Viator ranking guidance](https://operatorresources.viator.com/viators-ranking-and-sort-overview/), and [Viator partner API documentation](https://docs.viator.com/partner-api/technical/).