The Comprehensive Guide to Distribution Channels

It doesn’t matter what type of tours or activities you offer, or the destination that you are located within, it’s critical that you develop a distribution network of agents that are willing to resell your products. This allows you to grow your brand and increase your reach within the industry. Ultimately, the types of agents that you partner with will play a pivotal role in your ability to grow as a business and reach your goals. One of your priorities in 2017 should be expanding your network, and there are many possible distribution channels for you to consider.

Top Distribution Channels to Utilize

• Your business website — Enhancing your tour and activity website will help drive direct bookings, which are the most cost-effective bookings to secure. Implementing an online booking engine with a secure payment portal, while also creating a responsive design to allow mobile bookings, will help you improve your website this year.
• Online review sites — An increasing number of travelers are relying on online review sites in order to finalize their decisions for their upcoming trips. TripAdvisor and other well-known online review sites make ideal distribution agents, as they attract a vast number of motivated travelers to their sites.
• OTAs — Online Travel Agents, or OTAs, attract travelers who want reliable, accurate information about travel deals in one convenient location. It’s impossible for an independent tour and activity operator to compete against these high-powered travel companies, so it’s better to utilize OTAs as a distribution channel. Through a channel manager tool, you can provide OTAs with real-time information about your availability, allowing a significant number of global travelers to gain access to your company’s products.
• Visitor Information Centres — Visitor information centres are the distribution channel that you should consider in order to increase your last-minute bookings. Many travelers will stop by the local visitor information centre in order to get information on the tours and activities that are available in the area. Through your channel manager, visitor information centres can easily book your tours and earn a commission at the same time.
• Local Restaurants — Partner with local restaurants in order to create packages for your tours and activities that include a meal at their locations. This is an ideal way to grow your business while also promoting your destination as a whole.

Utilizing multiple distribution channels is quite simple when you implement an online booking engine that offers a channel manager. With the Rezdy Channel Manager, you can update your availability in one place and it is the broadcast to your whole distribution network. This saves you time, ensures that all your agents have accurate, up-to-date information, and saves you from ever having to worry about overbooking again. As you expand your distribution network, you’ll see an increase in your bookings as well as a boost in your brand recognition. Try out Rezdy by beginning your demo today. For our tips on how to prepare your business for distribution through agents, download our distribution ebook today!