offline vs online travel agent

Pros and cons of an online Travel agency vs. offline travel agency

What is the difference between an online travel agency and an offline travel agency? We will look at the pros and cons of online travel agencies vs. offline travel agencies

By Jessica Freedman

February 9, 2024

As travel managers constantly look for ways to optimize their corporate travel programs, part of doing so is understanding the differences between going digital or taking your travel management needs offline. In this explanatory guide, we will look at the pros and cons of online travel agencies vs. offline travel agencies so that you are prepared to understand the differences in order to choose the travel booking tool and management system that is most suitable for your company.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is a TMC?

What is an OTA?

Pros and cons of online travel agencies, offline travel agencies, pros and cons of offline travel agencies, how to choose the best corporate travel platform.

Let’s start with a short introduction to some simple terminology to give you a guiding hand.

Types of online booking tools

For starters, to recognize the difference between online travel agencies and offline, it’s important to understand that there is a wide range of online booking tools available for travel. Let’s take a look at the different types:

Travel aggregators

Corporate online booking tools, direct bookings, travel agencies.

Travel aggregators are websites that essentially consolidate the travel offers and prices from multiple sources all in one place. This allows users to book at the lowest prices based on the results listed in the search results. This helps users find the best prices out of all the results the aggregator has found. This way it is easy for consumers to know that they are booking at the lowest price possible.

TMCs like BCD (which we will discuss more in detail below) can function as a travel aggregator. For instance, for hotel bookings, TMCs combine GDS content with content from Expedia, Booking.com, HRS, and others offering this all together in a mobile app or website. In the case of AMEX, they have a proprietary online booking tool, called KDS, which also serves as a travel aggregation tool.

 When it comes to business travel, corporate online booking tools are frequently used by businesses to keep a hand on their business travelers. Corporate online booking tools are ideal for keeping track of trips, travel spend, and ultimately streamlining business travel.  GetGoing  and Booking.com for business are examples of corporate online booking tools, as well as EHI Direct .

Direct bookings are carried out by going directly to the airline, hotel, train or rental car company’s respective sites and booking directly instead of through a third party.

We will look more at online travel agencies, or OTAs below, but the idea is that you can get access to travel inventory all in one place. Online travel agencies are the most common way of booking online travel.

What is a TMC?

A TMC, or a Travel Management Company uses a Global Distribution System (GDS) as a travel booking tool. TMCs started before the boom of online travel. Travel was booked in a traditional way via telephone or email and then arrangements were made by travel agents.

Nonetheless, TMCS have evolved since their beginnings, investing in making business travel more digital even though they still have a way to come in terms of technology. TMCs offer the value of industry experience while offering more personal service through their agents. TMCs integrate custom-built booking  preferences to give business travelers the best choices within their travel  policy , allowing them to compare options. As a travel manager you can work with your TMC to decide how you want to set up your business travel program.

A TMC like BCD Travel, AMEX, and CWT can help companies make the most of their travel in general beyond just booking travel. They can give a helping hand with cost analysis, reporting, duty of care, etc., but that isn’t to say that an online travel agency won’t provide you with data reports of your travel spend.

Full-service business and corporate travel management companies can help optimize, manage and improve your business travel, ensuring you adhere to your travel policy, and providing seamless booking experiences, while offering a hand with travel data, allowing you to optimize your travel spend and costs to make the most out of your business travel program.

OTAs, or online travel agencies offer customers the possibility to book their travel online. OTAs started in 1996 with Travelocity being the first online travel agency. Most of them started off with a strong digital product and platform and added agent support/service as an added benefit.

They are third party agents who sell services on behalf of airlines, hotels, car rental companies, tour operators and others. They arrange and sell accommodations, tours, transportation and trips on an online platform for travelers. Some well-known travel platforms such as Booking or Expedia act both as travel agencies and tour operators allowing customers to read reviews to decide where to stay, and also book package holidays.

Several online travel agencies are only customer-facing, like the above examples, whereas other OTAs can service both B2B and B2C like Booking.com, which offers services for business clients as well as regular customers. On the other hand, OTAs like  GetGoing   and Travel Perk are designed exclusively with Business travelers in mind .

What is an online travel agent?

An online travel agent is an OTA that is part of web-based platform that allows users to book travel services over the internet. Online travel agents are intermediaries between travelers and service providers like airlines, hotels, car rental companies and tour operators. They provide a central platform to book, compare and search for travel arrangements, whether it be for business or leisure.

OTAs have a big market share

The global business travel market is a  $695.9 billion industry as of 2020 , and is expected to reach $2,001.1 billion by 2028. Whereas the online travel market is a $433.2 billion dollar industry, with the revenue share of online sales in the global travel and tourism market at 66% (according to a study by  Statista.com ).

As can be noted by the 66% market share of online travel sales, the great majority of reservations are being made via online travel agencies, and for this reason, OTAs have become an important distribution channel for tourism businesses. While OTAs are often used to book holidays and leisure trips, there are also online travel agencies, known as Travel Management Companies, or TMCs that have the same functionality as OTAs but are primarily used by companies or businesses.

Advantages and disadvantages of online travel agency

An online travel agency is convenient, has a wide range of options, allows you to easily compare prices, can be a great way to see reviews and ratings from other users, gives special deals and discounts and is available 24/7. Some disadvantages of an online travel agency is that there may be hidden fees, you have less leeway for personalization, customer service is harder to track down, and there is less flexibility.

Now that you have a better idea of some of the basic terminology, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of an online travel agency, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of an online travel agency.

online travel agency

1. an online travel agency is self-service .

Online travel agencies are a way to self-manage your travel needs. They have an integrated online booking tool that allows you to make travel arrangements, make cancellations, manage bookings and do everything that a brick and mortar travel agency would let you do with the convenience and benefits of a self-service approach. 

2. Keep track and manage travel expenses

In addition to being self-service, as a travel manager, with an online travel agency or TMC you can keep track of your travel spend and optimize your expenses while at the same time automating your travel policy so that travelers will be notified when their travel expenses are out of policy, and ensuring that you stay on budget.

3. Increased productivity

Working with an online travel agency leads to more productivity because you spend less time managing your trips. All your trip information is conveniently stored in your profile so that you can manage, edit and cancel hotel bookings, car rentals, train bookings as necessary. This means that in the case of travel managers, you can work with the OTA to automate your travel policy, which takes the automated work out of the hands of you and your travelers.

4. Help keep travelers safe

In the case of an online travel platform like GetGoing, you can have added assistance in keeping your traveler’s safe thanks to built-in AI technology that prefers the safe travel options, like not passing through high-risk countries, helping to fulfill your duty of care. You can also have access to traveler tracking and emergency support in the case of need. 

1. Less personal

While online provides great convenience, one of the cons is that it is less personal, lacking the personal touch of an in-person offline travel agency. Of course there is always the possibility to call, chat or speak to a representative, it’s not the same as a face-to-face encounter, especially for managing business.

2. Less hand-holding

For those inexperienced travelers, online travel agencies can be more “do-it-yourself” meaning that there is less hand-holding if you need it . This can take away from productivity because travelers must evaluate the options themselves, rather than having a TMC that can give you a helping hand. A TMC would be able to discover the most effective (and safest options), meaning less layovers in potentially risky countries.

3. Hard to get around the rules

When you are working with an offline agency it’s easier to bend the rules or get around travel provider’s policies. TMCs can oftentimes make changes to bookings without charges that travelers or travel managers on their own wouldn’t be able to do thanks to their business relationships with the providers.

Now that we’ve looked in depth at online travel agencies, let’s take a look at offline travel agencies, including their pros and cons.

What is an offline travel agency?

Offline Travel Agencies are travel agencies, including corporate travel departments, who operate from “brick and mortar” offices. This means that they have physical offices rather than operating as an OTA with only a website. Customers typically call or go to their offices to get travel-related services, which they provide using a GDS like Galileo. An offline travel agency usually has a team of travel agents who can help clients book flights, hotels, car rentals and other travel services.

While it’s true online travel agencies have gained popularity for their convenience, there are still many who prefer the personalized service provided by a face-to-face interactions at offline travel agencies. Offline travel agencies may cater to a specific market or specialize in certain kind of travel, i.e., business travel, group trips, leisure travel, etc. and this kind of assistance and hand-holding may give clients a sense of reassurance.

Advantages and disadvantages of offline travel agency

An offline travel agency has its advantages like the ability to get expert advice, personalized service, the face-to-face component, the ease of problem resolution, and the convenience of being hand-held along the process of booking travel. However, there are also some disadvantages like limited accessibility, potentially higher costs, limited choices, time-consuming, constraints on availability of store hours, and perhaps less transparency.

Now that you have a better idea of what an offline travel agency does, as well as the advantages and disadvantages, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons.

offline travel agency

1. it’s more personal.

As much as we move more and more towards a digital-first approach, there is still an element of face-to-face contact that can’t be replaced. This is one of the main pros of an offline agency, being able to meet in person to book travel and even design your corporate travel program. Also for the travel agency, it’s easier to cater to the traveler’s needs, and really understand what they are looking for.

2. Enhanced service

Since online agencies tend to be more self-service, it can be argued that offline agencies offer enhanced services. Trip planning, including more complex routings or integrated travel booking, which include multiple forms of transport, accommodation and leisure activities can be more easily managed with an offline travel agency, setting them apart from their offline counterparts.

3. It’s more inclusive 

While for the purposes of this article, we are more focused towards business travel, it goes without saying that offline travel agencies are more inclusive. According to a study by the UN’s ICT agency, an estimated 37% of the world’s population (2.9 billion people) have never used the Internet. For that reason, in underdeveloped countries, an offline travel agency is still crucial in order to service this part of the population.

