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The 10 best online travel agencies in 2024

The top 10 online travel agencies.

  • Booking.com
  • Lastminute.com

Best online travel agencies for business travel

1. travelperk.

Main offerings and features:

  • Industry-leading travel inventory
  • Flexible booking with FlexiPerk
  • Safety alerts with TravelCare
  • Integrated travel policy & approval flows
  • Centralized invoicing
  • Easy & real-time expense reports
  • Carbon offsetting with GreenPerk
  • 24/7 fast customer support in target 15s
  • VAT reclaim
  • Integration with 3rd party tools , such as expense management or HR software like Expensify and BambooHR

Save time and money on your business travel with TravelPerk

2. sap concur.

Sap Concur homepage

  • Works with some of the biggest brands
  • Easy tracking and reporting of expenses for expense reports
  • Many connected apps, such as Uber and Airbnb for cars and hotels
  • One solution for a variety of business travel spending

Click below to compare both platforms’ features and benefits

CWT homepage

  • Ample integrations
  • Award-winning mobile app
  • Employee-centric travel management

Click below for a more detailed comparison between both platforms:

Best online travel agencies for leisure travel, 1. booking.com.

Booking.com_homepage

  • Intuitive booking tool and website
  • Flight + Hotel booking for easily planning trips with no cross-referencing travel websites
  • Simple car rental options and taxi hire
  • Available in over 40 different languages and offers over half a million properties across 207 countries
  • You can book experiences in your destination city to entertain you on your travels
  • Genius rewards program

Agoda_homepage

  • Simple interface and booking tool
  • Deals when making more than one booking
  • 38 different languages and offers a 24-hour, multilingual customer support service
  • Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
  • Millions of reviews to help make your decision

3. Lastminute.com

Lastminute homepage

  • Filter hotels according to budgets, star ratings, guest ratings, board types, and more
  • ATOL protection on flight + hotel bundles
  • Flash sales for last-minute deals
  • Payment plans to spread out the cost of travel
  • Extra entertainment booking for your trips, like theatrical productions and day trips
  • Gift cards for gifting travel

Expedia homepage

  • Expedia rewards for hotels, cars, and more
  • Experienced support
  • Compare cruise lines
  • Big savings when booking flights, hotels, and car
  • Operates in nearly 70 countries and in over 35 different languages
  • Luxury travel options

Hotwire homepage

  • Book hotels, flights, cars, and bundles
  • 24/7 support
  • Lower prices on the app
  • Great last-minute deals for spontaneous travel

6. Bookmundi

Bookmundi homepage

Best online travel agencies for flights

1. skyscanner.

Skyscanner homepage

  • Super flexible booking filters
  • Cheaper flights and hotels than other OTAs
  • Price alerts for travel routes of interest
  • Easy-to-use booking tool and UI
  • Hundreds of location and currency options
  • One-way, return, and multi-city travel options

2. Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com homepage

  • Simple flight booking tool
  • Partnerships with Booking.com and Rentalcars.com
  • Discover deals anywhere with the option to open up your search
  • Easy-to-use app

How do online travel agencies work?

What are the advantages of booking through an online travel agency.

  • Access to comparison tools
  • Peer reviews to help you with your decisions
  • Flexible cancellation policies
  • All your travel in one place
  • Local flights and deals

Rewards programs

Comparison tools, peer reviews, flexible cancellation.

" "

Flexiperk: Cancel anytime, anywhere. Get a minimum of 80% of your money back.

One account for all of your travel needs, a local approach to global travel, wrapping up.

Woman riding train

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

  • See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
  • Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
  • Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

Speak to a travel expert

" "

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Best corporate hotel loyalty programs in Europe

  • Business Travel Management
  • Offset Carbon Footprint
  • Flexible travel
  • Travelperk Sustainability Policy
  • Corporate Travel Resources
  • Corporate Travel Glossary
  • For Travel Managers
  • For Finance Teams
  • For Travelers
  • Thoughts from TravelPerk
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  • Modern Slavery Act | Statement
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Best Online Travel Agencies

Booking.com is our top choice for making your trip arrangements

Ligaya Malones is an editor, blogger, and freelance writer specializing in food and travel. Ligaya's work has appeared in publications including Lonely Planet and BRIDES.

online travel agents brand

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Planning a trip can be easier through an online travel agency than if you handle each aspect of the planning separately. You can book hotels, air travel, rental cars, and more through a single site, and booking everything together sometimes results in discounts. By inputting a destination, a range of dates, and other preferences, you will see a list of options for each aspect of travel.

The best online travel agencies offer options from the largest number of airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more. Look for sites that offer discounts for combining reservations for different aspects of your trip. For example, the best sites will have lower rates if you book both plane tickets and a hotel through their services. The best sites also provide reviews from customers who actually have booked through the service. These are our top picks.

  • Best Overall: Booking.com
  • Best Budget: Skyscanner
  • Best Price Predictor: Hopper
  • Most Innovative: Kiwi.com
  • Best for Eco-Conscious: Kind Traveler
  • Best for Social Impact: I Like Local
  • Best for Design-Forward Homestays: Plum Guide
  • Our Top Picks
  • Booking.com

Kind Traveler

I Like Local

  • See More (4)

Final Verdict

Frequently asked questions, methodology, best overall : booking.com.

 Booking.com

This industry leader offers one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms on the Internet.

Lots of options to choose from

Interface is easy to use

Numerous filters to customize your search

Tricky to tell whether changes/cancellations can be made with Booking.com or the vendor directly

Booking.com was founded in 1996 and has grown into an industry leader that stands out for being one of the most comprehensive trip planning platforms out there. From one website, you can compare and book accommodations, flights (including one-way and multi-city flights), sightseeing activities, and even airport taxis. The website lists more than 28 million accommodation options, from hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to vacation homes and luxury resorts—you can browse more choices per destination on Booking.com than other online travel agencies. The website also performs well on cost and typically returns lower-than-average prices for flights and hotels. 

Booking.com's interface is also easy to use. On the home page, search for a hotel by entering your chosen destination and dates. Then, use the extensive list of filters—such as price range and distance from the city center—to narrow the results down and find the best fit. You can also search for a specific hotel, or seek inspiration by clicking through options grouped by destination or property type or by topic such as the country’s best Michelin-starred hotel restaurants or the top cities for vegan travelers. The flights, car rental, and other tabs are just as intuitive. 

Best Budget : Skyscanner

 Skyscanner

You can compare prices across airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Simple interface

Option to toggle searches between specific dates or by monthly calendars

Search Everywhere button is great for spontaneous planners

Extra clicks are required to make a final purchase

Must read fine print for changes/cancellations—may need to deal directly with the vendor

Ads on the sidebar can be distracting

Find deals on airfare, hotels, and car rentals with an aggregator site like Skyscanner , which uses a metasearch engine to compare prices from all online travel agencies and the airline, hotel, or car rental company in question. Run searches with fixed dates, opt to compare airfare prices month to month, or click “Cheapest Month.” Searches also include options for nearby airports or non-stop flights only. With hotel searches, you can choose to select only from properties with free cancellation, a cleanliness rating of 4.5/5 or higher, or 3- or 4-starred hotels only. Car rental searches include an option to select “return car to different location.”

Once you’ve found the best rate, click on the link to be redirected to the third-party site to make your booking. Feeling spontaneous? The Search Everywhere button on the homepage offers a list of the cheapest flight deals for destinations both locally and across the world—just plug in your departure airport first.

Best Price Predictor : Hopper

The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting when flights and hotel rates will be cheapest.

Color-coded system makes it easy to determine cheapest days to buy

App is easy to use

Option to track flights and receive alerts when the best time to buy arises

Some have mentioned the app functions better as a research tool than a booking tool

Unclear whether Hopper will price match if you find a cheaper flight elsewhere

Hopper is a travel app available on iOS and Android that aims to help travelers save on airfare by usng historical data and their own algorithm to predict when flights will be cheapest. Just type in where and when you’d like to fly and Hopper will present you with a color-coded pricing calendar indicating how much tickets are likely to cost. (Green is the least expensive, then yellow, orange, and red for most expensive.) Hopper will also recommend you either buy now or wait, or you can choose to watch a trip and receive notifications on the best time to buy. In addition, the app has expanded to offer hotel and car rental price predictions, too.

Some newer features since the app’s inception in 2009 include an option to freeze a price for a limited time—for an extra fee—as well as exclusive app-only discounts. Hopper is free to download, and you can choose to book directly through the app, though some users mentioned they use Hopper as more of a research tool before booking directly with the airline or hotel. The company claims a 95 percent accuracy rate at predicting flight rates up to a year ahead.

Most Innovative : Kiwi.com

This metasearch engine scours the web to piece together the ideal itinerary using planes, trains, buses, and more.

Creative itineraries get you where you need to go, especially if you’ve got a multi-stop trip

Kiwi Guarantee offers rebooking or cancellation protections

Nomad option appeals to travelers with a lot of flexibility

Creative itineraries mean you may not fly out of the same airport you flew into

Kiwi Guarantee has an additional fee

Charges all-in-one fee for booking flights, trains, buses (though you can always purchase a la carte)

Travelers planning multi-city destinations and seeking a bargain, as well as those looking to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, might consider Kiwi . Kiwi is a metasearch engine that scours and pieces together itineraries from various airlines (even if they don’t have a codeshare agreement), considers multiple airports (even if your arrival airport is different from departure), and offers booking options, whether you’re looking at very specific dates or more general ones (up to 60 nights).

Some will find the ability to make multiple bookings for a particular trip more convenient than going at it manually several different times, though note that you must opt into the Kiwi Guarantee program to access rebooking and refund protections should your reservation change or be canceled. Kiwi’s Nomad option allows you to plug in a bunch of destinations you’d like to visit and the length of your intended stay, and the website will churn out the most affordable itineraries for review.

Best for Eco-Conscious : Kind Traveler

A give-and-get business model means booking accommodations with exclusive perks, a donation to environmental organizations, and more.

All participating hotels include a local give-back component

Exclusive savings and perks

Participating hotels are located in some of the most beautiful places in the world

Inventory is much smaller compared to other booking platforms

Some of the amenities mentioned are based on availability only

In 2022, Kind Traveler (an online trave agency focused on hotel bookings) announced an increase in environmentally and socially conscious hotels, charity donations, voluntourism opportunities, and additional perks like waived resort fees or a welcome amenity.

Unlock exclusive hotel rates and perks from participating Kind Traveler hotels with a minimum $10/night minimum donation to a local charity. For example, stay at the Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and receive up to $33 off the nightly rate and perks such as a food and beverage credit and an Earth Lab or Alchemy Bar workshop when you make a donation to Manta Trust. The organization funds coastal research to protect the island nation’s large yet fragile population of reef mantas.

Select from more than 140 participating hotels from the Hawaiian Islands to Bozeman, Montana, and the Maldives. Charities include wildlife, human rights, arts, education, and environmental preservation organizations.

Best for Social Impact : I Like Local

Choose from a host of travel experiences with the peace of mind that 100 percent of the cost goes directly to local partners.

Social impact mission woven into organization’s business model

Immersive experiences led by local guides

Range of experiences offered

May not be best fit for those seeking upscale, luxury experiences and stays

Can’t sort experiences by a list of countries (though an interactive map is available)

No experiences outside of Africa and Asia

For an online travel agency with a booking platform designed to route dollars spent directly to the communities travelers intend to visit, consider I Like Local . Visit the website to browse a host of travel experiences in countries including Indonesia, Kenya, and Cambodia. Experiences include homestays and farmstays as well as wellness and culturally oriented experiences—from cooking and cycling tours to weaving classes.

To search for an experience, select from drop-down items like travel dates and experience categories, or view a global map and click on a country to view experiences that way.

The platform got its start in 2014 and has grown to 4,000 local hosts across nearly 20 countries. As a social impact organization, 100 percent of each booking fee goes to local hosts. To date, 16,000 travelers have booked with I Like Local.

Best for Design-Forward Homestays : Plum Guide

Browse and book seriously vetted, design-forward vacation homes.

Highly curated inventory of vacation rentals across the world

Design-forward

Thorough vetting process

Does not publish guest reviews

Other platforms have homes available across more destinations

When it comes to booking a vacation home, serviced apartment, or condo, travelers are spoiled for choice. Plum Guide is an online travel agency that specializes in accommodations—though not just any home makes its directory. The company claims that each potential home listed on its site must jump through 150 hoops to be included, from internet speed and mattress and pillow quality to the showers’ water pressure and the home’s proximity to dining, shopping, and attractions.

Search by a featured collection on the website such as “ pet-friendly homes ” or “one-of-a-kind homes in Palm Springs.” Scroll to the bottom of its homepage to view its top destinations, as well as a list of all destinations where Plum Guide homes are available, including Barbados, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Turkey. Note: From the top right-hand corner of the site, use the dropdown menu to select currency of choice.

As long as you know what you value most out of your travel experience—such as affordability, social impact, or luxe accommodations—there’s an online travel agency to help plan your next trip. Be sure to read the fine print, as some agencies are third-party websites and not direct vendors. If you're not sure where to start, Booking.com is your best bet for a smooth user experience and hard-to-beat offers on flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements.

What Is the Biggest Travel Agency?

Our choice for best overall, Booking.com, is known as an industry leader with listings for all major hotels, airlines, car rental companies, and more. It boasts more choices for accommodations per destination than any other site, and we found its interface to be user-friendly.

Are Online Travel Agencies Worth It?

This depends on your needs and priorities. The best online travel agencies certainly can save time by booking everything all at once. However, if you're someone who is good at haggling and enjoys the details of planning a trip, you might be able to find better deals by reaching out to hotels or other destinations and speaking to someone personally.

Is It Cheaper to Book Online Than With a Travel Agent?

Not always. A travel agent you know and trust should have the experience and connections to find deals that can match or surpass what you'll find online. Additionally, if something goes wrong, travel agents provide you with an actual person you can use as an advocate to correct the problem . But if you don't have access to a good travel agent, online sites still provide plenty of ways to streamline planning and save money .

