Connected Distribution Chapter 2: Working with resellers and partners

CHAPTER 2

CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION Understanding resellers, partner channels and getting your products online-ready

WHAT’S INSIDE

Essential elements of connected distribution

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Evaluating distribution channels and partners

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Are you ready to work with resellers?

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Comparison matrix of key distribution channels

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Rules of engagement for contracting and partner management

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Managing channel partner conflict

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Managing your account

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Making your products ready for online booking

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Channel management strategy

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Check out Google Things to Do (GTTD)

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Next steps

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Connected distribution toolkit - terms and conditions of use This toolkit is best viewed on a desktop.

Please note: this content is provided for information purposes only and whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Fáilte Ireland makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness or suitability, or in relation to thirdparty intellectual property rights in or to any part of the content. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of this content can be accepted by Fáilte Ireland, its servants or agents. Visitor experience imagery in this toolkit does not represent participation in our programmes. ©Fáilte Ireland 2022

Introduction

Essential elements of connected distribution Welcome to Chapter 2 of our Connected Distribution Toolkit.

Throughout these pages, which are part of our three chapter series, you’ll learn about the commercial and operational considerations of connected distribution.

Connected distribution is a key driver of business development and working with resellers leads to more visitor bookings, which in turns leads to more revenue.

In this chapter we cover the essential elements of distribution including reseller requirements, contracting, partner and account management, and how to ensure your products are ready to go online.

We also evaluate relevant distribution channels so you can best assess the right fit for your business needs, while taking you through Google’s Things to Do initiative and its importance for experience providers.

Our toolkit will help navigate a path forward for your connected distribution journey.

Let’s go!

Learn from industry experts This Connected Distribution Toolkit has been created in collaboration with expert contributors from Arival.

Arival works with businesses to create innovative in-destination experiences and their team of experts have shared their knowledge, establishing an informative, educational and accessible starter guide to the world of Connected Distribution.

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Evaluating distribution channels and partners This section covers key distribution channels. Find opportunities for your business and learn how to evaluate potential resellers, including considerations for different resellers and assessing your internal operational needs.

Key Insight

Before considering the merits of working with resellers, it’s important to know what to expect. What are their requirements and what are the essentials you need to know to inform your next moves?

PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS The first decision is to choose which products you’d like to offer to resellers. Many experience providers do not offer their full line-up of products.

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You may decide not to offer certain tours, ticket types or date windows that you know you can sell directly. But remember that resellers will want to offer your most popular products, not just those that you are struggling to sell elsewhere.

Spend time getting everything set up before you reach out to potential distributors. Resellers will ask for your product information, which you should

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According to Arival research of a survey of 2,500 providers worldwide, 51% listed all their products with resellers, while the remainder kept some tours or tickets to be sold exclusively through their direct channels. prepare in advance. You’ll need high resolution images, descriptions, and product details.

As each reseller is different, they will let you know what they need specifically. The sections: “Rules of engagement for contracting and partner management” and “Making your products ready for online booking” provide guidance to help you prepare for working with resellers.

Evaluating distribution channels and partners

COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS Like any commercial partnership, most resellers require you to sign their contract. This can be anywhere from three to 80 (yes, 80!) pages. Online Tour Operators, OTAs, many of the terms in these contracts may be non-negotiable.

However, many of the terms may be negotiable with other traditional or offline resellers such as travel agents and/or inbound tour operators.

There will be lengthy sections about liability, copyright, and other issues which are not generally worth arguing about. Resellers care most about commission terms.

They will usually have minimum insurance coverage requirements and will ask you to name them on your insurance policy.

Resellers will want to offer your most popular products, not just those that you are struggling to sell elsewhere.

The things you can negotiate are the commission rates, which will usually be in the 15%–30% range but can vary widely based on the type of reseller. For more details, refer to the table on page 12.

Payment terms are usually not negotiable. The typical payment term is referred to as Net 30. This means that the reseller will pay you 30 days after you invoice them. You typically invoice them at the end of a calendar month for any bookings

with a travel date (not booking date) which fell during that month.

Some larger resellers and many OTAs provide automated payments that do not require invoicing. They automatically issue payments based on tours taken during that month.

You need to reconcile those payments with reporting from your own booking system to ensure you are receiving correct payment from your partners.

You should also have a simple contract that you can supply for those resellers who do not have their own agreement. This can be very short, covering the most important legal matters and you can always cancel the agreement at any time.

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND INTEGRATION What are the technical requirements you need to consider when dealing with a reseller? We discuss Free Sale, Block/Allocation or On Request as well as API and non APIs. FREE SALE, BLOCK/ALLOCATION, OR ON REQUEST Traditionally, resellers have used Free Sale, Block/Allocation, or On Request methods to manage availability on their systems. The benefit of these methods is that they do not require any technical integration between the reseller and the experience provider, and they allow the reseller to sell without a lot of restrictions.

Neither Free Sale, Block/Allocation, or On Request is an ideal solution and can result in overbooking in the case of Free Sale, locking of inventory in the case of Block/Allocation, and delays in the case of On Request.

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MANAGING THROUGH API The ideal solution for managing availability with a reseller is to use a booking system that has an API connection. For resellers that can support the API connection, this provides real-time availability and booking capabilities.

MANAGING WITHOUT API For resellers that do not have an API connection, there are two alternatives: 1 The reseller can book with you over the phone, and your staff enter the bookings directly into the booking system’s back-office portal.

2 The reseller can book directly in your system via a B2B booking portal, powered by your booking system, which provides private access to the rates and products available to that reseller.

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This ensures that all bookings, regardless of channel, are managed in a single system. It reduces the risk of overbooking and eliminates the need to manually manage bookings through offline methods, saving you precious time and resources.

If your booking system supports and relates to the reseller system, there is minimal setup. This is handled by you, directly in your system, or by whoever is your software provider.

Setup varies depending on the system and the reseller, but once you have completed this stage, there should be minimal maintenance.

It’s important to note that this can be a tricky stage as there are various items to manage, but the results are worth it.

Reseller requirements: What to expect

Getting setup If your booking system supports and relates to the reseller system, there is minimal setup. This is handled by you, directly in your system, or by your software provider.

Setup varies depending on the system and the reseller, but once you have completed this stage, there should be minimal maintenance.

It’s important to note that this can be a tricky stage as there are various items to manage, but the results are worth it.

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Are you ready to work with resellers?

In this section we review key areas of the provider-reseller working relationship, ensuring you have the resources and processes in place to work effectively with resellers.

BUSINESS SELF-ASSESSMENT Partnering with resellers is a commercial arrangement. They market your business to new markets and new customers in exchange for a commission. The first question is, what level of commission can you support?