1. Not as flexible

With an offline travel agency, you must adhere to business hours in order to make your business travel plans. If it’s late at night and you are working after hours to plan your business trip, this means you’ll have to wait until the next business day to book your trip. 

2. Less technology-forward

Of course, offline travel agencies use technology like GDS to book your travel, it goes without saying that a traditional offline travel agency is less technologically advanced. Unlike online agencies, they don’t have to rely on technology or even have a fast website to help make travel plans. Since they are dealing with external systems for the most part, there is no precedent for having a technologically-forward website. 

3. Less efficient

While it can be efficient to work with an offline agency when you are booking complex trips with multiple providers, it can be less efficient for everyday use. With OTAs, all the information is readily available making it quick and efficient to book a trip. In the case of going offline, you have to rely on the help of an agent to take care of your everyday travel needs, which can be less efficient than handling travel plans on your own.

Now that you’ve fully understood the pros and cons of an online travel agency vs. an offline travel agency, here are some tips to choose a corporate travel platform that’s right for you.

• Look for balance between online technology with offline support
• Ease of creating your travel policy
• Safety first
• Simple approach to data
• Allows you to save money

1. Look for balance between online technology with offline support

This means that you have a tool that has all the functionalities of an online travel platform, but with expert service and assistance when you need it most. Sometimes business travel doesn’t go as planned; there might be delays, lost luggage, long wait times, cancellations, overbookings or a wide range of other issues. This is why you need to have a support system in place that is ready to help when the going gets tough. At GetGoing you have the ease of digital but with the guarantee of 24/7 service when you need it.   This way you can travel worry-free knowing that an expert is there to lend you a hand if any of these unexpected circumstances arise.

2. Ease of creating your travel policy

When it comes to creating your travel policy, you want to find a travel management company that will support you in creating a policy that allows you to save money, protect your travelers and optimize your business travel. This is why you should look for a TMC that allows you to automate your travel policy . Automation is at the core of productivity and by optimizing your travel policy, you can also save money. 

3. Safety first

Whether you decide to go with an online travel agency or an offline travel agency, ensure that your traveler’s safety is first and foremost. This means that you should be able to offer certain security measures to your travelers so that as business travel slowly recovers, they feel safe to get going. 

4. Simple approach to data

Not everyone on your team is data-savvy, so you want to find a corporate travel management system that makes understanding data easy. Whether you’re a Finance manager , an HR or Office Manager , you need to have a system that allows you to visualize your data, including travel spend, seeing how much travel is booked within your travel policy, and using detailed reports to optimize routes, supplier relations and keep your travelers happy. Having data at your fingertips is the best way to optimize your business travel program. 

5. Allows you to save money

While optimizing your travel program, and understanding your data, you will without a doubt save money.  However, another very important part of business travel is having access to corporate travel deals . Not only does having access to deals save you money, but your staff will also be more productive because they don’t have to look in a million different places for the best deals. 

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The Pros and Cons of Booking Through Online Travel Agencies

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You’re likely already familiar with online travel agencies, even if you don’t travel often. These companies — such as Priceline , Expedia and Orbitz — act as intermediaries between you and a travel provider.

Booking your travel through an OTA can be a good idea in some circumstances, but you’ll want to be wary of its pitfalls. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of online travel agencies, so you’ll know what to use to book your next vacation.

Pros of booking through online travel agencies

There are certainly advantages booking through online travel agencies, though you’ll find different experiences whether you’re using public OTAs — such as Kayak — or private ones like those offered by your card issuer, such as the Chase's travel portal .

✅ It may be cheaper

When searching for flights online, you may see different prices for the same routes that vary across websites. Although it may be a result of fare type — for example, some search results may not clarify that a fare is basic economy rather than main cabin or economy — other times, the difference comes down to competition for your business.

Online travel services will often offer slightly lower prices on flights in an effort to entice you as a customer. This is true for both hotels and airlines.

» Learn more: Best credit cards for online travel-booking websites

✅ It can earn you more rewards

Have you ever heard of shopping portals ? By logging into a shopping portal, you can earn rewards for purchases made with many online merchants. Some hotel chains, such as Hilton , Marriott and IHG , can be accessed through shopping portals while still booking directly on the hotel website. In this way, you can earn rewards with the hotel directly as well as with the shopping portal.

The same isn’t true for shopping portals and most airline sites. However, many public online travel agencies are accessible through shopping portals, which can then earn you rewards for airfare bookings. By opting to book in this way, you’ll be able to earn points or cash-back rewards through the shopping portal that you’d otherwise miss.

Some card issuers will also reward you heavily when using their online travel services. Clear examples of this can be seen with Capital One and Chase. With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , for example, you’ll get 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel .

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is similar. With this card, you can get 10 Ultimate Rewards® points per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Chase's portal.

While these numbers are high, it’s important to remember that there are trade-offs when booking through an OTA rather than directly with a hotel or airline. We’ll get into that a little later.

Online travel agencies offered by your card issuer may not feature the same prices as booking directly; you’ll want to compare these before committing to a purchase.

Some card issuers will go so far as to give your points more value when redeeming through their online travel agencies.

This is true with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . When redeeming points on Chase's travel portal, you’ll get 1.25 cents in value per point rather than 1 cent elsewhere.

» Learn more: How much are your airline miles and hotel points worth this year?

Cons of booking through online travel agencies

There are several downsides when it comes to using online travel services for booking travel. It mainly comes down to the fact that travel providers prefer that you book directly with them — and offer more perks to woo your business.

❌ It can be harder to change a booking

Ever needed to change a flight after it's booked? No matter the reason, attempting to alter or otherwise cancel a flight can be a hassle — especially if you’ve booked through a third party.

Generally speaking, rather than offering you direct assistance, both hotels and airlines will recommend you contact the online travel agency you’ve booked with in order to make any changes.

While you may be able to make changes or get refunds with the travel agency, airlines and hotels can — and will — offer much more flexibility when you’ve booked with them directly. You may also be subject to additional fees charged by the online travel agency, which can erase any savings you’ve received.

❌ You may not receive elite benefits

This is the real kicker for anyone wanting elite status. Although airlines will almost always recognize your elite status and allow you to earn miles even for bookings made through an online travel agency, hotels and rental car companies will not.

This is especially important for hotel chains. Earning elite status with hotels generally relies on elite night credits. Although these can be earned in a variety of ways — including having complimentary status by holding certain credit cards — the main method of acquiring elite night credits is by spending nights in hotels. Rooms booked through an online travel agency do not count toward elite status as elite night credits.

Additionally, you will not receive any of the benefits of your existing elite status if your booking is through a third party. This can mean the loss of perks such as room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and even free Wi-Fi.

» Learn more: The best airline and hotel rewards loyalty programs this year

❌ It may be more expensive

Did you know that many hotel chains have best price guarantees? Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and IHG all have a guarantee that’ll give you either points or a discount if you find a better rate elsewhere.

These guarantees are generous; Hilton, for example, will match the rate and then discount it by a further 25%.

Although you’ll need to file claims for these guarantees and they face limitations — such as a 24-hour window from when you made the booking — you can save a lot of money on your stay if your request is approved.

Online travel agencies can be hit or miss

There are two sides to every coin and this is no different, as there are several benefits and limitations of online travel services. Depending on your needs and loyalty program status, you’ll want to choose whether to book directly with a travel provider or rely on OTAs to do the job for you.

Booking travel through credit card portals from issuers like Chase and Capital One can earn you big rewards. But if you anticipate altering your travel plans or aim to earn elite status instead, booking directly is the way to go.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Online Travel Agents Vs. Offline Travel Agents

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The travel industry is filled with travel agents and sellers, some of whom make their money via online sites and some who walk a more traditional path. If you are considering entering a career as a travel agent, you will have to choose which type of company to work for. Online travel agents can choose to work for one of several giants of the industry, while offline travel agents may end up specializing in personal service without the help of all the technology.

Independent Agencies

Independent agencies operate with a small group of agents and no larger nationwide affiliation. Independent agencies may have websites, but they will do the majority of their selling via face-to-face consultations in brick and mortar storefronts. Legwork, word-of-mouth and local advertising are the driving forces behind independent agency success. Agents work on a commission basis with a small base salary and typically provide specialized services and travel advice to their niche audience. Far from the large scale operations of national agencies and online sellers, independent agencies may have only a token online presence, if any at all. Instead, independent agencies and the agents who work for them rely on repeat customers and relationships to be successful.

Major Players Online

Online travel agents include some of the largest travel sellers in the world. Instead of providing one-on-one consultation and service, online sellers focus on discounted rates and fast self-service models that allow customers to create their own trips as one-offs or package deals. Travel agents who work with online sellers do the majority of their work contracting and promoting products which then are sold online without the help of an agent. Agents are required to perform customer care and may do some sales over the phone, but the Web system carries the bulk of the load and makes most of the sales all on its own.

National Agencies

National agencies take the independent model to the next level with a chain of storefronts spread out across the country and sometimes beyond. National agencies have an online presence but are built on in-person consultation and sales. National agencies enjoy some of the purchasing power, marketing reach and sales numbers of the large online players, but tend to carry more overhead and smaller margins, by comparison. Agents who work for national agencies are paid a base salary and a small commission on each product sold based on monthly goals and up-sell. Travel insurance tends to be a major money maker and the most profitable item for those who choose to work with national agencies.

Working Solo

Independent at-home travel agents can work online or off. They are not affiliated with any larger company and typically specialize in a given region or category of travel. Truly independent agents are lone wolves who rarely venture into the online world of travel since the presence of major brands and the glut of advertising makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compete. Instead, independent travel agents typically find a specialty that they do better than others and make that the hallmark of the business. Major companies may have money and reach, but they often lack the flexibility and speed of an independent agent. This creates an opening for in-person, on-the-ground selling that works well without Internet involvement except for booking and communication purposes.

