Tour operators are often looking for new ways to sell their products. In many cases, this is simply putting these on to the main online travel agencies, such as GetYourGuide or Viator, because of their reach and branding. There are other channels through which you can sell tours that may provide a more focused approach. B2B resellers might be the option you’re looking for. If so, here’s Palisis’ guide on how to find a B2B reseller.
A B2B reseller in the travel industry brings products into markets that may be difficult to reach for a tour operator. They do this by providing your trips to a travel business in the source market, who then sell directly to the consumer. You can read more here about what a B2B reseller does and why you might want to work with one.
As always, new and small tour and activity operators should concentrate on making sure their business is running well and that their tours are as good as can be before dipping their toes into B2B sales. Concentrate on increasing sales through online travel agencies before working with companies that may have higher expectations because of the nature of their businesses.
Leverage booking systems and channel managers
Your technology suppliers are an excellent place to start. Booking systems, such as Palisis, and channel managers, such as TourCMS, have spent years creating contacts within the tours and activities industry. Your point of contact at these will be full of advice on how to find and connect to the right B2B reseller and will know who to talk to.
Most booking systems will come with the connections required for selling through major online travel agencies and maybe some other B2B resellers. However, channel managers are your best bet if you are serious about B2B sales.
A channel manager provides many different connections through which your company can distribute. It connects your reservation software to online travel agencies (OTAs) and other resellers. Channel managers do this through an API, which allows communication both ways between the technology you use and that of the reseller. Read more here about what a channel manager can do.
A channel manager will have the main B2B distributors for tours and activities connected already. What you will need to check is the contracting and commission paid. Hotelbeds, for example, will negotiate each and every contract with an operator separately, while others will use a blanket set of terms and conditions.
TourCMS
Channel managers like TourCMS often provide another service, which is a marketplace. These are large banks of B2B resellers, agents and operators to make new connections with in order to distribute your products for a commission. If you wish, you will also be able to sell other operators’ products.
Which B2B resellers do you want to work with?
A necessary step is defining the B2B resellers who will work best for your business. Each one will operate in a different market and you want to find that one that fits your niche. There will be resellers distributing adventure tours, and others bus tours. Some will sell through hotels, some through local transport providers, and some through airlines. They could focus on the United States, or Japan, or Europe.
By now, the main B2B resellers will have years of experience and technology that usually functions as it should. They will know what their customers want, what will sell, and will have a deep understanding of the segment you are in.
Make sure to ask around about a reseller’s customer service — both to your company and to your guests. Don’t rely on what they tell you. Are they responsible for providing customer service to your guests, or is it your job? If there are problems with the technology they use, what is their response time? If you begin to sell a lot of trips through them, these are questions that could have a large effect on your business.
Meet at trade shows
Trade shows, such as Arival, ITB, and Fitur, are excellent places to make contact with potential resellers. These will be attended by most of the main B2B resellers and they will be on the lookout for people planning on working with them. Make sure to attend the B2B trade shows and not the consumer-focused ones for finding resellers.
Palisis Team at ITB Berlin 2024 with Gray Line Worldwide
Do your research before you book your tickets for the shows so that you don’t waste your time. You want to make sure that there are companies that you are interested in working with attending. Lists of the members of staff who are attending may be closed until you book a ticket. If you decide to go and book your ticket, you should be able to connect with these people and arrange a meeting through the event’s app.
If the company you meet with has anybody speaking or leading workshops, make sure you can attend — especially if it is before your meeting. You’ll be able to pick up a bit more information about what the reseller does and you can introduce yourself after.
Larger tour operators may want to invest in a booth at a conference. This is usually a large expense and you need to make sure it’s worth your while. Make sure your booth is attractive and excellently showcases your products. Have all the printed and digital materials you need, and be prepared to quickly present your business.
Trade shows are all about networking and will often have dedicated slots for people to meet. Start up conversations over lunch and dinner, and go out for a drink when the day is done. Make time for this, even if you hate it. It can lead to serendipitous meetings and might be your only chance to catch a particular person you want to talk to.
All B2B resellers will have a website, even if it only contains a little bit of the information you want and looks like it was designed just after the millennium. It will hold the contact information you want or provide a portal through which to sign up. The different B2B review sites will have information about a reseller’s reputation and services.
You can also look for their LinkedIn pages and their staff members. Make sure your company profile (and your own) looks good before you make contact. Try not to send a generic message when reaching out. Instead, say why you are contacting them specifically and what you want. Join the different tour operator groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and ask for recommendations from other operators.