OPERATIONAL: RESELLER COMMISSIONS Most resellers ask for 20%–30% which means on a €100 product, they want a net rate of €70 to

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€80. You can try to negotiate the commission level down. The lower you get your commission, the less margin the reseller has to market your products, the goal is not to squeeze it to the absolute minimum.

A reseller may promote other products over yours if they have a higher margin on those products.

Remember that the sales that you receive from resellers will be incremental. These should be sales that you wouldn’t

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get directly from customers.

That said, it’s also important to remember that for reseller partners to market, sell, and support sales of your products, they need to be reasonably compensated for their efforts.

They prioritise sales of products that are more profitable to them. Be sure to review your pricing to ensure you have enough margin to support the commission levels your reseller partners need to also be successful.

Ready to work with resellers?

How to benefit from your reseller relationships  Be available for questions.  Be responsive.  Communicate clearly and frequently.  Keep your content up to date, and in a format they need.

 Help them with referrals, destination updates, or anything else to do their job better.

Not all resellers provide an account manager, this depends on the size of your business and sales volumes.

As a smaller business, you may get access to an extranet or private website.

See Managing your account on page 24, for a more in-depth discussion of how to manage your reseller partnerships.

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Market managers have a significant impact on how many bookings they generate for you.

OPERATIONAL: CAN YOU MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNTS? To maximise your relationship with the reseller, make someone on your team responsible for communicating with the reseller and managing, at a minimum, the flow of information. The absolute minimum is to supply weekly updates with the latest content, special pricing changes, product information, and consistent service updates.

However, for larger reseller partners that are more valuable to your business, you should think about this as managing a relationship or partnership.

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Maintaining a strong and responsive relationship with your reseller partner may result in better listing opportunities and increased sales.

Aside from a handful of fully automated online travel agencies, most resellers have market managers, who manage the products sold in each destination.

They have a significant impact on how many bookings they generate for you. These relationships are critical to your success.

CUSTOMER SERVICE You work in a partnership with your reseller and each of you has

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responsibilities to the customer. If customer service issues arise, take responsibility, and apologise as necessary. This will prevent larger issues occurring such as negative feedback in online reviews.

HANDLING BOOKINGS If you work with a booking system that is connected to resellers, you receive bookings directly into the system. If you or the reseller are not connected to that software, the bookings usually arrive via email. From there, it's up to you to keep track of the booking. Some resellers may request that you reply as a confirmation, generally within 24 hours.

Ready to work with resellers?

ACCOUNTING, BILLING AND PAYMENT Payment terms are a major part of any contract. For the most part, you are paid at the end of the calendar month following the customer visit. This can vary and you can always ask about a different payment term (for example, weekly).

PAYMENT TYPES Pay on booking In this model, the reseller pays you based on bookings and not whether the customer arrived and redeemed a ticket. This is how some of the

larger OTAs work, and the funds are paid out automatically.

Pay on redeemed Here, the reseller pays you based on the customer redeeming their booking. The reseller may keep the booking payment if the customer is a no-show. This is where your cancellation policy comes in. It is reasonable for you to expect to be paid in full if a customer does not cancel before a pre-agreed period.

This should be agreed as part of your contract.

For either payment type, you are often required to create an invoice, including an itemised list of bookings for the period, with products, dates, units (adults/ children etc.), the amounts and a total amount due. Most booking software have reports for this purpose, used to generate either invoices, booking reports, or both.

Once invoices are sent, you will have to deal with payment such as errors, customer changes, cancellations and re-bookings.

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Comparison matrix of key distribution channels Check out our matrix of distribution channels, key definitions, examples, and attributes. We strongly recommend that as you evaluate potential reseller partners you create a matrix or worksheet and document the advantages and disadvantages of each partner. We will cover this in detail in Chapter 3.

There are a wide range of business practices across the industry, and it is likely that you will encounter examples outside of the ranges and guidance provided. Use this as general guidance only.

COMPARISON MATRIX OF KEY DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS DIRECT

OTAS

TOUR OPERATORS, WHOLESALERS, DMCS

DEFINITION

Channels where your customers book directly with you

Travel websites that sell experiences

Companies that create packages for visitors

EXAMPLES

Website Call Centre Ticket Office

Viator GetYourGuide Tiqets Klook

TUI Irishtourism.com CIE Abbey UK & Ireland JAC Travel

N/A

All types, with focus on tours and attractions and offering more long-tail tours and off-thebeaten track experiences

Tours, activities, and attractions

Your cost of marketing and operating direct channels, divided by total number of bookings

15%–30%

10%–30%

CONNECTIVITY

Based on your online booking system

Typically, extranet. API connectivity is available and preferred

Manual process via email or phone, but some have extranets or APIs

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

N/A

Account managers available for large operators; typically, small operators must use an extranet

Account manager

TYPES OF PROVIDERS AND PRODUCTS OFFERED

COST / COMMISSION (these are general ranges, but many examples exist outside of these ranges)

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Comparison matrix of key distribution channels

TRAVEL AGENCIES

MULTI-ATTRACTION PASS

OTHER LOCAL RESELLERS

Retail agencies that book travel on behalf of customers

Mobile passes or booklets that bundle access to multiple tours and attractions in a destination

Local tour operators, ticket resellers, and hotel concierges that may book tickets to local experiences

Cassidy’s Fahy’s Feherty’s

Dublin Pass Go City

N/A

Tours, activities, and attractions

Focus on most popular visitor attractions, but some are expanding to include tours and experiences

All types

15% and higher

25%–40% or even higher

15%–30%

Depends on the agency and how they book

Typically, manual process, with some API capability

Typically manual

No account management, unless it is a large agency group and large attraction

Account manager

Account manager

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KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHOOSING RESELLERS There are several things to take into account in working with resellers, like source markets, volume, and rates. Here we outline the five principal areas for consideration before selecting a reseller.

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VOLUME

Booking volume is linked to the commission you pay, so carefully consider your approach.

Larger resellers like bigger online travel agencies have nonnegotiable terms, unless you are a large and popular attraction or tour in your market. With other resellers, there may be room for negotiation.

Some resellers should be able to give you an idea of expected booking volumes but won’t make commitments. As mentioned

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earlier, resellers are likely to prioritise products more profitable to them. One approach is to offer commission bonuses or “overrides,” whereby you allow for a higher commission or one-time bonus if your reseller partner hits an agreed volume target.

Even the smallest of resellers require work. You could set a minimum volume target with each partner but give it time. Often resellers start with small volumes, but as your relationship grows, it increases.

