Tours and Attractions Distribution: Enrich the connection between tour and attraction suppliers and distributors

For activities and attractions, any third party that can help you sell more tickets and bookings is a distributor: ticket wholesalers and brokers, aggregators, resellers, traditional and online travel agents and websites, tour operators, affiliate partners, travel and other leading groups, and any other large corporation. 
 

'Distributor' is the industry concept, however, you might consider your distributors 'channels,' 'resellers,' 'partners,' or even 'clients.' Since you are in the tourism sector, your distributors might be global rather than local, and along with those other factors to be considered for your distribution strategy.

Whether your corporation is a brand-new tourist attraction built from the ground up or an established tour or activity that has been around for years, if you want to thrive in the digital age, you need to know how to build a distribution strategy.

The Travel Distribution System covers all platforms through which travel is acquired and delivered. Distribution networks and personalized customer experiences differ from market to market and one needs to understand the structure of the distribution system relevant to one's target markets.

When considering how best to distribute your product to international consumers, it is crucial to understand each channel and the relationship between companies within the distribution channel.

Key entities of the Travel distribution process:

• Suppliers such as hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and other inventory operators
• Aggregators/wholesalers (GDS, Bedbanks, Consolidators, etc.)
• Inbound tour operators operating with a network of b2b agents 
• Local travel agents/distributors who cover a small section and offer products on behalf of tour operators or suppliers
• Online travel agencies or OTAs - which sell through travel portals and internet booking engines (Expedia, Booking.com, Makemytrip, etc.)
• Metasearch engines & price comparison sites (e.g. Kayak, Skyscanner, Wego, etc.)

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest sectors, well known for its diverse operations and this ensures that tourism companies can survive based on the quality of their marketing efforts.

As the industry is becoming more competitive on a daily basis, every travel company is required to adapt to the latest technology in order to retain its edge in the industry.

Tour operators are a fascinating part of the travel market. They are elusively difficult to capture in a single definition because they form a diverse constellation of products and services, all of which represent various ideologies and geographies.

In many ways, these operators are also the heartbeat of the travel industry, offering what all these travelers want; a unique travel experience in distant destinations and diverse cultures.

Most of these travelers have neither the time nor the willingness to incorporate the many parts of credible travel experience; destinations; points of interest and special activities. 

Instead, they rely on operators to use their years of experience, skills, and specific selection of local suppliers to bring imaginative journeys to life.

It is therefore difficult for travel agencies to imagine their presence without a web-based travel distribution network.

Ultimately, in the travel industry, the distribution determines success! So, if you have a distribution line, you'll get more visibility and, in turn, more brand awareness, which will eventually lead to success!

The online travel agency or OTA approach and the robust travel distribution platform have influenced tour operator companies around the world. B2B, B2C platforms, and corporate modules enable travel agencies to meet the needs of their clients with the support of the travel distribution system.

Travel Distribution Software is a tool that allows travel agents to book travel products or services online. B2B platforms can allow travel services to make system bookings. Top travel technologies such as Travelopro develop a reliable and effective travel distribution platform with key features.

With the help of a reliable travel distribution network, you can display your promotional special deals in a system that allows your travel partners to make use of them. In this way, you will be able to generate demand and boost revenue.

To capture even more of the market share for your niche business, explore the distribution channels, and ensure that more users can easily find you online and offline.
 

Technology has changed the travel and tourism industry. From online reservations to consumer contact, the introduction of technological trends to the tourism industry has changed the perceptions of travelers and helped companies have a more immersive experience for their visitors.

Travelopro is a leading travel technology company that provides tour operator software that significantly enhances business tours and activities by allowing better digital customer experience, removing operational headaches, and helping customers increase revenue and the number of sales channels through advanced features such as channel and yield management.

Travelopro provides major tour operators and DMCs with a booking and distribution platform. Our application provides you with an easy-to-use and intuitive interface for managing your bookings, payments, deposits, tracking your sales with reports and analytics and, most importantly, designing and managing your tours and itineraries.

Also, you can build your own distribution network with the distribution feature. This means that you can incorporate agents, resellers, and affiliates and manage them.
 

Travelopro offers a powerful solution for travel companies to help them effectively manage their inventory across a wide network. Many companies have been supported by our proven expertise in API management and integration with GDSs and other distribution systems to scale up operations and grow into various regions.

Travelopro offers you the technology and content you need to build differentiated packages, accelerate your operations, and sell through more profitable channels.

Travelopro, with its Distribution and ERP capabilities, enables major travel providers to aggregate content from multiple third-party suppliers, combine it with their direct contracts, dynamically apply pre-configured business rules and redistribute inventory across all their marketing channels through a unified API.

Our distribution platform is a SOA (Services Oriented Architecture) based solution that enables businesses to scale quickly while offering flexibility to incorporate their existing technology.

Using our unique web-based architecture, they can extract and retrieve data from their existing systems, be it their CRM, accounting system or their PMS / CRS via APIs.
A centralised structure allows it easier for large corporations to manage and control their distribution networks.

Today’s leisure travelers want new experiences. They want more personalized choices. And they want technology to improve every step of searching, buying, enjoying, and sharing their trips.

That's what we help tour operators deliver, with solutions to enhance every part of the leisure packaging value chain.

Create unique, profitable packages

Integrate content from any source, build fixed or dynamic packages effortlessly, and apply business rules to drive more profitable sales.

Grow your distribution reach

Build your B2B distribution, enhance direct sales, and improve traffic acquisition with Travelopro’ cloud-based products and travel software solutions.

Automate and optimize processes

Automate processes, improve business intelligence, and uncover opportunities to generate new revenues and reduce costs.  

The effectiveness of the travel business depends on the supplier network and the overall customer experience on your website. Business strategies must be a win-win for all: travelers, suppliers, and distributors. A diverse list of tours and attractions will draw visitors to different stages, with various interests, profits, and leisure desires. 

Irrespective of the specialized software, there are two ways to making it work: establishing a relationship with end-users or using the inventory of other aggregators. The former requires lots of expenditure, resources, and effort, but could give a great return on investment over resources if done correctly.

When it comes to third-party digital sales of tour and attraction services, it's very quick. Although hotels and airlines have been selling to customers through online distributors partners for more than a decade now, tour and attraction suppliers too have recently adopted this distribution platform.

If suppliers are looking for offline or online distribution partners – like online travel agents or online travel agencies – they can be a great way for tours and attractions to expand their marketing reach and sales potential.

However, when partnering with distributors, suppliers also need to start from a strong position, armed with valuable details, so that they can enter into negotiations. Smart suppliers know how to acquire, but also manage, powerful and effective relationships with their distributor partners.

To discuss your specific travel technology requirements, get in touch with us today.