Google Things to do (GTTD) is one of the most powerful platforms for tour and activity operators seeking global reach — and, best of all, it’s completely free.
With nearly 70% of travellers starting their research on Google, the platform connects tour operators directly with people actively planning trips. For operators serious about growth, it’s an opportunity to showcase experiences precisely when potential customers are searching for them.
In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about getting listed on Google Things to do, including where listings appear, how to enrol, and the key benefits for your travel business.
Where do Google Things to do listings appear?
Google Things to do showcases travel experiences at the top of Google search results and integrates directly with Google Maps, the Google Travel app, and Google Business Profiles.
When a user searches “things to do” across destinations or points of interest (POIs), they’ll see a carousel of available travel experiences at the very top of results. They can browse categories like Tickets & Tours, Top sights, upcoming events, and popular attractions.
Each listing displays the experience name, star rating, pricing, and featured image, allowing travellers to quickly compare options that match their interests and budget before starting the booking process.
After selecting an experience, Google will direct travellers to the designated booking page to reserve a time slot and complete checkout.
| Note: While the Google Things to do program is free, Google also offers tour and activity providers the option to promote their experiences through Google Ads. These appear as “Sponsored” listings in the Tickets & Tours section and may show up more frequently in GTTD results. |
How to enrol & get listed on Google Things to do
First, make sure your travel experiences comply with Google’s product requirements. The full list is on Google’s site, but here are the key points:
- Products must be tours, activities, or tickets to local attractions for travellers or locals.
- Travel experiences must take place at a physical location.
- Titles and images must accurately reflect the experience offered.
- No promotional language or discounts in titles.
- Each product must have a unique image.
- Ratings must match your product page and include all customer reviews — not just the positive ones.
- No dangerous products such as weapons, explosives, drugs, or hate-promoting content.
- No transit services, movie tickets, one-time events, virtual-only experiences.
- No overnight hotel stays, multi-day cruises, restaurant coupons, or political content. Some exceptions apply, like alcohol tastings, archery, and culturally relevant activities involving restricted products.
Then, there are two ways to enrol in Google’s program:
1. Join via an approved connectivity partner (like Bókun)
This is the quickest option. In Bókun, you’ll:
- Enable the GTTD toggle.
- Specify where you want Google to send users (your website or another landing page).
- Choose which booking channel Google should use when customers select your products in Google’s apps and search engine.
You can read more detailed steps here.
2. Apply for a direct integration with Google
This route requires meeting Google’s development requirements and completing an online interest form.
If your application is approved, you’ll sign a content license agreement with Google. A technical contact will then be assigned to support you through the onboarding process.
Core benefits of the Google Things to do program
- You can easily reach global audiences when they’re actively researching travel experiences and looking to book.
- Your experiences can appear for broad search terms and highly specific search queries. For example, if you offer walking tours in San Francisco, you might show up for “things to do in San Francisco,” “San Francisco walking tours,” or “guided tours of Fisherman’s Wharf.”
- Being found on Google — especially at the top of search results — can boost your credibility. As a household name used by billions daily, Google lends instant trust. Operators also receive an “Official Site” badge, and customer reviews are displayed to showcase your reputation.
- Google provides user-friendly tools to manage listings and ticket prices directly from your Google Business Profile.
- Google also lets you create and promote packages. You can optimise booking links for bundled offerings, allowing packages to appear in multiple relevant search results and increasing upselling opportunities.
- You can maintain control over the booking experience, as Google allows you to choose where it directs audiences after users find and select your travel products. Google drives the discovery; you manage everything thereafter.
- Google simplifies and streamlines travel research to help improve conversions from interested travellers when they’re ready to book.
- You can drive more direct bookings from your website, saving money on OTA costs (earning more from each booking) and reducing reliance on external sales channels.
- Driving more travellers to your website also helps you build out your contact base and collect visitor names and email addresses. Then, you have contact information to create audiences and power retargeting campaigns.
- Google provides analytics dashboards to understand how you’re performing in results; how often you’re being found and/or clicked, the queries you appear for, and so on. It also provides analytics for paid campaigns so you can compare organic vs. paid performance.
- It’s completely free, unless you opt into the paid ads program. Even if you opt into the ads program, you only pay when someone clicks on your travel experiences ad.
Bókun & Google Things to do Partnership
Bókun was one of Google’s first official launch partners, providing direct connectivity to Google’s platform and Things to do program.
Our connectivity partnership lets Bókun users enrol quickly and easily — no lengthy applications required. Once connected, you can promote your tours on Google and manage all bookings and customer experiences within Bókun.
What we offer
We provide two solutions for tour operators exploring online growth strategies:
- All-in-one tour operator software: A complete toolkit to enable direct website bookings, sell tours via OTAs, partner with travel agencies and other tourism businesses, and seamlessly manage bookings and back-office operations.
- Channel Manager: For teams with an existing restech system needing an intermediary to connect with online sales channels (like Google Things to do), centralise bookings, and automate availability updates.
Bókun is optimised with all the features and functionality teams need to operate successfully, plus scalable packages tailored to support your team and growth goals.
Why use Bókun’s booking system with Google Things to do
Many tour operator software providers connect with Google, but most charge hefty booking fees between 3% and 8%. Bókun remains the most popular platform for operators seeking online growth because we offer the industry’s lowest booking fees — just 1% to 1.5%.
For example, a tour operator processing $50,000 in annual bookings would pay $3,000 in fees with a typical 6% platform — but only $750 with Bókun, saving $2,250 per year.
Bókun partnerships
Beyond cost savings, users choose Bókun for our industry expertise and premium partnerships. As a TripAdvisor brand with over 10 years of experience, we support tour and activity operators at every growth stage.
In addition to our Google connectivity partnership, we’re proud to be a Viator Preferred Partner and a GetYourGuide Premium Partner — offering enhanced performance and exclusive perks on these leading platforms.
For example, our Viator partnership lets us waive Bókun booking fees on Viator reservations and provides complimentary subscription checks (12, 24, or 48 annually). Our GetYourGuide partnership ensures customers receive the latest features and best-in-class API performance.
Start a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) and discover why customers rate Bókun 4.7 stars.
Related reads:
