New Self-service Supplier Interface to Power Market-leading Distribution Through Viator and TripAdvisor Channels; Creates the Most Comprehensive Selection of Bookable Activities for Travelers
San Francisco, CA, 2015-6-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Viator, a TripAdvisor company and the leading resource for researching and booking tours and activities worldwide, has officially launched Viator Marketplace, a new open-listing platform that lets tour, activity and attraction providers – for the first time ever – self-load their products on Viator. The platform, which began integrating new partners this spring, enables Viator suppliers to quickly and easily reach millions of travelers through Viator and TripAdvisor online and mobile channels, establishing the most meaningful single-source of global distribution for providers of in-destination travel experiences today.
Unmatched Distribution Opportunities
Built to complement its curated selection of the most iconic and unique experiences in 1,500 popular destinations, the new open-listing platform lets Viator quickly and efficiently screen new suppliers and publish new products; add more products from existing partners; and expand into new destinations. By signing up through Marketplace, local attractions and tour operators along with a full range of experience providers have the opportunity to reach:
- Viator’s 10 million monthly visitors on desktop and mobile
- Viator’s network of over 3,000 global affiliate partners, including over 175,000 travel agents
- TripAdvisor’s 340** million monthly visitors on desktop and mobile (including 190 million app downloads)
“The launch of Marketplace welcomes an exciting new chapter for Viator and represents more than a year of development focused on creating a straightforward and user-friendly self-service interface for suppliers that will lead to unprecedented choice for travelers,” said Ms. Barrie Seidenberg, CEO of Viator. “Viator Marketplace is now the only direct solution for the world’s tour and activity providers to sell their products through TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, and we’re thrilled to be powering this new generation of distribution for our partners.”
DIY Tools and Viator Expertise
A set of simple tools enable Viator supplier partners to self-load products, create their own tour descriptions, add images and manage availability and bookings, without any up-front costs. Reliable electronic payments simplify the payment process while saving suppliers time and money.
Along with the platform’s “do-it-yourself” features, each supplier has a dedicated Viator account manager to oversee the partnership, publish the products, and provide guidance on set-up and marketing. Other key benefits of partnering with Viator include:
- Expanded opportunities with TripAdvisor like dedicated attraction listings, exclusive booking placements and merchandising opportunities like the new “Book Now” feature
- Access to the Viator Supplier API helping capture the traveler in-destination, at the last minute with live inventory management and real-time bookings
- Inclusion in Viator’s global advertising and optimization programs on Google, Bing, Yahoo and Facebook
“We are thrilled to have been the first new supplier live through Viator Marketplace,” said Gary Lee, founder and director of Beijing Mandarin International Tours Co., Ltd. “Viator knows our business better than anyone out there, and they created a simple self-service platform that was quick and easy to use. Marketplace will help many local tour operators, just like us, reach a global audience of travelers they never thought was possible.”
Expanded Choice for Travelers
Marketplace is serving as a pipeline for new suppliers and products and new additions include Shakespeare’s Birthplace: ‘All 5 Houses’ Ticket in the U.K., aPrivate Cultural Tour of Dubai and Lunch with a Local Emirati in the United Arab Emirates, and an Off the Beaten Track Day Trip to Allagala and Balana in Sri Lanka. The new platform is also expanding the destinations Viator is able to cover including recent additions like Atlantic City, Halong Bay and Windsor. New tours, activities, attractions and destinations will be added to Viator and TripAdvisor channels as they come online through the open-listing platform over the coming months.
For more information on becoming a Viator supplier partner, visit www.viator.com/marketplace.
About Viator Viator, a TripAdvisor company, is the leading global tours and activities provider for travelers, delivering online and mobile access to thousands of curated trip activities including tours, attractions, shore excursions and private guides, in more than 1,500 destinations worldwide. In-house travel experts work with trusted local operators to ensure the quality and value of every experience, all backed by Viator’s 24/7 customer service and global low-price guarantee. With more than 600,000 verified reviews plus exclusive videos and insider travel tips, Viator has everything a traveler needs to find and book the best things to do worldwide. In addition to the flagship site – Viator.com – travelers can book in advance or in-destination via the Viator Tours and Activities App, as well as local-language sites for European, Latin American and Asian travelers. Viator also provides tours and activities to more than 3,000 affiliate partners including some of the world’s top airlines, hotels and online travel agencies. Viator is headquartered in San Francisco with regional offices in Sydney, London and Las Vegas. Viator – travel with an insider.
About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor® is the world’s largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 340 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 225 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.9 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com,www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com,www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com,www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2014
** Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q1 2015
Media Contact:
Kate Sullivan
pr@viator.com
(973) 568-7589