We considered dozens of online travel agencies and narrowed down the options based on user experience, volume and quality of inventory, unique offerings and specials, and customer reviews. We also assessed travel companies’ environmentally and socially conscious policies.

Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

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Best Travel Agencies

VIP Traveler logo

Working with a reputable travel agent takes the stress out of travel. Use our guide to research the best travel agency for you. Travel agencies handle transfers between multiple destinations, event planning services, group travel arrangements and more. Many agencies are starting to market themselves in new ways, often by catering to niche markets.

  • Our recommendations are based on what reviewers say.
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How to find a travel agency

Accreditation.

Travel agencies aren't required to obtain licensing or certification, though recognized organizations accredit and certify members. Travelers can confirm a travel agency's accreditation by looking for the accrediting body's logo on a travel agency's website or brochure.

  • ASTA accreditation: ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors) accreditation assures clients that the agency operates under ASTA's code of ethics and will communicate with clients about unexpected changes to travel plans.
  • IATA accreditation: IATA (International Air Transport Association) accreditation provides agencies with a Sales Agency Agreement and a TIDS number that authorizes sales of international and domestic airline tickets.
  • Unaccredited agencies: If considering an unaccredited travel agency, take into account that their lack of accreditation could mean they are inexperienced or have had service problems that caused a loss of accreditation.

Credentials

Credentials are similar to accreditation, though on an individual level. Some travel agents obtain certification through The Travel Institute, which confirms the agent's interpersonal skills and destination knowledge. These types of certifications ensure that travelers are working with an agent that has the necessary experience to anticipate travel issues and provide solutions.

  • Certified travel associate (CTA): A CTA is a professional who has a minimum of 18 months in the travel industry and has passed courses to enhance skills and service.
  • Certified travel counselor (CTC): A CTC has the skills of a CTA, advanced industry training and five years of industry experience.
  • Certified travel industry executive (CTIE): A CTIE is a travel industry professional who has management training within the travel agency.

Travel agencies charge fees for services provided to clients to account for time spent researching and booking travel arrangements. Keep in mind that a travel agent’s inside knowledge of travel-related discounts may make booking through an agency less expensive than self-booking over the internet.

  • Airline ticket procurement fee: Travel agencies charge an airline ticket procurement fee for purchasing tickets on behalf of the traveler.
  • Travel agency service fees: Other common travel agency fees include fees for booking hotels and rental cars and for time spent researching trips.
  • Itemization of costs and fees: While there is no law requiring travel agencies to provide an itemized breakdown of costs and fees, you can request this information to ensure fees are reasonable.

International travel planning

Planning a trip to another country is typically more complex than planning a domestic trip due to extra paperwork and the need to know details about the destination country. A trusted global travel agency can help manage details and paperwork on your behalf.

  • Destination-specific research or specialization: Some agents with certification from The Travel Institute are trained in region-specific bookings while others charge for time spent researching destinations.
  • Hotel and flight packages: Using a global travel agency to book international hotel and flight packages can cut costs even after agency fees are added. To check for savings, compare online price listings to prices provided by the agency.
  • Visa and passport requirements: Having visas and passports in order is vital when traveling to other countries, so confirm which documents are needed with the agency early in the trip-planning process.

Group travel planning

Planning a trip for a group can be challenging because some facilities cannot accommodate groups. Travel agencies find suitable venues and transportation for the entire group. A global travel agency can help you with international group vacations.

  • Large-group discounts: Travel agencies have access to discounts based on established relationships with hotels and airline companies to secure a great price for group bookings.
  • Transportation: A large group is not going to fit in a standard rental car. Confirm the travel agency is able to book a van or several cars to meet the group's transportation needs.
  • Itinerary details for the group: In addition to sleeping arrangements and transportation, eating out and visiting tourist attractions can be problematic for a group. Ask the travel agency to arrange the fine points of the group's trip in addition to handling the larger details.

Land and sea planning

Planning a vacation involves more than selecting a country and booking hotel and airfare. Hiring a travel agency can help make sure travelers enjoy every stop in their itinerary.

  • Add a cruise: Talk to your travel agency about adding some sea travel to any vacation. Different onboard accommodations and ports of call allow travelers to extend the reach of their trips.
  • Seamless transfers: Making the transfer from onshore accommodations to a cruise ship can eat up almost an entire day, but a travel agent takes care of the hassle by arranging travel to the port at the right time.
  • Planning excursions: Ask the travel agent to arrange desired shore excursions at the ship's ports of call that enrich other planned itinerary stops.

Types of travel agencies

Commercial travel agencies.

Commercial travel agencies cater to business travelers. These agencies specialize in tracking down deals for business travelers to help companies manage travel costs.

Online travel agencies

Travel agencies that exist only in cyberspace provide clients with the convenience of online booking and discounts that are available only to professional travel agencies. Some agencies offer both online booking and walk-in service for clients.

Niche travel agencies

Niche travel agencies provide clients with specialized knowledge of a region. This enhances the travel experience for clients by ensuring paperwork is in order and providing specific, often first-hand, knowledge of the area tourists are visiting.

Membership associations

Memberships associations give travelers access to the organization's travel planning services for the cost of an annual membership rather than charging per transaction. This type of agency offers the most benefit to frequent travelers.

Who uses travel agencies?

International travelers.

International travelers can cut the stress of planning trips to other countries when a global travel agency manages the details. This includes making sure each traveler has the proper paperwork and booking suitable travel accommodations.

Business travelers

Business travelers can take advantage of savings associated with discounts available only to travel agents. Some travel agencies also handle the detailed expense report paperwork required by the accounting departments of most companies.

Group travelers

Group travelers can save time when looking for accommodations that have room for the entire group by using a travel agency. Group bookings through an agent can also save you money.

Travel bargain seekers

Travel bargain seekers can discuss their travel budget with a travel agent. This is a way to determine what discounts and money-saving packages a travel agency can arrange.

Travel agencies FAQ

Most travel agencies don’t charge customers, meaning the only price you pay is the cost of your trip. Agents are typically paid commissions by the hotels or airlines. Some travel agents may charge service fees from $100 to $500, but that money is usually applied toward the cost of your trip if you complete travel arrangements through the agency.

To know if a travel agency is legit:

  • Review the agency’s website for a physical address and phone number.
  • Check for industry certifications and associations with professional organizations like the American Society of Travel Advisors.
  • Read reviews to learn about client experiences. Ask for a list of references.
  • Make sure the agent accepts credit cards.
  • Compare pricing to make sure cost isn’t too high or too low.

No, it’s generally free to use a travel agent. A travel agency may charge a service fee or a booking fee, but it’s common for this fee to apply toward the cost of your trip.

The four main types of travel agencies are:

  • Commercial travel agencies , which cater mainly to business travelers
  • Online travel agencies that help people plan their trips entirely online
  • Niche travel agencies , which specialize in arranging trips to specific areas
  • Membership associations that provide travel services as a benefit to members

Using a travel agent is a more personalized experience than booking online — and sometimes cheaper. Travel agents are experts who can find the best deals on flights , cruises, hotels and activities. Agents are often available 24/7 in case of problems. And there’s usually no extra cost to use one.

Yes, a travel agent can save you money, especially if you’re traveling internationally to unfamiliar territory or if you’re organizing a trip for a big group. In addition to finding you the best deal, a travel agent saves you time planning and researching — often at no cost for services.

Travel agencies:

  • Find the best deals on flights, hotels, cruises and activities for individuals, families, businesses and groups
  • Give clients personalized attention and advice for trip planning
  • Offer trip insurance
  • Save you time and stress
  • Are available 24/7 in case of a problem and advocate on your behalf

No, you don’t need to tip a travel agent. A great way to show appreciation is to refer friends, family members and co-workers. Some people choose to write a thank-you note and/or give a small gift.

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Travel agency reviews

HotelPlanner.com

HotelPlanner uses online technology to connect customers with hotel group sales managers. Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner offers group travel services in more than twenty languages and partners with more than 50,000 hotels worldwide.

  • Guaranteed lowest group rates : For consumers booking 10 or more rooms per night, HotelPlanner matches or beats the prices offered elsewhere.
  • Free room for the planner : The group's coordinator, the person who set up the hotel block, is provided with a free room when booking more than the minimum number of required rooms for the block.
  • Local experts : A local expert is assigned to each group to provide advice about navigating the city and enjoying activities.
  • Easy bid requests : The electronic room-booking process for groups is quick and easy to navigate. Travelers fill in the form and wait for hotels to bid on their travel, cutting out hours spent on the phone and putting negotiating power in the hands of the traveler.
  • Hotels bid on clients : HotelPlanner provides clients with the option to have hotels bid for the client's business, ensuring the best rates and packages.

Tours4Fun

Tours4fun is a full-service travel agency, offering both brick-and-mortar and online customer service options.

Royal Holiday

Royal Holiday Vacation Club offers memberships that let you travel to nearly 200 destinations in over 50 countries. It has over 100,000 members and has been in business since 1983. Royal Holiday Vacation Club is a subsidiary of Park Royal Hotels and Resorts.

Global Work & Travel

The Global Work & Travel Co. is an Australia-based youth travel organization that specializes in travel for people ages 18 to 30. With offices in the United Kingdom and Canada and over 1,200 travel partner organizations, you will get help with planning and logistics at every step of your journey.

Vantage Deluxe World Travel

Vantage Deluxe World Travel was established in 1983 when it started offering affordable deluxe travel to select groups, like teachers unions and alumni associations. Since then, the company has escorted almost half a million travelers all around the world.

Global Vacation Network

Global Vacation Network is a membership association that provides condominium packages and advice for saving on other travel-related details, such as airfare.

smarTours

The smarTours company has been in business since 1996, offering low-cost group vacation tours to exotic worldwide locales. To date, more than 150,000 satisfied travelers have used smarTours to book their holiday.

Liberty Travel

Liberty Travel is a traditional brick-and-mortar travel agency with a presence in several major cities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New England, Illinois, California and Florida.

Fox World Travel

Fox World Travel has 11 regional vacation travel agencies in Wisconsin and has agents who set up trips for corporate travelers all over the United States.

  • Find a way : Agents are trained to find a way to put client requests first, even if the requests are challenging.
  • Group travel : Traveling in groups is made easy with trips designed for wedding parties, schools, media events, and a range of customizable options.
  • Business travel division : The business travel division specializes in meeting the unique needs of business travel like meeting planning services, attendee management, online event booking and more.
  • Travel tools available : Travel tools that simplify traveling, such as currency converters and a flight tracker are provided online for clients to use.
  • Online booking : Vacation packages can be viewed and booked online through the company website.

Zicasso

Zicasso partners with multiple travel agencies that specialize in specific styles of trips or destinations and puts agencies together with travelers. Founded in 2006, by two world travelers, Zicasso serves the luxury travel market from its headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Trafalgar

Trafalgar offers guided tours of popular vacation destinations, such as Europe, North America, South America and Asia, in larger groups of up to 52. Trafalgar also partners with the TreadRight Foundation to support underprivileged communities and work toward sustainable tourism practices.

  • Authentic experiences : The guides that are assisting travelers live and work in the communities being toured.
  • Travel options : All Trafalgar tours are guided tours, but there are numerous options to choose from. Travelers can decide on a family vacation, country explorations, special interest tours and more.
  • Keep options open : Flexibility is built into the travel itinerary for exploring destinations with several nights of free exploration on every tour. This allows travelers to revisit favorite sites or explore areas not covered by the tour group.
  • VIP treatment : Trafalgar trips provide exclusive access to sights so travelers avoid waiting in lines.
  • Friendly experience : Local guides greet clients and treat them as friends, providing comfort and a sense of welcome in a strange land.

Audley Travel

Audley Travel has offered custom-made trips based on client input since opening their doors in 1996. With more than 75 destinations and travel types that range from luxury to road trip, vacationers can create and enjoy their own ideal holiday away.

  • Preplanning assistance : Clients can browse the website or discuss interests with a travel planner to get destination ideas.
  • Detailed planning : A specialist helps plan each detail of the trip until the client is satisfied and approves the itinerary.
  • Pretrip preparation assistance : The assigned specialist is available for questions and reviews the client's itinerary four days before departure.
  • Midtrip support : Clients are provided with a number to call that is manned 24/7 if assistance is needed.
  • Multiple destinations : Trips to over 75 worldwide locations are offered by Audley Travel.

Information in this guide is general in nature and is intended for informational purposes only; it is not legal, health, investment or tax advice. ConsumerAffairs.com makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from its use.

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The 10 Best Online Travel Agencies: The Top OTAs to Connect to in 2023

Lexi DeMers

Lexi DeMers

online travel agents brand

Updated: 15 Mar 2024

Online travel agencies don’t just make life easier for travelers. The best online travel agencies also offer a variety of benefits to business owners. From accessing niche markets to benefiting from the billboard effect, listing your hospitality business on popular travel sites has many perks. 

These sites can help you cover low-season lulls or ensure you maximize your bookings year round. Discover how online travel agencies can help you capture your share of the $521 billion online travel market . In this article, we’ll cover the best online travel agencies for hoteliers and other accommodation providers, detail the benefits they offer, and discuss how you can easily manage multiple channels. 

The 10 Online Travel Agencies with the Highest Revenue 

Before you take the time and effort to list your business on a new channel, you’ll want to make sure that it will actually help you gain new guests. Below are the 10 best online travel agencies worldwide by annual revenue , as reported by Statista. 

Booking.com

Edreams odigeo, tripadvisor, manage all your channels with one centralized booking system, a closer look at the best online travel agencies.

All online travel agencies are not created equal. In fact, many channels cater best to specific businesses. Though listing your property on the highest earning online travel agencies is a great strategy, it is even better to understand the markets that each OTA serves. Below, we will take a closer look at the best online travel agencies.

Booking.com is a global powerhouse in the online travel agency sector. Its expansive platform includes a diverse array of property types, ranging from hotels and resorts to apartments and hostels. So it is a great OTA option for a variety of business models. Renowned for its user-friendly interface and extensive property listings, Booking.com attracts travelers from around the world. 

