Tourbase
Tourbase is a US-based online travel agency operating destination-specific marketplace websites that connect travelers with local tour and activity operators across 20+ destinations in US National Parks, Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The company monetizes through franchise fees, 20-30% booking commissions, and a lean franchise-distributed operating model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersWhitefish, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Tourbase does
Tourbase is a US-based online travel agency and two-sided marketplace connecting travelers with local tour and activity operators through destination-specific websites. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Whitefish, Montana, the company operates more than 20 destination portals (including Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Juneau, Ketchikan, Cancun, Cozumel, Belize, Jamaica, Nashville, Sedona, and Bozeman), each functioning as a curated booking site for tours in that market.
The underlying platform is a proprietary booking and reservation management system that integrates directly with major tour-operator software stacks — FareHarbor, Rezdy, Rezgo, Checkfront, bokun, Octo, CruiseCode, and Xola — to provide real-time availability synchronization and direct booking. Local teams and franchisees produce video content and editorial coverage for each destination, which Tourbase uses as a differentiating content layer versus global aggregators.
Tourbase monetizes through a three-layer model: a $35,000 franchise fee (with total year-one franchisee investment of $80,000-$115,000), 20-30% commissions on tours sold through destination marketplaces, and affiliate revenue from bookings driven to tour operator partners. The company claims to have facilitated over $40M in sales for tour operators and operates with a lean corporate headcount of 1-10 employees, distributing operational responsibility across franchisees in each destination.
Tourbase firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tourbase
- Legal name
- Tourbase
- Website
- https://tourbase.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tourbase is a US-based online travel agency operating destination-specific marketplace websites that connect travelers with local tour and activity operators across 20+ destinations in US National Parks, Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The company monetizes through franchise fees, 20-30% booking commissions, and a lean franchise-distributed operating model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tourbase industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Travel Marketplace
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Shore Excursion Operators (Tours & Activities) (THAEAFAC)
Keywords
Where Tourbase is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Whitefish
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Tourbase business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: Tourbase sells franchises for $35k initial fee with total first-year investment ranging from $80k-$115k. This provides franchisees with custom websites and proprietary software.
- Commission on Tour Sales: Tourbase and franchisees earn 20-30% commission on online sales of tours and activities through their destination marketplaces. Tour operators receive bookings while Tourbase/ franchisees take a commission.
- Operator Partnership Revenue: Revenue generated by driving bookings to tour operator partners. Tourbase acts as an OTA taking a share of bookings from operators' tour experiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise Fee - Initial Investment |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Franchisee Commission Earnings |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Tourbase product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tourbase operates an online travel marketplace that connects travelers with local tour operators through destination-specific websites, curating and booking top-rated tours and activities across 20+ destinations. The company also sells franchises to entrepreneurs who launch and operate their own destination-specific Tourbase marketplace, using Tourbase's proprietary booking software, custom website platform, and integrations with major tour operator reservation systems. Tourbase and its franchisees earn 20-30% commission on bookings facilitated through the platform, in addition to a $35,000 initial franchise fee.
Product overview
Tourbase operates as a unified online travel marketplace platform connecting travelers with curated tours and activities. The core Tourbase Platform serves as the main marketplace with destination-specific subsites (e.g., glaciertourbase.com, cancuntourbase.com, jacksonholetourbase.com). The ecosystem includes the Tourbase Operator Marketplace — a franchise program for tour operators to sell multiple local activities and earn 20-30% commission — and the Tourbase Franchise model for entrepreneurs to build destination-specific travel marketplaces.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tourbase Platform
- Tourbase Operator Marketplace (Tour Operator Franchise Program)
- Tourbase Franchise (Destination Marketplace Franchise Opportunity)
Companies that use Tourbase
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tourbase technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
Tourbase partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- FareHarborcoreReservation system integration for real-time availability and direct bookings. FareHarbor is a leading tour booking software provider, and Tourbase synchronizes with their system to offer seamless booking experiences.
