The Tour Guy studies how people really travel, drawing on our own traveler surveys as well as outside data sources. Our research covers everything from whether travelers want day trips to which museums they rate highest. This page gathers all of our studies in one place, and each one shares its key findings and sources. Journalists and writers are welcome to cite our findings with attribution.
Who We Are
The Tour Guy began in 2008, when co-founder and CEO Sean Finelli left his Wall Street career to explore his cultural roots in Italy and started guiding travelers across Rome, earning the nickname “The Roman Guy.” In 2012, licensed tour guide and linguist Brandon Shaw joined as co-founder, and the company expanded to Florence, Venice, Milan, Paris, London, Barcelona, and beyond, officially becoming The Tour Guy in 2019. Today we run owned and partner tours in cities across Europe and are expanding into the USA.
Why We Do This Research
Both of our co-founders started out as tour guides, which gave them a front-row view of what frustrates travelers and what makes a trip worth it. Our research applies that same instinct at scale: instead of guessing what travelers want, we ask them.
- Data you can trust. We combine our own traveler surveys with outside sources, and every study shows where its numbers come from.
- Questions travelers actually ask. We study the decisions people struggle with most, like whether a day trip is worth a day out of the city.
- Insight from the industry. We run tours every day, so we can add context that a standalone poll can’t.
Discover Our Recent Work
Browse our latest studies below. Each one answers a question we hear from travelers all the time.
85% of Travelers Choose Day Trips as Bookings Grow 110%: The Boom That Marks the Path to 2026 World Tourism Day
New data from the destination marketplace and tour operator The Tour Guy shows day trip bookings up 110.7% year over year, as travelers are adapting to crowded popular destinations by getting out of the city.
85% of Travelers Choose Day Trips as Bookings Grow 110%: The Boom That Marks the Path to 2026 World Tourism Day
Our September 2026 survey of travelers who visited Europe in the past 12 months, paired with our own booking data, shows day trips are booming as travelers adapt to crowded city centers.
Key findings:
- 85.4% of travelers take day trips when visiting a destination.
- Day trip bookings are up 110.7% year over year.
- 64.9% go to see the countryside, seaside, and natural landscapes.
- One in four day trips sold in 2026 is a brand-new experience.
- Sintra, the Tuscany villages, and Mont-Saint-Michel are the fastest-growing day trips.
More Resources
Feel free to check out additional brand-related materials and resources that have been curated to help ensure consistency across all communications. You may access our find our comprehensive media guide, brand messaging framework and detailed style guidelines.
Latest From The Tour Guy
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85% of Travelers Choose Day Trips as Bookings Grow 110%: The Boom That Marks the Path to 2026 World Tourism Day
Explore The Tour Guy’s travel research and survey data, from day trip demand to Europe’s most-loved museums. Key findings for journalists and writers.
How To Visit Mont Saint-Michel: Tickets, Tips & Tours
Mont Saint-Michel is considered by many to be one of France’s most spectacular sights, set in the mesmerizing bay where Normandy and Brittany merge. It’s a 4-hour drive from Paris, though, so knowing how to visit Mont Saint-Michel before you go is the difference between a smooth day and a very long one. We run…
Continue Reading How To Visit Mont Saint-Michel: Tickets, Tips & Tours
The Absolute Best Tours of Notre Dame to Book in Paris And Why
Entry to Notre Dame is free, so the best Notre Dame tours have to earn their price with more than a ticket. The four picks below do it with scheduled group access, guides who read the rose windows panel by panel, and routes that fold in Sainte-Chapelle and the rest of Île de la Cité.…
Continue Reading The Absolute Best Tours of Notre Dame to Book in Paris And Why
