Sell more, directly
Turn every visitor touchpoint into a booking opportunity.
- Custom-coded websites — engineered, not assembled from templates
- Integrated booking engine
- SEO and AI search optimisation
- QR campaigns in the right places
For tour & activity operators
More direct bookings. Less time managing them.
A visitor journey is more than a booking. ARAVIA connects every step — from discovery to review — in one platform built for tour operators.
- AI search
- Social
- Hotels & partners
- QR campaigns
ARAVIA- Reservation
- Payment
- Capacity
- Check-in
- Customer relationship
- Reviews
Scroll to follow the journey ↓
Why
Growing operations outgrow their tools.
A growing operation doesn’t look like a diagram. It looks like this.
“Any spots left tomorrow at 2pm?”
WhatsApp · 11:41pm
Missed call · customer
during the 2pm tour
“2 pax Saturday — tell Ana”
note on the counter
bookings_july_v3.xlsx
last edited: yesterday, 7:12pm
12 on the boat — the sheet says 14?
Saturday · 9:02am · at the dock
“How many are we tomorrow?”
team chat · every single night
Direct bookings: 25% and falling · OTAs: 37% and rising — Arival, 5,664 operators, 2025
In practice: more and more customers book on a site that isn’t yours. Every direct booking gives you back the customer, the data and the margin.
How many of these messages became bookings — and how many slipped away?
How
One journey. One platform.
Follow a visitor from the moment they find you to the review they leave — and see what changes when every step runs in one place.
- 01
Finds you · Discovery
Know what actually generates each booking.
Today Instagram Google ChatGPT Hotel QR flyerWhatsApp origin? Paper note origin? Spreadsheet origin? Email origin?Demand arrives through many channels, but it is rarely clear which one generated the sale.
With ARAVIA Instagram Google ChatGPT Hotel QR flyer#1042 · Instagram · €120 #1043 · Hotel X · €240 #1044 · QR Marina · €8012 bookings · 5 identified origins 24/7 kiosk · only with ARAVIAEvery reservation keeps its origin, campaign or partner — you see what actually generates revenue.
- 02
Visits your website · Website
A fast site, found by people and by AI.
Today Generic template52Every extra second of load time cost the BBC 10% of users — BBC · web.devGoogle Lighthouse · mobile speed score
Template sites: slow on mobile and hard to find.
With ARAVIA Custom code99Google Lighthouse · mobile speed score
SEO AI search Every deviceCustom code, measured with Google Lighthouse — fast on every device, optimised for SEO and AI search.
- 03
Books · Booking
Fewer steps between choice and confirmation.
Today step 6 of 7still in progress…
17% abandon a checkout that is too long or complicated — Baymard InstituteMultiple steps and disconnected information before the confirmation.
With ARAVIA step 3 of 3Ticket & date Details · autofilled PaymentBooking confirmed
Ticket and date, autofilled details, payment — no redirects, no pop-ups.
- 04
Pays · Payment
Your money, from the first second.
Today Card PayPal Bank transfer Apple PayCustomer € Platform holds itpayout: later
9% abandon when their payment method is missing — Baymard InstituteA jumble of payment methods — and the platform holds the money.
With ARAVIA Origin: Portugal Recommended · MB WayCustomer € Your account +€120from the first second
The right method suggested to each customer — straight to your account, no merchant of record.
- 05
Arrives · Operation
One reservation updates the whole operation.
Today New booking · 2 paxCapacity ✎ Spreadsheet ✎ Team out of sync?updated by hand
Booking, capacity, customer and payment are updated separately, by hand.
With ARAVIA New booking · 2 paxCapacity 14/20 16/20 Manifest ✓ CRM ✓New booking → team emailreal-time · every device
One reservation updates everything — the whole team sees the same, with the right permissions.
- 06
Checks in · Check-in
From paper to an instant scan.
Today Printed list
✓✓✓queue building up
Printed lists and manual confirmation at the desk.
With ARAVIA 61 boardedQR scan
M. Silva · 2 pax · paid ✓
A. Costa · unpaid → front desk
QR check-in from any phone — and unpaid guests are routed to the right counter.
- 07
Leaves a review · Post-visit
The relationship continues after the tour.
Today The relationship ends — or a generic platform email goes out, the same for everyone.
With ARAVIA Review request · your brand, your senderGoogle Reviews Tripadvisor NFC on the way outReturning customer · new bookingBranded requests sent in your name — Google, Tripadvisor, or an NFC tap on the way out.
Side by side
Feel the difference.