Robert Morello has an extensive travel, marketing and business background. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 2002 and has worked in travel as a guide, corporate senior marketing and product manager and travel consultant/expert. Morello is a professional writer and adjunct professor of travel and tourism.

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Travel Agent vs. Booking Online: What Is More Reliable?

Should You Book Online or Use a Travel Agent?

Are you planning a big trip soon? Before you start packing your bags, you need to figure out how to book your airfares and accommodation. Thanks to the internet and online booking technology, you no longer have to hire a travel agent, but does that mean you should always book online? In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of both options! 

Differences Between Booking Online and Travel Agents

Travel agents are brokers who help travelers find the best accommodation, airfares, transport, and activities. Travel agents can book everything for you, from flights and hotels to concert tickets and more! These travel experts can also advise on where to go, where to stay, sights you need to see, and more. They can use their skills and relationships with hotels and airlines to plan an incredible trip for you. 

In contrast to letting a travel agent handle all the logistics, you can hop online and book everything yourself. You can now go to a hotel or airline’s site and book directly with them, or you can use an online travel agent such as Booking.com or Expedia. Thanks to the internet and online booking technology, you can play the role of your agent, but before you start booking flights and hotels, check out the pros and cons of both options below!

Pros Of Using Travel Agent

Before you book that around-the-world trip all by yourself, consider using a travel agent. Here are the top reasons why millions of people prefer using travel agents!

• Exclusive deals  – Travel agents can often get you deals that you can’t find on the internet. They are especially skilled at finding you all-inclusive package options where your flights, hotels, and entertainment are combined for an amazing below-market price. Hiring travel agents can leverage their relationship with airlines and hotels to put together packages with unbeatable prices.
• Save efforts – It can be a massive headache jumping from one airline to another looking for a good flight. And then trying to book hotels can also be a nightmare; it is easy to lose hours of your life scrolling through Booking.com! Luckily, you can tell your travel agent exactly what you want; for example, you want to go to Rome and Paris on these dates, you want a mid-range hotel in the center of the city, and here is your budget. Then your agent will handle everything! 
• Provide expert advice – Travel agents don’t just help you book your dream trip; they can also offer advice and tips. They know where the best locations are, what the best hotels are, and which airlines to avoid. With a travel agent’s expert advice, you can discover places you never thought of visiting, stay at incredible hotels and have a once-in-a-lifetime trip! 

Cons Of Using Travel Agent

While travel agents do offer some unique advantages over booking online, they also have a few cons; check them out below:

• Not in complete control – While using a travel agent service may save you time, it also involves entrusting a 3rd party to book your trip. Using a travel agent may not be suitable if you like to be hands-on and are very particular about things. 
• Finding a trustworthy company is not always easy – While there are a lot of travel agents out there, many cannot provide significantly better deals than booking directly with hotels and airlines. Also, it is not uncommon for travel agents to make mistakes, such as booking the incorrect date or choosing the wrong hotel.
• Not suitable for quick trips – If you wake up one day and decide you want to go to London next week, then you are betting off booking online. Travel agents are often unable to accommodate spontaneous trips and need some time to sort out your travel logistics.

Pros Of Booking Online

Now you know the pros and cons of using a travel agent, it is time to check out the advantages of booking online:

• Faster – If you know exactly where you want to go and when it is typically faster to book online. You can hop an airline’s site and book your flight in a couple of minutes, and then do the same for a hotel. You don’t need to waste your time calling up travel agents, visiting physical offices, and chatting about different offers. Save time by just booking online!
• Lower cost – Sometimes, it is much cheaper to book online than use a travel agent. Travel agents usually can offer great deals on packaged holidays to touristy destinations such as the Maldives or Greece. However, if you are planning a week in New York and then a week in LA, they often can’t compete, and it makes sense to book online. 
• Book whenever you like – The beauty of the internet is that it is limitless! If you want to book your flight and hotel at 2 am, you can! You don’t have to wait for office hours from Monday to Friday to book your dream holiday.
• Complete control of your trip – When booking online, you don’t have to cede control of your travel logistics over to someone else. Whenever you add additional people to a task, it increases the risk of miscommunication. If you book everything yourself, you don’t have to worry about your travel agent booking the wrong hotel or airline or selecting an incorrect date! 

Cons Of Booking Online

Don’t go booking online just yet! Make sure you consider these disadvantages prior to whipping out your credit card and booking everything yourself:

• Easy to make mistakes – Booking hotels and tours in countries halfway across the world that you have never been to before is difficult. A few pictures and online reviews are often not enough to determine if a place is good or not. This is where travel agents can really shine by offering their expert advice!
• Customer service can be poor – Unfortunately, online travel agents are known for their horrendous customer service. It can be almost impossible to speak to someone if something goes wrong, and getting a timely refund can be a nightmare. 
• You need internet – If you are a little more old school and prefer to call your travel agent or go to a physical location, online booking is not for you!
• Too many options – It can be a little intimidating going online and seeing 30 different flights, hundreds of cities, and hotels. It is easy to develop decision paralysis and conclude it is all too difficult. Travel agents can simplify the process by coming up with 3 to 5 amazing options for you.

Final Thoughts

After cruising through this article, you should now have a pretty good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of using travel agents to book online. We recommend you contact several travel agents and see what offers they have and then compare them with the online booking prices and choose the best!

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Online vs offline travel agent, which is better?

• Post author By
• Post date December 7, 2021

In the competition between online vs offline travel agents, technology continues to define the rules of the travel game while the human interface is witnessing an upsurge like never before. Is this the era of interdependent co-existence?

Riding the internet waves

The travel and tourism industry is among the early adopters of digital transformation, and the writing is on the wall. Travelers have been quick on the uptake. The percentage of travel bookings made online via a mobile app or website has risen sharply over the last decade.

Market research by Statistica shows that in 2020, 65% of worldwide sales in tourism and travel were made online. Further, the Statista Mobility Market Outlook estimates that online sales would rise to 72% by 2025. The tech-powered travel landscape is expected to evolve even more with the onset of Virtual Reality, AI-powered applications, and ChatBots.

Hooked to online

The need to click-and-go governs every aspect of our personal, professional, and social lives. Travel is no different. The control and convenience of online booking have dramatically altered the way we make our travel decisions. The freedom and ease of trip research, booking flights, and reserving accommodation are a breeze thanks to the digital experience.

All one needs is a smartphone or a desktop. Tracking prices, shopping for discounts, deals, and Internet-only offers have transferred the power into our hands. We can decide on destinations, pick ‘fly and stay’ combos and accommodation to suit various preferences.

Making, changing, or canceling reservations at the last minute is a cakewalk. But even the best of system offers partial solutions. We spend hours and days doing travel research, fine-tuning itineraries and finding experiences or tours to carve out a dream holiday. This is the gap that intelligent, dynamic packaging aims to fill.

Airlines, train operators, and hotels have started selling vacations. Holiday planners are helping customers book travel, accommodation, car rental, luggage services, and even museum tickets with a single transaction. Industry gurus foresee a more ‘democratized’ future, where allied businesses, say a winery, would be able to use big data and Application Programming Interface (API) to add a travel booking function on a website. Dynamic packages will help OTAs and online tour operators achieve consistently high margins and the traveler to reduce effort. It will be a win-win for all.

Seeking a safety net

Online travel aggregators and travel supplier web portals have changed our approach to travel in the internet era. The trusted travel agency of the past does not command the chunk of the market as far as ticketing and reservations for leisure and business is concerned, but the importance of travel advisory is going through a revival post-Covid.

Travelers are looking for a safety net, a fallback to deal with unforeseen emergencies, impart destination expertise, fulfill special requests and build in value-added benefits out of the reach of self-service. A research study conducted by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and Sandals Resorts reveals that 44% of U.S.A travelers who rarely or sometimes used travel advisors said they were now more likely to use one post-pandemic.

Further, 55% of those who have never used advisors said they would use one if it meant access to the advisor’s personal relationships and insider perks.

With ongoing uncertainty and quarantine rules changing frequently, travel advisors are becoming irreplaceable sources of information. Travel inspiration on secluded locations, insider deals, updates on latest health and safety standards, news on health policies or re-bookings, they have everything covered. Tour companies and hotels are revisiting collaborations with travel advisors to influence travelers. Because now, more than ever before, travel choices are being thought through on parameters of safety, quality, and exclusivity, not just the lowest price tag. 

Convenience? Comfort? Both

In a recent Tripadvisor study, 74% of travelers surveyed globally said they will spend more time choosing a destination this year. 63% of travelers in the U.S.A said they will spend more time selecting their accommodation, and 70% will spend more time finding things to do. While digital self-service will retain its allure, the new age traveler will get increasingly discerning, both in terms of conveniences and comforts. 

Personalization will play a crucial role in the travel industry as delivering relevant news and content for bettering user experience becomes a focal point of the digital transformation strategy. A good example is micro travels focused on a particular interest like camping holidays or culinary journeys. Offerings are being customized for better impact by using big data of traveler habits, like favorite destinations or airline preferences. 

Sending personalized emails to engage travelers and keep them informed about trends is another example. Travel agencies that move away from a cookie-cutter mode to make a difference for the traveler will have a distinct edge. 

The need of the hour is to blend the convenience of technology with the comfort of the human touch.

Recommended Read:

• 20 Powerful Marketing Ideas For Your Travel Agency
• How To Become A Travel Agent From Home in 7 Steps
• Guided Steps on How to Create a Travel Website
• https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1239068/sales-channels-travel-tourism-worldwide
• https://skift.com/2021/05/05/nearly-half-of-u-s-travelers-plan-to-use-travel-advisors-post-pandemic-survey-shows/
• https://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.2021TravelTrends
• Tags Digital Travel , operating system , Travel Advisor , Travel agent , Travel Planning , Whitelabel

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A complete guide to all the OTAs

Online Travel Agencies (OTA) are a key component for tour and attraction operators — but with so many of them available, how do you know which one to choose?

