Do travelers choose the itinerary, or do they choose the guide?
I'm building a marketplace for local-led city experiences, and I keep coming back to one question: is the itinerary actually the product?
The big platforms seem to package the route first. Same landmarks, same timing, then a guide gets assigned. My bet is the opposite: travelers remember the person, the judgment calls, the neighbourhood story, the stop that wasn't in the description.
That sounds nice in a pitch deck. I'm more interested in whether it is true from the guide side.
When someone books with you, what usually closes them: the itinerary, your reviews and identity, price, or the fact that you can adapt the day? And if a platform centered your profile instead of making you interchangeable, what would it need to prove before you trusted it?