Viatao

What Viatao does

Viatao is an independent French publishing house (SARL) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Grand Champ, Morbihan, with a 10-person team operating the Guides Tao brand. The company produces a catalog of sustainable travel guides covering France (with regional titles for Normandie, Charentes, La Champagne, Drôme-Ardèche, Lyon and others), Europe, and international destinations (Japon, Catalogne, Vietnam, Thailand, and a worldwide "Monde" compendium). Each guide lists 250–400+ hand-verified addresses, evaluated by local expert writers using a proprietary eco-notation methodology that scores environmental and social criteria; physical guides are augmented with QR codes that link to geolocated interactive maps for smartphone access. The core technology stack is deliberately simple: a Shopify-powered e-commerce site for direct sales, PDF delivery for digital editions, and a QR-code-to-web map pipeline; no proprietary AI/ML, no public APIs, and no native mobile app.

The business model layers four revenue streams: (1) one-time consumer purchases of print and digital guides priced between €0.90 and €29.50, (2) wholesale distribution through Dilisco (Albin Michel group) to 800+ bookstores across France, Belgium and Switzerland plus Biocoop natural-store placement, (3) B2B custom guide creation for tourism boards and corporate clients (SNCF, Atout France, a Safran/SNECMA works council) at 20–50% volume discounts, and (4) partnership packages — affiliate commissions (8% via goaffpro) and communication-visibility packages sold to tourism boards. The company is self-funded, has no external investors, and operates without raised capital (registered capital €65,563). Strategic direction is led by Ophélie Cohen (Director of Publication) and Nicolas Breton (Director of Development), with a recent product acceleration toward new international titles (Japon 2026, Catalogne 2026) co-marketed with national tourism boards.

Name

Viatao

Legal name

Viatao

Website

https://viatao.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Viatao is an independent French publishing house that produces and sells the Guides Tao line of sustainable travel guides in print and digital formats, distributing directly via Shopify and through 800+ bookstores across France, Belgium, and Switzerland, with secondary B2B custom-guide services for tourism boards and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Guide Publishing

NAICS

All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Based/Independent Trip Planners (No Booking) (THAKAOAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable travel guides
• Responsible tourism publishing
• Eco-friendly travel books
• Travel guide publishing
• Custom destination guides

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand-Champ

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Travel Guide Sales: Sales of Guides Tao in both physical (paper) and digital (PDF) formats through direct e-commerce and retail distribution channels.
2. Custom Guide Creation: B2B services creating customized travel guides for territories, destinations, and corporate clients in partnership formats.
3. Affiliate Partnership Program: Partners earn 8% commission on sales made through their referral links, paid quarterly via PayPal.
4. Communication Partnership Packages: Marketing visibility packages sold to tourism boards and destinations including advertising pages in guides, website banners, social media features, and newsletter mentions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Viatao is an independent French publishing house that creates and sells the "Guides Tao" line of sustainable and responsible travel guides, available in both print (paper, pocket format) and digital (PDF) formats, covering France (regional titles such as Normandie, Charentes, La Champagne, Drôme-Ardèche), Europe, and international destinations (Japon, Catalogne, Vietnam, Thailand, and a worldwide "Monde" edition). The company also offers bespoke custom guide creation services for tourism boards, destinations, and corporate clients, alongside advertising and affiliate partnership programs tied to the Guides Tao brand.

