Attracting International Visitors
Travel trade provides a way to promote your business to the North American and overseas markets in a strategic and cost-effective manner. Working within this market requires patience and willingness to ensure that you are providing the best possible experience for both the end consumer and the travel professional along the way.
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Below are basic definitions and requirements to start working with travel trade.
What is Travel Trade?
Travel trade is the buying and selling of travel products that are either sold directly to consumers or to other tour operators and buyers. It is a distribution network for travel. Products include accommodations, attractions, transportation, food and beverage, etc. Suppliers pay commission levels between 20 and 30 per cent to the buyer on a per-booking basis.
What is a Buyer?
A buyer is a tour operator seeking to add a supplier's tourism product or service to an existing package and product offering.
What is a Tour Operator?
A tour operator is a business that employs people to design, develop, manage, market and execute packaged travel and tours to a variety of destinations. Tour operators sell travel products through travel agencies or directly to consumers. They typically receive 20 per cent of the advertised or retail price of the travel product.
What is a Receptive Tour Operator (RTO)?
A receptive tour operator is a wholesaler that specializes in particular destinations, providing services at the destination to group travel organizers and tour operators. An RTO receives 30 per cent of the advertised or retail price of the travel product.
What is a Supplier?
A supplier is a company or individual that provides the actual travel product, such as an accommodation, organized activity, transportation or attraction to a tour operator.
Need Help?
For more information on travel trade and to find out how you can get involved, please contact:
- Alison Singharath, Travel Trade Market Consultant - Overseas, at (306) 787-2388 or alison.singharath@tourismsask.com
- Patti Peesker, Travel Trade Market Consultant, at (306) 787-2328 or patti.peesker@tourismsask.com
For in-depth definitions of terms a used in travel trade, click below.
Travel Trade Familiarization (FAM) Tours
FAM tours are a great way to sell a destination and provide immense opportunity to get your export ready product noticed. Click here to learn more.
What is Market- and Export-Ready?
Explore Tourism Saskatchewan’s Industry Categorization Criteria to determine where your business currently sits and what you can do to move up to the next level.
If you want to learn more about becoming Export-Ready, check out this Workbook.
Tourism Saskatchewan Export Toolkit
The Tourism Saskatchewan Export Toolkit consists of seven short courses designed to introduce business owners to the essential knowledge they need to build their presence in the international market. Click here to learn more and to register.