Viator, a TripAdvisor-owned marketplace for tours and activities, has launched a dedicated booking platform designed specifically for travel agents. This initiative aims to streamline the process for agents to offer and book from Viator’s extensive inventory of over 70,000 experiences worldwide. This move signals a significant shift in how travel agents can access and sell tours and activities, moving towards a more direct and efficient model.
Empowering Travel Agents with Direct Access to Tours and Activities
The newly unveiled platform, Viator For Travel Agents, provides a user-friendly interface for agents to search, select, and book tours and attractions for their clients. Covering a vast range of destinations and interests, from iconic landmarks to unique local experiences, Viator’s platform becomes a powerful tool in the hands of travel professionals. Agents can now directly tap into this massive inventory, offering their clients a broader spectrum of travel options and enhancing their overall travel packages.
Key Features and Benefits for Travel Agents
Viator’s platform is built with the needs of travel agents in mind, offering several key advantages:
- Commission-Based Earnings: Agents earn an 8 percent commission on every booking made through the platform, providing a direct financial incentive for utilizing Viator. Commissions are paid out in the month following the completion of the booked travel experience, ensuring a consistent revenue stream.
- Extensive Inventory: Access to over 70,000 tours and activities globally means agents can cater to diverse client preferences and create truly customized itineraries. This vast selection ranges from popular tourist attractions to niche experiences, ensuring there’s something for every traveler.
- Multi-Currency Support: Transactions are supported in thirteen currencies, simplifying the booking process for agents dealing with international clients and eliminating currency conversion complexities.
- Streamlined Booking Process: The platform simplifies the booking process, making it efficient for agents to secure tours and activities quickly. This ease of use saves agents time and allows them to focus on other aspects of client service.
- Customer Support and Handling: Viator manages all credit card processing and provides comprehensive customer support. This relieves agents of the burden of payment processing and direct customer service related to the booked activities, allowing them to focus on sales and client relationship management.
- Low-Price Guarantee: Viator assures competitive pricing with a “low-price guarantee.” If an agent or client finds a lower price for the same activity elsewhere, Viator will refund the difference. This guarantee builds confidence and assures agents they are offering competitively priced options.
- Rate Parity: Viator requires tour operators to provide their most competitive rates, ensuring that agents are accessing the best possible deals. This commitment to rate parity further enhances the value proposition for travel agents using the platform.
Viator’s Platform vs. Traditional Distribution Channels
Historically, the distribution of tours and activities has been fragmented and often relied on intermediaries. Viator’s direct platform for travel agents presents an alternative to traditional Global Distribution Systems (GDS), which have not fully integrated activities into their offerings due to complexities in real-time booking and content management. By offering a direct, commissionable platform, Viator is addressing this gap and providing a more streamlined and lucrative avenue for agents compared to navigating multiple suppliers or less efficient systems.
Positive Reception and Industry Impact
Viator reported positive early feedback from “thousands” of agents who tested the platform prior to its public launch. This positive reception indicates a strong industry need for such a tool and suggests that Viator for Travel Agents is poised to become a valuable resource for travel professionals. As the first major consumer-facing aggregator to offer this direct booking capability, Viator is setting a new precedent in the tours and activities sector, potentially influencing competitors like PlacePass, GetYourGuide, and even Airbnb Experiences to adapt and innovate in their approach to travel agents.
Travel agents booking tours and activities for clients through Viator platform.
Looking Ahead: Viator’s Commitment to the Travel Agent Community
Viator’s launch of this dedicated platform underscores its commitment to partnering with the travel agent community. By providing a direct, efficient, and commission-based booking solution, Viator is empowering agents to enhance their service offerings, increase their revenue potential, and remain competitive in a dynamic travel landscape. This initiative signals a significant step towards bridging the gap between online tour and activity marketplaces and traditional travel distribution channels, ultimately benefiting both travel agents and their clients.
