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Glossary · Travel distribution & business models

What is OTA?

OTA (Online Travel Agency)

A website or app that sells travel directly to consumers — flights, hotels, packages — such as Booking.com or Expedia. OTAs sit on the retail (B2C) side of distribution and are a common customer for white-label booking technology.

Related terms

GDS (Global Distribution System)
A global reservation network — the largest are Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport — that aggregates real-time availability and fares from airlines, hotels and car-hire…
Bed-bank (hotel wholesaler)
A wholesaler that contracts hotel rooms in bulk and resells that inventory to travel agencies and platforms through an API. Examples include Hotelbeds, TBO and…
B2B, B2C and B2B2C travel
B2C sells travel to the end traveller. B2B sells to other businesses — for example a consolidator supplying sub-agents. B2B2C is a hybrid where a business equips…
Travel consolidator
A wholesaler that negotiates fares and inventory at volume (often with airlines or bed-banks) and redistributes them to a network of smaller agencies, who could not…
DMC (Destination Management Company)
A locally based operator that provides ground services — transfers, tours, activities, accommodation — in a specific destination, sold to inbound tour operators…

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