Do Travel Agents Matter in Online Travel? Expedia Thinks So
Skift Take
Expedia is trying to press its advantage in business-to-business programs. It's ahead of Booking Holdings in this area, and Airbnb doesn't have one.
Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.Expedia Group has been busy shedding non-core brands and trying to simplify operations, so why did it just expand a travel agent affiliate program from North America into 21 new countries in the Caribbean, 16 in Europe, 13 in Latin America, and three in the Middle East?
The company announced the expansion of its longtime Travel Agent Affiliate Program Tuesday. From 15,000 travel agencies in the program in 2011, to more than 35,000 today, the program isn't exactly shattering growth records. Expedia's affiliate program counts more than 100,000 agents, the company said.
But while leisure travel agency bookings aren't likely financially material for the $15 billion company — its market
