The Realities of the Right OTA
In the age that technology is taking over the world, Online Travel Agent’s (OTA’s) are on the rise. As someone who has been in the tourism game for an awfully long time, I was once with the rest of the industry who questioned what the OTA’s role is in our growing industry.
Over the past 10 years, I have had several roles promoting my beautiful hometown of Wellington, New Zealand. During this time, I predominantly worked on the front line as either a Guide, Cruise Operations Manager, and most recently as a Logistics and Operations Manager for a fast-growing tour company. After growing tired of standing in front of the masses, playing the human road cone (pictured below), all while fighting with the Wellington wind and then claiming it as ‘character’ to the unimpressed tourists I decided to move to Brisbane for a change of tempo (and temperature!)
In my previous role, I could never have seen a clearer picture of what the struggles of being a tour operator were. I worked alongside the owner, who started the company out of his garage 9 years earlier and now owned 4 different tour companies covering all aspects of Wellington tourism. We worked day and night during peak season, ensuring everything was ready for the following day of tours, including management of over 40 tour guides and some 200 odd passengers, all whilst juggling the phones, emails, incoming bookings, meals, external suppliers — the list goes on! And it was during this time I had the most exposure to working with OTA’s.
Now look, I’m not saying that my boss was a grump, but he certainly had his moments. After putting everything he had into making his company as successful as it is (which included establishing partnerships with around 250 agencies all with their own demands and needs), when a pitching phone call came in from the 4th OTA of the week while we were ship side among the chaos of over 5,500 passengers, it was safe to say he was less than thrilled. And as a typical kiwi bloke, sometimes the language, when he hung up, was quite colourful!
Out of the 250 agents he had registered with, only roughly 50 of them converted bookings to the business regularly or continued to assist him in optimising his listing going forward. So it was no surprise that he was beginning to question the value of partnering with all the OTAs that reached out to him. Towards the end of my role, we decided to focus on partnering with OTAs that were as passionate and committed to the tourism industry as he was. But how do you know which agencies are?
When I moved to Brisbane, I was lucky enough to land myself a job on the Business Development team for a startup Online Travel Agency — TourRadar. Since working here I have been enlightened by what makes for a truly dedicated OTA. TourRadar is a company that was started by two brothers from Darwin, enthusiastic about bringing the touring industry to the world. It is now that I understand the difference between those who are looking to enlist as many products as possible for profit and popularity versus a company who prides itself on exposing the value of touring to the world.
On my first day, I sat down and read the team core values and my heart filled with happiness as I realized I was at home between like-minded colleagues with one passion — promoting quality tours and unlocking life-enriching experiences for our passengers. As I started to meet more of the team, I then realized that most of the staff at TourRadar have shared those same frontline woes as either guides or the many other parts of the puzzle which keep the tourism industry ticking. They understand the pressures of the humble tour operator and are dedicated to helping smooth out the process of delivering the dream holiday any way they can.
As I read through those core values and reflected on them I was amazed to see how fitting the values had been to my previous tourism roles. I’ve picked out some of my favourite ones below:
Put the Customer First
As a tour operator, our number one role is to put the customer first. It could be your passenger’s lifelong dream to visit New Zealand, and you must do everything in your power to ensure it is a dream come true. As an OTA it can be a tricky job, as they have two customers — the tour operator and the passenger booking. But know this; it is a thrill to provide top quality customer service to both sides. My old boss often questioned the customer service provided by agents to booking passengers as it wasn’t their own product but I can now confidently tell him that the right agents will support both of their customers to their heart’s content!
Embrace Growth & Change
With a growing tour company, embracing change is important. You have to take into consideration each individual passengers needs, whether it be the new age traveller who wants that insta-worthy shot or the more old school tourist who wants to get off the grid, and all whilst providing a comfortable experience to everyone on tour. As an OTA, I’ve learnt we must also move with the times, and these times are moving fast. Not only do we need to consider the needs of both of our customers and the broad range of travel interests that they may have. But we must also work on creating new technology to go with it. TourRadar looks to improve every aspect of touring from awareness of group travel to the smooth booking process for both the operator and the passenger booking. Not to mention that our Travel Experts and Business Development team are there to support each party every step of the way.
Keep Travelling
When hosting passengers you need to be in the know. We would spend our low season researching new tours, finding new points of interest and sourcing that perfect cup of coffee for when passengers needed a pick me up. The same goes for being an OTA, our staff are always out and about, experiencing the tours, promoting the industry, and broadening their knowledge of the world. And all in order to set an example for our customers to keep travelling!
We’ve Got Each Other’s Backs
Life on the front line can be tough. Throughout peak season, you’d feel like you just got through by the skin of your teeth and that’s thanks to the support of your fellow workmates. In my current role, we may not have to fight the elements on a daily basis but as a startup, there are no such things as ‘down’ seasons. We are constantly striving to grow and that doesn’t come without its stress. But with the same dedication to culture and nurturing of fresh ideas not only do we have each other’s back, but we also have the backs of our operators and customers. The only time my colleagues and I have almost argued (emphasis on almost) is when we are going to bat in the best interest of our customers.
Work Hard, Play Hard
If anything is going to get you through it all, it’s sitting down with your team at the end of the day and unwinding over a drink, playing a friendly round of foosball, or that team fitness session the next morning to start the engines up again.
Any way you look at it, the tourism game is tough but rewarding and those passionate about their industry bleed travel. Every day spent in my current role is another day that I realize, I picked the right OTA.
Interested in joining TourRadar and helping provide life-enriching experiences? We’re always looking for talented people to join our Business Development and Customer Support teams!
