DPO White Papers

The Tour Operators Essential Guide to Social Media Marketing

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), such as Priceline and Expedia, rapidly gained market share in the past decade, as travelers reveled in their access to information and comparative shopping. The result was an uptake of independently booked trips, online, whether via OTAs or direct bookings at hotels and airlines. In the US, online travel bookings hold 45% of the total market, according to PhocusWright.

It seems that while online planning and booking is fine for some, others prefer the time savings a professional can bring, especially when planning a complex trip. The time required to adequately research an extended trip, to compare prices of alternatives, and book numerous hotels, plane tickets and car rentals, has lost its glamour.

In this paper learn how travel agents can operate and thrive in the age of OTAs, which audiences and niches are open to the friendly service of a live travel agent.