Was this the week of online travel agency (OTA) news or what?
Late last week, GetYourGuide co-founder and COO Tao Tao announced the launch of their new Preferred Partners Program, which launched with reservation tech providers Rezdy and bookingkit—both of which offered up to 40% discounts on their service. A strategic move to align with reservation tech while maintaining brand independence … Read More at Phocuswire
Much was discussed about the loss of independent reservation systems, and the potential for parent OTAs to use operator data in a way that could be harmful to their business and clients.
We enjoyed this roundtable panel hosted by Tourpreneur featuring Peter Syme and Alex Bainbridge, which discussed some of these important operator considerations … Read More at Tourpreneur
And despite the hubbub over GetYourGuide’s announcement, some industry experts believe the consequences of such newsworthy acquisitions and reservation software consolidations are overblown. Arival’s own Douglas Quinby says such alignments are small potatoes, reminding us how the in-destination sector is far larger than many believe … Read More at Phocuswire
And for operators interested in partnering with a totally different OTA, the travel website Culture Trip announced the launch of their own online travel agency, aiming to leverage the power of storytelling to connect travelers with tours, activities and attractions … Read More at Travel Weekly.