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COMPETITION

If the reseller is already working with your competition, it makes sense for your products to be available. In this case, competition is difficult to define - it's not your direct competition

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(walking tours, bike tours, etc.), but it includes all other things to do in your destination. These larger resellers are already selling experiences in your market.

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RATES

You should be aware of a maximum commission rate. This depends on your cost structure and your variable costs. For experiences and tours, the cost per guest may vary depending on how many guests you have on a tour. The marginal costs (the cost of an additional customer) may be low or almost zero for some experiences, and for others they might be higher.

Understanding your maximum commission rate is key to ensure your reseller sales can support your margin goals.

Key considerations for choosing resellers

Understanding your maximum commission rate is key to ensure your reseller sales can support your margin goals.

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SOURCE MARKETS

Generally, you don’t have to worry about where the reseller is finding their customers.

The real opportunity for working with resellers is helping you reach customers and markets that you may not reach efficiently on your own. For example, some partners serve specific markets. The OTA Civitatis serves the Spanish and Spanish-speaking traveller.

Often travel agencies and tour

operators focus on particular market segments, such as the luxury traveller, or family travel.

Seek out distribution partners that fit well with the demographic or customer profiles your tours and experiences are best suited for, helping you reach visitor segments that you cannot reach as cost effectively on your own.

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SECONDARY SALES

Depending on the reseller’s marketing strategy,

you may get a good amount of free marketing from reseller listings. Each time a customer books with a reseller, another ten or 20 people have looked at your product.

Many people will book later, on your own website, or directly with you in-destination. If possible, monitor your website analytics to determine where your website customers are coming from.

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Rules of engagement for contracting and partner management In this section, we discuss contracting with distribution partners, and the rules and requirements of working with distribution channels. This can help you determine if your product and your business are ready for distribution. Get advice for pricing your product for distribution channels including how to create both a rate agreement and your terms and conditions.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRICING Price your product appropriately for distribution and include a built-in commission that is paid to the distributor. This is an opportunity to market and distribute your product to an audience you may not reach yourself. A successful product must be priced consistently, accurately, and competitively.

Commission/net rate Your gross or retail price (what you charge the consumer) should be commissionable at a minimum of 20%.

Your net B2B rate is your gross or retail price minus 20%. This is the price you will provide to a reseller. Should you offer less than a 20% commission, it’s likely the distribution partner will not be able to work with you.

There are times when a distribution partner may attempt to negotiate a commission amount with you that is higher than that which you’ve provided. The ultimate decision, of course, is up to you and whether the commission agreed is sustainable.

Pricing and contact duration Your price must be sustainable in the long term.

Generally, a contract will last one year and will accommodate a schedule, such as 1 April – 31 March.

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Contracting and partner management

Should you offer lower prices on your own website versus your reseller partners?

It depends. Some see this as an advantage of experience providers as you can offer lower prices through your direct channels. However, resellers often check the websites of the providers they work with, especially larger providers that are more important to their business.

You run the risk of upsetting your partnership when you undercut your partner. Another approach is to offer slight variations in your products, or additional benefits or services to avoid direct comparison.

You should consider and schedule date-based changes to pricing and other terms based on the seasonality of your business.

Consider increasing prices during high season or reduce availability to resellers during periods where you get more direct bookings.

However, resellers also want more inventory during high season. If you need help from resellers during low season, they may ask for access to more tickets from you during your high season. Traditional reseller agreements based on free-sale or block allocation terms without connected distribution often require a fixed price for a year.

With a connected distribution partner, you may have flexibility to change prices.

Price uniformity Keep prices consistent across channels so that your distribution network can be confident they have the best price for your product.

 Advance rates You must have the ability to provide your rates in advance, often six months or more depending on the distribution channel.  S imple rate structure Keep rates simple so your product is easy to sell, with the number of price categories at a minimum.

This includes price changes that are affected by the season or time of year. A smaller number of price categories makes your product easier to sell for the reseller, and easier for you and the partner to manage.  S pecial offers (treat all partners equally) If you decide to offer special pricing throughout the year, include all your distribution partners so your prices are consistent. You can offer special pricing to a limited set of partners through your own direct channel if the price period is limited to no longer than four weeks. If the special price period is longer or

if you are looking to sell excess capacity on specific timeslots, it should be distributed to all your channels.

ADDITIONAL PRICING REQUIREMENTS:  Y our product should be delivered consistently and available at a consistent schedule (e.g., your tour runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10am, 1pm and 3pm).  Ensure reliable and efficient customer service for your customers and distribution partners, for example, phone, email, or live chat. Ideally, allow a minimum 24-hour turnaround time for responses.  Product categories/types should be kept to a minimum so they are easy to understand and sell. Start with your best-selling products.  Your terms and conditions should be concise and easily understood.

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Contracting and partner management

RATE AGREEMENT AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS The resellers rate agreement and general terms and conditions are important parts of working with resellers. Here we cover the basics of rate agreements and terms and conditions.

Generally, resellers require a contract to sell your product or service. Typically, this agreement comes from the distribution partner although some visitor experience providers supply their own.

This contract should include a rate agreement and attached terms and conditions. If possible, the terms and conditions should be no more than one page.

WHAT TO INCLUDE ON YOUR RATE AGREEMENT  Guaranteed rate validity dates (e.g., 1 April – 31 March of XX year). It’s possible to add a disclaimer, such as: “rates are subject to change.” This should happen only in rare circumstances. VAT changes, and blackout periods should be noted.  List the gross (retail), net rates and the commission level percentage, including your rates are per person, per vehicle, etc. If you have unique product codes for your tours, list those too.  Do your rates include VAT or tax, or is this to be added? Be clear about the tax owed.  Include contact details such as company name, address, phone, email, and website. If you have specific contacts for accounting, marketing and sales, list those here.  List age ranges (child, student,

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senior) and the corresponding price, if applicable.  List group rates if applicable. Also list the conditions of the group rate (for example, ten or more).  If you offer a Free of Charge (FOC) admission to a tour guide, visiting media or travel industry representative, or travel companion for a person with a disability, specify that in your rate agreement with corresponding terms.  List admission or tour inclusions (for example, snacks, admission tickets included) and exclusions (for example, drinks) here. They can also be listed in your terms and conditions, but it is preferable to list them in the rate agreement.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS  Cancellation policy Outline this based on the time a cancellation can occur prior to travel. Check that your policy is in line with what similar businesses in your area offer.

Some resellers, especially online travel agencies (OTAs), are requesting flexible cancellation policies, up to 24 hours in advance or even closer to the date and time of travel or admission; these are practices to consider adopting for your business. Providing clear policies on changes, cancellations and refunds are important to improving overall visitor satisfaction.  Cut-off window This describes the amount of time in advance a booking must be made. If the cut-off for a specific tour is

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one day, a visitor can book a tour up to one day in advance.