Hotels can seamlessly integrate with this booking engine, streamlining their reservations and room management. On average, Booking.com charges businesses a 15% commission on every booking, though this rate can vary from region to region. 

Expedia is a leading online travel agency known for its global reach and comprehensive travel offerings. This one-stop shop caters to travelers searching for accommodations, flights, car rentals, and vacation packages across the globe. 

Business owners benefit from Expedia's tools like the Partner Central platform, which aids in managing bookings, optimizing rates, and enhancing visibility. Expedia's loyalty program, Expedia Rewards, encourages repeat bookings which is why it is one of the best online travel agencies for hoteliers. However, depending on the region your business is in, Expedia charges 10% to 30% commission. 

Airbnb is a unique online travel agency that connects travelers with a wide range of accommodations, from cozy private rooms to entire homes. While it initially gained fame for its home-sharing platform, it has expanded to include boutique hotels and traditional accommodations. As such, it ranks toward the top of our list of the best online travel agencies. 

Accommodation providers can tap into Airbnb's extensive network, reaching guests from around the world. While there are a few different options, most hosts on Airbnb are charged a 3% commission. Meanwhile, Airbnb charges a 14% service fee to guests on top of the nightly rate you set. 

Trivago is one of the best online travel agencies, but getting your property on the site isn’t as straightforward as the other options on this list. Trivago is a metasearch engine that scours the Internet to find the best hotel deals for travelers. It collects hotel listings and prices from various online travel agencies, hotel chains, and booking sites. 

Owners can leverage Trivago by ensuring their listings are well-optimized on other OTAs. Since it doesn't handle bookings directly, Trivago doesn’t charge business owners any commission and instead gets its revenue from other sites that advertise there. 

Despegar is one of the best online travel agencies, primarily serving the Latin American market. It offers a wide range of travel-related services, including hotel bookings, flights, and car rentals. With a strong presence in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, Despegar provides travelers with a convenient platform to plan and book their trips.

Business owners looking to tap into the Latin American market can benefit from listing their properties on Despegar. It allows them to access a diverse and growing customer base while also providing travelers with options tailored to their preferences and language. Hoteliers can expect to pay 10% to 15% in commission on bookings from this site. 

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As one of the largest online travel agencies globally, Trip.com offers a variety of services to travelers. Formerly known as Ctrip, it has a strong presence in the Asian market but has expanded its reach to cater to a diverse international audience. Travelers can use Trip.com to book hotels, flights, trains, car rentals, and other travel-related services. 

Accommodation providers aiming to attract travelers from Asia and beyond can benefit from partnering with Trip.com. As one of the best online travel agencies, it provides access to a vast customer base seeking a variety of accommodation options. By listing on Trip.com, you can expect to pay anywhere between 10% to 25% in commission. 

eDreams Odigeo is a leading European online travel agency that serves as an umbrella for several well-known brands, including eDreams, Opodo, GO Voyages, and Travellink. It caters to travelers seeking a wide range of travel products and services. By partnering with eDreams Odigeo, accommodation providers can tap into the European market and beyond. 

Whether you run a boutique hotel or manage a large resort, listing your property on one of the  eDreams Odigeo sites allows you to reach travelers from various European countries. Depending on the exact site you list your business on, you may pay commission or your guests may pay service fees. 

As a prominent online travel agency in India, MakeMyTrip has a strong foothold in the South Asian market. It offers a range of travel services, including flights, hotels, and holiday packages. By listing your property on MakeMyTrip, you can tap into the growing Indian travel market and attract travelers looking for both domestic and international accommodation options. 

MakeMyTrip's user-friendly interface and extensive marketing efforts make it a valuable platform for reaching travelers across India and the Indian diaspora. After some controversy over excessive rates in 2019, MakeMyTrip pledged to cap its commission at 22% . However, your guests will also be charged a booking fee when making reservations on this site. 

If you're targeting spontaneous travelers or those seeking last-minute deals, Lastminute.com is the best online travel agency to consider. As the name suggests, it specializes in providing travelers with a wide array of last-minute options, from flights and hotels to car rentals and activities. 

By partnering with Lastminute.com, you can attract travelers looking for instant bookings, making it an excellent choice for filling last-minute vacancies. This is great for offering discounts during off-peak periods or showcasing special promotions. To learn more about the commission rates Lastminute charges, it's best to reach out to the company directly. 

Tripadvisor is renowned for its comprehensive database of traveler reviews. But it's also a powerful online travel agency, offering an extensive platform for accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. 

By delivering exceptional experiences to your guests, you can earn positive reviews that attract more travelers to your property. Tripadvisor offers various tools for property owners to manage their listings, showcase their amenities, and respond to reviews, ensuring your property's reputation remains stellar. Plus, Tripadvisor only charges owners a 3% commission fee. 

Two people smiling while working together on a computer outside.

Other Great OTAs for Your Business 

Aside from the top-performing online travel agencies globally, there are still many more OTAs that can help boost your earnings and expand your audience. Depending on the region you’re in and your ideal target market, the other great online travel agencies below may work well for you. 

VRBO, which stands for Vacation Rental By Owner, is a platform specializing in vacation rental properties. It's a part of the Expedia Group and caters to travelers seeking unique and often more private accommodations, such as vacation homes, cabins, cottages, and condos. VRBO charges owners a 5% commission. 

Hostelworld

Hostelword is one of the best online travel agencies for low-cost accommodations like hostels and budget-friendly hotels. Hostelworld connects hostel owners with a global community of backpackers and budget travelers, making it an essential choice for those operating in the hostel industry. When receiving bookings from Hostelworld, business owners typically pay between 10% and 25%. 

Primarily known for its flight booking services, Hopper has expanded into the hotel industry. This innovative OTA offers travelers a unique approach to booking accommodations. Hopper's app leverages data analytics to predict the best times to book hotels at the lowest rates, helping travelers save money. And the best part of this platform is that it doesn’t charge hosts any commission fees on bookings. 

Strongest in the Asian market, Traveloka offers a comprehensive platform for booking flights, hotels, activities, and other travel-related services. It has gained popularity for its user-friendly interface, competitive prices, and extensive coverage across Southeast Asia. Owners will pay between 10% to 15% of booking revenue in commission to Traveloka. 

Your business. Your Bookings. Your way.

What are the benefits of using an online travel agency.

Online travel agencies have revolutionized the way the hospitality industry operates. They offer a wide array of benefits that cater to both travelers and accommodation providers. In this section, we'll explore the key advantages of collaborating with some of the best online travel agencies.

Higher Booking Volume.   Of course, the main goal of listing your property on an online travel agency is getting more bookings. These sites have large audiences, which can lead to a substantial increase in bookings. 

Market insights. The best online travel agencies provide valuable data and market insights that can help you understand traveler preferences, booking patterns, and trends. In turn, this can inform your pricing, marketing, and property management strategies.

Build an Online Reputation. Many OTAs offer a review system that allows previous guests to share their experiences. Positive reviews and ratings can build trust and credibility, encouraging potential guests to choose your property.

Easier international reach. If you have international guests in mind, the top online travel agencies can help you reach travelers worldwide. They also often support various languages and currencies, making it easier for international guests to book.

Billboard effect. The Billboard Effect describes the phenomenon in which accommodation providers gain more direct bookings on their own websites after listing their property on OTAs. It illustrates that these platforms serve as powerful marketing and distribution channels.

How to Find the Best Online Travel Agencies for Your Business 

While listing your business on all of the best online travel agencies is a smart move, you can go a step further with OTAs. If you want to find the absolute best online travel agencies for your business, you’ll need to identify sites that fit your niche. 

Many OTAs cater to specific audiences, such as Thermal for surf trips and Bookatrekking.com for trekking adventures. There are also great online travel agencies for other niches, including luxury accommodations, yoga retreats, family hotels, and more. Take some time to explore various platforms’ user base and commission rates to determine which OTAs would be best for your business. 

How Can I Manage Multiple OTAs?

While having a presence on multiple OTAs can offer big rewards, having to log into and manage several different platforms is extremely time consuming. Not to mention, you risk double-books and other errors. Thankfully, you can use a channel manager to help streamline your bookings across multiple online travel agencies. 

At Bookinglayer, we offer Channels ; a fully integrated, user-friendly channel manager that allows our clients to maximize their revenue without spending extra time on administration. Channels allows business owners to integrate with up to 35 different platforms while conveniently managing everything from one simple dashboard. 

Want to Learn More About How Bookinglayer Helps Business Owners?

Bookinglayer is an all-in-one software suite designed specifically for adventure travel businesses that have complex booking scenarios. If you want to offer accommodation and activities, Bookinglayer is the most comprehensive platform on the market.

Whether is optimizing your booking flow, automating your payment processing, or streamlining your daily reports, we can help you save time, reduce errors, and increase conversions. You can sign up for a free demo to discover if you are the right fit for our software suite. 

Best Online Travel Agencies FAQ

What is an online travel agency.

An online travel agency is a web-based platform that allows users to research and book a range of travel-related services. Also known as OTAs, these marketplaces display services from various providers. They often include accommodation, flights, rental cars, tours and activities, and more. 

How do online travel agencies work?

Online travel agencies are third-party services that offer users a convenient and easy way to plan and book travel experiences. They aggregate travel services, facilitate bookings, collect payments, and publish reviews. In return, they oftentimes earn a commission from the bookings they sell.  

How do OTAs make money?

OTAs typically make money by charging business owners a commission on the bookings they sell. These commission rates can range from 10% to 30%, depending on the platform you choose and the region you operate in. In addition, some OTAs may also charge customers a service fee to help cover the costs of running the platform. 

What is the downside of using OTAs?

The downside of using an OTA is that you will likely need to pay a commission to the platform. As such, many business owners prefer to collect direct bookings. Nonetheless, the best online travel agencies serve as a great way to advertise your property and can help you increase your revenue, despite the commission charges. 

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10 Best Online Travel Agencies of 2024 - Top OTAs You Should Connect to Today

Discover the 10 best online travel agencies of 2024. Learn how to choose the right OTA for your hotel to maximize bookings and revenue.

Table of content:

2024 Best Online Travel Agencies Shortlist

What is an online travel agency, online travel agencies in 2024: landscape overview, why partnering with the right online travel agent matters, your hotel website: the most powerful distribution channel, how to choose an online travel agent, list of the top 10 online travel agencies (ota), connecting with multiple online travel agencies, expert advice: maximize your ota relationships.

This comprehensive guide features an overview of the top 10 leading Online Travel Agencies (OTA) on HotelMinder:

  • Booking.com — best for all types of accommodations, everywhere
  • Expedia — best for bigger hotels
  • Airbnb — best for short term & vacation rental
  • Agoda — best for hotels in Asia
  • Trip.com — best to attract guests from China
  • Laterooms — best to sell last minute rooms
  • eDreams — best to package rates with airlines and more
  • Hotelbeds — best for Business to Business (B2B) access
  • Hostelworld — best for hostels
  • Despegar — best for properties in South America

Browse the top 10 list of the best Online Travel Agencies for hotels .

Guidance to Help you Manage your Hotel Online Distribution

Navigating the evolving world of online travel agencies can be overwhelming for hoteliers. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are not just booking platforms anymore; they are comprehensive marketplaces offering flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages.

Let's delve into how these OTAs can expand your reach, enhance customer experience, and even become a strategic partner in your business. If you're in the hospitality industry, this guide is your one-stop-shop for up-to-date information.

An Online Travel Agency (OTA) , often referred to as a travel agent online , serves as a conduit between customers and various travel services. Starting off primarily with hotel bookings, OTAs have now expanded to offer a plethora of hospitality services , becoming a linchpin for the industry.

They excel in giving your hotel higher visibility, thus helping you reach potential guests more effectively than traditional marketing methods.

Benefits of Using an Online Travel Agency

Increased Exposure and Customer Base — OTAs access a large and diverse customer base, expanding your hotel's reach and boosting its visibility online.

Cost-Effectiveness — They take charge of many operational aspects of booking, thereby reducing your internal operational costs.

Marketing Leverage — OTAs have the financial clout to run extensive advertising campaigns, offering you a chance to capitalize on their marketing efforts.

Booking Efficiency — These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces that simplify the booking process, increasing customer satisfaction and consequently, direct bookings.

Commission and Fees — On the flip side, OTAs do charge a commission—usually between 10-25%—which can impact your profit margins.

Customer Trust — The presence of your hotel on multiple OTAs not only boosts visibility but also adds to the customer’s trust, which can translate into a 20% uptick in direct bookings.

Online travel agency impact on the hospitality industry.

Market Size and Growth

The OTA market is booming, projected to be worth a staggering $1.06 trillion by 2027. For the year 2024 alone, the market is estimated to be valued at $2.3 trillion.

Key Trends Shaping the Industry

Factors such as improved network connectivity, the rise of mobile platforms, and the increased spending capability of the average consumer are boosting the industry.

Relevance to the Hotel Industry

Travel booking companies are invaluable for the hotel industry. Their contribution is not just in bookings but in providing an efficient way for customers to compare prices and options. They have become integrated parts of the overall travel ecosystem, adding value to both hoteliers and travelers alike.

Technological Advancements

With the advent of technologies like AI and machine learning, OTAs are transforming the way bookings are made by offering personalized experiences to users.

It’s not about choosing any online travel agent: choosing the best travel agent that fits your hotel’s specific needs is crucial. Here's why:

  • Market Insights : These agencies offer tools that help you target customers more efficiently.
  • Revenue Impact : OTAs are used more frequently than individual hotel websites for bookings, making them a significant revenue source.
  • Customer Base : Picking an OTA with a wide-reaching customer base can lead to better occupancy rates for your hotel.

The right OTA can significantly impact your hotel's revenue and occupancy rates. Therefore, hotel owners and managers should carefully select their OTA partners to ensure they align with their business goals.

Your own website stands as a powerful distribution channel that offers lower operational costs and direct customer engagement . Unlike OTAs, which are useful but often charge commissions, your website is a commission-free zone .

