Understanding the science behind our marketplace
Understanding the science behind our marketplace.
What is the objective of this page?
Our sites offer a one-stop shop for consumers to search for and book various activities and ground transportation options for the dates and location(s) travelers are interested in. The objective of this page is to provide information about the ranking logic used for displaying these offers in the marketplace on our websites and apps.
What is our marketplace?
For nearly as long as commerce has existed, consumers have gone to a marketplace in order to get the right product or service at the right price. Today, that concept extends online. Shoppers can purchase personalized, handcrafted gifts on Etsy, purchase household goods or technology items on Amazon, and book travel experiences on our sites. In general, because marketplaces compile products or services from a broad array of providers, selection is usually more varied, availability is greater, and prices are more competitive.
Our marketplace serves as the forum to make travel dreams a reality. It gives the consumer the capability to compare a variety of products and services and pick the ones that suit best.
Why is visibility so important?
Taking into account a consumer’s search criteria, our marketplace puts the most relevant options with the strongest offerings at the top of the list, as these are most likely to meet the consumer’s needs. While consumers can choose to sort and filter search results by price, category, amenities or other factors, most consumers find the pre-sorted order of results most helpful, as it presents the strongest, most relevant offerings that have been tailored for their search criteria.
After testing and analysing shopping behaviour, we have learned that prioritizing activities and ground transportation offers based primarily on their overall relevance, personalized to the shopper’s specific search criteria, will provide the greatest consumer satisfaction. One further way to measure consumer satisfaction is with conversion rate, which is the rate at which consumers book that activity or ground transportation option per times viewed. Our data scientists apply this relevance as well as consumer satisfaction analysis and use advanced machine learning algorithms to create predictive models that result in offers strong in the following areas appearing nearer the top:
What drives activity offer visibility?
The offers best tailored to the specific customer’s search criteria will always be the most visible in our marketplace.
Within that context, visibility in search results is determined by a combination of the following factors:
- - price;
- – searched-for experiences;
- – location, including distance from accommodation options
- – traveller reviews; and
- - local research.
In addition, visibility may also take into account number of bookings to date and compensation we may earn on a booking.
These factors are used to determine the ranking logic and the visibility of activities in the standalone pathway (where a traveler can purchase activities only) and the package pathway (where a traveler can purchase a combination of hotel and/or flight, together with activities/ground transportation options in a single transaction).
What drives ground transportation product visibility?
In addition to the factors above, we conduct local research, including through knowledgeable experts in each market, to help determine the ranking of ground transportation products in the standalone pathway (where a traveler can purchase ground transportation only) and the package pathway (where a traveler can purchase a combination of a hotel and/or flight, together with activities/ground transportation options in a single transaction).
Summary
Travelers want to see activities and ground transportation options that meet their needs from the start. Partners want to stand out amidst their competition. We believe that providing transparency on how our marketplace works along with guidance and tools on how to influence visibility can provide a competitive marketplace where partners can optimize their business on our sites while also providing the best shopping experience for travelers.