This typically requires a direct connection between your online booking system and the reseller’s system.

Depending on your business, for example; attraction, tour, transportation, etc., there are different booking windows and requirements. Consider requirements for customers booking directly with you.

Do you require a customer to book 48 hours in advance?

You need to make sure your resellers are aware of this cutoff too. If you require bookings to be made at least one week in advance, this needs to be specified. The more flexibility you provide, the more business you will receive.

Both visitors and locals tend to book near the date of activity.

Flexibility is key Resellers (especially OTAs) often push for a late cut-off window, up to 24 hours in advance, or even four hours in advance, as visitors tend to book experiences at the last minute, on their phones or mobile devices when in destination. OTAs may favour providers with flexible cut-off terms. Set your cut-off window clearly and, if possible, support last minute bookings; Flexibility is key!

The more flexibility you provide, the more business you will receive.

Both visitors and locals tend to book near the date of activity.

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CONTRACTING METHODS FOR BOOKINGS There are various booking conditions to consider:

01

Free sale A distributor can sell your product anytime up to your cut-off window without approval from you for every booking. In addition, they can sell as much inventory as they want if there are no limitations in capacity.

02

Free sale with inventory restrictions

Often referred to as an allotment or a block, this means that you assign a maximum inventory amount to a reseller, and they sell up to that maximum amount keeping your cut-off window in

mind. The booking is automatically confirmed until the inventory is met and cut off window is reached.

03

On request A reseller must make a request

to you for each booking received and wait for your confirmation. You should confirm as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours, so as not to lose the booking.

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Direct connect online booking You

and the reseller have a direct connection through an API or booking system that allows the reseller to make the booking and receive immediate confirmation.

Key Resources Sample contract Each distributor has their own contract with common clauses throughout. You can find some reseller contracts online.

Terms and conditions Here is a sample supplier terms and conditions with common clauses highlighted.

(It is highly recommended that you review these contracts with a legal professional so that you understand your responsibilities and potential liability).

Have a look at the Get Your Guide partner terms and conditions to inform your own T&Cs.

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Contracting and partner management

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS  Amendment policy There may be times when a customer wishes to amend a booking, for example a date or time, or instances where you want to amend a booking due to operational needs. Consider your policy related to changes made by the customer based on the time the change occurs prior to travel. Look at what similar businesses are doing in your area to inform your approach.  Termination policy This deals with contractual obligations if either party should wish to terminate the contract prior to its validity date. Typically, both parties can terminate the agreement without cause at any time once notice is given.  Free of charge policy Should include all details concerning who is eligible. In most cases, this will pertain to a group

leader or tour guide (note how many customers are needed to achieve this), a media professional, a travel companion for a person with a disability, or a travel representative, which will help push your business.  Note black-out periods or seasonal changes in the booking conditions and in the rate agreement. In addition, if there are non-operating days, list those as well.  Include departure dates and times for tours in the booking conditions and in a corresponding fact sheet.  Payment policy and banking Include when payment is due and how to make payments. It is common practice to have a distributor set up on an account basis where they are invoiced every 30 days, for example. In this case, you should complete

a credit check with the reseller.

Banking details are generally provided to allow for direct deposit or transfer of funds.

Some resellers, such as OTAs, provide automated payments on a regular basis based on redeemed bookings during a prior month or payment window.  Group policy Provide the minimum number of customers required to access group rates. Note any additional requirements here.  A special conditions policy Such as weather conditions, photography, manner of dress, age, mobility, height, physical fitness, etc.  Damages and liability Should be noted and who the corresponding responsible party is. Also include these details in the reseller’s contract.

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Managing channel partner conflicts As with any commercial relationship, conflicts can occasionally arise. Here we look at potential distribution partner conflicts and how to deal with them.

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Contracting and partner management

Consider potential distribution partner conflicts, and where appropriate, address these in the terms and conditions. These might include (but are not limited to): DISTRIBUTION PARTNER BIDDING ON YOUR KEYWORDS/ BRAND NAME Brand keyword bidding is a tactic a distributor employs when selling online. This may conflict with your direct marketing efforts, and you should consider the pros and cons.

Should this be an issue, discuss

in initial conversations and during setup to avoid challenges. A solution that can work for both parties is to restrict the distributor to always bid on second place or greater, allowing your brand to take first place in all bidding. Consider restricting the distributor by not agreeing to them bidding on your brand.

DISTRIBUTION PARTNER SELLING YOUR PRODUCT FOR LESS THAN RETAIL PRICE Sometimes, especially as it pertains to online travel agencies,

a distributor employs sales techniques that include selling products below the listed retail price. They eat into their own commission to achieve this. This can be beneficial during high sales periods such as holidays.

But it may however, cause conflict with distribution partners (it could violate your terms with other partners) and your own direct customers. Discuss this during initial conversations and include any agreements in your terms and conditions.

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Managing your account In this section, we look at the operational side of managing your distribution partners including account set up, creating a product book and ongoing management.

Top Tip

Gather key documents and business information check Business licence check Bank accounts check Proof of insurance check Tax information

There are five key areas to consider for successful account management with resellers and partners: 1 How to setup an account with a reseller including your product book.

2 How to send your product information to a reseller.

3 How to manage your company information and brand with a reseller.

4 How to upsell to reseller customers.

5 What to expect on an ongoing basis.

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HOW TO SETUP AN ACCOUNT Before setting up your account with a reseller, review the reseller's agreement and terms and conditions. Preparation and patience are essential when starting to work with resellers.

Gather the information outlined on the right to prepare for onboarding your company and products with resellers. The information may differ by reseller.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO SET UP YOUR ACCOUNT: Start with your profile and essential documents. Create a business profile that includes:  General company details (address, public company name, legal company name, website, phone, and email of primary contact).  A short description (brief introduction of your company, including history and your area of expertise).

Account management

CREATE A PRODUCT BOOK The product book is the reseller's main source of information about your products and services. Here we look at what to include.

Your product book should include the tours, tickets, and activities you want to resell. Use an Excel spreadsheet or a content management software (CMS) system like Magpie to help you streamline the process for easier setup with each reseller.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PRODUCT BOOK  Title Aim for between five and ten words. Be creative - you want the customer to consider your experience. Highlight key features, such as unique benefits or special points of interest. Review the listings of popular products to give you direction on successful titles for online tour and experience listings.

