If you’ve ever sat in a meeting where three people used “travel agent”, “OTA” and “reseller” to mean the same thing, you’re in good company.
In tours and activities, the labels are not always consistent. People use the word that makes sense to their customers, their region, or whatever their first boss called it back in 2014.
You want answers? We’ve got them.
This article is a simple, plain-English glossary you can share with new team members, partners, or anyone who just wants to understand what on earth we mean when we talk about distribution.
Why the words matter
- They affect search. People search using the words they know, so your content needs to reflect real language, not perfect definitions.
- They affect internal alignment. If sales, support, product and marketing all mean slightly different things, conversations get slower than they need to be.
- They affect partner expectations. Payment terms, booking changes, and how availability is checked all depend on what type of partner you’re dealing with.
The quickest way to understand any partner
Before we get into definitions, here are two questions that cut through most confusion:
- Do they have their own website or app where customers can book?
- Are they booking on behalf of the customer, or is the customer booking themselves?
Those two answers usually tell you what you’re dealing with, even if the company calls itself something else.
OTA (Online travel agency)
What people usually mean
A business with its own online shopfront where customers can browse and book. In terms of experience, this includes both big platforms and smaller niche websites.
Typical behaviour
- They have their own checkout.
- They care about conversion rates, content quality, cancellations and commission.
- They want reliable availability and fast confirmation.
- They often connect by API when volume justifies it, but not always.
Search terms people use
OTA, online travel agency, OTA connectivity, OTA distribution, marketplace partners
Travel agent
What people usually mean
Someone who books travel on behalf of a customer, often as a service. This can range from a traditional high-street agent to a modern corporate travel platform.
Typical behaviour
- They may not have a public booking website for experiences, or it’s not their main channel.
- They often need flexible payment options such as invoice or credit terms.
- They may be packaging experiences into a wider trip.
- They may book groups more often than individual travellers.
Search terms people use
Travel agent, travel trade, trade partners, agency bookings, agent rates
Regional note: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, “travel trade” is widely used. In the United States, “travel agent” is often used more broadly.
Reseller
What people usually mean
A catch-all term for anyone selling your product to someone else. In other words, someone in the middle.
Typical behaviour
- Could be online or offline.
- Could be large or small.
- Might sell at retail price with commission, or buy at net rates and set their own price.
- Might want a repeatable way to book without emailing your team.
Search terms people use
Reseller, partner sales, trade sales, reseller portal, partner portal
Reseller is useful because it covers a lot of edge cases, but it’s also vague. Pairing it with “trade partner” keeps things clearer.
Wholesaler
What people usually mean
A business that contracts rates or inventory and then distributes through other sellers. They often sit upstream of multiple agents.
Typical behaviour
- They may want net rates.
- They may request allocations, rules, or special terms.
- They care about scalable processes because they’re supporting many sub-partners.
Search terms people use
Wholesaler, net rates, trade rates, contracted rates
DMC (Destination management company)
What people usually mean
A local expert who designs and manages itineraries and services in a destination, often for groups and corporate travel.
Typical behaviour
- They book on behalf of clients.
- They care about reliability, group logistics, and being able to change things.
- They may bundle experiences into bigger programmes.
Search terms people use
DMC, destination management company, group bookings, trade rates
There are lots of reasons to work with a DMC to transform your travel package; they offer you expert, local support to make sure things run smoothly.
Affiliate
What people usually mean
A partner who refers sales, usually through tracked links. They may not touch the booking process at all.
Typical behaviour
- They care about tracking and commission.
- They need strong product pages and a smooth checkout, because conversion is the whole game.
Search terms people use
Affiliate programme, referral partner, partner commission, referral link
The reality: the words overlap
This is where it gets mildly chaotic.
A hotel concierge can behave like a travel agent. A small website can behave like an OTA. A DMC can behave like a wholesaler. And many businesses will call themselves whatever their customers understand.
So rather than aiming for one perfect glossary, it helps to describe partners by what they actually do:
- Do they sell online, or book on behalf of someone?
- Do they need invoicing, or do they pay per booking?
- Do they sell single services or build packages?
- Do they need group availability first?
When in doubt, focus less on what someone calls themselves and more on how they sell, how they pay, and how they need to book.
What matters is getting your tours in front of the right customers, through the best channel. Working with Palisis means accessing our collective industry knowledge to ensure that you reach your customers in the most effective way.