Sales

How to Benefit from Travel Company Technology

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1. Reach New Markets Automatically

By connecting to OTAs and tour operators' systems (via a channel manager or CRS), your rooms and rates are instantly visible to millions of travelers worldwide — no need to manually update platforms.

Benefit: More visibility = more bookings without extra workload.

 

2. Get Real-Time Data & Insights

Travel companies offer dashboards that show you booking trends, customer behavior, and market performance. You can use this data to optimize rates, packages, and marketing strategies.

 Benefit: Smarter pricing and promotions = more revenue.

 

3. Use Their Marketing Power

Large OTAs and consortia spend millions on SEO, SEM, social media, and remarketing. By being listed, your property benefits from their global campaigns without paying upfront.

Benefit: Instant access to top-tier advertising reach.

 

4. Enable Personalization

Through CRM and AI-driven systems, travel companies target the right traveler at the right time. Your hotel shows up in personalized search results or emails — increasing your chance of being booked.

Benefit: Your property reaches the guests most likely to book it.

 

5. Boost Direct Bookings Too

Use the exposure and reviews from travel platforms to build credibility — then retarget visitors via your website, email, or social media to book direct with exclusive perks.

Benefit: Use OTA power to feed your own direct booking funnel.

 

6. Automate and Save Time

Tech like channel managers and GDS integration reduce manual errors, eliminate double bookings, and simplify inventory updates across platforms.

Benefit: More efficiency = more time to focus on guest experiences

1. Travel Consortia Advertising Opportunities

Major consortia like Virtuoso, Signature Travel Network, Ensemble, Traveller Made, and Internova (ALTOUR, Global Travel Collection) offer:

• Preferred Partner Listings
  Be included in the group’s exclusive hotel collection or marketing materials.

• Email Campaigns to Advisors
  Promote seasonal offers or new openings to thousands of travel advisors.

• Digital Catalog Placement
  Feature your property in seasonal “lookbooks” shared with high-spend clients.

• Webinars & Sales Calls
  Educate frontline sellers with direct engagement.

• Tradeshow Participation (e.g. Virtuoso Travel Week)
  High-value in-person meetings to build relationships with top-producing advisors.

• Co-op Marketing Funds
  Some consortia offer matching funds for joint campaigns.

 

2. Travel Agent Advertising Channels

• Host Agency Email Blasts
  Companies like Travel Leaders, Avoya, and Nexion offer email lists of vetted agents.

• Training & Certification Programs
  Become a “certified preferred property” or sponsor a training module.

• Fam Trips (Familiarization Trips)
  Invite agents to experience your hotel firsthand. Agents often book what they know.

• Agent Portals (Booking Engines)
  Get premium placement or highlight promotions on B2B portals.

• Incentive-Based Campaigns
  Run agent contests: e.g., “Top 10 bookers win a 3-night stay.”

 

3. Incentive House Advertising (MICE & Rewards Travel)

These are the companies that design and book travel for corporate rewards, meetings, and events. Examples: BI Worldwide, Creative Group, ITA Group, Maritz Travel.

• RFP Inclusion & Preferred Listing
  Be featured on their platform for incentive travel planners.

• Digital Brochures for Corporate Buyers
  Get showcased in their destination/product presentations.

• Sales Blitz & Lunch-and-Learns
  Present to their sales and event planning teams.

• Hosted Buyer Programs
  Meet corporate buyers at MICE tradeshows like IMEX or IBTM.

• Seasonal Incentive Catalogs
  Offer packages tailored for high-end corporate achievers.

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Top Advertising Tactics with Tour Operators

1. Preferred Hotel Status

• Get listed as a “Featured” or “Preferred” property in brochures and digital channels.

• Higher placement = more bookings.

Offered by: Apple Vacations, TUI, Funjet, Travel Impressions, Classic Vacations

 

2. Co-Op Marketing Campaigns

• Collaborate on joint seasonal promotions.

• Includes emails, banners on operator websites, social media, and even billboards in key source markets.

 Example: “Mexico Hot Deals” campaign on Funjet or JetBlue Vacations homepage.

 

3. Dedicated Email Blasts

• Send a branded message to the operator’s database of travel advisors or B2C clients.

 Usually available for a fee or through marketing credits.

 

4. Brochure and Magazine Placement

• Feature in printed or digital catalogs that are distributed to agencies and retail clients.

• Still important in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada.

 

5. Training Modules / Webinars for Agents

• Educate the operator’s travel advisors about your hotel.

• You can include videos, quizzes, and giveaways to boost engagement.

 Examples: ALG Vacations VAX portal, TUI Academy

 

6. Seasonal or Flash Sale Promotion

• Feature in limited-time offers (e.g., Black Friday, Summer Escapes, Honeymoon Specials).