However, it requires ongoing SEO efforts and real-time inventory management to stay competitive. Your website can be seamlessly integrated into hotel channel managers , allowing for real-time inventory updates and rate adjustments.

While OTAs like those listed on HotelMinder offer a broad platform for visibility, they should be viewed as supplementary to your main website . They offer specialized tools like Expedia Extranet for room management but often at a cost, both monetary and in terms of brand visibility.

Online hotel room booking system on a website.

  • Optimizing occupancy, revenue or ADR
  • Upgrading your software stack
  • Solving distribution or/and tech issues
  • Improving their hotel online presence

Commission Structure

Different OTAs have varied commission structures. Knowing these can help you make a more informed decision.

Geographic Reach

Some OTAs specialize in particular regions. Choose one that aligns with your target market.

Additional Features

OTAs often provide extra features like currency conversion and language support, which can be a boon for international visibility.

Here we will dissect the top-rated and best online travel agencies, based on factors such as commission rates, technological edge, and customer reviews.

Best OTAs for All Hotel Types

Booking.com Logo

The world's largest accommodation website, Booking.com has now expanded their reach into the small accommodation market too, now including family operated Bed and Breakfasts,Vacation Rentals and Self-Catering Apartments.

Quick facts: • Booking.com has 135 offices in over 50 countries worldwide. • Booking.com is available in over 40 different languages and offers over half a million properties across 207 countries. That's some reach! • There are over 700,000 room nights reserved on Booking.com every day. • In Europe, Booking.com drives 50% of all European online hotel bookings. • Booking.com currently has 83 million verified reviews. • The great benefit for hoteliers and accommodation providers is that you only pay Booking.com when a booking is made. No monthly fees are necessary.

Booking.com connects to more Channel Manager solutions that we could list below.

Expedia.com Logo

Expedia Group - which owns CarRentals.com, Expedia.com, HomeAway, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, trivago and Vrbo among many other brands - is the biggest Travel Agency is the world.

Expedia.com is particularly popular when targeting the North American and Asian markets.

Since the early 2000s, the group performed many mergers and acquisitions, culminating in 2015 with the purchase of Travelocity from the tech firm Sabre Corporation.

Quick facts: • Expedia owns over 200 travel booking sites, over 150 mobile apps and websites. • Expedia operates in nearly 70 countries and in over 35 different languages. • Expedia currently reaches 25 million guests per year.

Airbnb.com Logo

Airbnb has changed the travel accommodation industry, as the home sharing giant embarks on entering the online hotel distribution space.

This travel website is diverse in listings and can be accessed by almost anyone from air beds in apartments to enchanted castles, according to Airbnb's website.There is an element of safety with Airbnb, as you can be sure of your guest's identity.Moreover, reviews from previous hosts tell you what your guest is like as a guest.

quick facts: • Number of total guests: 200,000,000+ • Number of listings: 3,000,000+ • Number of countries: 192 • Countries/Regions where most prominent: Global

Agoda.com Logo

Part of the Priceline Group, Agoda is one of the fastest growing platforms in the world.

It is currently most popular in Asia, particularly Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines.

Quick facts: • Agoda operates in 38 different languages and offers a 24-hour, multilingual customer support service. • Agoda employs dedicated Market Managers, able to create special promotions and marketing initiatives, which in turn allow Agoda to offer some of the best deals online.These can be specific to each location. • Agoda are well known for the millions of authentic hotel reviews they display.

Trip.com Logo

formerly Ctrip.com, Trip.com is the fastest growing OTA and is coming from China, partially thanks to Booking Holdings (formerly The Priceline Group) several rounds of investments since 2014.

With the largest population in the world and a rapidly growing middle class willing to travel abroad, China is quickly becoming the world's largest source of outbound tourism therefore you might want to consider listing your property on China's leading travel website - Trip.com.

Ctrip / Trip.com is a strong brand within China and dominates the local market but has little influence within other parts of the world so far.

Quick facts: • Number of active users: 90 million+ registered • Number of listings: about 1,000,000 • Number of countries: 200

Laterooms.com Logo

LateRooms allows access to its website users and also its sister site AsiaRooms.com.

They also put your hotel into extensive ad campaigns, which in turn drives additional traffic to your own website.

Quick facts: • Laterooms currently offers over 200,000 hotels worldwide. • Laterooms has a reach of 20,000 and sister site Asiarooms has 60,000.

eDreams.com Logo

E-dreams (E-Dreams ODIGEO Group) focuses on contracting with Bed and Breakfasts, Hostels, Self-Catering Apartments and 1-3 star Hotels.

Quick facts: • E-dreams currently produces 90,000 room nights per night. • There are no setup fees, maintenance costs, end-of-month bills or binding contracts, making it easy to try out.

Best OTAs for Short Term & Vacation Rentals

Best otas for hostels.

Hostelworld.com Logo

HostelWorld is currently the world's leading, hostel-focused OTA and advertising hostels through its website and thousands distribution partners, including Lonely Planet.

Hostelworld acquired Hostelbookers in 2013 to expand its online power further.

Quick facts: • HostelWorld attracts young, independent travellers across 170 different countries. • It has a reach of over 11 million guests!

Diversification is key. Don’t depend on just one online travel agent; connect with multiple top rated travel agencies that target different markets.

Optimizing Online Presence

Use metasearch engines to further enhance your hotel’s visibility. It can be particularly effective when you focus on reviews and ratings.

Using a Channel Manager

To manage multiple OTAs efficiently, use a channel manager. Check out HotelMinder’s Marketplace for Channel Managers for the best options.

Diversifying online travel agency connections for hotel success.

Right OTA Mix

Choose OTAs that align with your hotel's target audience for higher conversion rates.

Advisory Services and Account Management

Having a strong relationship with your OTA account manager can provide valuable analytical tools and insights. Advisory services play a crucial role here, helping you tailor strategies and spot market trends.

Dynamic Pricing

Implement dynamic pricing strategies and use OTA analytics to understand customer behavior better.

Promotional Strategies

OTAs offer various promotional opportunities to boost your visibility. This is a key aspect of ota travel , where you can leverage the billboard effect to increase direct bookings.

For more expert advice and services, feel free to contact us at HotelMinder .

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The Complete Guide to Booking Travel Online

What is an online travel agency, and what are the best sites and apps to use to search for hotels and flights we break it all down for you..

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The Complete Guide to Booking Travel Online

There’s a lot to navigate when researching and booking travel online.

Photo by Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

My first travel adventure was to Venezuela. I booked the ticket with a travel agent over a pay phone. The agent searched a dozen flight itineraries over a few days, all so I could save $15.

Times have changed. Today, flight searches start online , often on your mobile device. Passengers book either directly with the airline or hotel or with online travel agencies. Rarely do we get on the phone. In fact, American Airlines and United Airlines charge $25 to make a domestic flight booking by phone. And pay phones hardly exist anymore.

So, what is the best way to book online? Here is our complete guide to online travel agencies, search tools, and the variety of booking options available on both mobile devices and desktops.

What is an OTA?

An online travel agency, or OTA, is a website or mobile app that allows users to search for and book travel services such as flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities. The booking is made directly with the online travel agency but confirmed by the service provider, such as an airline or a hotel. As a customer, your relationship is with the OTA.

What are the main OTAs?

Many online travel agencies nowadays are owned by two main companies: Expedia and Priceline. The Expedia Group is the largest online travel agency in the United States with 70 percent market share, according to travel data firm Phocuswright. Expedia Group operates Expedia.com , Orbitz, Hotels.com , Trivago, CheapTickets , Hotwire , Vrbo , and Travelocity .

Priceline is a major competitor to Expedia, with global revenues larger than the Expedia Group. The company owns Priceline.com, Booking.com, Cheapflights, Momondo, and Kayak—the latter two being metasearch engines (more on that below).

There are also independent newcomers such as Hopper (a mobile-only booking tool) and Kiwi.com (which allows you to book flights on air carriers that don’t normally have a commercial relationship).

Are OTA fares lower than booking directly?

Generally, no. The fares that are displayed by an OTA will be similar if not slightly more expensive when compared to an airline’s website. They’re usually only a few dollars higher or lower. The OTAs charge a booking fee to the airlines, and often that fee is passed directly to consumers. For example, Lufthansa tacks on an additional $18 to any booking made through an OTA for Lufthansa flights. The same flights are exactly $18 cheaper on the airline’s website.

Where you can score a good travel deal through an OTA is when booking a last-minute hotel and flight package. Many OTAs have cut agreements with airlines allowing last-minute travelers to access lower rates than are typically available when passengers book a flight alone.

Are all airlines available to be booked through OTAs?

No. Many OTAs do not display flights from some of the low-fare leaders. For example, Southwest and Allegiant flights are not available through OTAs; the same goes for Ryanair in Europe. And, earlier this year United Airlines threatened to pull out of Expedia altogether, only recently signing a multi-year agreement to stay in. The airlines would rather not lose any margin to online travel agencies in an already low-margin industry and would rather maintain a direct relationship with the customer.

Are smaller OTAs safe to use?

Expedia and Priceline are the two largest players in the online booking space, but there are dozens of independent OTAs, such as CheapOAir, OneTravel, JustFly, and SmartFares. Confusingly, you might actually stumble on ads for these OTAs while using Expedia or Priceline sites. That’s because the larger OTAs earn revenue through advertising, sending passengers to smaller OTAs and charging those OTAs for the favor.

Buyer beware: some of these lesser-known OTAs are masters at hidden fees. For example, a flight search on JetBlue allows for free seat selection in many instances. If you perform the same search on FlightNetwork, an independent OTA, and select a seat, you will be charged an additional $25—despite the fact that JetBlue doesn’t charge a seat selection fee if you book directly.

What if you need to change your itinerary?

Itinerary changes are often a pain. If your plans change, it won’t matter whether you’ve booked directly with an airline or with an OTA—you’re going to pay fees for the privilege, if you can even change your ticket at all.

For example, CheapTickets.com, which is part of the Expedia Group, charges $25 to change or cancel a ticket if that change is requested after 24 hours of making the booking—it is free if you do so within 24 hours of booking. However, the fees go up from there. JustFly, an independent OTA, charges a $75 fee for changes to domestic flights in addition to airline change fees, plus the difference in fare, for tickets that can be changed. For an international trip, the fee rises to $200. That means to change an international flight with Delta (which charges a $100 change fee) booked through JustFly, you’ll be assessed $300 in fees, plus the difference in fare. At that rate, you may as well book a new flight. FlightNetwork indicates in its terms of service that changes may incur a change fee but doesn’t specify what those fees are. That hardly makes the few dollars you saved by booking with the OTA in the first place worth it.

What is an OTA price match policy?

To assure travelers that they are getting the lowest fare possible, many OTAs have a price match policy. The rules vary and so do the benefits.

For example, if you book with Orbitz and find a less expensive flight, car rental, or activity on any U.S.-based website within 24 hours of your booking, Orbitz will refund you the difference you paid. And it works: I have personally found a flight in the same class, on the same airline, for the same origin and destination cities, and requested Orbitz to refund the difference of around $35. Within a few weeks, I received a check in the mail. A similar program applies for CheapOAir, but there’s a catch—the price difference must be found on a major OTA such as Expedia or Travelocity.

Expedia has a particularly good price match policy, but you have to pay extra for it at the time of booking. Expedia offers the price match option as an add-on that costs between $5 and $30 when you book. With the price match applied, if the airfare on Expedia drops between 120 days of the flight and up to six hours before the flight, Expedia will automatically refund you the difference in fare. Unfortunately, fares generally do not drop substantially as the travel date approaches, so while this might give you peace of mind, it’s probably not worth the expense.

How do Google Flights and other travel metasearch engines work?

Frequent fliers are likely familiar with websites such as Google Flights, Kayak, Momondo, or Skyscanner. On these websites, passengers search on the site but are redirected to the service provider to complete the booking, such as an airline, rental car company, or hotel.

Metasearch started with a product called ITA Matrix, which is a tool for searching airfares online but not for actually booking online. ITA Matrix allows for multi-city searching, such as setting two different departure or arrival airports, and for offering a calendar view of fares for easier comparison. That company was acquired by Google in 2011, and savvy travelers swear by it to help find the least expensive fares online. Most consumers are more familiar with Google Flights, which has gained traction more recently not least because it has the benefit of being displayed first in search results on Google.

Metasearch engines receive distribution fees from the airlines for sending traffic to the supplier websites. There are no additional hidden fees for using a metasearch engine because you’re booking directly with the airline or hotel.

A major benefit of the metasearch engines is their price tracking tool, which lets users know whether the displayed fares are low, average, or high for the flight, allowing travelers to make a more informed decision on whether to book a flight or not . Google Flights and Kayak, for instance, both have price tracking tools.

Why not just book directly?

The airlines would definitely much rather you book directly with them. Over the past five years, they have gotten much better at marketing and selling their product directly to consumers online and through mobile sites and apps. But in the past, they weren’t so good at it. In fact, Delta, Northwest, United, American, and Continental got together to invest $145 million to launch Orbitz in 1999 to counter the threat from Expedia. Now Orbitz is owned by Expedia.

The airlines also try to encourage customers to book directly so that they can maintain a closer relationship with them. It allows carriers to connect bookings with loyalty programs and create special offers and discounts catered to individual passengers.

There is another benefit to booking directly. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires carriers to hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment or allow a reservation to be cancelled within 24 hours without penalty, so long as the booking is made at least seven days before travel. The law applies, however, only to U.S. and foreign air carriers that have websites marketed to U.S. consumers. This means that, in theory, an online travel agency does not have to offer such a policy, although most OTAs do.

What are the options for booking on your mobile device?

Airlines and the major OTAs all have apps to help you book and manage your trip on your mobile device, but their functionality is lacking compared to these websites’ desktop editions. For example, Expedia’s app doesn’t allow you to view flights on a month-view calendar. Kayak has an app with more bells and whistles and a better user interface, including a month-view calendar with color-coded pricing. It also has a handy “augmented reality” function to help you see if your carry-on bag will fit in the overhead bin (a feature originally developed by KLM). Point your phone’s camera at the luggage, and it’ll give you the dimensions.