Example Cliffs of Moher Tour including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway City from Dublin.  Overview 50–100 word descriptions that highlight the experience. Review for typos and ensure correct grammar. If

you start working with multiple resellers, adjust the overview for each reseller. Get inspiration by reviewing comparable listings on top reseller websites and look at those with the most online reviews.  What's included List of items included in the price (food, equipment, taxes, entrance fees, etc.).  What's excluded List of items not included in the price (pickup, gratuities, food, etc.).  Times Specific times you are open; when the experience or tour starts; when to arrive; length of the experience or tour.  Location Exact locations of meeting points, entrance, and ticket booth.  Voucher redemption Instructions on what the customer needs to show to gain entrance or take the tour (identification, voucher type).  Important information Some suggestions include: accessibility, dress code, tipping policy, age requirements, health risks when applicable, parking or transportation

information, weather statements, cancellation, or rescheduling policy.  Imagery/video Imagery is crucial in making your listings attractive to customers. Authentic photography that captures your experience or tour goes a long way to sell your offerings through reseller channels. Use photos that adhere to the resellers' specifications and GDPR rules.

Many resellers will not accept images that identify your brand or business name.  Pricing Share gross pricing (including taxes and fees) and net pricing.

APPROVAL PROCESS The reseller's approval and onboarding process varies and can take from a couple of hours to several weeks. Gathering information in advance is the quickest way to move this along. Most listing delays are due to issues with information submissions, missing business documentation, incomplete product information, and imagery that does not meet reseller specifications.

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SENDING YOUR PRODUCT INFORMATION Successfully sending your product information to the reseller is key to success. Here we look at general ways to share information and manage your company information and brand.

How you submit your product information is determined by the reseller's platform, but your ticketing platform and

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whether you work with a content management software (CMS) are additional factors in how you can share information.

There are three general ways to share information: 1 A reseller admin portal To enter your product details and photo, video assets and submit them for review.

2 CMS The information you

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loaded into your CMS system is transferred through an API (See Working with APIs on Page 06) that the CMS provider has set up with the reseller.

3 Email or fileshare Send all the product details the reseller requires. An Excel file or Google Sheet are the most common forms used. Photos are shared via a file hosting service such as DropBox or WeTransfer.

Account management

MANAGING YOUR COMPANY INFORMATION AND BRAND Resellers may not show your business name or logo, due to the billboard effect, (when a customer finds your business on a site and then leaves that site to book directly with you), but there are lots of ways to have your brand or company show through your listing.

Resellers love when customers leave reviews and photos. This

shows your brand on your listings and helps your ranking with the reseller. The more positive reviews and photos of your products, the higher you rank.

TRAVELLER PHOTOS Does your tour, activity, or attraction display your brand or company name? Here are some tips: 1 Have your guides or staff wear logo attire that will show up in photos.

2 Offer “Instagrammable” photo opportunities with your brand in the background.

3 When you start your tour, introduce your company and use signage with your logo instead of the resellers'.

Reviews

Train your team to promote reviews – if they know a customer enjoyed their experience, have them ask for reviews mentioning your company name and even a tour guide name, if applicable.

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Account management

UPSELLING TO RESELLER CUSTOMERS There may be opportunities to upsell to the customers the resellers send you, within the terms of your agreement.

Most reseller agreements understandably prohibit you from contacting the consumer before the booked event for marketing or sales purposes.

However, once the customer arrives, you can offer additional services if they are not contingent on them participating in the event they already booked, unless outlined in the exclusions and agreed to by the reseller.

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UPSELL OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU CAN OFFER ONCE THEY ARRIVE  Upgraded tour packages from standard to deluxe.  Merchandise sales.  Additional tours or experiences you offer.  Food and dining packages.

CAPTURING CUSTOMER INFORMATION If permitted by your reseller agreement, you should look at ways to capture customer information so that you can enrich your customer database.

You can ask guests to complete a form on arrival and check-in.

However, you must enter this

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information into your own CRM (customer relationship management software). Some experiences, such as adventure activities, may require guests to sign a waiver. There are innovative systems, such as Wherewolf, that provide an online waiver system which can capture important customer data.

Collecting this data provides you with the opportunity to request guest feedback through surveys, encourage guests to post reviews, and potentially market to them in the future. It is vital to ensure this is permissible within your reseller agreements.

Account Management

If permitted by your reseller agreement, you should look at ways to capture customer information so that you can enrich your customer database.

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A RESELLER PARTNERSHIP So, what should you expect from a reseller partnership? Like other commercial relationships, it requires investment on both sides and ongoing maintenance and measurement.

network to find at least one contact in the company to collaborate with. Make sure to train your team on any new standard operating procedures tied to your reseller clients.

INVEST IN A RELATIONSHIP Once your product is live through the reseller, the real work begins.

Many experience providers think once the contract is signed and the products listed, bookings will magically appear. Your partnership with the reseller needs nurturing like any meaningful business relationship. If you were not assigned an account manager,

MEASURE EACH RESELLER’S PERFORMANCE Set time aside to monitor and track the performance of each reseller.

ON A WEEKLY BASIS  Sales Compare week over week and when available, year over year.  Bookings Are the tours performing as expected?

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CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION | CHAPTER 2

 Ranking Are you going up, down, or staying the same where you are listed (this is primarily for online travel agencies).  Reviews Respond to both positive and negative whenever appropriate.  Cancellations Are they affecting your business?

Are there market conditions driving cancellations that you need to address, and how do they compare with your direct bookings?  Operational issues after setting up standard operating procedures.

Account management

For each of these items, set targets and track how each metric performs against your goals. If they are not tracking, identify issues holding back performance and adjust to see what might impact sales.

ON A MONTHLY BASIS  Network: Connect with other companies and experiences in your location or area of expertise and share best practices, market trends, and sales.  Review payments and make sure the account is appropriately reconciled.

ON A QUARTERLY BASIS  Connect with your reseller contact to review sales, ranking, and other promotional opportunities.

Discuss the results, especially if you are not getting the booking volumes you would like to see. Ask for feedback on how you can make improvements to drive more bookings.  Review your listings and make updates to content, such as descriptions and photos.

MAKE CHANGES BASED ON DATA As you monitor the performance of your products across various resellers, note where you can make improvements to increase revenues. Reach out to your contacts at the reseller to find out what may be causing issues or ways to improve your listings. Reviews and ratings can help you identify how to make your visitors happier. Consider incremental improvements in service delivery and wholesale changes to your products when necessary.

Key Insight

The most successful operators spend at least one to five hours a week managing their reseller distribution channels.

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Making your products ready for online booking How can you make your experiences suitable for online booking and distribution? Here we share some best practice tips.

There are four key areas you will want to consider getting your products ready for online bookings: 1 How to write great tour descriptions that sell, customising product marketing per channel partner.

