Expedia Group is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day by hosting events around the world - including Canada - to recognize and show appreciation for its Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program) partners.
Expedia will host partner appreciation events this month in Montreal (13MAY), Toronto (14MAY) and Vancouver (16MAY), each with 100 advisors attending. The events will be glamorous cinema nights where they will have a private VIP viewing of the 1942 film, Casablanca, a spokesperson told Open Jaw.
During the events, Expedia Group will be launching and presenting new products to partners as well as expanding some existing services to new markets across its Expedia TAAP global booking platform, which connects travel advisors to Expedia Group’s global portfolio of hotels, vacation rentals, flights, packages, car rentals, and activities offerings.
Deferred Payments
Deferred payments first launched in 2021 but has since scaled to 30 out of 32 Expedia TAAP markets across the globe, the most recent being Brazil and China. This product allows Expedia TAAP partners and agencies to pay later for lodging bookings. More than 16,000 agencies on the Expedia TAAP platform have already enabled deferred payments.
Expedia Group’s research has shown that the booking window for a travel agency booking is typically much longer than direct customer bookings, with an average six-month timeline. Most agencies take a small deposit from the traveler while paying the full amount owed to Expedia Group at the time of booking
Deferred payments enables agencies to better manage their cash flow by being able to pay Expedia Group closer to the check-in date and having more flexibility through the pay later option. This will enable travel partners of all sizes to better balance their budgets and serve more bookings.
Expanding the TAAP Rewards Program to Canada
Following the success of the TAAP Rewards program in the U.S., Expedia Group this month will be expanding the travel advisor loyalty program to Canada. The loyalty program rewards advisors for choosing to book with Expedia TAAP, offering them the opportunity to earn reward points on lodging bookings, which can be redeemed for gift cards from popular retailers.
“Global Travel Advisor Day presents the ideal opportunity for Expedia Group to show its appreciation for our travel advisors across all markets,” said Robin Lawther, VP of Expedia TAAP. “Today’s announcement shows our commitment to support them in a variety of new ways — improving our service offering so they can continue to attract new customers and support existing ones through more personalized services that better respond to their needs, while also creating a product that allows them to more effectively manage their cash flow.”
Expedia TAAP continues to prioritize travel advisors and agencies by consistently investing in improvements and offering ongoing support. Expect even more enhancements and product launches later this year. Learn more at www.expediataap.com.