Even as travel suppliers start to move away from OTAs to focus on direct bookings, these massive online marketplaces can still help your company reach tons of new customers. This is particularly true for newer tour businesses.

In this post, we’ll explain exactly what is an Online Travel Agency and which ones your company might consider joining.

• What are online travel agencies?

What’s the difference between offline and online travel agencies?

• Is it worth it to list your tours and experiences on OTAs?

Top 22 OTAs

1. getyourguide, 2. touriosity, 5. musement, 6. expedia local expert, 7. airbnb experiences, 8. google things to do, 9. tourradar, 10. travelzoo, 11. thrillophilia, 13. booking.com, 15. trip.com, 16. hostelworld, 17. edreams, 18. despegar, 19. tripways, 21. tripshock, 22. adrenaline, what are online travel agencies .

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are online marketplaces where travelers can research and book their trips. These marketplaces are a key distribution channel for tour and attraction operators because they help expose their products to a wide network of internet browsers.

There are over 400 OTAs today, including all global OTAs, metasearch engines, hostel websites, vacation home rentals, and tour and activity resellers. This includes companies like Expedia, Priceline, and Booking.com that sell everything from flights and hotel stays to local tours and attraction tickets online.

These platforms are very common within the hotel industry; potential guests will often check OTA websites to find the best deal before booking directly with the hotel. Yet many of them also have a robust tours and activities section, where travelers can sift through hundreds of options from different companies in the cities they’re visiting.

That being said, OTAs have become the most preferred medium for travel bookings in the world. It’s never been easier for travelers to find things to do in a destination, read reviews, and compare prices. Research shows that price is, in fact, one of the biggest motivators. Notably, 45% of U.S. travelers who purchased an attraction ticket through an OTA did so because they thought that the platform offered the best ticket price available.

In the tours and activities space, the most well-known OTAs are Viator, Expedia, Google Things to Do, GetYourGuide, and Airbnb Experiences. Tour companies and attractions often list their offerings with one of these OTAs to increase their exposure and bring in more bookings.

Meanwhile, the hospitality industry — as well as smaller travel brands like tours and attractions — are investing in marketing campaigns to drive more direct bookings. While listing your experiences is free, you’ll pay a commission fee for every booking made through the platform.

How do OTAs work?

There are dozens of different OTAs , from niche platforms like Adrenaline — which caters to adventure travel activities — to massive agencies like Expedia.

The first step is to choose the one that best fits your company’s needs.

Then, you’ll need to go through an application process to become a supplier of that OTA. Signing up is typically free. The process consists of an online questionnaire where you’ll describe your tour offerings and prices. You’ll also upload photos to visually showcase your experience and come up with a catchy title and description for your experience(s). 

Then, a representative should reach out to negotiate commission fees, unless a standard fee is already in place.

Your tours or attraction will then be listed on the platform. Every time a guest searches for a related activity on the platform, your company will be among the search results.

Every OTA has a search algorithm that determines where your listings will appear in search results. It’s up to you to familiarize yourself with that algorithm and make the necessary improvements to your listing so that it reaches more people.

Once your listing is up, guests can book experiences or purchase tickets through the platform. Here’s the catch: You’ll need to pay the OTA a commission fee for every booking.

Offline travel agencies were the go-to source for travel booking two to three decades ago. These agencies often had brick-and-mortar locations helmed by physical travel agents.

These agents would book hotels, flights, and more on behalf of the traveler.

Most travel agents had years of experience and many brand partners in the travel industry. This allowed them to find and negotiate the best possible deals for their customers. Many times, travel agents could put together trip packages that included accommodation, transportation, and activities for a discounted rate.

At a time when online booking wasn’t available, travelers would turn to these agents to do the work for them.

Offline travel agencies still exist today, though they’re now focused more on luxury trips or special itineraries like honeymoons.

Most modern-day travelers have taken a do-it-yourself approach to travel planning. They prefer to book their trips themselves usually with the help of OTAs, where they can browse through hotel, flight, and activity deals themselves.

Is it worth it to list your tours and experiences on OTAs? 

There debate between direct bookings vs. OTA bookings will always exist. There’s no denying that your brand can increase its visibility by working with an OTA, but it’ll come at a cost.

For example, if you list your experience on an OTA like Viator — which is part of the Tripadvisor distribution network that receives over 455 million monthly visitors — your tours will likely reach a lot of travelers.

OTAs have massive marketing budgets to bring in as many eyes to their listings as possible. Since they only make a commission on actual purchases, it’s in their best interest to drive as many bookings as possible.

They market their tours on an international scale and many translate their listings into several languages.

Yet the number of travelers that actually see your tours or attractions depends on your ranking within the platform. Every OTA uses an algorithm to rank tour and activity listings in search results. As a supplier, you need to familiarize yourself with that algorithm so that you know how to improve your ranking.

OTAs can also help you collect customer reviews. These agencies know that travelers are drawn to their platforms to compare activity options, and reviews / social proof play a big role in that. There are often tools that encourage guests to leave reviews after their experience.

How do OTA commission rates work?

Relying on OTAs does come at a cost. Most OTAs make money off of each completed booking, including every flight, hotel room, rental car, tour, or event ticket purchased through the website.

Average commission rates range from 20% to 25% — but can be even higher on some platforms. You’ll likely have a chance to negotiate a rate with the platform before signing up.

Many of these platforms also insist that you list your tours for the same price or lower than what’s listed on your website. This is because they don’t want your website to compete with their platform by offering a discounted rate.

While OTAs can help you reach more people, you shouldn’t rely on them for 100% of your online bookings.

How will ChatGPT impact OTAs?

The travel industry is carefully paying attention to ChatGPT, a free artificial intelligence chatbot that can perform an outstanding number of tasks, like holding human-like conversations, writing code, and — most notably – planning trip itineraries.

There’s no denying that the chatbot can assist travelers with itinerary planning. One travel writer already tested it for a familymoon trip to Denmark.

Meanwhile, large OTAs like Expedia and Booking.com have leveraged AI technology to streamline their online booking services for some time now. Expedia’s chatbots, for example, have supported 29 million virtual conversations in recent years, saving over 8 million hours of agent time. And they plan to use ChatGPT to get further ahead in the online booking space.

Now, Expedia hopes to tap into ChatGPT’s advanced technology to help travelers narrow down their hotel search. The company has created a plugin that can research travel costs and suggest resorts and local activities based on traveler preferences.

Meanwhile, Hopper, a platform for finding cheap flights, aims to use the chatbot for concierge-like services, hoping to further personalize the customer booking experience.

Many travel companies see OTAs as a necessary component of their digital marketing, distribution strategy, and overall business model.

Yet there are hundreds of small OTAs that cater to specific regions, travel niches, and activity types. There’s a total of 10 companies that dominate most of the market. The top two — Expedia Group and Booking Holdings — control the largest portion.

 If you’re not sure which OTA to work with, here’s a list of the top 22 OTAs on the travel market.

GetYourGuide launched in 2009 as an OTA specializing in travel activities and experiences. The platform sells tours, attraction tickets, city cards, cooking classes, transfers, multi-day tours, and special travel items like Wi-Fi sticks or experiences like wearing traditional costumes. The platform today has over 60,000 bookable activities.

Touriosity is a Scottish nonprofit that takes zero commission from suppliers. Instead, it charges an upfront fee to list your offerings on the platform. The idea is to help suppliers grow their direct bookings while complimenting their own digital marketing efforts, according to the platform. To join, tour and attraction operators who want to join the project must have their business rated at least 4 stars on TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook, and also register on the website.

Tripadvisor purchased Viator in 2014 to offer its users an easy way to book tours and activities. Today, Viator is one of the leading OTAs in the tours and attractions space, with more than 140,000 bookable activities. The website receives over 450 million unique monthly visitors through Tripadvisor’s expansive distribution network.

Klook is a travel experience booking platform based in Hong Kong. The website and app are popular with solo and independent travelers making their way through Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. The OTA now has a growing audience in parts of Europe and the U.S., too.

Musement allows travelers to book local tours and attractions, including temporary, exclusive, hidden gem, and free activities. The company was founded in Milan in 2013 and has since expanded to 1,000 destinations in 80 countries.

Expedia is mostly known as a booking engine for hotels and flights, but it also sells tours and activities. The Expedia website has a “things to do” section where travelers can discover local experiences at their destination of choice. The Expedia Group owns several OTAs, including Expedia.com, Vrbo, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Trivago, and CarRentals.com.

Airbnb is the leading marketplace for home-sharing and vacation rentals. The Airbnb website welcomes over 75 million website visitors every month. Many of these travelers are booking not only stays but also experiences. In 2016, Airbnb jumped into the tours and activities market with its signature tour brand called “Airbnb Experiences,” which included immersive tours and activities led by local hosts. The company also launched a slew of virtual experiences in response to the pandemic in 2020.

Google Things to do is a search experience that connects travelers to attractions, tours, and activities through their Google searches. When users search for a specific attraction, point of interest, or activity, they’ll be shown general information as well as booking links. They can book directly on the operator’s website or the various OTAs that sell the experience.

TourRadar is an OTA that focuses specifically on multi-day tours. The platform offers more than 50,000 tours in 160 countries around the world. TourRadar was founded in 2010 as one of the first OTAs to offer private and group tours that span multiple days.

Travelzoo works with over 5,000 suppliers to offer travel, entertainment, and lifestyle experiences to over 6 million visitors every month. The platform also aggregates the best travel deals for hotels, flights, vacation packages, cruises.

