Safari Package Rankings
How packages are ordered on Tours & Safaris
Best match
Packages are ordered by the bid percentage the operator has set for that safari, highest first. Packages with the same bid are shuffled on each page load so every qualifying package gets fair exposure.
Most viewed
Packages are ordered by total traveler page views. Packages with more views rank higher under this sort.
Price low to high
Packages are ordered by starting price per person, from the lowest to the highest. Packages without a listed price appear last.
Price high to low
Packages are ordered by starting price per person, from the highest to the lowest. Useful for finding luxury or extended itineraries quickly.
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What is the bid percentage?It is the share of the total safari cost an operator agrees to pay, from 1.5% to 3%, only when they accept a traveler's quote request. A higher bid moves a safari earlier in "Best match" results. It is not a listing fee, and it does not affect the rating, review or price sorts. See how bids work.
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Filters narrow results before ranking appliesWhen you filter by destination, style, activity, price range, or duration, ranking runs only within the matched subset — it does not override your filter selections.
Tour Operator Rankings
How operators are ordered on Tour Operators
Best match
Operators in good standing are ordered by their bid percentage, highest first. Operators with the same bid are shuffled on each page load so no single operator is permanently pinned.
Highest rating
Sorted by review count first (more reviews = more reliable rating), then average rating, then number of safaris, then alphabetically by company name.
Most safari packages
Operators are ordered by number of published, marketplace-visible safari packages. Operators with more packages rank higher.
Most traveler reviews
Ordered purely by total number of approved traveler reviews, most to fewest. Useful for finding well-established operators with a track record.
Recently joined
Operators ordered by their SafariVendors join date, newest first. Useful for discovering recently verified operators who may offer competitive pricing.
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Free-access countries have no bidIn countries where SafariVendors is free for operators, no bid applies, so those operators are not charged and are ranked on the signals above instead. See which countries are free or paid on the How Bids Work page.
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Restricted operators always appear lowerOperators with an active account restriction are deprioritised in results regardless of sort order, but remain visible unless fully deactivated by admin.
Eligibility to Appear in Results
Minimum requirements before a listing is shown to travelers
Safari packages must meet all of the following:
- Status: PublishedThe package must have a published status. Draft, inactive, or admin-hidden packages are excluded from all search results.
- Operator is marketplace-visibleThe operator linked to the safari must also pass all operator eligibility checks. Packages from ineligible operators are automatically hidden.
Tour operators must meet all of the following:
- Account is activeThe operator account must be in an active state. Deactivated accounts are not shown in any public listing.
- Company name is setA company name must be provided and not blank. Profiles without a company name are excluded.
- Company description is setA company profile description (Company Info / About Us) must be filled in. Operators without a description are excluded.
- Logo image is uploadedA logo image must be uploaded and set. Operators without a logo are excluded from public listings.
SafariVendors does not sell fixed ranking positions or listing slots. The one paid signal is the bid percentage: a share of the trip cost an operator pays only when they accept a traveler's quote request (1.5% to 3%). It orders the default "Best match" results, with equal bids shuffled. Reviews, ratings, review counts, price, duration and the other sorts cannot be bought: "Top rated" and "Most reviewed" rank on reviews first, and bid is only a tie-breaker there. How bids work
How Operators Can Improve Their Ranking
Practical steps that affect where your profile and packages appear
- Complete your operator profileSet your company name, logo, description, destinations, tour types, and contact details. Incomplete profiles are deprioritised or hidden entirely.
- Publish more safari packagesOperators with more published packages with full details (itinerary, price, inclusions, images) rank higher on the "Most tours" sort and appear on more destination and category pages.
- Set a competitive bidA higher bid percentage (up to 3%) moves your safaris earlier in "Best match" results. You only pay it when you accept a request, and you can set it per safari.
- Accept quote requests promptlyKeep your wallet funded and respond before the deadline. Missed requests can pause your account, and paused accounts are hidden from results.
- Collect verified traveler reviewsReviews collected through SafariVendors' verified invite system directly improve your position on the "Top rated" and "Most reviewed" sorts.
- Avoid account restrictionsOperators with active restrictions are deprioritised across all sort options. Keep your wallet funded and respond to admin queries to maintain good standing.