- RezdycoreIntegration partnership for tour operator reservation management. Rezdy provides booking and scheduling tools, and Tourbase connects to their platform for availability synchronization.
- RezgocoreIntegration with Rezgo reservation system for real-time availability and direct booking capabilities for tour operators using their platform.
- CheckfrontcoreIntegration with Checkfront booking platform to synchronize tour availability and enable direct bookings for operators using their system.
- bokuncoreIntegration partnership with bokun tour operator software for real-time availability synchronization and booking management.
- OctosupportingTechnology integration partner for tour operator reservation and booking system connectivity.
- CruiseCodesupportingIntegration partner for cruise industry booking and reservation management, enabling Tourbase to serve cruise ship shore excursion customers.
- XolacoreIntegration with Xola's booking and marketing software platform for tour operators. Xola provides reservation, inventory, payment processing and scheduling tools that Tourbase connects to.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tourbase competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tripadvisor: Parent of Viator and operator of Tripadvisor Experiences. A broader travel platform whose tours-and-activities offering directly competes with Tourbase alongside restaurant, hotel, and review categories.
- Expedia: Major OTA with a growing experiences and activities vertical. Competes with Tourbase indirectly via its marketplace scale, bundled travel offerings, and global SEO authority.
- Airbnb Experiences: Online experiences and activities offering within Airbnb's broader accommodation platform. Competes with Tourbase for in-destination activity bookings and benefits from Airbnb's massive global traveler funnel.
Direct peers
- Peek.com: Tours-and-activities booking platform focused on curating high-quality local experiences. Comparable to Tourbase in OTA-plus-curation positioning and serves many overlapping destination markets including the US and Caribbean.
- Musement: Tours-and-activities marketplace acquired by TUI, operating across Europe and North America. Direct competitor in tours, attractions, and experiences with overlapping traveler demographics.
- Klook: Asia-headquartered tours, activities, and travel services platform. Operates a similar marketplace model for in-destination experiences and competes with Tourbase in Mexico/Caribbean and other international destinations.
- ToursByLocals: Private tour marketplace connecting travelers with local guides worldwide. Similar to Tourbase in emphasizing curated local experiences and serves comparable traveler segments across the Americas and Europe.
- ShoreTrips: Cruise shore-excursion specialist operating in many of the same cruise ports (Alaska, Caribbean, Mexico) that anchor Tourbase's footprint. Directly comparable for the cruise-passenger shore-excursion segment.
- Viator: Tripadvisor-owned global tours-and-activities marketplace. Directly competes with Tourbase in the same product category, serving travelers booking curated local experiences and tours across thousands of destinations.
- GetYourGuide: One of the largest tours-and-activities OTAs globally, backed by major investors. Competes head-to-head with Tourbase in attractions, tours, and activities bookings, with strong mobile app presence and supply density.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tourbase social profiles
Digital presenceTourbase financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tourbase leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tourbase funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tourbase M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tourbase
What does Tourbase do?
Tourbase operates an online travel marketplace that connects travelers with local tour operators through destination-specific websites, curating and booking top-rated tours and activities across 20+ destinations. The company also sells franchises to entrepreneurs who launch and operate their own destination-specific Tourbase marketplace, using Tourbase's proprietary booking software, custom website platform, and integrations with major tour operator reservation systems. Tourbase and its franchisees earn 20-30% commission on bookings facilitated through the platform, in addition to a $35,000 initial franchise fee.
Is Tourbase a public or private company?
Tourbase is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Tourbase founded?
Tourbase was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tourbase based?
Tourbase is headquartered in Whitefish, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tourbase make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are commission on Tour Sales and operator Partnership Revenue.
Who are Tourbase's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tripadvisor, Expedia and Airbnb Experiences. Direct peers are Peek.com, Musement, Klook, ToursByLocals, ShoreTrips, Viator and GetYourGuide.
Does Tourbase have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tourbase.
What industry is Tourbase in?
Tourbase's product category is Online Travel Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAIAJ, Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms, with a secondary code of THAEAFAC, Shore Excursion Operators (Tours & Activities). Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 7900.