How to start OTA ( Online Travel Agency )

Existing opportunities for creating a travel booking website
 

Direct database is when you manually create your own travel database. This is usually done when the host is creating a website. For example, a hotel chain or a tour company that only wants to sell their own hotels or tours, or an airline that is selling their flight tickets direct to consumers. A direct booking portal can also be created if a company establishes contracts with host travel suppliers to manually list and upsell specific deals/products.

01. Direct database

02. GDS Integration

GDS integration is for OTAs (online travel agencies) to access full inventory of travel solutions to sell to their customers. GDS stands for the global distribution system that allows travel suppliers to distribute travel products, rates and relevant information for travel agents to sell. Some commonly known GDS providers are Amadeus, Sabre and Galileo, which is also known as TravelPort. GDS integration is only available for licensed travel agents that are ARC or BSP accredited. Once approved with the GDS, travel resellers have access to backend wholesale rates to buy services on customer’s behalf. When an agent wants to showcase the GDS database on their website, API integration is done.

Affiliate integration is for start-up travel resellers who want to showcase a range of travel deals on their site to earn commission without having to be an agent. Affiliate is the easiest and most affordable solution, and is most often free to set up. Affiliate promoters share their booking commission with the affiliate company that is hosting the deals. It is a win-win partnership where the promoter gets access to promote travel services in return for shared commission. Affiliates often have creatives to promote such as text links, banner ads, widgets and white label search engines. The affiliates referral code is coded into the promotional creatives, so that when setup on a website, the affiliate earns a commission when their visitors are referred by them.

03. Affiliate Integration

04. API Integration

API integration is more advanced than affiliate, because it takes more development time to setup and most travel companies do not allow their API to be used freely. A partner may need to be approved for API access before they can setup. The earning potential varies depending on which company’s API you are setting up. Once approved, you will require an API developer to install the API, which can often require ongoing technical support. API stands for a set of functions or procedures allowing the creation of applications that access the features or data of an operating system, application or other service. When relating to travel development, APIs are used to showcase another travel company’s inventory on your site, so that visitors can browse directly on the website and the deals can show in conjunction with other deals from other travel companies to create a comparison search engine. API is an advanced integration and is not a quick setup process. It requires a properly trained developer to assist with setup.

How data integration will work for your Travel website?

The popularity of online travel agents(OTA) models grew in the Travel and accommodation field that led travel agents to use third