Want to fill those empty beds or seats? Stop relying solely on direct bookings and tap into a wider network of agents and distributors. Becoming a commissionable tourism product opens doors to increased visibility and, crucially, more bookings. It's not about giving away profit, it’s about scaling your reach and leveraging established sales channels to bring in business you might otherwise miss. Many operators find this a game-changer for consistent revenue.
What Makes a Tourism Product Commissionable?
A commissionable tourism product is simply an offering – accommodation, a tour, an activity, even a restaurant meal – that's structured in a way that allows travel agents, online travel agents (OTAs), and other distributors to easily sell it on your behalf and earn a percentage of the sale. It's more than just offering a discount; it’s about creating a clear, trackable system for rewarding those who bring you business. For accommodation, this means offering net rates and clear commission structures. For tours, it's about packaged experiences with defined prices that agents can easily promote.
This matters because travel agents and OTAs have established customer bases and marketing reach. They handle the customer service and payment processing, freeing you to focus on delivering a great experience. Many operators find that OTAs can boost fill rates during off-peak season. Commissionable products are easy to book, track, and pay commissions on. Think of it like this: you're building your own sales force, but only paying them when they deliver results.
Getting Started: Making Your Product Commissionable
Making your tourism product commissionable involves a few key steps. It’s about setting up the systems and processes that make it easy for agents to sell your offerings and track their commissions. It needs to be beneficial for you, as well as the agent.
Define Your Target Distributors
Who do you want to sell your product? Identify the travel agents, OTAs, and inbound tour operators who target your ideal customer. Research their commission structures and booking processes.
Package Your Product
Create clear, attractive packages with defined prices. This might involve bundling accommodation with activities, or creating themed tour options. Make sure your product is easy to understand and sell.
Set Your Commission Structure
Determine a commission percentage that's attractive to distributors but also sustainable for your business. Typical commissions range from 10-20%, but this can vary depending on the product and the distributor.
Streamline Booking and Tracking
Implement a booking system that allows distributors to easily book your product and track their commissions. This might involve using a dedicated channel manager or working directly with OTAs through their extranets. Ensure it is easy to track where bookings are coming from.
Create Marketing Materials
Provide distributors with high-quality photos, videos, and descriptions of your product. Make it easy for them to promote your offering to their customers.
Negotiate and Contract
Formalise your agreements with distributors through contracts that clearly outline commission rates, payment terms, and booking procedures.
Your Implementation Roadmap
- Identify target distributors - Research travel agents and OTAs that align with your target market.
- Audit your existing product - Assess what packages you can create and how to price them.
- Research commission structures - Determine competitive commission rates for your industry.
- Contact key players - Start conversations with some potential agents to get their input.
Key Takeaways
- Becoming commissionable expands your reach. Tap into established sales channels and customer bases.
- Clear packaging and pricing are crucial. Make it easy for distributors to understand and sell your product.
- Commission tracking is essential. Implement a system to accurately track and pay commissions.
Next Steps
Take these actions this week to start becoming a commissionable tourism product:
- Identify three target distributors - Research travel agents or OTAs that align with your target market.
- Package one product - Create a compelling package with a defined price and commission structure.
- Contact one potential distributor - Reach out and start a conversation about partnering.
Tools & Resources
Travelport
Travelport is a global technology company that powers bookings and payments for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide. It provides a comprehensive suite of solutions that connect travel agencies, corporations, and developers with airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, and other travel providers. The main value proposition lies in streamlining the complexities of travel distribution, enabling businesses to access a vast marketplace of travel options, manage their bookings efficiently, and process payments securely, all within a unified platform. This ultimately allows travel operators to serve their customers better and increase profitability. Travelport's platform operates through three core business units: Agency Commerce Technologies, Airline Commerce Technologies, and Hospitality Commerce Technologies. Agency Commerce Technologies provides agencies with advanced tools for searching, comparing, and booking travel content. Airline Commerce Technologies empowers airlines to manage their inventory, pricing, and distribution channels effectively. Hospitality Commerce Technologies delivers solutions that enable hotels to optimise their distribution strategies and engage with travellers across various channels. It uses a global distribution system (GDS), a vast computerised network that facilitates real-time transactions between travel providers and travel agencies. Travelport integrates with various technology platforms and systems, including property management systems (PMS), customer relationship management (CRM) software, and accounting software. This allows for seamless data exchange and automation of processes across different departments. Scalability is a key aspect of Travelport's platform, designed to handle large volumes of transactions and accommodate the growth of travel businesses. The company continually invests in its technology infrastructure to ensure it can meet the evolving needs of its customers. Travelport serves a diverse range of users, including travel agents, corporate travel managers, airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies (OTAs). A travel agent in Sydney might use Travelport to book flights and accommodation for a client travelling to London, while a corporate travel manager in Melbourne could utilise the platform to manage travel arrangements for employees attending a conference. Airlines use it to manage seat inventory and pricing, hotels use it to increase occupancy, and OTAs use it to offer a wide selection of travel products to their customers.