2 Operational considerations.

3 Assessing competitive products on the OTA or for sale via the same partner.

4 Translations.

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01

HOW TO WRITE GREAT TOUR DESCRIPTIONS THAT SELL Whether a visitor finds your product on your own website, a reseller website, or through a traditional sales agent, your product descriptions are an opportunity to showcase your product’s USPs and provide your guest with the details they need to make a buying decision.

USE IMMERSIVE LANGUAGE Tours, activities, and experiences

CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION | CHAPTER 2

are immersive. Engage with your potential guest by giving them an impression of how they might feel, what they will see, and what they will experience during their visit. Instead of just providing a practical description of the itinerary, create a story.

USE VISUALS The brain processes images 60 times faster than text. By using images, you can “show - not tell” your offering.

Making your products ready for online booking

Key Insight

The average attention span is now less than eight seconds, so you need to provide your potential guest with as much information as possible while holding their attention enough to foster conversion.

Use visual media such as professional photography, video content and user generated content (UGC) where appropriate.

This type of content allows the guest to experience your offering from the visitor’s perspective.

SHARE HIGHLIGHTS Use bullet points to showcase highlights of your offering.

According to web design statistics, 70% of visitors to a webpage will read bulleted lists over long form paragraphs.

you plan to offer an educational component, your guests should feel comfortable using speciality equipment and feel confident they can manage the experience. If your offering requires specialised clothing or equipment that may be difficult for the guest to bring or travel with, consider offering equipment and clothing rentals to your guests. If you can, consider including equipment or clothing with your experience so that guests don’t have to bring their own equipment.

PROVIDE PREPARATION TIPS If your offering requires experience, make sure your guest can participate. Unless

AVOID TOO MANY CHOICES When given too many options, customers tend to avoid making a choice. In a famous psychological

study by Iyengar & Lepper, 2000, involving consumer behaviour, only 3% of shoppers who were offered 24 choices were able to make a purchase decision. When presented with only six options, 10% of shoppers were able to make a purchase decision.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU AS AN EXPERIENCE PROVIDER? Where possible, simplify your offerings so guests do not have to choose from a variety of similar but distinct offerings. For example, if you are a kayak tour operator, limit your choices to a maximum of three or four offerings, rather than offering ten or more. When it comes to making a choice, less is more.

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CUSTOMISING PRODUCT MARKETING PER CHANNEL PARTNER You’ll want to ensure your product information is consistent across channels, but some partners like to customise. Here we cover some of the considerations.

Depending on the distribution channel, you may need to customise your product information and marketing on a per-channel basis. For offline sales channels such as tour operators or traditional travel agents,

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using your standard product descriptions may be sufficient.

In fact, you may consider the product descriptions that you use for direct sales as your default.

Providing this information to your offline keeps the information consistent, and since you are unable to control updates as easily through these channels, using your default makes it easy to provide updates in the future.

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OTAS Online travel agencies may require customisation. In some cases, the OTA writes their own version of your product information to ensure that there are no duplicate content issues with Google.

For those OTAs where you have control over your content, rewrite the product descriptions to ensure your content and website remain the authoritative source of information for those products.

Making your products ready for online booking

Consider that some OTAs require you to offer a unique variation of your product. By providing an experience in this way, you avoid the direct conflict of your own product with the OTA’s version of your product.

The variation may be small but needs to be distinct enough that it makes the OTA offering unique.

Examples include merchandise, a meal option, or an inclusion not offered to other guests. That said,

there is no reason your direct guests, who are more profitable, shouldn’t receive an even better perk for booking directly. The above example shows how Viator displays product descriptions.

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02

OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS If you do plan to offer unique variations of your experience through your partner channels, you need to effectively manage the offerings in your booking system. The considerations include: MANAGING GUEST EXPECTATIONS Will guests from different channels participate in the same experience? If this is the case, you need to manage expectations.

The last thing you want is a guest coming to you after the experience and requesting a refund or credit because the person sitting next to them paid less or got a free lunch.

SHARING AVAILABILITY How will you share availability across channels? Can your booking system allow for booking from multiple channels into the

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same block of inventory for your experience? If your booking system is incapable of handling bookings from multiple channels, then you may want to avoid this scenario since it will only result in conflicts and potential overbooking.

MANAGING CHANGES How will you manage changes? If you provide different and unique products across a variety of distribution channels, you need to be able to manage changes across those channels. If your booking system allows you to have multiple versions of your products with different descriptions or options, this may be the best way to maintain a single source of truth for your products. If your booking system does not support this, then you may need to find a different way to manage this information.

One solution is to keep a version of each product as a document in

CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION | CHAPTER 2

a product folder on Google Drive.

As you make changes, update the docs in each folder as required.

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ASSESSING COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS ON OTAS Although it is likely that your products will be in competition with similar products on a variety of distribution channels, we are focusing on OTAs since their product listings are available online. So how do you determine which products are competitive and how you compare?  Location List what products are offered in your location.

Regardless of whether the experience is identical, all experiences in the same location are competitive with each other to some degree.

For example, a family of four may have the choice of booking a kayak experience or bike tour but not both.

Making your products ready for online booking

 Persona Consider who your primary audience is and look for products that cater to a similar audience. For example, if your experience is a culinary tour designed for couples, not suitable for children, look for experiences designed for couples.  Type Look for tours or experiences of a similar type.

Specifically look at how your experience differs from others of the same type and where you might be able to differentiate your offerings. If you find that your offering is not differentiated from your competitors, look at other offerings to see how they differ. Consider add-ons, for example a meal option, merchandise, or another value option.

 Reviews and ratings If you find a lot of potentially competitive listings, focus on those with the most reviews/highest ratings. These will be the more competitive products in your market, playing an important role in how each OTA ranks the listings in search results.

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TRANSLATIONS If you choose to work with resellers who service specific geographic markets, those resellers may require you to translate your content.

There are translation services available online but it’s important to consider both translation, which is the direct conversion of one language to another, and localisation, which takes into account cultural considerations when translating.

Localisation, for example, would consider things like slang, local terms, and common vernacular.

Although Google Translate may seem like a great free option, it often doesn’t take localisation into account and the translations are easily recognised by native language speakers as “Google speak.”

Where possible, work with the reseller to have them translate the content themselves. Since the reseller is the one selling to the specific geographic audience, they want to ensure that the content is accurately translated and that it is localised.

There may be translation fees, but if the reseller wants to sell your product, they are likely to waive costs in exchange for a slightly better net rate.

Consider add-ons, for example a meal option, merchandise, or another value option.

