Google Things to Do: What It Means for Local Operators and Regional Impact
- Bence Bukovec
- Aug 11
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 12
Google’s “Things to Do” platform is an important tool for tours, activities, and attractions. It is designed to improve the travel search experience by showcasing “things to do” at a destination while connecting users directly to the experience providers.
Launched in 2021 as part of Google Travel, Google Things to Do allows tour and attraction operators to list their experiences (with live pricing and booking links) directly on their Google business listings for free.
When travelers search for points of interest or activities on Google (via Search, Maps, etc.), the platform displays available tours, tickets, and attractions, with an “Official Site” link that takes users straight to the operator’s website for booking.
Paid options are also available (through a dedicated ads module), but the core listings are organic and free, giving operators a chance at direct bookings without the commissions of third-party sellers.
Low Adoption by Operators
While Google Things to Do has entered the travel industry’s digital landscape, many tour and activity businesses have yet to adopt it.
According to Arival’s latest Global Operator Landscape study (2024), more than half of small and medium-sized operators worldwide either haven’t heard of Google Things to Do or have not activated their listing on it (Source).
"Only about one in four tour operators, and roughly one in five activity operators have connected their offerings to Google Things to Do so far".
This translates to roughly just 20–25% of operators actively using the platform, meaning the vast majority have yet to take advantage.
However, a major reason could be the technical requirement: to fully benefit from Google Things to Do, an operator’s booking system must integrate with Google or a connectivity partner. Many smaller businesses lack this setup, making activation harder or less of a priority.
Free versus Paid: Using Google’s “Things to Do” Modules
Google Things to Do currently offers several types of listings, and it’s important to distinguish free versus paid usage. The good news for operators is that all the standard listing features showing your tour/attraction in search results with real-time prices and an “Official Site” booking button are completely free.
This free integration is powered by what Google calls the Operator Booking Module, which lets an operator (or their booking system partner) feed their offerings into Google’s database.
For additional reach, operators can use the paid Ads Module to appear in sponsored carousels like “Things to do in the city.” Google also offers AI-powered tools to help businesses set up paid things to do advertising campaigns (Source).
Crucially, if an operator hasn’t loaded their tours into Google Things to Do, Google will still show third-party booking options. Google will default to displaying offers from online travel agencies or resellers for that same experience if the official site is not present.
Google Things to Do vs. OTAs
Online travel agencies (OTAs) like Viator and GetYourGuide bring together thousands of tours and activities, making them easy for travelers to book. However, they typically take a 20–30% commission per booking (Source).
As of 2024, OTAs handle around 33% of all global experience bookings. This is a significant increase from just 24% in 2019. Online channels (OTAs + direct bookings) now account for more than half of all bookings in the global tours, activities, and attractions sector (Source).
Google Things to Do enters this ecosystem as both a complementary and disruptive force.
Google Things to Do will show both the operator’s direct listing and OTA listings side by side, allowing travelers to choose where to book.
Unlike OTAs, Google doesn’t take commission on free listings.
It reflects a broader shift away from fragmented channels and toward structured, integrated visibility, where products are tied directly to points of interest and shown in the exact moments travelers are searching.
Case: Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is managed by a public operator: Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), which is owned by the City of Paris. SETE operates the official site toureiffel.paris , and has integrated its booking system with Google Things to Do.
This enables listings to show the “Official Site” badge and connect users directly to toureiffel.paris.
This highlights that publicly owned attractions, such as museums, spas, or heritage sites, are eligible for Google Things to Do—but they aren’t listed automatically. To appear, the attraction must have a Google Business Profile, provide a structured product feed, and comply with Google’s policies.
Integration may be managed directly by the attraction if it has the necessary technical and staffing resources, or it can be handled through a third party, such as a connectivity partner or an agency.
Clarifying the Difference: What Users See vs. How It Works
To the average user, many listings on Google look similar. Whether it’s a major landmark like the Eiffel Tower or a local business like a boat tour operator, the experience typically includes an “Official Site” label, a price, and a link to the provider’s website
However, there’s an important difference behind the scenes. Some listings, like the Eiffel Tower’s, are powered by Google Things to Do. Meaning they’re connected through structured data and displayed in enhanced formats across Google Search and Maps, such as ticket sections or experience listings tied to specific points of interest (e.g, Budapest, Rome, Paris, etc).
Other listings, like those of small local operators with a Google Business Profile, may still show a price and an Official Sitelink, but these are standard Google Maps features and not part of the structured Things to Do ecosystem. While they look similar on the surface, only integrated listings benefit from broader visibility within Google’s travel discovery surfaces.
Opportunity for Destinations and the Path Forward
All of the above points lead to a clear conclusion: this topic is worth exploring further, especially for tour and activity operators. And those who support them, such as DMOs. For smaller operators who often struggle with marketing budgets, utilizing Google’s free listing features can significantly boost visibility among travelers already searching for local experiences.
Destinations can also play a proactive role by identifying which businesses are missing, providing training, and helping local providers understand how to appear in Google’s travel ecosystem. Whether that’s through a Google Business Profile or via a connected OTA.
At Visible Tourism, we help destinations bridge that gap. From audits and local operator outreach to onboarding guidance and Google visibility workshops. We equip your region to show up where decisions are made.
Want to learn how to connect your local operators and boost your destination’s visibility in Google Things to Do?
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