Expedia Partner Central
Expedia Partner Central (EPC) is a comprehensive platform designed to empower accommodation providers to manage their listings, optimise their performance, and connect with a global audience of travellers. It provides a suite of tools and data-driven insights to help properties maximise their visibility on Expedia Group’s various travel booking sites, including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and others. The platform enables partners to control rates, availability, content, and promotions, ultimately aiming to drive bookings and revenue. EPC streamlines the entire process of managing your presence on Expedia Group platforms, reducing the administrative burden and allowing you to focus on providing exceptional guest experiences. EPC works by providing a central hub for all aspects of property management. Partners can easily update their property information, including descriptions, photos, and amenities, ensuring that travellers have accurate and appealing information. The platform also allows for real-time management of rates and availability, enabling partners to respond quickly to market demands and optimise pricing strategies. Advanced analytics and reporting features provide valuable insights into booking trends, customer behaviour, and competitor performance, allowing partners to make informed decisions and improve their overall performance. Promotion management tools allow partners to create and manage targeted campaigns to attract specific customer segments and drive bookings during off-peak seasons. EPC offers various integration capabilities to streamline operations and improve efficiency. It integrates with numerous property management systems (PMS) and channel managers, allowing for seamless synchronisation of rates, availability, and bookings across multiple channels. This integration eliminates the need for manual updates, reducing errors and saving valuable time. The platform is designed to be highly scalable, accommodating properties of all sizes, from small boutique hotels to large resorts. EPC also supports multiple users with varying levels of access, allowing for collaborative management and efficient task delegation. Integration with Expedia Group’s various marketing and advertising programs enables partners to further enhance their visibility and reach a wider audience. Target users include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, and other accommodation providers. Use cases range from independent property owners managing a single listing to large hotel chains managing hundreds of properties. For example, a small bed and breakfast in the Barossa Valley could use EPC to update their availability and rates, while a large hotel in Sydney could use the platform to manage its promotions and analyse its booking trends.
Regiondo GmbH
Regiondo is an all-in-one booking and marketing software designed to help tourism operators streamline their business operations and maximise revenue. It provides a centralised platform for managing bookings, scheduling activities, processing payments, and marketing services. The core value proposition lies in its ability to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience, ultimately leading to increased profitability and business growth for operators of all sizes. Regiondo's key capabilities include online booking management, channel management, resource scheduling, point-of-sale (POS) integration, marketing automation, and comprehensive reporting. It allows operators to create a branded online booking system, manage availability across multiple channels (such as Viator and GetYourGuide), schedule staff and equipment, process payments securely, and automate marketing campaigns to attract new customers and retain existing ones. The system works by providing a user-friendly interface for operators to manage their offerings, set pricing and availability, and track bookings in real-time. Customers can easily browse and book activities online, making the process seamless and convenient. Regiondo offers various integration capabilities to connect with other essential business systems. It integrates with popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal, CRM systems like Salesforce, and accounting software like Xero. The platform also supports API integrations, allowing operators to connect with custom-built applications or other third-party services. Scalability is a key strength of Regiondo. The platform is designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes, from small family-owned tour operators to large-scale attraction providers. The system can handle high volumes of bookings and transactions, and its flexible architecture allows operators to customise the platform to meet their specific needs as their business grows. Regiondo caters to a wide range of tourism businesses, including tour operators, activity providers, attractions, museums, and transportation services. It is particularly well-suited for businesses that offer a variety of experiences and require a robust booking management system. For example, a whale watching tour operator in Western Australia can use Regiondo to manage bookings, schedule tours based on weather conditions, and process payments from international customers. A winery in the Barossa Valley can use the platform to manage wine tasting bookings, sell merchandise online, and promote special events to their email list. A climbing adventure centre in the Blue Mountains NSW can use it to manage staff bookings to specific climbing tours and sites.