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Channel management strategy Find out how experience providers should approach their distribution strategy when working with multiple channels. That is, what should you sell, how much, at what price, and through which channels.

There are key considerations that underpin the backbone of a structured channel distribution strategy for businesses, including: 1 Which products you should offer through third parties and which you should not.

2 How many of your products you should offer.

3 How you should price across different channels.

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WHICH PRODUCTS YOU SHOULD OFFER According to an Arival survey of 1,200 operators in 2021, approximately half of all experience providers who work with resellers make all their products available through them, but that also means that half do not.

Listing all your products may be the right approach, depending on your objectives. Many operators

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with effective direct marketing choose to limit their reseller offers to products that they need more help selling. Take a strategic approach to working with resellers to generate the highest possible sales and highest potential revenue for your business.

Distribution is about growth.

Consider offering products for which you would like to attract more bookings.

Channel management strategy

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHOOSING PRODUCTS Which areas need help? Most visitor experience providers have products that are more popular than others, or days and times when you are busier. Distribution channels can help with areas where you could benefit from more sales.

For example, if you have regularly scheduled tours at 10am, 2pm and 6pm and your 10am departure doesn’t get as many bookings as the later tours, you may want to offer that departure via resellers.

A visitor attraction may be popular on Saturday afternoons but could

use a reseller to help get more visitors during off-peak hours, such as weekday mornings. Many attractions work with local group tour operators to offer school visits and other groups at deeply discounted rates during lowvolume periods.

FIT THE RIGHT PRODUCT TO THE RIGHT RESELLER Different resellers serve different audiences or have different product strategies. If you are working with a tour operator sending groups from Germany, requiring a German-speaking guide, and your guide is available only for specific departures,

you need to align your product availability with the needs of that tour operator.

Research and listen to each distribution partner to assess which would be the best products for that channel or partner.

Distribution is about growth.

Consider offering products for which you would like to attract more bookings.

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RESELLERS WANT IT ALL… ESPECIALLY THE POPULAR STUFF Most online travel agencies request access to all your tours and ticket options. They especially want access to your popular tours and time slots. This is when to negotiate - for example, experience providers may provide limited access to the most popular tours and tickets in return for more favourable rates for other tours with less demand.

HOW MUCH INVENTORY TO MAKE AVAILABLE? Once you decide which tours and tickets to make available through resellers, it’s time to consider “allocation” i.e., how many seats or

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tickets to allow each reseller to sell for each tour departure or time slot.

The same considerations around which products you offer apply to inventory allocation. If you know you can sell a certain volume of inventory directly and at a higher margin, you should only make the additional capacity available to resellers.

The key to getting this right is in your own data. Understanding how your tours have performed historically is key to forecasting booking volumes. This is where having an online booking system is critical. Your booking system should provide you with regular reports (or, even better, a real-time

CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION | CHAPTER 2

Adding more partners and inventory can help you grow your business. booking performance dashboard), and the ability to analyse booking volume by channel over time. This is key to optimising your channel mix and revenue performance.

In short, you should make available through resellers only the inventory you are not sure you can sell directly or at greater profit. At the same time, consider that adding more distribution partners and more inventory can help you grow your business.

Channel management strategy

ESSENTIAL PRICING CONSIDERATIONS Pricing is arguably the number one element underpinning an effective channel strategy. Never allow your product to be sold at a lower price than what you sell it for directly. The only way to safeguard this is to ensure that your reseller partners are contractually obligated to maintain the same retail price across all channels. Many resellers require access to the lowest available rate as part of their core terms and conditions.

If you already have reseller partners offering below-market pricing, make sure that as those reseller contracts expire or renew, this clause is added. Once you lose control of this, you have NO real control of your distribution, and it takes time to get back.

As a business principle, unequal terms and conditions, especially pricing, across your distribution channels can antagonise your partners and create potential conflict.

As a start point, ensure that you have pricing parity across all channels. Online consumers are smart and any change in pricing in one specific channel will influence volume of sale to or away from that specific channel. Avoid anything that allows a reseller to divert sales away from your own direct sales channel, as this is strategically the one giving you a significantly higher margin and the ability to engage with your customers pre and post trip.

If your reseller partners are resistant to maintaining price parity or want more control over pricing, you can provide them

with a different version of your offering that is distinct enough from the original to avoid direct price comparisons. Ensure you are prepared to handle the guests that book similar (but slightly different) versions of the same offering ending up on the same departure. Mixing guests from different channels on the same trip can lead to customer service issues.

OPAQUE PRICING CHANNELS Opaque pricing channels are sometimes referred to as channels with opaque pricing, where the actual retail price of the product is not clearly visible to the customer. The most common form of this is in packaging, where a tour operator may include your tour or ticket in a larger package that includes a hotel stay and transportation.

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KNOW YOUR COST PER CHANNEL When it comes to channel management, knowing your cost per channel is as important as pricing. The end goal of an effective channel management strategy is optimising your yield per channel, for example, getting the highest possible return. To do this, you must understand the cost per booking per channel.

Reseller channels are generally straightforward. Tracking the bookings and commissions makes measuring the cost easy. You should consider operational costs including staff time and resources to set up the channels, manage partners, attend conferences or other marketing efforts to reach resellers.

Much harder to assess is the true

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cost of direct marketing. Many travel businesses simply look at the cost of advertising, such as the cost per click for a keyword ad on Google or other websites, and compare that to the 20% or 30% commission for a reseller and assume that the direct channel is always more profitable.

However, you should consider the full cost of direct bookings.

This includes the operational costs incurred (staff, website development and maintenance, customer support, etc.) and any direct marketing spend. Remember that distribution provides you with the potential to reach new markets, such as international markets, which might be cost-prohibitive for you to reach on your own.

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A common term used to describe the costs associated with direct sales is “Cost of Acquisition” (CoA). In this case, how much does it cost to attract and convert a direct paying customer? The actual CoA will vary on the sales channel. For example, a customer acquisition for an advertisement on TV is different to the CoA on Google Ads. See the next page for an example of how to calculate the CoA for paid online advertising:

Remember that distribution provides you with the potential to reach new markets

Channel management strategy

COST OF ACQUISITION What’s your cost of acquisition if you market your products yourself? Check out this example AD BUDGET

COST PER CLICK

TOTAL CLICKS

CONVERSIONS

COST PER CONVERSION (SALE)

€2,000

€1

2,000

100 (5%)

€20

In this example, if your average basket value is €150, your net revenues after ad costs are €130, resulting in an equivalent commission value of 13.3%.

Although this is a simplistic example, you can see that changing variables such as the

cost per click and conversion rate can have a significant impact on your cost of acquisition.

