The company was founded in 1995 by Rod Cuthbert, an Australian IT professional with a passion for travel. After corporate gigs with companies like NCR and digital equipment, he decided to try the then-new world of Internet marketing.
The company, whose name means traveler in Latin, started building relationships with tour operators around the world. This helped the firm create a portfolio of sightseeing tours and trip activities, both through its own Web site and through a global network of affiliates.
Viator—whose annual revenue is estimated at about $6 million--promotes itself through search engine marketing, using such keywords as destination names and terms like "tours," "sightseeing," "activities" and "events," says Cuthbert.
"We are capitalizing on the benefits of search engine optimization to ensure we are one of, if not the first hit on those key search terms," says Cuthbert.
Through its Web site and affiliates, Viator pulls in about 2 million visitors per month, he says. While he's loath to disclose an exact customer count, Cuthbert does claim Viator's bookings have doubled year-over-year since 2005.
Going forward, Viator plans to continue adding more activities such as VIP access, "skip the line" opportunities, exclusive events (like a private, after-hours guided tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel), and off-the-beaten path experiences, says Cuthbert.