The Thrillophilia marketplace has over bookable 12,000 activities across 125 destinations. The company started with experiences in Bangalore, and today sells experiences in 15 Asian countries with Dubai, Thailand, Singapore, and Bali leading the charts after India. There are more than 5,000 suppliers selling tours and tickets on the platform.

Manawa is a booking platform focused on outdoor activities like scuba diving, hiking, and helicopter tours. It currently has over 5,000 activities listed across 59 countries. Experiences are divided into six categories, including the “crazy” category where you’ll find crocodile diving, survival training, and other wildlife experiences.

Booking.com is the leading OTA in the hospitality industry. The company owns several big-name brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, Rentalcars.com, KAYAK, and OpenTable. It also counts with a number of smaller OTAs like Rocketmiles, HotelsCombined, Cheapflights, and Momondo as part of its network.

Agoda is a popular OTA based in Singapore. The Agoda website offers hotels, vacation rentals, and flights in 39 different languages. It’s one of the many brands owned by Booking Holdings.

Trip.com is a full-service travel agency offering hotels, flights, cars, as well as tours and attraction tickets online. The website is owned by Trip.com Group, one of the largest OTAs in the world with over 400 million users worldwide. The Singapore-based company also owns Skyscanner.

Hostelworld is the leasing OTA for hostel accommodations. The platform has more than 17,000 hostels listed across 179 countries. It has amassed over 13 million reviews since it was founded in 1999.

eDreams is a Barcelona, Spain-based OTA offering flights, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages, and travel insurance. The company currently operates in 40 countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, the UK, and the U.S. In 2011, eDreams became the first international OTA to expand into Turkey.

Despegar is the leading OTA in Latin America. The company owns two brands: The global brand Despegar and the Brazilian brand Decolar. The OTA offers airfare, hotel bookings, travel packages, and other travel products.

TripWays connects travelers to local tour companies and guides around the world.  The OTA focuses on cheap flights, cheap hotels, tour packages, travel insurance policies, and visa services. It works with a limited number of tour operators for each destination, with a focus on multi-day and all-inclusive tours.  

Veltra is Japan’s leading experience-focused OTA. It offers tours and activities across 150 countries. Founded in 1991, it was one of the first OTAs to offer bookable tours and activities online.

TripShock is a niche OTA focused on tourism excursions in and around the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast. The Florida-based OTA offers activities in over 40 destinations spanning the region, including 1,000 tours, tourist attractions, and outdoor activities mostly suitable for individuals, couples, or families. The OTA was recently added to the many integratrations offered in Xola .

Adrenaline is an adventure-focused OTA offering 1,400 different travel excursions ranging from skydiving and helicopter tours to whitewarer rafting and zipline tours. It’s one of many OTAs that can be easily connected with Xola .

There are dozens of smaller OTAs on the market, but understanding how they work will help your business choose the best one.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of selling your experiences through an online marketplace — and try not to rely on them for all of your online bookings.

Writer Carla Vianna

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Online, Offline or blended, is that the only choice?

No, is the simple answer.

The evolution of Self Booking climaxed before the pandemic forcing TMCs to define themselves as either Travel Tech companies or traditional ‘offline’ agencies, offering high touch servicing from consultants for complex itineraries, alongside either proprietary or ‘off the shelf’ booking technology.

But what now? The pandemic has increased the complexity of booking travel. Pre-trip approvals are now a must have, as a means of duty of care as opposed to control. The volume of information surrounding even domestic travel like, PPE protocols, social distancing measures and meal arrangements, must be conveyed at the point of booking.

It becomes even more complicated for international travel, where PCR test requirements, border restrictions and quarantine information must be added to the list.

There is no single source for concise up to date information, it must be aggregated from duty of care, risk and visa software as well as government websites for accuracy, by a human being that can interpret the information relevant to the traveller.

So, can these complexities be managed in an online booking tool, once again the answer is no. The onus remains on the traveller to verify any information supplied.

So what’s the answer? Short term there has been a shift to booking essential travel offline with consultants that can guide travellers through the mine of information required. Some large corporations have mandated offline bookings only, in a bid to protect their travellers.

Longer term, the efficiency and commercials of online booking will return, but it doesn’t have to look the same.

Every customer wants seamless 24/7 online or offline servicing, where a 24/7 team can service online bookings and the TMC provide quality data, traveller tracking, policy management and invoicing.

This is what our customers fed back to us in 2019 and so we developed our own proprietary technology that is neither online, offline nor blended. It’s a single source of truth for the customer and consultant, that provides efficiencies on both sides by placing the customer and the consultant in the same environment, to manage all aspects of travel.

Efficient bookings, with all the bells and whistles of a wholly offline reservation. Technology truly supporting the booking process with a consultant’s eyes on the details and quality data, tracking and invoicing as a result. A single source of truth that everyone can put their trust in.

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Offline Travel Agency Vs Online Travel Agency

• Travel Industry Information
• General Information
• Posted By: SRDV Team

  Online Travel Agency is a web-based marketplace that allows travellers or consumers to research and book travel trips and tickets, including hotels, flights, cars, tours, amenities, and many more, directly with travel suppliers. With the integration of travel portal development, Travel API Integration , or White Label Travel Solution  travel agencies can easily empower themselves to get access to the extensive range of data of worldwide transport and accommodation system.

  Offline Travel Agency , where you have to visit to discuss your plans for trips and tickets or, any further travel-related query directly with travel suppliers. The presence of a speciality market for a uniquely designed travel is guaranteeing that customary travel business despite everything has plans to endure. A travel planner with dynamic abilities and years-long experience can manage you to get a handle on the big stake while booking your Travel. They are capable and have exhaustive information on the Travel Industry, subsequently, their own help encourages you to get the best arrangement. Rather than spending ages on perusing highlights for administrations, a solitary call makes it more advantageous for the travellers.  

  Conclusion  Both Online and Offline Travel Services have their own arrangements of points of interest and disadvantages and it is up to you, what to pick while making an arrangement. I would suggest you go for an online travel service because in this IT era everyone wants to check and use the services via the internet. So Online Travel Portal is the need of travel industry business otherwise you will lag from your competitors. As OTA does not just offer you a Travel entry programming arrangement yet additionally if necessary help you with any direction to make your Travel hassle-free.

• Tour Package System
• SaaS Based Portal
• CRM Software
• E Commerce Portal
• API Integration
• Extranet System
• Custom Portal Development
• White label Travel Portal
• Mobile Application

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Where Travel Agents (Still) Rule

The U.S. online travel market might be growing while offline channels are flat, but that's just one part of the story. Take a closer look, and it becomes clear that offline channels are doing quite well in their sweet spots. Online travel agencies (OTAs) and supplier websites generally do perform better than offline channels overall, but they don't dominate distribution. As a matter of fact, offline still reigns.

As of year-end 2017, more than half (52%) of all U.S. travel was still booked offline, via travel agencies/travel management companies (TMCs), phone and walk-up. While this percentage is waning year after year, in some segments, offline isn't just the majority – it's dominant.

Traditional travel agents might have lost the battle with leisure air and hotel, but they still rule the roost when it comes to cruise and tour. Travel agent sales of traditional tours and packages jumped 4% in 2017 to nearly US$9 billion and now represent 68% of total sales, according to Phocuswright's U.S. Cruise and Packaged Travel report. And while travel agency share drops when we add OTA dynamic packaging to the mix (e.g., Expedia bundles), it still sits at a respectable 46% of all packages sold in the U.S. (both online and offline).

Travel agent cruise sales performed even better, spiking 5% in 2017 and outpacing the overall travel market to reach $11.5 billion. Despite OTAs' earlier attempts at selling cruise, two thirds of cruise sales still go through traditional travel agents – and that's not expected to change much through 2021. To put this in perspective, that compares to the 27% share that traditional travel agencies and TMCs have of all U.S. travel sales.

Bottom line: Travel agencies are thriving in two sectors that are leisure-only and more complex to sell. This indicates that consumers aren't making their purchasing decisions based just on channel, but on personal service and advice as well. When combining traditional vacation package and cruise sales, we see agency share growing from 67% in 2017 to 69% in 2021. That's good news for a business that's constantly under threat from the growing forces of tech, and was once deemed obsolete.

For additional insights on how travel agencies are more than holding their own in certain segments, check out Phocuswright's U.S. Online Travel Overview Seventeenth Edition .

Learn more about the role of travel agencies and understand their growth prospects and evolving business models as Phocuswright commences its third U.S. Travel Agency Landscape study. Limited opportunities are still available for participants and sponsors to help set the research agenda, gain access to unpublished data, and more. Click here to find out more about The U.S. Travel Agency Landscape study.

For more detail on travel agency share of all segments of the U.S. travel market, read Phocuswright's U.S. Online Travel Overview Seventeenth Edition .

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Online vs offline travel bookings: which is right for you?

By Kevin Tjoe — 19 May 2015

agent bookings   offline bookings   online bookings

Updated January 2024 – Bookings are the lifeblood of your tourism business and crucial for its success. There are now various booking systems for customers to interact with your company, either through online software or traditional offline measures. When choosing between online and offline booking systems, you may find online booking software offers advantages in convenience, reliability, and efficiency, but that more traditional methods have a more interpersonal feel.

Bookings can also be made directly through your media channels or through indirect means, including travel agents. Rezdy’s blog contains more information on the difference between these two types of booking systems and how to increase bookings across both channels .

The personal touch of offline booking

Offline booking systems are a more traditional method of making reservations through tour companies. Visiting the office of the tour operator and processing the booking adds an interpersonal feel that is arguably absent from online booking software. This human connection is one of the main advantages of offline tour reservations. However, offline booking systems take time, and in some cases money, to use. 