While apps are improving and gaining in popularity, you still might find it easier to locate the best deals on flights and hotels by using your desktop, where you can have multiple tabs open and have all the available search tools at your disposal. Apps are fine for booking directly with an airline once you know which flights you want to book.

If you’re determined to use your mobile device, you may want to look into Hopper. Hopper is a mobile-first flight booking tool that has a solid price prediction tool. You can research travel options and book directly on the app. Another benefit of Hopper: Of its team of 300 employees, nearly half are dedicated to customer support and are based in Canada versus some OTAs and airlines that outsource much of their customer service further afield.

The bottom line?

Like many travelers, I enjoy a flight deal as much as the next person, but I also don’t like any added hassle. I typically start my travel searches using the ITA Matrix or Google Flights to get a general sense of the fares. It helps to know what is a good deal and what is expensive for a particular route. I do my research, typically on a desktop computer. When I’m ready to book, I’ll book directly with the airline. I’ve found that customer service is better when booking directly with the service provider. But I’ve also saved money by using OTAs and have booked with them, too. Whichever way you choose to book, you can be safe in the knowledge that finding and purchasing travel online is a lot easier today than searching for a deal with a travel agent on a pay phone.

>> Next: How to Get the Best Last-Minute Travel Deals

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The Pros and Cons of Booking Through Online Travel Agencies

Carissa Rawson

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

You’re likely already familiar with online travel agencies, even if you don’t travel often. These companies — such as Priceline , Expedia and Orbitz — act as intermediaries between you and a travel provider.

Booking your travel through an OTA can be a good idea in some circumstances, but you’ll want to be wary of its pitfalls. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of online travel agencies, so you’ll know what to use to book your next vacation.

Pros of booking through online travel agencies

There are certainly advantages booking through online travel agencies, though you’ll find different experiences whether you’re using public OTAs — such as Kayak — or private ones like those offered by your card issuer, such as the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal .

✅ It may be cheaper

When searching for flights online, you may see different prices for the same routes that vary across websites. Although it may be a result of fare type — for example, some search results may not clarify that a fare is basic economy rather than main cabin or economy — other times, the difference comes down to competition for your business.

Online travel services will often offer slightly lower prices on flights in an effort to entice you as a customer. This is true for both hotels and airlines.

» Learn more: Best credit cards for online travel-booking websites

✅ It can earn you more rewards

Have you ever heard of shopping portals ? By logging into a shopping portal, you can earn rewards for purchases made with many online merchants. Some hotel chains, such as Hilton , Marriott and IHG , can be accessed through shopping portals while still booking directly on the hotel website. In this way, you can earn rewards with the hotel directly as well as with the shopping portal.

The same isn’t true for shopping portals and most airline sites. However, many public online travel agencies are accessible through shopping portals, which can then earn you rewards for airfare bookings. By opting to book in this way, you’ll be able to earn points or cash-back rewards through the shopping portal that you’d otherwise miss.

Some card issuers will also reward you heavily when using their online travel services. Clear examples of this can be seen with Capital One and Chase. With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , for example, you’ll get 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel .

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is similar. With this card, you can get 10 Ultimate Rewards® points per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars on the Chase travel portal.

While these numbers are high, it’s important to remember that there are trade-offs when booking through an OTA rather than directly with a hotel or airline. We’ll get into that a little later.

Online travel agencies offered by your card issuer may not feature the same prices as booking directly; you’ll want to compare these before committing to a purchase.

Some card issuers will go so far as to give your points more value when redeeming through their online travel agencies.

This is true with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . When redeeming points on the Chase travel portal, you’ll get 1.25 cents in value per point rather than 1 cent elsewhere.

» Learn more: How much are your airline miles and hotel points worth this year?

Cons of booking through online travel agencies

There are several downsides when it comes to using online travel services for booking travel. It mainly comes down to the fact that travel providers prefer that you book directly with them — and offer more perks to woo your business.

❌ It can be harder to change a booking

Ever needed to change a flight after it's booked? No matter the reason, attempting to alter or otherwise cancel a flight can be a hassle — especially if you’ve booked through a third party.

Generally speaking, rather than offering you direct assistance, both hotels and airlines will recommend you contact the online travel agency you’ve booked with in order to make any changes.

While you may be able to make changes or get refunds with the travel agency, airlines and hotels can — and will — offer much more flexibility when you’ve booked with them directly. You may also be subject to additional fees charged by the online travel agency, which can erase any savings you’ve received.

❌ You may not receive elite benefits

This is the real kicker for anyone wanting elite status. Although airlines will almost always recognize your elite status and allow you to earn miles even for bookings made through an online travel agency, hotels and rental car companies will not.

This is especially important for hotel chains. Earning elite status with hotels generally relies on elite night credits. Although these can be earned in a variety of ways — including having complimentary status by holding certain credit cards — the main method of acquiring elite night credits is by spending nights in hotels. Rooms booked through an online travel agency do not count toward elite status as elite night credits.

Additionally, you will not receive any of the benefits of your existing elite status if your booking is through a third party. This can mean the loss of perks such as room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and even free Wi-Fi.

» Learn more: The best airline and hotel rewards loyalty programs this year

❌ It may be more expensive

Did you know that many hotel chains have best price guarantees? Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and IHG all have a guarantee that’ll give you either points or a discount if you find a better rate elsewhere.

These guarantees are generous; Hilton, for example, will match the rate and then discount it by a further 25%.

Although you’ll need to file claims for these guarantees and they face limitations — such as a 24-hour window from when you made the booking — you can save a lot of money on your stay if your request is approved.

Online travel agencies can be hit or miss

There are two sides to every coin and this is no different, as there are several benefits and limitations of online travel services. Depending on your needs and loyalty program status, you’ll want to choose whether to book directly with a travel provider or rely on OTAs to do the job for you.

Booking travel through credit card portals from issuers like Chase and Capital One can earn you big rewards. But if you anticipate altering your travel plans or aim to earn elite status instead, booking directly is the way to go.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

online travel agents brand

Best online travel sites 2022

Use the best online travel sites to plan your trip ahead of time so you can enjoy your time away.

Best Online Travel Sites

The best online travel sites are wonderful not only plan your next trip for peace of mind, they're also a fun way to get excited ahead of your next adventure. You can simply go to one site and plan most of your trip's main parts from flights and hotels to rental cars and excursions. If what you're after is just hotel bookings, check out our list of the best hotel booking sites .

While what many of these sites offer is similar, it's the way in which they do it which is important. The last thing you need is a stress-inducing website when planning to go away to relax and unwind. So we've reviewed the best sites based on their price, of course, but also on the way they work, with the ease of use and clarity as important features. We also checked to make sure you won't suffer any extra charges added on top at the last minute. Plus, we took rewards schemes into account, which could help you save money upfront or in the longer term if you use some sites more than once.

With all that in mind, these are the very best online travel sites out there right now.

The best online travel sites

1. expedia.com: best online travel site overall .

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Expedia is a big name in online travel sites and hotel booking services and owns many popular sites like Hotels.com and Hotwire.com. We're fans of the original, though, thanks to its clean and straightforward to use interface. Hit the packages section of the site, and you can add up to five connecting flights, choose to add accommodation for all of or only part of your trip, and tag on car rentals too. 

It's all suitably well laid out, and it only takes a few seconds to start putting together your itinerary. However, we do wish there were a few more options for filtering out accessibility issues. Still, for most people, Expedia.com has everything they'll need, and there's even the option of a cruise too if you fancy it. It's as aspirational to look at as it is useful to, well, use and there are extra discounts for booking multiple parts of your vacation with the site. A Things To Do section rounds off the site's bid to help you plan your entire trip in one place.

2. Booking.com: Best for ease of use

Booking.com.

Booking.com is a giant in the world of holiday bookings and not only offers over half a million properties in more than 207 countries but also offers flights and car rental services too. As such you can do it all from this one spot which makes it a very easy-to-use option. That said, there is a lot going on, and the user interface can be a little overwhelming at times. 

But with a superb rewards program, it is a great option that encourages you to keep coming back, making it easier to use as you become accustomed. You can even sort your taxi hire from this site meaning there is very little to think about when you get traveling as it's all been planned ahead of time. You also don't have to pay a booking fee on lots of hotels, allowing you to remain flexible – ideal if you're traveling about a lot on your journey.

3. CheapTickets.com: Best for finding things to do 

Cheaptickets.com.

CheapTickets is another site acquired by Expedia, but it does things a little differently. You can easily add on flight, hotel, and car or any combination of the three for package deals, although multiple flights are under a different option. So far, so Expedia (if less intuitive), but you can also clearly purchase event tickets from the site, which is far more useful if you want a one-stop-shop place to buy your trip. It's something other sites provide, but CheapTickets is that bit keener to entice you into the process, even if the site itself is a little cheesier looking than others. 

There's also the site's Vacation Value Finder, which lets you tweak how much you're willing to spend and what you're looking for from a vacation before making some fun suggestions. It's perfect for finding a last-minute deal if you don't have your heart set on one place. Students will also appreciate a section dedicated to them with extra discounts once you verify you're a student. All in all, it's a great varied site for numerous different needs. 

4. Priceline.com: Best for user reviews 

Priceline.com.

Priceline is a big deal in the online travel site world for a good reason. It's effortless to use with options available for flights, cars, hotels, or any combination of the three. It's mildly annoying that Priceline's super cheap Pricebreaker deals don't extend to bundles, so you won't get an incredible bargain like you would if you booked separately. However, combining the set is still a worthwhile deal with discounts offered for the more you bundle together. 

One thing we really appreciated is that every hotel we looked at had dozens of reviews, and they're all from verified customers. It takes seconds to gain a reasonably accurate picture of what to expect from wherever you're considering booking. That's the perfect peace of mind when you're booking online, and you can't be sure of what you're getting without user reviews backing hotel statements up. Clearly laid out, you can focus on enjoying rather than worrying. Finally, Priceline is keen to make its VIP scheme easily accessible with straightforward discounts offered to you over time -- something that not all sites so clearly highlight. 

5. Kayak.com: Best for aggregated results 

If you're short on time, Kayak is pretty useful. That's because you simply enter where you want to go, and it aggregates results from multiple different sources. While it means you never book directly with Kayak, it does mean you get results quickly and without having to search around yourself, even if you will feel a bit overwhelmed with adverts while you search. 

The site itself looks a little basic, but under the hood is a surprising number of different filters (although no accessibility ones to speak of) and all the critical information you could require, although obviously you'll be sent to another site for the full details. The site also has a deals section, which has some great bargains for things you can do once you reach your destination, along with cheap car rental deals. It might not be pretty, but if you simply don't want to do the groundwork yourself, Kayak has you covered. It can be a real time-saver, and we reckon it's particularly useful if you're mostly researching possible trips in the future and want rough price estimates. Just watch out for the fact you can’t bundle in car rental deals. 

6. Hotwire.com: Best for renting properties 

Hotwire keeps things straightforward. All you need to do is enter what you're looking for, and a somewhat dated interface tells you what's available. It's not as pretty as some sites, but we really liked the extensive property type filters available. Want to stay on a houseboat or in a chalet at your destination? Hit the relevant filter, and you can find out if that's an option in the locale. That might not matter if your heart is set on a hotel, but it's a nice bonus even amongst the awkward site layout. 

Elsewhere, it's mostly business as usual, but that's no bad thing. Well laid out discounts are available to compare reasonably quickly, and most locations have plenty of reviews. If you feel like tracking down specific deals, you can do that too, with the site keen to offer up discounts to central locations if you're not quite sure where you'd like to visit next. It feels like the site needs updating when you compare it to its rivals, but it works well and speedily enough.

7. Agoda: Best for private home rental in Asia 

Agoda is a great option if you want to look for accommodation that isn't a hotel as this specializes in offering apartments and private rentals. In fact, there are dedicated market managers that work on finding properties, especially in Asia. As such you can find unique destination rentals at decent rates and should you change your mind there is a helpful 24-hour free cancellation policy in place. 

Everything is very easy to use and if you want to make more than one booking you can make great savings. Customer support is also a plus, as there is a 24-hour multilingual customer support service available when booking. With millions of reviews, Agoda makes finding a property very easy with a feeling of trust that can offer great peace of mind.

What to look for in an online travel site

Booking Travel Packages Travel packages can let you combine flights, hotel reservations and car rentals together for a better deal than booking separately. Some companies, like Priceline, pick hotels and flights for you, to get you to your destination for the lowest price. Other companies let you mix and match flights, hotels and car rentals to fit your schedule.

Booking Airfare One of the biggest reasons for searching on a travel site is to find cheap airfare. While there are dozens of airfare-specific websites, travel sites also give you the option to add hotel stays and car rentals. The best travel sites combine flight information from over nine different airlines and let you sort flights by price, number of stops, duration and flight class.

Booking International Travel Finding airfare for international travel is the easiest part of booking an overseas trip. AirGorilla helps you find accommodations and rent GPS units with your rental car, so you can find your way around. Often, sites will recommend hotels that are far from your actual destination or event. Searching for reservations on a site that gives accommodation recommendations will help you schedule an international trip with less stress.

How we tested the best online travel sites

We looked at how easy each site is to use during our testing, such as how quickly the site loaded and how easy it was to find what we were looking for. We considered whether the site felt cluttered with adverts or seemed like a dated interface. We also looked at how easy it was to find Contact Us pages, price guarantee information, and any kind of special deals section. 

We also considered how easily bundle deals could be arranged and how extensive they were and any potential discounts tied to them. We checked filter options to see how flexible and easy it was to look up different needs along the way.

We looked at trips between Los Angeles and Miami, Paris to Lisbon, and New York City to Los Angeles during testing. We also looked at lesser-known routes to see if they were also catered for appropriately.

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Jennifer Allen

Jennifer has been freelancing for over 10 years. In the past, she's written about all things tech and gaming wise for outlets as varied as The Independent, Playboy, Eurogamer, and TechRadar. In her spare time, she spends far too much time watching films, attempting to train her pet guinea pigs, and mastering making the perfect burrito.  She's a full time freelancer, but a regular tech news contributor to Top Ten Reviews.