• Often includes inclusion in site banners, social ads, and top-tier email slots.

 

7. Fam Trips & Site Inspections

• Invite their product managers and top-selling agents to experience your hotel.

• Result: better product placement and more confident selling.

 

8. B2B Portals and Booking Engines

• Appear in their booking tools with banners, highlighted listings, and promotions.

 Examples: VAX VacationAccess (ALG), Bedsonline portal, TravelBound, Hotelbeds.

Top Consortia Lifestyle Campaigns

1. Virtuoso – “So Virtuoso” Film Campaign

• Developed around the 2024 Virtuoso Global Conference, this campaign delivered high-impact films showcasing real advisor success stories—highlighting extraordinary staff and bespoke guest journeys.

• Outcome: Sparked advisor recruitment and enhanced consumer-facing awareness with a lifestyle tone and luxury alignment

 

2. Traveller Made – Cultivating a Luxury Designer Community

• As a leading luxury travel network, Traveller Made (now Serandipians) focuses on handcrafted, experiential travel programming, tailoring itineraries around art, culture, and design.

• Result: Built a lifestyle-centric identity, with properties and travelers alike resonating deeply with their artisanal, purpose-driven campaigns

 

3. Global Hotel Alliance – GHA DISCOVERY

• The world’s largest hotel alliance uses shared tech and a multi-brand loyalty program to market upscale experiences infused with local relevance.

• Their “Live Local, Stay Global” messaging emphasizes immersive lifestyle travel through curated offers and experiences

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4. AmEx Fine Hotels + Resorts: The Luxury Lifestyle Campaign

American Express FHR offers curated luxury stays with premium perks—think daily breakfast, room upgrades, late checkout, and $100 experience credits—across a global portfolio of over 1,500 properties.

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Why It's Lifestyle-Focused:

• Partners with high-end hotels to craft an aspirational “luxury made effortless” message

• Emphasizes lifestyle benefits (e.g., indulgence, relaxation, unique experiences) over just the stay

• Targets affluent travelers seeking curated, elevated experiences—whether solo, couples, or families

 

What Made It Successful:

• Clear value: average FHR perks bring ~$600 worth of enhancements like breakfast, upgrades, and credits.

• Seamless booking experience that aligns with a luxury-lifestyle brand

• Strong visibility across AmEx digital channels and travel marketing campaigns

 

 Why It Resonates as a Lifestyle Campaign

• Emotional appeal: Not just about staying at a hotel, but experiencing personalized luxury

• Consistent messaging: Promoted across AmEx travel pages, email, and member materials with rich visuals and premium tone.

• Targeted audience: Focused on Platinum / Centurion cardholders—travel-savvy individuals who expect luxury and service

Top Travel Agent Distribution Portals
1. VAX VacationAccess

• Used by: Apple Vacations, Funjet, Travel Impressions, Southwest Vacations (ALG Vacations)

• Market: U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, family and all-inclusive resorts

• Features: Promotions, agent training, co-op advertising, group bookings

2. Travel Leaders Network Agent Universe

• Used by agencies under Internova Travel Group

• Offers: Access to FIT, cruise, and hotel packages, with preferred partnerships and training

•  Market: Corporate, luxury, leisure

3. Virtuoso.com (Advisor Portal)

• For high-end travel advisors in the Virtuoso consortium

• Offers: Luxury hotel bookings with perks, educational tools, itineraries, and CRM tools

• Market: High-net-worth travelers seeking custom and experiential stays

4. Signature Travel Network’s SigNet

• Custom-built system for Signature members

• Includes: Hotel search, offers, marketing content, itinerary building

• ​ Market: Upscale leisure and family travel

5. Ensemble Travel Group’s Agent Portal

•  Includes tools for booking hotels, cruises, land packages, and events

• Offers: Ensemble Hotel & Resort Collection, agent incentives, marketing toolkits

6. Classic Vacations Advisor Portal

• Specializes in luxury FIT packages with air, transfers, and concierge services

• Known for: Upscale Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and Europe properties

• Loyalty programs and rewards for agents

7. Delta Vacations Travel Agent Portal

• Focus on air + hotel packages for U.S. travelers

• Integrates flight inventory with resort packages and agent commissions

8. JetBlue Vacations Agent Access

• Allows bundling of JetBlue flights with hotel partners

• Focus on New York, Boston, Florida, Caribbean & Latin America markets

9. Bedsonline

• B2B-only portal from Hotelbeds for hotels, transfers, and activities

• Global reach with direct contracts and dynamic rates

• Strong in Europe, Latin America, and Asia

10. Dingus B2B Platforms

• Connects hotel inventory to hundreds of B2B agencies and operators worldwide

• Smart inventory and rate management system used heavily in Spain and Latin America