The Beginner’s Guide to Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) and Global Distribution Systems

Travel agencies have been around for decades; in fact, the first travel agency was founded in 1841. But with the rise of online booking, many people assume that travel agencies are a thing of the past. However, there’s still a place for traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies. In fact, many people prefer to work with them because they offer personalized service and expert knowledge about specific destinations and types of trips. In this article we’ll explore what online travel agencies are and how they can help your company thrive in today’s competitive market.

What is an online travel agency?

An online travel agency (OTA) is an online service that helps travelers book their trips. OTAs can be classified as either direct or indirect. A direct OTA sells directly to consumers, while an indirect OTA sells through travel agents.

How can you maximize your OTA presence?

As a travel agency, you can maximize your OTA presence by:

  • Providing price transparency. It’s important to provide your customers with the best possible price for their trip.
  • Ensuring that you are listed on all relevant OTAs. There are many different OTAs out there, and some may be more popular than others depending on where you’re trying to sell your product or service. For example, if someone is looking for an African safari adventure package from Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB), they might use an OTA like Booking.com or Expedia because these sites have thousands of properties listed in Africa–but if they wanted something closer within Europe or North America then TripAdvisor would likely be more appropriate because it doesn’t offer as much coverage outside those regions yet still gives users access via its “Book Now” button that lets them find accommodations directly without having go through multiple steps first before seeing results! You’ll want make sure
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