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What are online travel agencies? The ultimate guide to OTAs

Love them or not, online travel agencies (OTAs) play a critical role in every property’s distribution strategy. According to Expedia Group’s 2023 Path to Purchase report, OTAs captured 51% of online hotel & lodging bookings and possess the visibility and marketing power that most individual properties cannot achieve on their own. 

Working with OTAs isn’t just a matter of signing up and hoping for the best. To take advantage of the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls, you need to actively manage your listings, pricing, and inventory and take a strategic approach to online distribution. 

If done correctly, adopting the right OTAs as part of your distribution strategy can actually help drive direct bookings through the “billboard effect.” Building a comprehensive channel mix incorporating different types of OTAs will ensure you reach your target audience and secure a steady stream of reservations. 

See which OTAs dominate globally, regionally, and across property types based on Cloudbeds customer data and how properties like yours use OTAs as part of their distribution strategy. 

At Cloudbeds, we know the world of OTAs and distribution channels can be complex. We’ve created the Big Book of OTAs to help demystify this process and explain how to create a recipe for success when working with third-party distribution channels.  

What is an online travel agency (OTA)?

An online travel agency (OTA) is a website that acts as a search engine for travel. They connect providers across the travel industry to help travelers easily plan their trips. On OTA sites, travelers can often access package deals with accommodations, airfare, cruises, rental cars, and more .

On average, travelers view 141 pages of travel content in the 45 days before booking a trip, with OTAs making up 67 of those pages. Therefore, properties must be active on as many channels as possible to increase brand awareness and drive bookings — both OTA bookings and direct bookings (more on this later). With the increased popularity of OTAs around the world, hoteliers now have access to markets once unattainable.

How do OTAs work?

Online travel agencies emerged in the 1990s, using the internet’s extensive reach to aggregate global travel supply into a single place so consumers could book their own travel online. These self-service tools reshaped the hotel industry and the way travel was researched and booked, as the general public could now easily plan their trips and reserve their airfare, accommodations, and tours on their own rather than rely on a physical travel agent.

Sites such as Expedia.com, Booking.com, Airbnb, Orbitz, Hotels.com, and TripAdvisor are often consumers’ first stop when researching and booking their next trip. These sites offer a seamless user experience at all stages of the buying process: problem/need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase behavior.

Properties of all types and sizes can connect to multiple OTAs through an integrated channel manager . A distribution system, like a channel manager, shares room inventory and rates from your property management system (PMS) to your booking engine and OTAs. Properties that use a channel manager can streamline hotel operations, increase hotel revenue via revenue management best practices , and increase occupancy across channels (all without the fear of overbookings). 

OTA business models

Hotels form partnerships with OTAs by basically outsourcing marketing to OTAs, who then make money through two business models: the merchant model (guest pays the OTA  in advance) and the commission model (guest pays the hotel at check-in or check-out). Most OTAs offer a blended model so that hotels can let guests choose which option they’d prefer. 

The merchant model

In this model, the online travel agency acts as the merchant of record and collects payments from guests at the time of booking. Once the guest has checked out, the OTA pays the hotel. Contracts exist between hotels and OTAs to provide a set number of rooms to the OTA at a favorable rate. The OTA then makes a profit off each room sold but must meet its contractual thresholds.

The agency (commission) model

In this model, the consumer books via the OTA but pays the hotel directly at the time of checkout. The hotel then pays the OTA a commission on the total value of the booking after checkout. There are no contracts, and rates are set by hotel management. 

The advertising model

This model has increased in popularity and exists on metasearch sites such as Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, Trivago, and KAYAK. Metasearch engines work primarily on a cost-per-click basis where hotels can promote their rooms with links to their direct booking engine, and pay a fee based on the number of clicks they receive. Some of these sites, such as Google, also offer a cost-per-acquisition model (also known as “pay per stay”) where the property pays a percentage of the total reservation cost upon completion of the stay.

For hotels, it can be frustrating to watch distribution costs rise without getting more in return, but there are costs associated with direct bookings too. Demand doesn’t appear without at least some sort of distribution or marketing strategy in place, and those marketing campaigns, loyalty offers, special deals, and direct booking tools have a cost to the hotel. That’s why it’s important to use OTAs wisely and in conjunction with your own direct marketing strategy. 

Online travel agencies vs. online travel agents

Before the rise of OTAs, it was the role of a travel agent to book leisure and business travel. This is because travelers back then did not have access to hotel availability and rates the way we do today. While the internet has made it easier for travelers to book their own trips online, some segments like luxury, corporate, and group travelers still prefer to utilize a person, or online travel agent, to help plan and book a trip.

Travel agents are beneficial when planning complex trips such as a destination wedding, honeymoon, or corporate trip. They have the expertise and connections to find unique accommodations at better rates than most people can find themselves.

Travel agents such as Kuoni have a team of destination experts who work behind the scenes to curate tailor-made accommodations, experiences, and itineraries. Their in-person stores allow travelers to enjoy a glass of champagne while meeting with a travel expert to plan their dream vacation.

Travel agents usually have a portfolio of properties they recommend to travelers and take a commission fee, similar to OTAs. Strong relationships with travel agents can help properties drive more bookings in alternative segments than the OTA market.

Difference between OTAs and metasearch

With so many online booking channels available today, it can be challenging to understand the difference between certain channels.

Metasearch websites like Skyscanner act as aggregators and display hotel information and room rates from a variety of online channels, including OTAs like Agoda, Trip.com, Travelocity, or Priceline.com and a hotel’s website. It enables travelers to compare all of their hotel booking options in real time across the web so that they can book the best deal.

OTAs provide room rates and booking capabilities for only one channel — their own. Meanwhile, metasearch sites can display up to twenty or more results.

Properties can invest in hotel marketing efforts through metasearch engines. Metasearch sites rank listings and it pays off to be near the top. Paying to have your listing higher in the ranks to drive more direct bookings can drive serious results. 

Is Google an OTA?

Google is often a traveler’s first stop when looking for a hotel room. In recent years, Google has changed the hospitality industry with its products. Google offers Google Hotel Search, which acts as a hotel metasearch platform. When a traveler enters a property’s name into Google, it will show all of the rates and listing information from across the web.

Google also has free booking links , a game-changer for independent hotels as they can list their direct rates and links to their own website within the Google Hotel Search box. This option encourages potential guests to book direct.

The Big Book of OTAs

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Online travel market - statistics & facts

What is the size of the online travel market, which are the leading players in the ota market, what travel products do consumers book online, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Online travel market size worldwide 2020-2030

Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2017-2027

Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Online Travel Market

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023

Related topics

Online travel trends.

  • Digitalization of the travel industry
  • Impact of technology on travel and tourism
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in travel and tourism
  • Mobile travel trends

Online travel companies

  • Booking Holdings Inc.
  • Expedia Group, Inc.
  • Trip.com Group

Tripadvisor

Travel and tourism worldwide.

  • Tourism worldwide
  • COVID-19: impact on the tourism industry worldwide
  • Impact of inflation on travel and tourism worldwide
  • Travel agency industry

Recommended statistics

Industry overview.

  • Premium Statistic Market size of the tourism sector worldwide 2010-2023
  • Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
  • Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2017-2027
  • Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2020-2030
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of the travel apps industry worldwide 2017-2027
  • Premium Statistic Most downloaded online travel agency apps worldwide 2022, by aggregated downloads
  • Premium Statistic Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

Market size of the tourism sector worldwide 2010-2023

Market size of the tourism sector worldwide from 2010 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment

Revenue of the global travel and tourism market from 2019 to 2028, by segment (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2017 to 2027

Online travel market size worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue of the travel apps industry worldwide 2017-2027

Revenue of the travel apps market worldwide from 2017 to 2027 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Most downloaded online travel agency apps worldwide 2022, by aggregated downloads

Most downloaded online travel agency apps worldwide in 2022, by aggregated number of downloads (in millions)

Most visited travel and tourism websites worldwide as of January 2024 (in million visits)

Online bookings

  • Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2023
  • Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in Canada 2023
  • Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the UK 2023
  • Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in China 2023
  • Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in India 2023
  • Premium Statistic Reasons for feeling frustrated when planning trips worldwide 2023, by tourist type

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2023

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in Canada 2023

Travel product online bookings in Canada as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in the UK 2023

Travel product online bookings in the UK as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in China 2023

Travel product online bookings in China as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in India 2023

Travel product online bookings in India as of December 2023

Reasons for feeling frustrated when planning trips worldwide 2023, by tourist type

Main reasons why travelers felt frustrated when planning a trip online worldwide as of March 2023, by type of tourist

Market leaders

  • Premium Statistic Revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2022
  • Premium Statistic Marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2022
  • Premium Statistic Number of employees at leading travel companies worldwide 2022
  • Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
  • Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2020-2022, by revenue CAGR
  • Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2022-2023, by EV/EBITDA

Revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2022

Leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2022, by revenue (in million U.S. dollars)

Marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2022

Marketing expenses of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

Number of employees at leading travel companies worldwide 2022

Number of employees at selected leading travel companies worldwide in 2022

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Leading online travel companies worldwide 2020-2022, by revenue CAGR

Revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of leading online travel companies worldwide from 2020 to 2022

Leading online travel companies worldwide 2022-2023, by EV/EBITDA

Enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of selected leading online travel companies worldwide in 2022, with a forecast for 2023

Booking Holdings

  • Basic Statistic Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023
  • Premium Statistic Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide 2010-2023, by segment
  • Premium Statistic Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023
  • Premium Statistic Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide 2010-2023, by segment

Number of bookings through Booking Holdings worldwide from 2010 to 2023, by business segment (in millions)

Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Operating income of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide 2007-2023

Net income of Booking Holdings worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2017-2023, by business model
  • Premium Statistic Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023
  • Premium Statistic Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2017-2023, by business model

Revenue of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2017 to 2023, by business model (in million U.S. dollars)

Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Operating income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide 2007-2023

Net income of Expedia Group, Inc. worldwide from 2007 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

  • Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
  • Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2019-2023, by region
  • Premium Statistic Airbnb operations income worldwide 2017-2023
  • Premium Statistic Airbnb net income worldwide 2017-2023

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2019-2023, by region

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2019 to 2023, by region (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb operations income worldwide 2017-2023

Income from operations of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Airbnb net income worldwide 2017-2023

Net income of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

  • Premium Statistic Total revenue of Trip.com Group 2012-2022
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Trip.com 2012-2022, by product
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Trip.com 2017-2022, by region
  • Premium Statistic Net profit of Trip.com 2012-2022

Total revenue of Trip.com Group 2012-2022

Total revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. in China from 2012 to 2022 (in billion yuan)

Revenue of Trip.com 2012-2022, by product

Revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2012 to 2022, by product (in million yuan)

Revenue of Trip.com 2017-2022, by region

Revenue of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2017 to 2022, by region (in million yuan)

Net profit of Trip.com 2012-2022

Net profit of Trip.com Group Ltd. from 2012 to 2022 (in million yuan)

  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2017-2023, by business segment
  • Premium Statistic Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2012-2023, by region
  • Premium Statistic Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
  • Premium Statistic Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2017-2023, by business segment

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2017 to 2023, by business segment (in million U.S. dollars)

Revenue of Tripadvisor worldwide 2012-2023, by region

Revenue of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2012 to 2023, by region (in million U.S. dollars)

Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Operating income of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Net income of Tripadvisor, Inc. worldwide from 2008 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

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8 Smart, Easy Ways to Travel for Less in 2024

You’re not imagining it—trip costs are pricier than they’ve been in five years. We’ve got some simple strategies to keep costs down even while rates are headed up. Don’t book your vacation until you read this.

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Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Travel is so expensive post-pandemic. But I don’t want to give up the idea of an annual vacation. How can I keep costs down? —Tripping Out Over Expenses

Experts predict that this year will be the busiest ever for travel since before the pandemic. And for many, it’s already feeling like it might be the priciest. According to NerdWallet’s February 2024 travel inflation report , the cost of hotels, entertainment, and dining out are rising, with overall travel expenses for the past 12 months up 3.1 percent through January 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Hotels will be a big vacation investment. Lodging rates increased 5.2 percent between December 2023 and January 2024 alone. And traveler beware: the average daily hotel rate is projected to grow nearly 5 percent more in the next year, according to hotel-commerce platform SiteMinder . There’s been little respite from room rates hovering near all-time highs at properties across the U.S. this winter, and staff shortages will likely mean continued high prices but fewer services. You’re getting gauged even more for dining out: in January, prices for restaurant meals were 25.6 percent higher than the same month four years ago.

The coast of Baja Sur, Mexico, near Cabos San Lucas, is famous for its numerous resort properties, like this oceanfront one.

There is some good news: airfare—on domestic routes in particular—is predicted to drop 16 percent this year, according to Kayak. The travel-research engine estimates it will cost $461 on average to fly in the U.S. I recently booked a round-trip, direct flight from Denver to Newark, New Jersey, in April on United for a very reasonable $227. That’s about half of what I was paying for the same flight in April 2018.

That said, the overseas flights I’ve booked for spring and summer travel have given me serious sticker shock. International airfare departing from the U.S. is up 10 percent compared with 2023, according to Kayak . In the past, I’ve scored direct flights from Denver to Los Cabos, Mexico , for under $400; a flight for late March this year was $1,200. Similarly, a late-May flight from Denver to Majorca, Spain, was priced at over $3,000, when in the past I’ve seen it for as low as $600.

Some experts are optimistic that additional flights and routes , especially those from upstart low-cost carriers like Breeze Airways and Norse Atlantic Airways, will help lower international fares, but I’ll believe it when I see it. For now your best strategy is to book overseas fares early. According to Kayak, eight months is the sweet spot and can save you between 8 and 18 percent.

If you’re on a budget but still want to go big in some fashion, don’t despair; you can still have an affordable annual vacation if you’re willing to be flexible on timing, strategic about choosing a destination, and plan ahead. Here are some of my tricks, plus tips from industry experts on how to make that happen.

