Viator’s Travel Agent Program Gets Mixed Reviews
Photo Credit: Travelers participate in a Vatican museum tour before it normally opens to the general public. TripAdvisor is enabling travel agents to book tours such as this through a new travel agent website. Viator
Skift Take
The market for off-the-beaten-path tours and experiences has been heating up this year with the emergence of Airbnb’s Experiences. TripAdvisor, which emphasizes on-the-beaten path offerings, is putting a huge effort into trying to stay on top. Its new travel agent program is part of that effort.
Viator, the TripAdvisor-owned company that is the leader in online tours and activities, is seeking to expand further with a push to get travel agents to book through its platform.
The move has paid off so far, said TripAdvisor spokeswoman Laurel Greatrix, adding its commission-based program for travel agents booking tours and attractions has contributed to doubling the number of such bookings taken through TripAdvisor year-over-year. She declined to provide specifics on the number of bookings through its travel agent program, which is less than a year old.
TripAdvisor's non-hotel revenue grew 22 percent to $120 million in the second quarter. That was only about 27 percent of TripAdvisor's overall revenue. However, revenue from attractions, restaurant reservations and vacation rentals, which make up the non-hotel category, is growing at a much faster pace than TripAdvisor's core hotel business.
Viator previously worked with travel agents through the Airlines Reporting Corp. Ma