Product overview

Viatao is an independent publishing house (maison d'édition) founded in 2008 and based in Grand Champ, France, operating the Guides Tao brand. The core offering is a portfolio of sustainable travel guides (Guides Tao) available in both print and digital (PDF) formats, covering France (with regional titles for Normandie, Charentes, La Champagne, Drôme-Ardèche, Lyon, and others), Europe, and international destinations (Japon, Vietnam, Thailand, and the broader Monde). The product line also includes custom guide creation services for territories and enterprises, affiliate partnership programs, and communication partnership packages. The digital ecosystem includes an editorial blog with destination-specific content and interactive QR-code maps that link to geolocated addresses for each guide. All guides are unified by an eco-responsibility editorial line, with systematic field verification of listed addresses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guide Tao France Flagship sustainable travel guide covering all of metropolitan France with over 2,100 personally verified addresses and experiences for responsible travel, available in print (paper) and digital (PDF) formats. Targeted at eco-conscious travelers seeking reliable, eco-rated accommodations, restaurants, and activities across all 13 metropolitan regions.
• Guide Tao Charentes Regional sustainable travel guide focused on Charente and Charente-Maritime, featuring 300 ethical and ecological addresses with interactive QR-code maps, available in print and digital formats. Targeted at eco-conscious travelers to the Charentes region.
• Guide Tao Normandie Regional sustainable travel guide for Normandy featuring 375 ethical and ecological addresses across 5 departments, with color photography and online interactive maps accessible via QR codes, in print and digital formats.
• Guide Tao La Champagne Regional sustainable travel guide for Champagne covering 324 authentic, ethical, and durable addresses across 12 territories, with cultural articles and slow tourism advice. Available in print and digital formats.
• Guide Tao Drôme-Ardèche Regional sustainable travel guide for Drôme and Ardèche featuring 300 ethical and ecological addresses, with interactive QR-code maps and local cultural and nature content. Available in print and digital PDF formats.
• Guide Tao Japon International sustainable travel guide for Japan featuring 342 ethical and ecological addresses covering accommodations (ryokan, minshuku, glamping), restaurants, and activities, with cultural articles on responsible Japan travel. Available in print and digital formats.
• Guide Tao Catalogne International sustainable travel guide for Catalonia (Catalogne) featuring 270 ethical and ecological addresses, with cultural articles and advice for responsible travel.
• Guide Tao Monde Worldwide sustainable travel guide featuring approximately 1,000 ideas and addresses for responsible and committed travel across multiple continents. Winner of the 2024 Palmes du Tourisme Durable from TourMag.
• Guide Tao Thailand Country-specific sustainable travel guide for Thailand focusing on responsible travel options across the destination.
• Guide Tao Vietnam Country-specific sustainable travel guide for Vietnam covering eco-responsible travel addresses and experiences.
• Guide Tao Europe Continental sustainable travel guide covering European destinations with a focus on traveling without airplanes or cars, promoting slow and sustainable tourism across Europe.
• Custom Guide Creation Services Bespoke travel guide creation service for territories, organizations, and enterprises, producing customized sustainable tourism guides in print and/or digital formats. Past clients include SNCF, Atout France, and Comité d'établissement SNECMA Evry-Corbeil.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,100 addresses in Guide Tao France covering all 13 metropolitan French regions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JNTO (Office National du Tourisme Japonais)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNTO partnered with Viatao for the Guide Tao Japon 2026, providing official support and endorsement for the guide featuring 342 eco-responsible addresses across Japan. The partnership includes co-marketing and visibility in the guide and JNTO's promotional materials.
• Charentes TourismecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharentes Tourisme partnered with Viatao for the Guide Tao Charentes (2025), providing financial and promotional support for the creation of the guide featuring 300 eco-responsible addresses in Charente and Charente-Maritime.
• Ardèche TourismecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArdèche Tourisme partnered with Viatao for the Guide Tao Drôme-Ardèche (2025), supporting the creation of a guide featuring 300 addresses for sustainable travel in the region.
• Agence d'attractivité de la DrômecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Viatao for the Guide Tao Drôme-Ardèche (2025), contributing to the development of sustainable tourism promotion for the Drôme region.
• Comité Régional de Tourisme de NormandiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Viatao for the Guide Tao Normandie, supporting the creation and promotion of the sustainable travel guide for Normandy.
• Maison Départementale du Tourisme de la Haute-MarneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism board partner for the Guide Tao La Champagne, providing support for coverage of Haute-Marne territory.
• Agence de Développement Touristique de la MarneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism partner for Guide Tao La Champagne covering the Marne department.
• Aube en Champagne TourismeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism partner for Guide Tao La Champagne covering the Aube department.
• Dilisco (Groupe Albin Michel)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distributor serving as the primary channel for bookstore distribution of Guides Tao. Delivers to 800+ bookstores in France, Belgium, Switzerland and worldwide. Contact: 05 55 51 80 00 / [email protected]
• Affiliation PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partners earning 8% commission on sales through their referral links. Managed through goaffpro.com portal, with quarterly payments via PayPal.
• SNCFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom guide creation client for employee or customer travel resources.
• Atout FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom guide creation client - French national tourism development agency.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Evaneos: France-based marketplace for responsible/local-led trips — adjacent to Viatao in the French sustainable-travel audience, though transactional (booking) where Viatao is editorial-only.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Travel Guides: Premium travel content brand with destination guides and travel media — comparable in producing curated environmentally/culturally rich content for travelers, though at far greater scale and very different distribution.
• Fodor's Travel: Established English-language destination guide publisher (print + digital) at much larger scale — comparable category (curated destination guides) but broad consumer positioning rather than sustainability niche.
• Lonely Planet: Global leader in English-language country and regional travel guides with similar content + map + curated addresses model; same category but global mass-market positioning, broader scale and English focus.

Direct peers

• Routard: France's flagship travel guide publisher (Hachette) covering destinations worldwide — directly comparable to Viatao as a French-language, print+digital travel-guide publisher, just at vastly larger scale and a mass-market (not sustainable) positioning.
• Petit Futé: Independent French travel guide publisher with both national and regional pocket-format guides sold online and via bookstore distribution — comparable to Viatao's print+digital regional guide product across France.
• Rough Guides: Independent mid-sized travel guide publisher covering countries and regions in print and digital — directly comparable as a guide publisher with regional/destination titles; similar scale profile to Viatao.
• Bradt Travel Guides: Independent publisher specializing in niche, sustainable and off-the-beaten-path travel guides — the closest thematic peer to Viatao's eco-responsible editorial positioning, even if English-language and without strong French regional coverage.
• Moon Travel Guides: Independent US travel guide publisher (Avalon/ Hachette Book Group) focused on experiential and sustainability-leaning regional guides — strong comparable in size and editorial philosophy.
• Géo (Prisma Media): Established French travel and nature magazine brand with destination editorial — comparable French-language travel-content publisher covering destinations, even if print magazine-led rather than guide-book-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqxVk_C0zYP6fFhjvizlStg
• Facebookfacebook.com/guides.tao
• Instagraminstagram.com/guides.tao
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/viatao

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Viatao