The rise of online tour bookings

Online booking convenience for tourists means this type of software has become increasingly popular with consumers. The benefits of online booking for tours include easy and reliable management of the booking system and faster responses to bookings lodged outside of business hours. Readily available booking systems have transformed the way tour operators accept reservations, allowing for round-the-clock international service. Rezdy’s online booking system allows tour companies to optimize and streamline their booking systems.

Online vs offline bookings

The best way to book travel is subjective, and changes from activity to activity and person to person. It’s important to consider the different types of booking systems when trying to attract a broad range of new customers.

Offline direct bookings

It may seem old-fashioned, but your business still needs offline bookings in order to survive. For complex demands, it can be extremely useful for bookers to first chat with someone for advice before making a final decision. Sometimes automated systems lack the functionality to book a complicated trip in a timely and cost-effective way. This is especially true when the booker has a limited budget or special requirements that have to be met. A tour operator can more easily cater to requests made through offline bookings in comparison to those made with an automated online booking system.

To get more bookings offline, developing a positive brand identity and reliable reputation in your community is essential.

Why customers choose offline bookings

Offline booking systems offer a personalized touch that online software does not. Travelers may seek an offline booking service through your tour company if they are after expert advice, reassurance, or just a second opinion. Customers may also utilize an offline booking service if they are planning a complex trip that involves specialist services.

For tour operators, offline bookings can enhance customer trust and loyalty in your business. Certain customers may also take comfort in knowing there was a human element involved in personalizing their travel experience.

Tips for getting offline direct bookings

Here are a few tips for increasing your point-of-sale bookings from walk-ins and phone calls:

• Use traditional advertising methods like brochures in hotels and visitor centers, and flyers around your city.
• Make connections with the local visitor center in your area, who may direct customers who are currently on holiday in your area right to your doorstep.
• Develop a positive relationship with hotel concierges in the region. Concierges are relied upon for personalized advice and recommendations.

Online bookings

Online bookings play a major role in the success of any tour and activity business.

Today, many travelers use the Internet in order to create their own itineraries, and they want to be able to book their tours and activities quickly and easily. There are many different types of online booking systems and tools, meaning there are plenty of easy-to-use online booking options for customers regardless of their tech knowledge. The internet holds an infinite amount of travel advice and allows travelers to curate their perfect vacation plan based on online reviews and photos. Plus, online booking allows travelers the option to organize their travel schedule at any time of the day, while also providing assurance they can easily cancel or change their plans.

Also, travelers are increasingly relying on social media sites to provide inspiration for their holiday plans. In a sense, social media is the modern travel guidebook. Searching #travel on Instagram renders over 611 million results.

Why customers book online

The benefits of online booking for tours are numerous. Online booking systems offer customers a quick and easy way to plan, book, and pay for their next holiday. Customers may prefer doing their own research and comparing the costs and features of various travel activities and accommodation. Additionally, the ability to plan and book their next trip away entirely from the comfort of their own home holds appeal to many people. Online booking sites are often customizable, allowing customers to personalize their preferences when booking their holidays. These features have been instrumental in building trust in online tour bookings. 

Tips for getting online bookings

Here are some tips for boosting your online bookings (regardless of which type of booking system you use):

• Manage your business’s reputation on TripAdvisor . TripAdvisor is one of the most reliable sources of travel information, and many of your customers will be checking for your business there. Professional replies to reviews can give potential customers a favorable perspective on your company.
• Diversify your online distribution . Create coupon deals with daily deal sites like Groupon. Network with online travel agents. Stay involved on social media. Sites such as Facebook and Instagram are ideal for engaging with customers and generating brand awareness. Also, when using social media sites, remember to add a location to your posts and use popular hashtags to attract more followers. 
• Invest in an easy-to-use online booking system that is designed to automate the booking process.

When to switch to an online booking system

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the efficiency and accessibility of tour and activity booking systems have become essential for the success of tour and activity businesses. Deciding when to transition from traditional offline methods to an online booking system requires careful consideration.

At Rezdy, we understand the importance of a smooth transition to online bookings without disrupting your business operations. With our user-friendly platform, tour operators can effortlessly manage bookings, streamline operations, and enhance the customer experience.

Personalized advice

We work closely with each of our customers to understand their specific needs and goals. Whether you’re a small startup or a large tour operator, during the onboarding stage and beyond, we’ll provide tailored solutions and advice to optimize your booking process and drive business growth.

Zero downtime setup

When you choose Rezdy, there’s no need to worry about downtime during setup. Our expert team ensures a seamless transition, allowing you to continue accepting bookings without interruption.

24/7 live chat support

We’re committed to providing exceptional support to our customers. With 24/7 live chat assistance, Rezdy users have access to immediate support whenever they need it.

Bookings through travel agents

While many travelers can use the Internet in order to create their own vacation itineraries, the expertise and knowledge of travel agents means it is arguably the best way to book travel packages. This means it is important for tour operators to maintain correspondence with travel agents to attract new customers. When comparing online and offline travel agencies, you may find networking with online travel agents and retail travel agents will help you boost your bookings. Travel expos and online travel agent groups are two ways you can liaise with travel agents and forge new connections.

Ultimately, growing your business will result in strengthening contacts with travel agents. 

Why customers book through an agent

Similar to offline booking systems, travel agents offer personalized service to customers. They are capable of handling complicated itineraries and soliciting professional advice for customers. Additionally, travel agents can pass on exclusive deals and upgrades for your accommodation or activity that may not be available anywhere else. Another important convenience factor of using a travel agent is that they represent a single point of contact for all arrangements made for your trip.

Tips for getting bookings through travel agents

Here are a few other tips for increasing your bookings through travel agents:

• Network with agents and let them know that they can earn a commission by booking through your online booking system. This will entice them to sell your tours and activities because it is beneficial to them.
• Remember that agents will be cross-referencing your information with reviews placed online. Respond to all reviews, and do so as quickly as possible. Make online reputation management a top priority. You can also opt to team up with a professional reputation management agency to help you monitor and respond to reviews around the web.
• Team up with other tour and activity providers in your area that complement the services you offer. Create a package deal that travel agents can sell to their customers.

Both online and offline booking systems have their place in tourism companies. Online systems allow convenient and accessible round-the-clock booking, while offline systems and travel agents offer expertise and compassion.

For your online needs, Rezdy booking software saves time and energy by allowing tour operators to manage bookings with a single, easy-to-use platform. 

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Online corporate travel agency vs traditional agency: which is better?

How do traditional travel agencies work.

• Booking flights and other transportation (car rentals, trains, etc)
• Making hotel reservations
• Creating travel itineraries for business trips
• Arranging travel visas
• Ensuring duty of care responsibilities are met
• Working with finance departments to facilitate travel expense processes
• Providing assistance for business travelers

How do modern corporate travel agencies with online platforms work?

• Anyone in your organization can easily search, book, and manage all flights and accommodation reservations from within TravelPerk’s user-friendly platform
• You have access to an extensive inventory for booking corporate flights and accommodation with competitive rates
• You can bake your travel policy and approval workflows into the platform to ensure compliance
• You can ensure the safety of your travelers at all times with our risk management solution that lets you know where they are at all times and what situations you need to manage
• You and your travelers can access 24/7 support 365 days of the year with a target 15-second response time

Online corporate travel agency vs traditional agency: Which is better?

Online corporate travel tools are the future of business travel management.

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Online Vs Offline Travel Bookings

Andrew Jones

We have gone through the great revolution from the old days, when everything needed to be booked over a phone call or personal visit, to the new, when a few minutes online can connect you with almost anything you could want or need. But, like with all revolutions, we tend to throw out the baby with the bathwater and forget that there are times when older methods are simply a better fit for the need.

But how can you know which is best?

Simple Trips

When it comes to travel, simple trips are simpler to arrange online, whether that is through an automated online service, or through your travel agency’s business site or app (which usually means more guarantees and services).

Complex Needs

The more complex travel gets, however, the more useful it can be to have someone on the other end of the phone, not just booking through an algorithm, but actually thinking through your needs and devising the best way to get you where you need to be. Trying to book a trip from London, to Paris, to Miami and back to London, for example, is asking a lot of an automated service, especially since the options and variables multiply exponentially with each leg of the journey. Add to this a tight schedule, a tight budget, or special travel needs and online booking simply isn’t a good fit.

Match Your Priorities

If your priority is speed, for example, a more expensive option might get you there faster. Last-minute bookings are also easier through an agency. Or, if your priority is thrift, then something else might work out cheaper. If you need special meals, seating or accessibility options, booking online can make it difficult or even impossible to ensure your needs are covered.

That’s when a phone call can make all the difference.

In cases of more complex travel, your travel expert can list your needs and destinations, however complex or detailed, and then work through an itinerary that fulfils everything you need it to – speed, budget, timing, or special requests. Because an agency deals with many clients, it is seen as a high-volume purchaser and can get through to airlines, hotels and other services far more effectively than the general public can. Any specific requests or assurances you need before travelling are therefore best gathered by a travel agent. It’s more effective, and it saves you time and hassle.

No mention of current travel needs would be complete these days without some mention of COVID-19. This new reality makes social distancing, cleanliness and safety a matter of life and death – not just preference. Your travel expert will know what the current advice is regarding COVID safety and will make sure that your trip conforms to (or exceeds) that guidance. Since rules vary from region to region, and can change rapidly as new data comes in, it is also important to have someone knowledgeable about regional differences and recent changes. Meon Valley Travel staff have access to specialist software which gives us the latest detailed travel advice. In this way, you stay safe, informed, and able to adapt to new rules and situations.

Online booking for simple travel can be quick and painless, and we should all keep doing it, just ensure you adhere to any internal travel policies so you don’t end up out of pocket. The safest way to book travel is through a travel management company site or app, but if you don’t have one currently stick to company policy or email us for a demo of the software available to you and your organisation. If you have more complex needs though, or your trip is more than just a round trip flight and a night in a standard hotel, then a detailed email or phone call to your travel expert is the right way to go.

