As the Tairāwhiti Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO), our team can offer support to tourism organisations, aiming to engage with trade partners globally. Working with travel trade can help you increase your international market sales.

Partnering with travel trade grants you access to a network of international travel agents and online platforms, expanding your sales potential to high-spending international visitors. These visitors tend to travel outside peak seasons, levelling out business seasonality and contributing to increased revenue due to their typically higher spending habits.

How we can help

Our team can offer opportunities, tools, resources, and knowledge to help your tourism experiences excel in international travel sales.

We can:

  • help you determine if the trade market aligns with your business goals and, if so, guide you through the process of becoming "trade-ready." 
  • advise on pricing strategies, product development specifically tailored for the trade market, and identifying your ideal target markets.
  • increase your visibility through listings in key New Zealand trade shows, participation in international trade missions, and inclusion in our regional trade manual.
  • leverage strong relationships with key stakeholders like Tourism New Zealand to ensure your offerings are promoted globally.

Understanding commission structures in the travel trade

Understanding commission structures is key to working effectively with the travel trade. While commissions are a percentage taken from each international booking, they should be viewed as an investment rather than an added expense. The trade distribution network itself is a complex ecosystem. You will encounter:

  • Inbound tour operators who manage bookings for international agents,
  • Wholesalers who connect travel agents with independent booking operators or directly to tourism products, 
  • Retail travel agents who work directly with customers in their home countries,
  • Online travel agents (OTAs) such as Viator or Expedia who handle bookings directly between you and the customer.

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