In operation since 1990, Down Under Tours has learned to embrace the inevitability of change. One key factor has been their dynamic partnership with GetYourGuide, which has helped them double passenger numbers in 12 months.
In tropical North Queensland, change comes with the territory. Weather shifts, traveler demand evolves, and tour operators have to adapt fast. Despite this, over more than 35 years, Down Under Tours has grown into a premium coach touring operator by sticking to what matters: people, places, and the connections between them.
For General Manager Erin Simpson, an 18-year veteran of the company, navigating change through connection is the heart of the business. It shapes how guests experience North Queensland, and how the company works with its teams, systems, and supply partners.
Erin views herself as a "link" in this ecosystem, too; the bridge between internal departments and the partners that power their reach. It’s a role that places a high premium on trust and collaboration.
“We value the partnerships that we have,” Erin says. “We love working with GetYourGuide.” When asked if she’d recommend the platform to others in the industry, her response is clear: ”You bet. I wouldn't hesitate one minute. I’d say, ‘GetYourGuide is a fabulous partner, why aren't you already on board? You should've done it years ago.’”
Here, Erin shares how Down Under Tours’ partnership with GetYourGuide has enabled them to stay nimble, boost passenger numbers, and remain well-connected amid hurdles such as COVID and fragmented connectivity within their systems.
When did GetYourGuide come into the picture for Down Under Tours?
We came on board with GetYourGuide around 2018, so it’s been a lengthy partnership, which is fabulous. We had one other major OTA partner, and we were doing well with them, and then we were approached by GetYourGuide. For us, it was, “Oh, this is the new company on the block. This is great. Let’s see. This can only be good for us.”
It was perfect timing in a sense. Coming out of COVID, OTA platforms weren’t as strong with us yet. We felt that it put us on the front foot that we had already established a connection and partnership with GetYourGuide. We were ready to go, so to speak.
How has working with GetYourGuide changed your day-to-day business?
It's changed where we put our resources. So one, we invest in tech to make sure we have a fabulous team of developers to improve our own connections with OTA partners.
It has also meant that where our bookings team would have previously either entered emails directly into our system or taken phone calls, the volume has declined significantly. We don’t have our agent partners calling us to say, “Can I check availability on this?” because you can already see that. You know everything is live.
It’s enabled us to focus on day-of travel. We can invest more in our frontline staff so that our delivery service is incredible for guests.
What does being able to focus on the day-of experience look like?
It’s investing in training. It’s investing in our driver guides so that they have a good understanding of our typical guest, not just technical knowledge. It’s ‘What else can we equip them with to provide a fabulous delivery on the day? How can we immerse our driver guide in each tour experience so that they can share that with our guests?’
Have there been any surprises in working with GetYourGuide?
Yes, in a positive way. Our partnership with GetYourGuide has been better than we thought. We can’t underestimate the value of GetYourGuide in terms of reach. As a business, we have nowhere near that reach to direct consumers.
We have the ability to get feedback on the product through reporting in a timely manner, and that data enables us to move things around. The positive thing is that results are immediate. You can make a change, and bookings can happen straight away. That’s so satisfying.
But also, if the change is not a great one, you’ll know that immediately, too. That constant feedback loop is so valuable. In other distribution channels, it takes so much longer. It’s fabulous to have this constant and immediate feedback. That’s a dream.
What are some ways you’ve maneuvered changes with GetYourGuide?
One thing, which would be a good suggestion for others, is imagery. We did three photo shoots last year. When you receive all of your imagery from the photographer, it’s great to then put that into action. Being able to test a hero shot is fabulous, and it translates into results.
The other one is timing. We had some tours where the timings weren't ideal for the consumer. We thought they were good, but not necessarily. Being able to tweak that, you see bookings growing immediately.
What's the biggest challenge facing your sector today, and how has GetYourGuide helped address it?
Our biggest challenge we face is change — it’s a constant, so it remains a challenge.
We’ve weathered challenges in our operating regions recently, so it meant we needed to modify tours ever so slightly. The ability to do that with GetYourGuide and our OTA partners is immediate. It feels like it’s one time, and the reach is out. By comparison with traditional booking channels, you’re going through layers upon layers to get your message across. That can be challenging when it takes so long.
We see GetYourGuide as a dynamic partner. It’s “Okay, what's next? What can we do differently? How do we do that?” It’s never an impasse. It’s always, ‘This is great. How can we do it differently?’
We can implement a new product and have it live and bookable within a week on GetYourGuide. If we think of that in one of our traditional distribution channels, we’d be looking at 12 months. You’d need 12 months to get it up and running — to have it communicated, to have teams trained on it, to have that sold in a market where a booking lead time is so long.
It just demonstrates how dynamic and adaptable GetYourGuide can be.
Do you have any other insights from your experience with GetYourGuide you’d like to share?
Connectivity is key. It absolutely will drive your business. Don't underestimate the reach of GetYourGuide. We could never have that reach alone as a business, so it changes the way we invest in our marketing spend.
We flourish from what GetYourGuide can do, having such a broad reach, and having the opportunity to have our product in front of direct consumers.
Key Takeaways
- Recovering after COVID: Down Under Tours attributes GetYourGuide to helping their business recover after COVID.
- Scaling through OTAs: The company’s OTA partners are by far its largest distribution channel, accounting for close to 50% of their passenger numbers in their day tour business.
- Reaching more travelers: Down Under Tours says that you can’t underestimate GetYourGuide’s reach. The platform’s streamlined connectivity is critical to their business.
- Doubling passenger numbers: The company doubled the number of passengers traveling with them in 12 months after making changes informed by GetYourGuide data.
- Testing what works: Down Under Tours encourages testing imagery and tour timings with GetYourGuide to see immediate effects on bookings.