1. Travel in the Shoulder Season

A waterfall surrounded by lush green trees and plants is a hiker's dream in Costa Rica.

Shoulder seasons are periods when destinations see fewer tourists but aren’t closed for the off-season. The perks are fewer crowds and often great deals on hotels and flights, but on the flip side, shops and restaurants may be shuttered or have limited hours. Weather can also be a gamble. In Mexico , for example, September and October are the slowest months of the year for tourism; they’re also the wettest, and the time tropical storms are most likely to hit both coasts, says Zach Rabinor, founder of Journey Mexico.

Don’t dismiss destinations during a rainy season, though. In Costa Rica , you can save 30 to 40 percent between August and November and enjoy deserted beaches and lush rainforests, says Javier Echecopar, cofounder of Journey Costa Rica. “Those months are considered rainy, but usually with clear mornings followed by afternoon showers,” he says, adding that on the Caribbean side of the country, the coast tends to be very clear during those months, a result of microclimates.

If you’re seeking value above all else, you may need to skip bucket-list destinations this year, even during the slow seasons. I booked a trip to Rome in March, and while streets and major attractions were quieter, prices weren’t cheaper for my flight, hotels, or restaurant meals.

Jenna Swan, a travel agent with Embark Beyond, says you’ll find more value visiting less iconic cities during shoulder season. “A room in Paris could easily cost two or three times the amount of a room in Madrid,” she told me.

2. Pay Attention to the Extra Costs of Travel

I used to be quick to jump on a cheap airfare or hotel rate without considering the bigger picture. When choosing between a 6 A.M. flight priced at $450 versus a 10 A.M. priced at $500, I’d book the seemingly more affordable option. What I didn’t factor in was that getting to the airport would tack on extra fees: the $10 bus route I typically take doesn’t run that early, which meant I’d have to pay upward of $100 for an Uber, or drive and fork over as much as $50 a day for airport parking.

Additionally, major airlines are piling on more fees, for everything from checked bags to select seats, and airline websites often use design strategies known as dark patterns used to push consumers to buy extras (like a rental car or trip insurance) during their purchase.

3. Book an All-Inclusive Vacation

A family of four on a catamaran cruises away from the Caribbean shoreline of Mexico and into deeper turquoise waters.

Once associated with budget travelers and bottomless drinks, the all-inclusive-resort model has gone upscale, with properties that feature Michelin-star restaurants, fine wines, and privately guided activities. The initial price tag can seem spendy, but when you factor in everything, you get incredible value.

And all-inclusive stays aren’t just for beach holidays. Package-vacation pioneer Club Med now offers properties in Quebec and the Alps. A family of four booking Club Med’s five-night ski getaway in Charlevoix, Canada, can save upward of $7,000 compared to a plan-it-yourself ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado—even after factoring in airfare.

A woman sits in the sauna at Club Med Quebec Charlevoix in Canada, looking out at the Saint Lawrence River.

4. Use a Travel Agent

As a seasoned traveler, I used to think a travel agent would be of no use for me. I now view these professionals as travel wizards. They have industry connections that translate to free room upgrades and special perks, like resort credits, complimentary breakfast, and occasionally other amenities such as a bottle of wine waiting in the room, free airport transfers, and VIP access to museums and adventure sites. If anything goes wrong, they’re on call to help. And they know how to score great deals. When I reached out to a travel agent about the exorbitant Majorca flight, he was able to bring the cost down to $1,753—almost half of what I was looking at spending—by mixing airlines and connections.

A turquoise cove of Majorca, Spain, where a few swimmers are enjoying a dip.

5. Check the Exchange Rate—and Head to Where It’s Most Beneficial

Last summer I traveled to Croatia, not realizing the country had embraced the euro. When I visited in 2020, the dollar’s strength against the kuna made Croatia feel like an economic destination. But now it’s just as pricey as vacationing in France or Italy.

A good exchange rate gives you extra buying power to maximize your travel experience (think: more activities and spectacular meals). In Canada, given the strength of the U.S. dollar, everything is essentially 30 percent off for Americans; in Australia, around 35 percent. Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia, and South America nations like Colombia and Argentina, are also excellent places to stretch your dollar. 

6. Let New Flight Routes Dictate Your Destination

An exterior shot of the new international airport in Tulum, Mexico, which opened in December 1, 2023.

Low-cost carriers offer some of their lowest prices when launching new routes. Frontier, for example, has promoted fares as low as $19 in the days following the announcement of new routes. And even after promotional fares disappear, having a new airline on a route adds competition that tends to nudge prices down. Many major airlines are also launching new routes this year. American, for example, will begin flying to the new airport in Tulum, Mexico, this month. Follow travel sites like Skift and the Points Guy, which keep up with this information.

7. Reconsider Hostels. Many Are New and Hip.

Yes, the grungy backpacker hotels of your post-college days still exist, but there’s also a crop of clean, budget-friendly hostel chains attracting crowds. Check out A&O , Freehand (which describes itself as “a collection of hotels that combine the social culture of a hostel”), and Generator . According to Oliver Winter, founder of A&O, the largest hostel brand in Europe, nearly 28 percent of guests are between the ages of 25 and 34. Boutique hostels often offer private rooms with an en suite bathroom, bunk rooms to accommodate families or groups of friends, and a place to make meals so you’re not forced to fritter away your budget dining out. I’ve stayed in a four-bed bungalow bunk room at the Freehand Miami with friends, and it felt as stylish and immaculate as a boutique hotel, plus, the bar, Broken Shaker, makes some of the best drinks in the city.

8. Save on Meals (but Still Eat Your Heart Out)

A hand holds up a panino filled with prosciutto and arugula. Behind it is Florence, Italy, and the Arno River.

I always try to book a hotel room that includes breakfast in the rate. My strategy: eat a hearty, late breakfast and then pocket a muffin and a banana for a snack later on that can tide me over until an early dinner.

Taking advantage of local street-food scenes can also save you heaps. A&O’s Winter says that Florence, Italy, is a little-known street-food city (though not full of food trucks, as Americans might imagine, but shops that sell various hot and cold sandwiches and beverages you can enjoy on the street). He likes Da’ Vinattieri , close to the National Museum of Bargello.

The author wearing ski gear and a helmet atop a stunning alpine-scape in Hinterglemm, Austria.

For the past 15 years, Outside travel-advice columnist  Jen Murphy has gone on a weeklong European ski vacation with friends that typically costs less than a long weekend of skiing in the U.S. She is a huge fan of off-season and shoulder-season travel and thinks the term “rainy season” should be changed to “green season.”

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Travel Agency Brand – Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Successful Business Plan

  • December 27, 2021

Travel Agency Brand

Do you think post-pandemic is a good time to start a travel agency? Great thought! Travel agencies help millions of people to booking their flights, tours, and hotels, among others. In addition, travel agencies also help travelers with travel insurance. Some large travel agencies can also arrange partnership marketing and currency exchange. 

This post about travel agencies brands gives you the lowdown on how to start a travel agency and promote it into a successful business. 

What are Travel Agencies and What is a Travel Agencies brand?

Agencies, whether public or private, that provide travel-related services are called a travel agencies. This can include arranging transportation, tours, trips, and accommodation during travels. Furthermore, travel agencies also provide tourism-related services, including activities during travel and arrangements with luggage logistics. 

A travel agency brand may be a retail travel agency or a wholesale travel agency. Travel agency brands typically represent the company or the person who starts the company. 

How Profitable Travel Agency Businesses are?

How Profitable Travel Agency Businesses are?

Yes. Travel agencies make a lot of profit. Travel agencies typically generate up to 78% of revenue from commissions. In addition, they also make up to 22% of their revenue from service charges. 

According to recent data , up to 43% of travelers book their travel arrangements through travel agents. Globally, the tour and the travel industry is estimated at $183 billion currently. Besides, the online travel market is projected to hit $1,091 billion by 2022. 

How Does Travel Agencies Business Survive in a Pandemic?

How Does Travel Agencies Business Survive in a Pandemic?

The pandemic of Covid-19 seriously impacted every industry, including travel and tourism. According to statistics , the global travel industry revenue for 2020 was projected at $712 billion. However, it decreased by 34% to $447 billion, which is a massive difference.

But according to one survey , up to 82% of travelers say they are more confident and ready to travel in 2021. The same survey also reveals that up to 28% of travelers desire to travel internationally. This means that the travel industry is thriving and ready to take off post-pandemic which is great news for travel agencies.

How to Start a Travel Agency Brand Business?

The basics on how to start a travel agency look like this:

How to Start a Travel Agency Brand Business

Step 1 – Narrow Down the Travel Niche

Some niches in the travel industry include cruise, beach holidays, snow sports, spa getaways, destination weddings, corporate travels, and honeymoon packages. 

Step 2 – Establish a Legal Entity

The next step is to establish a legal entity for your travel agency business. This includes finding a suitable name for your agency and deciding the type of business. You can choose between LLC, partnership, sole proprietorship, and corporation. 

Step 3 – Formulate a Business Plan and Financials

Here, you will decide whether your travel agency needs a business partner. A business plan for a travel agency will also include whether you need a loan to finance your startup. You also need to set up separate accounts and credit cards for your travel agency. 

Step 4 – Marketing Your Travel Agency

This starts with getting a website for your travel agency business. Setting up a social media account for your travel agency is also a mandatory and efficient strategy to create awareness for your brand. 

Step 5 – Be Consistent

After your travel agency is in place and running, your clients will hopefully be coming to do business with you. Show up, and your customers will be happy with you. A satisfied customer is also your best advertisement. 

Travel Agencies Brand Promotion Strategies

Brand promotion strategies for your travel agencies effectively establish your business and rise above the competition. It can help your travel agency in the following ways: 

  • Increase customer’s awareness about your travel agency. 
  • Customers learn about your agency’s packages, and pricing.
  • Establish your brand name as a credible business in the industry.
  • The brand promotion also builds trust in your customers about your company. 

Travel Agencies  Brand Content Strategy

As a travel agency, content strategy can excel and show what is special about you and your company. With the right content strategy, you also have a chance of upgrading your marketing plans. Here’s how content strategy can help your travel agency business:

  • It builds confidence among your potential clients. 
  • Original and organic content generates more traffic. 
  • It also allows you to understand what is working and what needs improvement. 
  • It helps generate leads and improves ROI.
  • Content strategy is also more cost-effective than traditional marketing by up to 62%. 

Branding Development

Branding development is another key component to stand out from the competitors. 

Branding Development

  • Logo creation – Your travel agency logo is the first thing that creates a connection between you and the customers. So make it good. 
  • Stationary creation – Choose the right typography, color, and design to make your agency unique and with personality. 
  • Promotional tools creations – Several online tools are available where you can create a travel agency logo.  Placeit  has some of the best templates and ideas. 

Promotional tools creations

How Travel Agency Business Adapts with Digitalization?

The travel agency business has immensely leaned on digital marketing as it has provided a wide range of opportunities for tourism to keep engaging audiences, worldwide. This can be through engaging content not to mention, brand engagement.

 Web Design

 Web Design

To promote and establish your travel agency online, you will also need a website. Create a travel agency website with great design , speed, user-friendly interface, and compatibility across PCs, phones, and tablets. 

It should also include your company profile, portfolios, pictures, and FAQ section, among others. 

Undeniably, the greatest approach to promote your company is to use the internet. These days, it’s the most effective marketing tactic. Our web development team has your back to get you through today’s competitive business environment, whether it’s a simple WordPress website to start your enterprise online or a more complex eCommerce website.

Social Media Advertising

Social Media Advertising

Social media marketing for travel agencies can be an effective tool.  Statistics  show that there is 3.7 billion social media user all over the world. So if you want your travel agency to reach a wider audience, social media marketing is your best bet. 

In today’s world, digital marketing is a critical component of any company’s success. If you want to keep up, you’ll need to adapt to the ever-changing world of online marketing strategy made possible by our team of experts.

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization

As you start building your travel agency brand and creating content for your website, SEO is another element that can transform your business. To optimize your content and website, consider the following components:

  • Creating original content consistently 
  • Adding meta descriptions as well as title tags 
  • Keyword research 
  • Content planning
  • Link building 

In line with that, on-page and off-page SEO services can help you rank at the top of search engines, ensuring that your target market notices your website and that is what  Inquivix Search Engine Optimization Team is offering. Attracting more qualified search traffic to your website right away.

Paid Advertising 

Paid Advertising

PPC or pay-per-click through Google Ads, Search Ads, Display Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Twitter Ads, Pinterest Ads, YouTube Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and TikTok Ads, can build your travel agency in no time. It targets your audience, generates traffic to your site, and reaches a wider audience. 

Nowadays, many people have become reliant on the internet. If you are looking for something you’ll probably start by looking for information on the internet. Everything now is just one click away. Inquivix experts are honed to provide you with the most effective method in sending your message to your target audience. We will work directly with you and your organization to ensure you get the best return on your investment. 

Lead Generation

Lead Generation

Lead generation is an effective marketing strategy that can be implemented to drive more visitors to potential clients. This has, therefore, become an essential aspect for all of the tourism sectors to implement.

  • Lead magnet creation – Leads magnets motivate your clients and also builds trust. 
  • Landing page creation – The landing page of your travel agency website needs a fantastic layout, great design, and spectacular photography, among others. 
  • Email drip marketing –  Statistics  show that email marketing is up to 40% more effective than other forms of marketing. So don’t underestimate email marketing to promote your travel agency. 

Creating initial communications, building brand awareness, and maintaining customer interactions is vital in every business. Inquivix lead generation services oversee initiatives aimed at identifying and qualifying potential consumers for businesses. The service can help fill an organization’s sales pipeline with potential clients through lead nurturing, ensuring the highest conversion rate possible for your brand.

Top  Travel Agency Brand Names in the World and their Slogans

Around the globe, many of us have come to trust the travels brands as all well as being familiar with some of them. Here are a few of the travel agency brands around the world with their slogans:

Expedia

Expedia is known to be one of the most famous travel brands from all around the world. It has the best experiences for all those wanderlust souls who need a quick flight to just get out and roam wild and free.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

Tripadvisor is the world’s leading travel guide website, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every month plan, book, and travel better. Travelers use Tripadvisor to choose places to stay, things to do and eat based on reviews from other travelers.