A typical external redirect flow versus a direct, branded booking — step by step, at scroll speed.
Step 8 of 8 ≈ 2:55
- 1 Operator website
- 2 New window · external platform
- 3 Accept cookies, find the activity again
- 4 Pick a date
- 5 Add participants
- 6 Add to cart
- 7 Create account · enter details
- 8 Pay
With ARAVIAStep 3 of 3 ≈ 0:45
- 1 Pick day & time
- 2 Basic details · autofilled
- 3 Payment · recommended method
The direct booking is already done — the external flow is still halfway through.
Illustrative flows and timings, based on typical multi-step external checkouts.
What
Three ways ARAVIA works for you.
Not another booking widget — an operating layer for the whole visitor journey.
Run your operation in one place
Know what is happening in your business at any moment.
- Reservations and live capacity
- Customer management
- Check-in and daily manifests
- Analytics and automated communication
Build stronger customer relationships
The relationship should not end when the tour ends.
- Automatic review requests
- Post-visit follow-up
- Repeat customers and referrals
- A real picture of your audience
Only with ARAVIA
A physical kiosk that sells 24/7.
While your team is at sea — or asleep — the kiosk keeps showing and selling everything your company offers.
- Every product on screen, with simple on-the-spot payment
- Your brand’s promotions and videos, right where people stand
- Fewer people at the counter, less confusion
Coming soon
AI-assisted operations
Automatic suggestions — the decision stays yours.
Coming soon
24/7 answering
Phone, WhatsApp and email, in your brand — even when no one is at the desk.
Coming soon
Dynamic pricing
By occupancy, demand and lead time.
Coming soon
Automatic rescheduling
Bad weather or a surprise? Guests notified and rebooked automatically.
Built with the operators who are already in — everyone gets them first, and each operator turns on only what fits their operation.
Proof
Already powering tourism operations in the Azores.
The MobyDick-Tours whale-watching operation runs entirely on ARAVIA, every day of the season — website, bookings, payments, check-in, capacity, QR source tracking and the 24/7 physical kiosk.
Live operations · São Miguel, Azores
FAQ
Questions operators ask.
Short answers to the questions we hear most from tour and activity operators.
What is ARAVIA?
ARAVIA is a booking and operations platform for tour and activity operators. It connects the full visitor journey — discovery, direct booking, payment, capacity, check-in, customer relationship and reviews — in one system, instead of a patchwork of separate tools.
How does ARAVIA increase direct bookings?
Bookings happen inside your own website, in your own brand, in about three steps — no redirect to an external platform. A faster mobile checkout and tracked channels such as Google, AI search, QR campaigns and hotel partners turn more visits into direct reservations.
Does ARAVIA hold my money?
No. ARAVIA is not the merchant of record: payments go straight to your own account from the first second. You keep control of your revenue, refunds and cash flow — no platform holding funds and paying out on its own schedule.
Can ARAVIA replace my current booking system?
Yes. ARAVIA covers reservations, payments, capacity, check-in, kiosks, analytics and automated communication, so operators can run the whole operation on it. We start with a personalised analysis of your current setup and journey.
Do I have to use everything?
No. Every operator gets the same capabilities, but each one turns on only what fits — the platform adapts to the operation, not the other way around. MobyDick-Tours itself checks guests in by name, without QR, because that is how they prefer to work.
Do I have to leave the OTAs?
No — the rule is whatever is best for you. Channels that bring you customers (marketplaces, hotels, partners) keep earning their place. What ARAVIA replaces is the booking software layer, which moves to your own website and your own operation. If a tool only gives you software, that is what we swap out; if it brings you distribution, it stays.
Do I need a new website to use ARAVIA?
ARAVIA includes custom-coded, conversion-focused websites built for speed — but the integrated booking engine can also power your existing site.
Who uses ARAVIA today?
ARAVIA already powers tourism operations in the Azores, including the MobyDick-Tours whale-watching operation in São Miguel, which runs entirely on the platform — website, bookings, payments, check-in, capacity, QR source tracking and a physical kiosk.
How much does it cost?
It depends on your operation — size, channels and what you choose to turn on — so pricing is set case by case in the personalised analysis. No surprises: everything is clear before any commitment. And if the numbers don’t make sense for both of us, we’ll be the first to say so.
Discover how ARAVIA could work for your operation.
We start by looking at your current visitor journey — where bookings come from, where friction lives, and what a direct, connected operation would change.
[email protected]No commitment. A conversation about your operation, not a sales script.