Skift Take
Travel isn’t getting cheaper, and the past four years have seen significant price increases across certain experience categories, highlighting the interplay of a range of economic, social and market factors.
Selene Brophy
Prices for experiential tours have risen significantly, increasing by an average of 18% over the past four years, according to data analysis from GetYourGuide and TicketLens, two marketplaces for tours, activities and attractions.
A recent analysis by TicketLens found that tour and admission ticket prices around the world will increase by an average of 18% between June 2019 and June 2023, with Turkey seeing the highest increases globally. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has seen a massive price increase of 154% over the past four years.
In the United States, the increase was slightly higher than the global average, at 19%. The study covered a range of popular travel experiences across 27 countries.
GetYourGuide also found an 18% increase when it looked at customer bookings to see the average cost travellers were paying. Charmaine Chua, head of optimisation at GetYourGuide, attributed the increase to factors including the post-pandemic tourism recovery, recent inflationary trends and a shift in consumer spending towards experiences.
Prices for luxury experiences and featured attractions are rising
Highlights of the data shared by TicketLens include:
Turkey was the destination with the most significant price increases for experiential activities globally, increasing on average by 35% ($31) in 2023 compared to 2019. Miami recorded the largest increase in the cost of local US tourist attractions, increasing by 27% ($21.40). Most expensive attractions: Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, saw its package price, which includes skip-the-line access, gourmet meals and transfers, increase by 154% to $873.85 in 2023, up from $344.27 in 2019. The UK’s London Eye saw its private ride prices increase by 59% since 2019, to $910.08 in 2023.
Prices for attractions reviewed by Skift vary slightly and may be affected by exchange rates.
“Furthermore, all prices used in this analysis are taken from the TicketLens database, which acts like a search engine and compares price lists from different sites, so prices on official sites may also vary (but are more stable). Our London Eye Private Ride example was the highest price listed in the TicketLens database for June 2023,” Blocher added.
Rising prices signal a shortage of skilled guides
GetYourGuide is increasing prices based on the average bookings of its 75,000 bookable Experiences, and has seen trends in the following categories:
Walking tours and multi-day tours saw the highest price increases at 34% and 51%, respectively.
“This reflects rising costs and a continuing shortage of highly skilled independent guides, many of whom have been forced to switch jobs due to lack of demand during the pandemic,” Mr Chua said.
Adventure tours and boat tours saw slower increases of 10% and 14%, respectively, driven by higher prices and a quicker post-pandemic recovery.
“This sector has seen a quicker recovery during the pandemic,” Chua said. “Given the typical group sizes and outdoor settings, consumers felt safe booking these experiences sooner than similar products in crowded city centres.”
Tickets for attractions and museums remained the lowest at 10%, according to data from GetYourGuide.
This reflects the nature of the suppliers, many of whom are public sector organisations and more interested in preserving and promoting cultural heritage than commercial development, Chua said.
The rising costs of tours and activities over the past four years reflect a complex interplay of economic, social and market factors. Skift recently reported that inflation-adjusted disposable income is up about 3% this year, in line with pre-2020 trends. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates that 2023 will be a “return to previous normalcy” in terms of income and savings growth. Travelers may be past the splurge phase of travel recovery, but the desire for unique experiences and iconic attractions remains high.
Skift reached out to TripAdvisor’s Viator for comparative data on similar price increases, but a company spokesperson said they were not able to assist as of press time.
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Updated August 1, 2023
