From Solo Engineer to 26 Guides: The Unorthodox Growth Strategies behind Rainbow Tours

This short episode was recorded live at GetYourGuide's Unlocked conference in September 2025.

When you meet Arturo Ardao Rivera, the first thing you feel is his energy. He doesn't come off as an engineer, which was his profession until he discovered a joy for tour guiding and running a tour business. Originally from Madrid, Arturo found his true passion when he created Rainbow Tours Stockholm. It has grown from a solo operation to employing 26 guides.

His story is one of rejecting some of his engineering tendencies (choosing feelings over numbers!) and leaning into strategies that appear unorthodox but have worked well for him.

You'll discover:

1. His unique "taxi tariff" model for private tours, and his approach to hyper-personalization.
2. Why he doesn't ask for reviews
3. Why he's not sold on the "get more bookings" industry mantra
4. Why he visits guides he's thinking of hiring in their comfort zone, not his
5. How guide applicants are asked to become undercover tour takers
6. How he leverages running two separate brands for pricing strategy
7. How he grow leveraging 10+ OTA partners, and how he's managing his distribution mix

Connect with Arturo on LinkedIn, and visit Rainbow Tours Stockholm!