Keep in mind that reseller partners are about helping you reach visitors that are more expensive for you to reach directly. Visitors

coming from distant markets, who speak different languages, may require much greater investment in marketing to reach, whereas the right reseller partners are well positioned to help you get your products in front of these new markets.

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Check out Google Things to Do (GTTD) Here, we consider the Google Things to Do (GTTD) initiative, its relevance to experience providers and what you need to know for your business.

Google Things to Do is evolving how tours, activities and attractions are displayed across the Google ecosystem. Learn about the significance of the channel, the benefits to your business, and how to get your specific product connected and listed effectively.

WHAT IS GOOGLE THINGS TO DO? A staggering 92% of all search queries globally are made through Google. As a core part of your

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direct sales strategy, Google represents the largest global audience opportunity, crossing desktop and mobile devices.

Since August 2021, Google piloted its new Things to Do travel platform. GTTD displays ticket prices and links to buy to both provider websites and online resellers. Currently, those links are presented on the Google business listing of a visitor attraction.

Google plans to extend this to the

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listing of providers of day tours and activities as well.

GTTD lists multiple options for each attraction, including the attraction website and online resellers. However, Google does allow the provider to have the “official tickets” link. These listings are currently free to the tour or attraction provider.

Google does not process any bookings itself, but instead passes

Check out Google Things to Do

users directly to your website.

There are differences between the way GTTD lists attractions, versus tours and experiences, but more on that below, along with a deeper description of what GTTD is, and how it can work for you.

In a nutshell, GTTD is a free product listing service for tour, attraction and activity providers that impacts the way your product is discovered and booked on Google. There is no limit to how many products you can list.

HOW GOOGLE THINGS TO DO WORKS Google’s aim with GTTD is to make the travel research and booking experience as userfriendly as possible, enabling easy discovery of new and unique things to do, while making it easier for operators and travel industry partners to promote their tours, attractions, and activities and connect with interested consumers.

With GTTD, both resellers and you, the product owner, can surface your inventory via free listings and through a dynamic ad format. Interested consumers are redirected to your website booking page and will complete the transaction directly with you.

There are some differences between how Attractions display in GTTD, versus Tours and Activities. GTTD allows attractions and ticket-based businesses to list their website alongside other reseller listings, avoiding commission and booking through a third party. Users will be able to clearly identify it is your site with an “Official Site” badge added next to your link for authority.

You will also be able to display more than one ticket type and pricing to users. The provider can only claim the ‘Official Site’ tag themselves via one of Google's official Connectivity Partners. You cannot do it through your 'Google My Business' or by email.

GTTD for tour and activity providers is largely centered around Points of Interests (POIs), which represent important locations. For example, museums, monuments, zoos and visitor attractions are POIs. If your products provide meaningful experiences around relevant POIs, you may have an opportunity to publish your products to these POIs so that they appear in more search results, including Google’s Experiences module, which appears below the business listing of the attraction.

Across is an example of one visitor attraction, and how different tickets and tour options are published in the Experiences module. However, keep in mind that Google continues to experiment and make changes.

The way tickets and tour options are displayed will continue to change, and you should keep an eye on the listings of the key POIs you include in your tours and experiences.

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Top Tip

Ask your project coordinator how to get the best from your Google Things To Do listing.

HOW TO GET CONNECTED For you to participate in GTTD, you need to work with one of Google’s official Connectivity Partners. This is a relatively easy process. Your Connectivity Partner works with you to publish your product data and imagery in the format required by Google.

Once published, consumers can view your product and pricing, and if interested in booking, they are redirected to your website to complete the transaction.

There are four primary categories of Google’s official Connectivity Partners: 1 Digital Marketing Partners.

2 Booking Systems.

3 Channel Managers and Connectivity Providers.

4 Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).

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Digital marketing partners, booking systems, and channel managers can offer you the ability to claim your “official tickets” listing and link directly to your website. If you work with OTAs, they may also be listed, and you should view this as a potentially competitive channel. If you do not claim your official site link, your reseller partners are likely to capture the potential traffic and bookings from that channel. This is why it is important for providers to work with connectivity partners.

BEST PRACTICES FOR PRODUCT SET UP With attractions, it’s all about claiming the ‘Official Site’ ticket button for your listed attraction.

Only the business owner can claim

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the ‘Official Site’ button, but if unclaimed, resellers will attach their own booking listings against your attraction and be the only visible source for consumers to book through, with each one of those bookings costing you commission.

Experience providers have several considerations on how your product should be surfaced within Google. Most important is Points of Interest (POI). In working with your Connectivity Partner, they should be able to assist you in understanding how your product can be positioned to associate Google’s heavily searched points of interest (POI), one or more of which should be associated with your product.

Popular POIs generally receive high search traffic on Google.

Check out Google Things to Do

Your Connectivity Partner can assist operators in listing their products under one or several POIs.

is now listed under each of those specific POIs, widening the net for potential sales.

When the Google user searches for a POI, the search results will list the admission tickets to the POI and any operator that provides a meaningful experience of that location.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AS GTTD EVOLVES Be prepared for change as Google has indicated the program will continue to evolve over time.

Here’s what to watch out for:

In the screenshot example used below (3 mobile phones), the specific product of Top View Sightseeing has three POIs which you can experience as a key part of their tour itinerary.

1 Visitor experience providers will soon be able to publish much more detail for each offering, including but not limited to images, descriptions, inclusions, and important information.

2 If an OTA sells your product, it is likely that your tour, activity, or attraction will be published to one or more POIs with users

The Connectivity Partner has published this information to Google and the same product link

directed to the OTA websites to complete the purchase.

3 Choose a Connectivity Partner that allows you to directly control which POIs your products will be published against.

4 Ensure your chosen Connectivity Partner keeps you wired to any rapid changes by Google.

Currently, a listing on GTTD is free. However, Google is likely to add advertising, possibly in the form of promoted listings.

This could have an impact on the performance of your listing, and you should continue to monitor how your products appear across GTTD.

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Next steps

Next steps Congratulations, you've made it to the end of this chapter. At this stage you will have a good understanding of the commercial and operational considerations of working with resellers and partners.

Now that you have started your journey towards connected distribution it's worth noting that this guide is not meant to persuade you one way or the other. The decision to

add connected distribution must be your own, taken with consideration for your resources, budget, and technical capabilities.

To continue on your journey you can access Chapter 3 next. If you

want to refresh your knowledge, you can return to Chapter 1. And of course, you can always reach out to your Connected Distribution team for help and support as you go.

Read more

CHAPTER 1

How your visitor experience can benefit from adopting connected distribution

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CONNECTED DISTRIBUTION | CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

Understanding technical considerations and booking system requirements

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