If you’ve noticed a sudden dip in views or bookings on your cottage rental listing, you’re not imagining it—Airbnb’s newest feature, Photo Tour, might be quietly sabotaging your performance.

What looks like a helpful upgrade is actually disrupting one of the highest-impact parts of your listing:
✨ Your photo order.

And for cottage owners—where charm, warmth, setting, and storytelling matter more than anything—this can be devastating.

Let’s break down what’s happening behind the scenes, why Photo Tour is hurting hosts, and how to regain control so your listing can convert the way it’s supposed to.

What Exactly Is Airbnb’s Photo Tour?

Airbnb now groups your listing photos by “rooms” automatically. It rearranges them into categories like:

• Living Room

• Kitchen

• Bedrooms

• Outdoors

• Balcony

• Amenities

Sounds tidy, right?

Except there’s one huge problem…

Why Photo Tour Is Tanking Your Listing Performance

Cottage rentals sell differently than modern condos or urban stays. Travelers aren’t just looking for a bed – they’re buying:

• Atmosphere

• Escape

• Comfort

• Setting

• A curated experience

When you choose the photo order, you’re intentionally crafting a visual story:

• Start with your strongest hero image

• Build emotion with outdoor scenery

• Highlight signature features (wood-burning stove, lakeside dock, firepit)

• Slowly reveal bedrooms and interior charm

But Airbnb’s Photo Tour:

• Shatters that narrative

• Buries your best photos inside “room” categories

• Forces guests into a rigid clicking experience

• Removes the strategic sequencing that drives bookings

Hosts have already reported:

• Lower click-through rates

• Decreases in listing saves

• Guests missing key features

• A noticeable drop in booking conversions

Why? Because your photos—the heartbeat of your listing—are no longer doing their job.

Why This Is Especially Bad for Cottage Listings

Cottage rentals rely on emotion. Your buyers are looking for a feeling, not a floor plan.

Photo Tour turns your handcrafted visual journey into a disconnected checklist. Instead of seeing the dream getaway, guests see:

• A random bedroom

• A room label

• A chopped-up “story”

• Minor spaces overshadowing signature features

If your listing opens with “Bedroom #2” instead of your lakeside sunrise? You’ve already lost them.

How to Disable Photo Tour and Take Back Control

Here’s the good news: You can turn it off—Airbnb just hides the process behind several steps. The creator in the video training demonstrates a fast tactical method:

1. Open your Listing Editor – Navigate to your listing and find the Photo Tour section.

2. Let Airbnb create the tour – Yes—ironically, you have to let it generate before you can undo it.

3. Remove photos from every “room” category – Delete all photos from each room bucket. Doing this with the first five photos speeds up the process.

4. Return to your main photo gallery – Re-upload or drag your photos back into your preferred order.

5. Double-check room labels – Airbnb will still show rooms in the sidebar, so accuracy matters.

Once you complete these steps, your listing goes back to functioning the way you intended—high-impact, emotionally compelling, and conversion-optimized.

The Result? Better Visibility. Higher Engagement. More Bookings.

When you take back control of your photo order, you restore:

• The hero shot that captures attention

• The story that builds desire

• The emotional momentum that leads to clicks

• The visual flow that increases bookings

And for cottage rentals, this isn’t optional—it’s everything.

Final Takeaway

Airbnb’s Photo Tour was built with good intentions—but it wasn’t built for hosts who rely on strategic storytelling to sell an experience.

Cottage owners especially suffer when their photos lose sequence and impact.

If you want your listing to perform, your photos must:

• Lead the guest

• Shape their perception

• Build anticipation

• Highlight the magic

Ready to unlock your cottage’s full earning potential?

Claim your free revenue report or schedule a complimentary audit of your cottage rental today, and discover actionable insights to boost your bookings.