If Meon Valley Travel is your go-to expert, don’t hesitate to ask for the personal touch – we’re waiting to help you.

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Offline Travel Agency Vs Online Travel Agency

The ultimate reason, why travel industry is proliferating rapidly is smart utilization of technology. Those who lack visionary, are deficient in amplifying their travel Agency. With each advancement of technology, the competition is getting tougher and the maxim has become- ‘only the fittest can survive the wave’. Those agencies who have hired a better  travel technology solution  are enjoying better mark-up in the industry, those who didn’t, aren’t existed anymore, and if some does, it has been very difficult for them to earn basic customer-base.

The difference between offline and online travel agency is very clear. Offline travel agencies were used two or three decades ago to get a reservation done for a specific geographical limitation and the restrictions make it inconvenient for the travelers to get even a fundamental travel package. But travel agency who have gone online are not restricted to any limitations and provide easy access to the customers to book flight for both domestic and international tour, facilitate them with accommodation facilities, features to look for other transportation services, a dynamic travel packages that include all required products to make a perfect travel package.

With a looming threat of direct booking site and online travel service providers, offline travel agencies need to modify their distribution channel. No doubt, many of the travelers even in today’s era prefer visiting travel agents to get their booking done. Agents provide skills, which you might not find online. A personal assistant is undoubtedly more trustworthy and reliable for travel mongers. Here, it is not about flights and global destination recommendations as you will get all these through online booking software more efficiently and conveniently, but in specialized areas as assembling custom tours or using airline tricks for expensive international trips offline travel agency are more helpful in compare to OTAs.

Offline Travel Agencies

The existence of a market for a custom-made travel is ensuring that traditional travel business still has hopes to survive. A travel agent with dynamic skills and years long experience can guide you to grasp the jackpot while booking your travel. They are proficient and have thorough knowledge on travel agency, thus their personal assistance helps you get the best deal. Instead of spending ages on browsing features for services, a single phone call makes it more convenient for the travelers.

Online Travel Agency

Modern day traveler prefers OTA to book their itinerary as it gives them the liability to get their desired travel product services instantly. Just access to strong internet connectivity and you will be able to get the whole lot of information on the largest inventory of airlines, hotel data and many more. OTA provides a web-based distribution channel through which a traveler can easily get information on the availability of flights that connects the places you want to visit, hotels on various locations and the facilities it provides. You can even compare the prices of several airlines connecting the same route and select the best available price through browsing. Today, only a handful of travelers use offline travel services. As it seeks your personal visit, many people prefer OTA as they can purchase their needed services anytime anywhere, thus making OTA more efficient for the users.

With the integration of travel portal development services such as  travel API Integration  or  white label travel solution , travel agencies can easily empower themselves to get access to the extensive range of data of worldwide transport and accommodation system.

Both offline and online travel agencies have their own sets of advantages and drawbacks and it is up to you, what to choose while making a plan. If you ask me, I would recommend you to go for online travel agency, as they not only offer you a  travel portal software solution  but also if needed assist you with any guidance to make your travel hassle-free.

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Don’t Expect a Huge Crisis Bounceback for Online Travel Agencies This Time

Dennis Schaal , Skift

February 9th, 2022 at 2:30 AM EST

The online travel space has always been super-competitive, but established players like Expedia Group and Booking Holdings face a growing roster of formidable competitors, including hotels, Google and Airbnb.

Dennis Schaal

Dennis' Online Travel Briefing

Editor’s Note:  Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.

Online Travel This Week

For major online travel agencies, their competitive position and outlook is way different in 2022 than in the aftermath of 9/11 and the end of the Great Recession in 2009.

A couple of travel research brands, Skift Research and Bernstein, agree that the future will be much more challenging for the online travel agency sector.

In a December Skift podcast, Booking Site Winners and Losers, which featured Skift Research’s Seth Borko and myself, Borko said online travel agencies recovered robustly after 9/11 in 2001 and the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009 as hotels needed the big online travel agencies to help them fill rooms.

But it’s different now.

“Hotels have maintained pricing power, and ADRs (Average Daily Rates) are nearly 90 percent recovered,” Borko said, referring to competitive dynamics at the end of 2021 and adding that the extent of the hotel recovery depends on the region. “OTAs’ reputation for discounting has suffered as hotel direct bookings come with lower rates. And customers have more to spend.”

Borko, who covered much of this subject in a recent Skift Research Online Travel Agency Factbook, said this time, during the pandemic, the online travel agencies aren’t getting the same lift they did after past crises.

“Although they are recovering quite fast, it was not quite the boon to OTAs that many thought it might have been because it wasn’t quite a repeat of the last two crises,” Borko said.

Borko said the online travel agencies’ gross bookings and commissions have largely recovered relative to pre-pandemic 2019, setting themselves up to make gains.

“The problem is on the cost side,” Borko said. They’ve driven themselves into a huge hole on profitability. While revenue is coming back, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and other profits are not coming back as quickly.”

He argued that the online travel agencies’ margin levels won’t rebound as quickly as their gross bookings have.

Hotels chains such as Marriott and Hilton were very aggressive in pushing direct booking campaigns from 2017 to 2019. Expedia countered to a degree, downgrading branded properties in favor of independents.

Although the hotels’ frequent TV and other brand advertising of recent year promoting direct bookings have diminished, Borko warned that “channel wars are coming back” in the next few years.

In other words, as online travel agencies try to regain their profit momentum, hotels won’t sit idly by in the contest for traveler eyeballs.

Bernstein, in its new report, Online Travel Agencies: “A Rough Guide to Online Travel,” is perhaps a tad more pessimistic about the future of online travel agencies, although Bernstein believes they will be around for some time.

“That we, lodging analysts rather than internet analysts, are the authors of this  Blackbook  is telling,” the report said. “These are no longer 30%+ growth disruptors, but rather established players in travel, in competition with their underlying product and themselves being disrupted by tech intrusion, notably from Google and Airbnb . Our central thesis is that the core business (i.e., hotel distribution/metasearch) is a slowing opportunity, as the previous tailwinds of online penetration, share gains from direct distribution, and share gains from competitors abate or even reverse.”

The consensus relative bullishness about the online travel agencies “is too positive on the path ahead,” Bernstein said.

Among the trends, there will be

Hotel OTA revenue growth is set to slow from a 23% CAGR in 2010-19 to mid-single-digits post Covid-19, with branded hotels notably taking back control of their distribution. Other opportunities in travel exist, but these face tougher competition (e.g., against Airbnb), are lower take rate/margin (flight, package, B2B, etc.) or are small market opportunities (e.g., car hire and cruise). OTAs are going nowhere — for certain customers and suppliers, they provide a highly valuable service; but our analysis suggests the consensus view is too positive on the path ahead. 

Among the the trends, there will be “market share shifts to direct bookings, and a refragmentation of the OTA market, with Google, Airbnb, and Hopper creating a more challenging competitive landscape than ever before,” Bernstein said. “Growth going forward, where achievable, will be from either new verticals, competing more aggressively on price, or from taking share from each other.”

In particular, Bernstein predicted that Booking Holdings will “underperform,” and it classified Expedia Group as “market perform.”

“The key difference is we expect Booking to disappoint earlier, with consensus margins too high in the shorter term, whereas with Expedia we see more revenue over risk the longer term,” Bernstein said.

Both Expedia Group and Booking Holdings declined to comment on the Bernstein report.

The debate on the future of the online travel agencies is nothing new. In the aftermath of a weak second half off 2019 for Expedia Group, which led to the ouster of the CEO at the end of the year, speculation was rife that the online travel agencies would be playing a weak hand because of Google’s incursions in online travel.

Meanwhile, Airbnb had its best ever third quarter last year.

At Skift Global Forum in September, I asked Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi , a former Expedia CEO and current board member, about an earlier Bernstein report that was likewise unenthusiastic about the future of online travel agencies.

“Well, I think the return will be boom time and then it’ll be up to the OTAs to create their own booms,” he said.

That will be the stiff challenge for online travel agencies: to create new and lucrative revenue streams, perhaps in fintech and elsewhere, to accelerate growth and get those margins expanding again.

Hopper Achieves $5 Billion Valuation in Secondary Financing

Hopper did a secondary sale of $35 million of its shares so some of its investors and employees could cash stock options. For now, Hopper said it intends to stay private, but never say never. Skift

Google’s Travel Search for Covid Rules Jump Sixfold

Reflecting the overall confusion about ever-changing destination-entry rules, Google’s parent, Alphabet, reported that searches for travel rules increased sixfold year over year from August to October. Skift

Ticketmaster to Sell Tickets to Live Events Through Online Travel Agencies

Ticketmaster and Redeam notched an agreement to distribute live event tickets to major online travel agencies. The parties see a symmetry between travel and live events. Skift

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Tags: airbnb , Bernstein , booking.com , Dennis' Online Travel Briefing , expedia , google , hopper , online travel agencies , otas , Skift Pro Columns , skift research , ticketmaster

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The Relevant Market for Travel Agency Services – Online vs. Offline

By Nandish Vyas and Geet Sawhney (Veritas Legal) 1

In a major shift from its earlier stand, the Competition Commission of India (“CCI”) has, in its Ctrip.com/MakeMyTrip Limited decision 2 dated August 20, 2019 (recently uploaded on its website), categorically noted that the online channel appears to be a distinct mode of distribution, in view of its increased popularity, which cannot be simply replaced or substituted by other offline modes or direct sales. This is in contrast to its observations in earlier merger decisions, where it had noted that online and offline retail did not constitute separate relevant markets as they were merely different channels of distribution which are substitutable. The CCI seems to have adopted this new approach due to the increased popularity of online travel agencies (“OTAs”) and their use by a large segment of consumers in India, which in CCI’s view cannot be simply replaced or substituted by other offline modes or direct sales without losing out significantly on consumer reach.

