Commissions in Tourism

Commissions in Tourism: Transparency, Value, and Honest Conversations

Organizing a seamless travel experience requires far more effort behind the scenes than most guests realize. From itinerary planning to managing logistics on the ground, guiding is a demanding profession. Yet, a central debate continues to shape tourism industry: the role of shopping commissions.

In many regions, commissions on items like watches or local crafts are factored directly into a guide’s income—acting as a necessary bonus to make the work financially viable. However, as travelers become more independent and price-conscious, hiding these arrangements risks damaging trust. Some guests even ask guides to split their commissions, underestimating the labor that goes into managing their tour.

If travel is easier than ever to book online, are shopping commissions still a sustainable business model, or do they undermine a guide’s credibility as a trusted expert?

To keep the guiding profession sustainable and respected, we need total honesty. Let’s talk open-ended: How we should handle commissions in the work. I think we can discuss honestly about it and accept commission as part of the income.