Booking.com

Booking.com

Booking.com grew from a modest Dutch start-up in 1996 to one of the world’s biggest digital travel firms. With over 28 million reported hotel listings, Booking.com has something for everyone. Whatever you want to accomplish, Booking.com makes it simple and supports you 24/7.

Global Work & Travel

Global Work & Travel

Global Work & Travel was formed in 2008 on the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia from our founders’ garage. We’ve grown into one of the world’s top work & travel businesses, helping over 61,000 travelers realize their trip goals.

Travelocity

Travelocity

Travelocity travel brands help every sort of traveler not only discover the vacation that’s ideal for them but also receive the greatest value every time, no matter who they are or where they’re going.

25 Travel Agencies Brand Name Ideas and Slogans

Travel agency brands have invested in a number of digital solutions to get the optimum reach for their wider audience. In fact, you will see that having digital marketing services has become an effective tool for those agencies to boost their brand awareness through social media posts and other digital marketing strategies.

We are here to help you and your brand reach your full potential.

How Travel Brands Can Turn Customer Data Into More Direct Bookings

Wunderkind + Skift

Wunderkind + Skift

March 12th, 2024 at 10:00 AM EDT

“The Power of Performance Marketing in 2024” provides actionable insights for travel brands looking to build more effective customer data strategies that leverage AI, helping them earn more direct bookings and grow revenue.

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

As more and more of the traveler’s journey takes place via digital channels, first-party customer data has become invaluable currency for travel brands seeking to increase their revenues through direct bookings. By collecting and using information that travelers voluntarily share via brand websites, social media channels, mobile apps, and more, travel brands can gain a clearer picture of who their customers are and how they can more effectively reach them.

Once brands have a solid strategy for collecting first-party data, they also need tools that pair it with customer information from other sources and interactions (e.g., online research or engagement with digital advertising). Doing so enables them to build cohesive, complete customer identity profiles that strengthen their ability to create more personalized marketing, which can more effectively drive traffic into owned channels vs. third-party booking sites.

“After nearly a decade, traditional retargeting tactics are changing rapidly, and identity solutions are becoming a must-have element to connecting and building long-term relationships,” said Tim Glomb, vice president of digital, content, and AI, Wunderkind.

A new marketing guide from Wunderkind, “The Power of Performance Marketing in 2024,” helps travel and hospitality brands sort through this nuanced and complex landscape. The guide provides actionable insights for successful first-party data and identity solutions strategies, which ultimately will lead to more direct bookings and better long-term customer relationships.

What’s Inside

Rethinking marketing technology investments. Marketers are realizing after years of software-as-a-service (SaaS) supremacy that this model isn’t working anymore.

“Access to a tool doesn’t make a marketer an expert in using it. And it certainly doesn’t guarantee a lift in revenue,” said Wunderkind’s Glomb. “Data and experience make the difference when tech solutions are enlisted to drive revenue.”

Navigating the continued shift towards first-party data. The quest for first-party data has become a new gold rush, especially in 2024 given the deprecation of cookies and a surge in political ad spending in major markets like the U.S. and UK, which will drive up the cost of paid media channels.

“Third-party cookie deprecation will actually make marketers rethink their channels and really evaluate how we do things,” said Prithvi Raj Tikku, director of email and retention, CSC Generation. “I think it will allow marketers to be more strategic and focus a lot more on their own channels, which I think is never a bad thing.”

Harnessing anonymous data to piece together customer identities. At their heart, identity solutions are about turning anonymous data into known contacts.

“The universe of the people we were reaching has expanded significantly because we are now able to get to that anonymous site visitor,” said Rahul Chand, vice president of marketing, AAA Northeast. “Previously, we were trying to figure out, ‘how do we identify this traffic but not rely on a cookie-based solution,’ because that wouldn’t work for us long term.”

Leveraging the rise of AI in performance marketing. In 2024, there will be exponential growth in the impact of AI on day-to-day marketing operations in travel.

“Travel and tourism brands need partners with a solid vision and strategic investments in AI, as well as access to the vital data that will differentiate your business from your competitors,” said Wunderkind’s Glomb. “Beware of the email service provider or customer data platform that simply slaps an AI feature on top of a legacy platform and promises different results. Marketers must recognize what is a commodity, like AI-generated copy or imagery features, versus a truly disruptive AI advantage.”

Download “ The Power of Performance Marketing in 2024 ” to learn more.

This content was created collaboratively by Wunderkind and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX .

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: customer data , first-party data , identity solutions , personalization , wunderkind

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Cowboys’ disappointing start to free agency is exactly on brand

Everything about this free agency period for the Cowboys was, unfortunately, predictable.

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Philadelphia Eagles v Dallas Cowboys

If you wanted a pithy quote to sum up how the start of free agency has gone for the Dallas Cowboys , let us suggest these words from David Byrne and the Talking Heads: “Same as it ever was.”

Fans are reacting with disappointment, frustration, and even anger. That is their right. But if you have been following the team over the past decade or so, this should not be at all unexpected. This is what the team has become. The approach they take is rigid and entrenched. If you want to try and apply logic or the kind of thinking that seems to be used by many other teams, including those that have experienced so much more success than Dallas has during the long, long drought for them, it simply won’t work.

This is not about what makes a successful football team. It is a story of how the franchise has evolved.

For those of us with a lot of grey in our hair or beards, we know that this was not always the way the team operated. During those early, glorious years, the Cowboys were daring and bold. They spent freely on big name free agents like Deion Sanders and Charles Haley and were rewarded with three Lombardi trophies in four years. It reflected how buying the team was a risky move itself. Jerry Jones was a brash upstart who came in, shook up the entire NFL, and gained tremendous influence through his work in helping negotiate the new broadcast deals early in his tenure as owner of the team. It ushered in the age of always growing revenue that has made the league the biggest entertainment business in the world.

But that also was the seed that led to what happened to the franchise. Jones had his infamous divorce from Jimmy Johnson, who did the real work in building those juggernauts of the early 1990s. While Johnson had his own role in the breakup, the jealousy Jones felt over having his head coach hogging the limelight was also a major contributor. It led to Jones taking the general manager title, which is central to all the woes that have befallen the team. As he himself has noted, he is not going to fire himself. He just loves being the head, face, and spokesman for the team and his ego will not allow him to hire a real general manager that could be held accountable.

We discussed this idea on the latest episode of Ryled Up on the Blogging The Boys podcast network. Make sure to subscribe to our network so you do not miss any of our shows! Apple devices can subscribe here and Spotify users can subscribe here .

Instead, he has increasingly relied on his son Stephen to handle more and more of the actual duties of the GM. There are many ways Stephen is like his father, but one way he is entirely different is his lack of tolerance for risk or anything that resembles a gamble. Jerry built the fortune that allowed him to buy the team in the high-risk oil exploration business, but Stephen was born to wealth, and he is far more motivated to protect his own future. That cautiousness has infected the entire approach of the team. And with Stephen the heir apparent when the inevitable happens, it is not going to change.

The rising fortunes of the NFL were not the only way the Jones family was prospering. No matter what you think of Jerry as a football executive, he is unquestionably a brilliant businessman, and has created multiple other revenue streams that just swell the already huge coffers of his family. The sad truth is that their extravagant lifestyle is not at all dependent on the success of the Cowboys on the field. His investments in the company that handles concessions at many other teams’ stadiums means that even if his team is floundering, the success of other franchises keeps the money flowing in.

Another big impact on the team is the way Stephen views the salary cap. It is worth mentioning that the cap was another thing that Jerry had a big role in creating. He simply could not control his own impulses to go out and bring in expensive hired guns to win, so he wanted a control over spending. That is money that is not going to the profit column, and the idea was not hard to sell to the other owners who don’t like turning over too much of the income to the players. Stephen seems to take that very much to heart, and constantly tries to use the cap to justify lowballing players and not spending any real money on free agents. The history of the Brandon Carr acquisition is seen as a reason to never do that again, despite how several free agents have worked out well in the past.

Although it appears that winning is not the highest priority in Stephen’s mind, it is still something that matters. This means that if Dallas is not going to dive into the free agent market with an open checkbook, they have to rely on the draft to provide the constant influx of new talent required. With Will McClay now running the draft and the scouting that is so crucial, the team has had some notable success there, the dismal results so far of 2023 notwithstanding. This is a great asset for the organization, but in a way it also enables Stephen’s tightwad approach. It’s a sort of codependency.

Part of Stephen’s responsibility is negotiating deals with the veterans they need to retain. He brings the same tight-fisted mindset to that. He never wants to get things done expeditiously. It leads to protracted negotiations with players they know they have to keep in a mistaken belief that he is going to be able to get a better deal. Part of his technique is to negotiate through the media. His frequent talk about the size of the pie and how some players, particularly Dak Prescott, are taking too big a slice of it, making it supposedly harder to pay his other stars like CeeDee Lamb or Micah Parsons. This is an obvious seeming ploy to pit the players against one another. But he is using it against a quarterback that has the full faith and support of his locker room. It is a massive lack of situational awareness and will likely turn out as it has so many times in the past, with unnecessarily acrimonious negotiations and having to pay more in the long run than they might have been able to do had the management worked harder to get a more fair deal done in a timely manner. Now, the players, and more importantly their agents, know that they will benefit from holding firm and using the pressure going on the free agent market will bring to bear on the team.

That just aggravates the cap issues as those eventually expensive contracts keep constraining the team. It has led to the constant state of having little cap space to start seasons. Eventually that will necessitate restructures and force extensions that push cap hits into later years, repeating the cycle. The team is handcuffed, and they put those cuffs on themselves.

As stated earlier, this is the way they have done business for years now, and barring a barely conceivable change in the thinking at the top, it is not going to change. We know it is almost dogma that they will not spend in the early stages of free agency, and will go on a bargain hunt in the latter stages before the draft to fill the holes they have on the roster. It is simply the script for the team. It is maddening, but sometimes you just have to accept the reality of things.

However, just when you think the evidence is irrefutable, the Cowboys do something that creates that faint glimmer of hope that they will change. Last year, it was the trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks, easily the best things they did in the offseason. And just recently, word broke they had a deal to sign their first outside free agent.

Another change of heart: after agreeing to a deal with the 49ers, former Chargers and Vikings LB Eric Kendricks has decided to go to the Dallas Cowboys instead, per sources. Mike Zimmer wanted Kendricks to help run his defense and Kendricks preferred to play in Dallas. https://t.co/NfBUIPT0c6 — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2024

This is not a major move, but it certainly answers a major need on the roster. It is not expected to be a big salary and it is not a true change in their approach, but it is entirely understandable while we are going to likely have this same discussion a year from now.

More From Blogging The Boys

  • Cowboys free agent: Tackle Tyron Smith to sign 1-year deal worth up to $20M with Jets
  • Details of Cowboys deal with Eric Kendricks reflects their bargain shopping philosophy
  • Cowboys may be looking at a new starting guard in 2024
  • Dallas Cowboys 2024 free agency tracker: All news, rumors and what you need to know
  • Dallas Cowboys release linebacker Leighton Vander Esch with failed physical designation
  • Dallas Cowboys release wide receiver Michael Gallup

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    Booking Holdings. The world's most valuable online travel agency saw a 4% growth in revenue in 2019. Brands include Booking.com (primarily international), KAYAK, Priceline (primarily North ...

  18. 12 game-changing tactics to boost travel agency marketing

    2. Understand your audience. Within the overall market, travel agencies must clearly define their target audience. Use identifiers such as age, gender, family size, earning potential, location, etc. You can also create elaborate buyer personas to guide your digital marketing efforts. 3.

  19. Every One of Expedia Group's 23 Brands, Explained

    Expedia Group is the number two global online travel player, behind Booking Holdings, and booked $10 billion in revenue in 2017. Below, Skift presents an explainer about Expedia Group's brand ...

  20. OutsideAgents.com Launches Opulence, An Exclusive Luxury Brand

    OutsideAgents.com, an American host agency with over 30 years of experience and 9,000 agents, has launched a premier luxury division for travel advisors wanting to specialize in luxury travel experiences, called Opulence. Opulence will offer luxury travel partnerships, preferential promotions and amenities for travelers and FAM and training ...

  21. Full article: Identifying the relationship between Travel Agent's Web

    Hence, online travel agents need to understand how web service quality is related to e-brand reputation, which impacts the firms' survival in the long run. Nevertheless, empirical studies on the influence of travel agents' web service quality and e-reputation are scarce.

  22. Online travel market statistics & facts

    Online travel market size worldwide 2020-2030. Online travel market size worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars) Premium Statistic. Revenue of the ...

  23. 8 Ways to Travel for Less in 2024

    American, for example, will begin flying to the new airport in Tulum, Mexico, this month. Follow travel sites like Skift and the Points Guy, which keep up with this information. 7. Reconsider ...

  24. Travel Agency Brand

    A travel agency brand may be a retail travel agency or a wholesale travel agency. Travel agency brands typically represent the company or the person who starts the company. How Profitable Travel Agency Businesses are? Yes. Travel agencies make a lot of profit. Travel agencies typically generate up to 78% of revenue from commissions.

  25. How Travel Brands Can Turn Customer Data Into Direct Bookings

    Skift Take. "The Power of Performance Marketing in 2024" provides actionable insights for travel brands looking to build more effective customer data strategies that leverage AI, helping them ...

  26. A Guide To Online Reputation Management For Brands

    The Essential Elements Of An Effective ORM Strategy. An effective ORM strategy includes various elements, each playing a crucial role in maintaining a positive online reputation. From monitoring ...

  27. Cowboys' disappointing start to free agency is exactly on brand

    The architect of this mess. If you wanted a pithy quote to sum up how the start of free agency has gone for the Dallas Cowboys, let us suggest these words from David Byrne and the Talking Heads ...