Offline vs. Online Distribution Models

One of the issues which has often come up for judgement before the CCI is whether two modes of distribution, i.e. online on one hand and brick-and-mortar on the other, can be considered as two relevant markets or whether they are a part of the same relevant market. The CCI has to date consistently taken the stand that the product purchased, whether from an online portal or through offline brick-and-mortar retail outlets, is fundamentally the same and merely the distribution channel through which said product was procured differs. Furthermore, five years ago, in Ashish Ahuja v. Snapdeal.com, 3 the CCI concluded that “ The Commission also notes that both offline and online markets differ in terms of discounts and shopping experience and buyers weigh the options available in both markets and decide accordingly. If the prices in the online market increase significantly, then the consumer is likely to shift towards the offline market and vice versa. Therefore, the Commission is of the view that these two markets are different channels of distribution of the same product and are not two different relevant markets. ” As recently as two years back, the CCI continued to hold this position and noted in its decision involving the acquisition of Ibibo Group by MakeMyTrip Limited that “… all the Travel Channels operate through both offline and online modes. Some predominantly online players also have an offline presence and similarly, predominantly offline Travel Channels have an online presence. Thus, from a supply side perspective, it appears that most of these channels operate on a ‘hybrid model’ wherein a Travel Channel has both online as well as offline presence to provide convenience to customers with specific online or offline preferences .” 4

However, 2018 started to see a shift in the CCI’s approach towards online and offline channels as forming part of the same relevant market, where the CCI noted that, “ No doubt, to the end consumers, the distinction line between online and offline sellers is sometimes blurry, yet it cannot be denied that online marketplaces offer convenience for sellers as well as buyers. For the sellers, they save costs in terms of setting up of a store, sales staff, electricity and other maintenance charges. The benefits afforded to buyers include comfort of shopping from their homes thus saving time, commuting charges and at the same time they can compare multiple goods. ” 5   Further, in 2016, by way of a minority decision in  Justickets v. Big Tree Entertainment ,  the CCI had rejected the contention that the online sale of movie tickets is just an alternative distribution channel for selling tickets to the end consumer and that it cannot be considered as a separate relevant product market. The minority decision had recorded that “ From a consumer’s perspective, online ticketing platforms provide a service that is distinct from the point of view of comfort and convenience of the consumer inasmuch as the ticket booking can be done from home or from the workplace and is not substitutable with retail sales over the counter where long queues and uncertainty of availability of tickets are faced by the consumers .” In Ctrip.com/MakeMyTrip Limited, the CCI carried out the competition assessment for both the online market on one hand, and a broader market encompassing the online as well as offline market on the other. However, the exact delineation of the relevant market was left open since the merger did not raise competition concerns in either of the alternate markets.

The EU’s Position

The European Commission (“EC”) has considered the question of whether online and offline travel agency services should be considered separate markets. In its 2001 decision in Otto/Sabre/Travelocity JV, 6 the EC had noted that “ as regards a further possible distinction between on-line travel agencies and traditional travel agencies, based on the past decisions the provision of travel agency services on-line is not a different market from the provision of travel agency services by traditional travel agencies .”

However, the EC has now adopted a case by case approach (based on market investigation) in its recent orders on whether to further segment the markets on basis of distribution channels. In a recent order in Priceline Group/Momondo Group 7 (2017), the EC noted that ‘ The majority of respondents to the market investigation taking a position considered that the distribution of travel services through online channels constitutes a separate market from the distribution of travel services through other channels .’ However, in this case the EC finally left open the question of whether the intermediation of travel services online constitutes a separate market from the intermediation of travel services through brick-and-mortar outlets. Whereas in another order, in GBT/HRG 8 (2018), involving assessment of market for providing business travel agency services, the EC noted that “…. the market investigation has not brought elements showing that the outcome of the competitive assessment would be materially affected if online and offline business travel agency services were considered as distinct markets ” and therefore concluded that the market for the provision of business travel agency services included both online and offline business travel agency services.

Way Forward

The CCI on 8 January 2020 published its key findings and observations in its report titled ‘Market study on E-commerce in India’ 9 . The market study report recognizes the increasing importance of online commerce across all three broad industry sectors i.e. consumer goods (mobiles, lifestyle, electrical & electronic appliances, and grocery), accommodation services and food services.

• In the goods category, the findings of the market study reveal that the share of online distribution and its relative importance as a sales channel vis-à-vis the offline channels varies significantly across products. For instance , in case of mobile phones, online sales reportedly account for around 40 percent of total sales in India, whereas on the other hand, for electronic/electrical appliances and lifestyle related products including apparels, shoes, accessories and fashion products, the stakeholders considered online as more of a supplementary channel, brick & mortar sales being the predominant mode of sales.
• In hotels category, the study reveals that online bookings as a proportion of total bookings has been rising, though bookings via offline travel agents, corporate tie-ups and walk-in customers remain significant.
• In the food service category, 83 percent of the restaurants reported to have an online presence with online sales accounting for on an average nearly 29 percent of the respondent restaurants’ revenue.

Click here for a PDF version of this article

1 Nandish Vyas is a partner at Veritas Legal, India and Geet Sawhney is an associate at Veritas Legal, India.

2 Ctrip.com/ MakeMyTrip Limited ( C-2019/05/664 ).

3 Ashish Ahuja v. Snapdeal.com ( Case No. 17 of 2014 ).

4 MIH Internet SEA Pte Ltd./MakeMyTrip Limited ( C-2016/10/451 ).

5 All India Online Vendors Association v. Flipkart India (P) Ltd. ( Case No. 20 of 2018 ).

6 Case No COMP/M.2627 – OTTO VERSAND/SABRE/TRAVELOCITY JV .

7 Case M.8416 – THE PRICELINE GROUP/MOMONDO GROUP HOLDINGS .

8 Case M.8862 – GBT/HRG .

9 CCI Report titled ‘Market study on E-commerce in India’ dated January 8, 2020, Link: https://www.cci.gov.in/sites/default/files/whats_newdocument/Market-study-on-e-Commerce-in-India.pdf

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• Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›
• Leisure Travel

Online travel market - statistics & facts

How big is the online travel market, what are the leading online travel agencies (otas), what travel products do consumers book online, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028

Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028

Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Online Travel Market

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023

Further recommended statistics

Industry overview.

• Premium Statistic Market size of the tourism sector worldwide 2011-2024
• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Revenue of the travel apps industry worldwide 2017-2027
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Market size of the tourism sector worldwide 2011-2024

Market size of the tourism sector worldwide from 2011 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in trillion U.S. dollars)

Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment

Revenue of the global travel and tourism market from 2019 to 2028, by segment (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2018 to 2028

Online travel market size worldwide from 2017 to 2023, with a forecast until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue of the travel apps industry worldwide 2017-2027

Revenue of the travel apps market worldwide from 2017 to 2027 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to revenue (EV/Revenue) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Online bookings

• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in Canada 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in China 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in India 2024
• Premium Statistic Importance to book a trip fully online among travelers worldwide 2023, by generation

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2024

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in Canada 2024

Travel product online bookings in Canada as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in the UK 2024

Travel product online bookings in the UK as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in China 2024

Travel product online bookings in China as of March 2024

Travel product online bookings in India 2024

Travel product online bookings in India as of March 2024

Importance to book a trip fully online among travelers worldwide 2023, by generation

Share of travelers who think it is important to be able to book their trip entirely online worldwide as of July 2023, by generation

Market leaders

• Premium Statistic Revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Marketing/revenue ratio of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of employees at leading travel companies worldwide 2022
• Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

Revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023

Leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023, by revenue (in million U.S. dollars)

Marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023

Marketing expenses of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Marketing/revenue ratio of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2023

Marketing to revenue ratio of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023

Number of employees at leading travel companies worldwide 2022

Number of employees at selected leading travel companies worldwide in 2022

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023

Number of aggregated downloads of selected leading online travel agency apps worldwide in 2023 (in millions)

Most visited travel and tourism websites worldwide as of April 2024 (in million visits)

Booking Holdings

• Basic Statistic Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide 2010-2023, by segment
• Premium Statistic Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide 2010-2023, by segment

Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide from 2010 to 2023, by business segment (in millions)

Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Expedia Group

• Premium Statistic Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2017-2023, by business model
• Premium Statistic Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2017-2023, by business model

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2017 to 2023, by business model (in million U.S. dollars)

Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2019-2023, by region
• Premium Statistic Airbnb operations income worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb net income worldwide 2017-2023

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2019-2023, by region

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2019 to 2023, by region (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb operations income worldwide 2017-2023

Income from operations of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Airbnb net income worldwide 2017-2023

Net income of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Trip.com Group

• Premium Statistic Total revenue of Trip.com Group 2013-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Trip.com 2013-2023, by product
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Trip.com 2017-2023, by region
• Premium Statistic Net income of Trip.com 2013-2023

Total revenue of Trip.com Group 2013-2023

Total revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. in China from 2013 to 2023 (in billion yuan)

Revenue of Trip.com 2013-2023, by product

Revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2013 to 2023, by product (in million yuan)

Revenue of Trip.com 2017-2023, by region

Revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2017 to 2023, by region (in million yuan)

Net income of Trip.com 2013-2023

Net profit of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2013 to 2023 (in million yuan)

Tripadvisor

• Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2017-2023, by business segment
• Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2012-2023, by region
• Premium Statistic Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
• Premium Statistic Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2017-2023, by business segment

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2017 to 2023, by business segment (in million U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2012-2023, by region

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2012 to 2023, by region (in million U.S. dollars)

Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Operating income of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Net income of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

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