The Silent Decline of Local Travel Agencies: Is the Future of Tourism Becoming Too Digital?

GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Civitatis, Headout, Musement, Tiqets…

Book excursions online or Locally? These names have become familiar to millions of travellers around the world.

With just a few clicks, visitors can book boat trips, guided tours, museum tickets, wine tastings, scuba diving experiences and countless other activities before they even arrive at their destination.

There is no doubt that these global booking platforms have revolutionised tourism.

They have made travel easier.

Faster.

More accessible.

They have opened international markets to thousands of local operators who might otherwise never have reached overseas customers.

For that, they deserve recognition.

But every revolution comes with consequences.

And one consequence is quietly unfolding across destinations all over Europe.

A Market That Is Changing Faster Than Ever

The tours and activities sector has experienced an extraordinary digital transformation.

According to research by Arival, online travel agencies (OTAs) accounted for 37% of all tours and activities bookings in 2025, up from 33% in 2024 and 28% in 2023. At the same time, direct bookings through operators’ own websites declined.

The message is clear.

Travellers are increasingly choosing global booking platforms instead of booking directly with local businesses.

This isn’t speculation.

It’s already happening.

The Businesses Behind Every Booking. Question is book excursions online or locally?

There is something many travellers never realise.

Platforms such as GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Civitatis, Headout, Musement and Tiqets usually don’t operate the excursions themselves.

The boat trip?

A local company.

The wine tasting?

A local winery.

The diving experience?

A local dive centre.

The guide?

A local professional.

Without thousands of independent businesses around the world, these platforms would have nothing to sell.

Local businesses remain the heart of tourism.

But Something Is Being Lost

Technology is replacing something that cannot easily be digitised.

Conversation.

Advice.

Experience.

Local knowledge.

A booking platform can recommend hundreds of excursions.

But it cannot tell you…

“Tomorrow’s weather isn’t suitable for that boat trip.”

“That excursion isn’t ideal for your elderly parents.”

“Your children would probably enjoy this tour much more.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t spend my money on that experience.”

Only someone who actually lives in the destination can do that.

The View from Sissi, Crete

At Stefanos Tours, based in Sissi, Crete, we’ve spent years helping visitors discover the island.

Not by trying to sell every excursion.

But by trying to recommend the right one.

Sometimes we’ve even advised customers not to book an excursion because we knew it wouldn’t suit them.

That may cost us a sale today.

But it builds trust for many years.

Many of our customers return not because we offered the lowest price.

They return because they know they’ll receive honest advice.

That relationship cannot be automated.

Tourism Is More Than Transactions

When people choose to book through a local travel agency, they are doing far more than purchasing an excursion.

They are supporting local employment.

Local families.

Local drivers.

Local guides.

Local restaurants.

Local boat owners.

Local communities.

Every euro spent locally continues circulating within the destination.

That is how sustainable tourism has always worked.

A Future Worth Thinking About

I’m not writing this because I believe technology is the enemy.

Far from it.

Technology has transformed tourism for the better in countless ways.

Nor am I suggest that travellers should stop using platforms like GetYourGuide or Viator.

They have created enormous opportunities for many local operators and have become an important part of the global tourism ecosystem.

But I do believe we should ask an important question.

What happens if one day almost every excursion is booked through a handful of multinational digital platforms?

What happens to the independent travel agencies that have served visitors for decades?

What happens to the experienced travel consultants whose local knowledge cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence?

What happens to the family businesses that have built destinations long before online booking even existed?

The Human Side of Tourism

Tourism has never been just about booking.

It has always been about people.

A returning visitor who walks into an office and hears…

“Welcome back. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

A family that needs urgent help after missing a transfer.

A couple looking for somewhere special to celebrate an anniversary.

Those moments don’t appear in algorithms.

They happen because someone genuinely cares.

A Personal Reflection

As the owner of Stefanos Tours in Sissi, Crete, I have watched our industry change dramatically.

I understand why travellers choose online platforms.

I understand why technology continues to grow.

But I also see something else.

Every year, it becomes harder for independent local travel agencies to compete with companies investing millions in digital marketing, artificial intelligence and global advertising.

If this trend continues unchecked, we may witness the gradual disappearance of the traditional street travel agency.

And with every office that closes…

A family loses its livelihood.

A destination loses knowledge.

Visitors lose personal service.

And local economies become increasingly dependent on businesses located thousands of kilometres away.

Tourism should embrace innovation.

But innovation should strengthen local communities—not replace them.

Because the future of tourism should not be measured only by how quickly we can book online.

It should also be measured by whether destinations like Sissi continue to have independent local businesses that know their visitors by name, support their communities and remind us that hospitality has always been, above all else, a deeply human experience.

Travel is not just about booking an excursion. It’s about creating memories, supporting local communities, and discovering places through the people who know them best.

Thank you for reading, and wherever your journey takes you, I wish you wonderful experiences.

Stefanos Katrinakis
Founder, Stefanos Tours
Sissi, Crete 🇬🇷