How to work with large OTAs and affiliates: Q&A with our Director of Connectivity

In today’s fast-paced tourism industry, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) play a crucial role in helping tour and activity operators expand their reach and increase bookings. But managing OTA relationships can be complex — each platform operates differently, and keeping up with the latest trends and best practices requires ongoing effort.

To shed light on how FareHarbor supports operators in navigating these partnerships, we sat down with our Director of Connectivity, Olivia Geraghty, who leads the charge in optimizing

 FareHarbor’s API connections with the world’s leading OTAs. In this interview, she shares insights on why a strong channel mix matters, common OTA misconceptions, and strategies to maximize visibility and revenue.

As Director of Connectivity, what is your focus at FareHarbor?

My role at FareHarbor is to optimize our API connections with the industry’s leading Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). First, we want to make sure we’re providing top-tier support for both our API partners and Fareharbor tour operators when setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting the API connections. Second, my team and I work with the OTAs directly to ensure that we’re developing features that will provide value for our mutual clients to help them run their business.

How can operators make their listings stand out on high-traffic OTA platforms? Is there anything that you see makes these relationships particularly successful? 

Availability, content, and reviews are incredibly important in getting your products to stand out on OTAs. 

• Availability: Make sure you have regular availability and build out your booking calendar at least a year in advance and make it bookable online.
• Content: Use high quality images and craft engaging descriptions.
• Reviews: Keep an eye on your reviews and respond to both negative and positive feedback.

What are the most common misconceptions operators have about working with OTAs?

I think we can improve how we communicate to operators about the time and effort FareHarbor invests in advocating for our operators with the OTAs. We meet with partners on a regular basis, discuss the needs and concerns of our mutual operators, and continuously find ways to optimize these partnerships for the success of our operators. 

What advice would you give operators for balancing OTA commissions with the exposure and bookings they bring?

Operators should view an OTA’s commission as their marketing budget. OTAs are growth drivers and specialize in helping our operators fill up the spaces on their tours. It’s important to think of the fee as an investment into your company to get additional bookings you otherwise weren’t getting from your direct channel. 

What trends are you seeing in the affiliate and OTA space, and how is FareHarbor staying ahead of the curve?

The tours and activities space is constantly changing and evolving, but I see a lot of discussion around thoughtfully pricing tours on OTAs. This includes taking into consideration things like dynamic pricing or special offers that operators may want to enable last minute through the API to an OTA selling their tours.

Why are big OTAs and affiliates an important part of a tour operator’s distribution strategy? 

A healthy channel mix, receiving bookings from a variety of channels, is crucial to optimizing a tour operator’s business for growth. We believe it’s important for FareHarbor clients to have a distribution strategy so as not to be overly reliant on one channel or another. Our team recently put out a great blog about Channel Mix with some tools on how to think critically about channel mix. 

Can you share how FareHarbor’s tools and expertise help clients maximize their OTA partnerships?

The FareHarbor Connectivity team members are not only experts in their FareHarbor Dashboard, but also trained in how our system works with the OTA system. They are here to answer questions and provide guidance on how to get the most out of both systems. They can also help advise you on a strategy which could include utilizing our affiliate rules feature to manage when OTAs can sell your products. 

 

Navigating the world of OTAs can be challenging, but with the right approach, these platforms can be powerful tools for growth. By maintaining a diverse channel mix, optimizing listings, and leveraging FareHarbor’s expertise, operators can make the most of their OTA partnerships while keeping their businesses running smoothly.

FareHarbor remains committed to supporting operators every step of the way, from API optimization to ongoing advocacy with our OTA partners. Want to learn more about our OTA connections, the FareHarbor Distribution Network or channel mix? Reach out to our support team or request a free demo today.