1. Commission rates around 20% below public pricing.
2. Credit facility and payment post-consumer visit.
3. Availability every day or as often as possible.
4. Minimum entrance fee of £8 for adults and particularly for OTAs.
5. API connectivity from your booking system to an OTA.
6. Upsells for example, early opening, private activities, hands on experiences and tours which are not generally available to the public. These options must be available as often as possible and generally not as a one-off event.
7. Willingness to participate in Familiarisation Trips (FAM).
8. Time sensitive options for tour operators that may have limited time on site, due to itineraries.
9. Generic versions of experiences that the travel trade can easily sell, rather than bespoke products.
10. Well briefed staff on how the travel trade business differs from walk up and direct bookings.

1. FIT can mean Fully Independent Tour of Flexible Independent Traveller. FIT rates need to be available on allocation, which can vary across the week and by season.
2. Rates need to be available up to 18 months in advance, with these rates being held until 28 days or less before the arrival date.
3. Electric car charging points for self-drives.
4. Minimum 3- star rating for European markets, and 4-star for the US market.
5. Quirky or unusual aspects to the property as a point of interest.
6. Historic, boutique and high-quality independent hotels or serviced apartments.
7. City centre properties with good on-site facilities.
8. Upsells available including meet & greet, spas, golf, afternoon tea, etc.
9. Excellent sustainability aspects, food on site, rewinding and countryside /coastal properties, etc. Sustainability needs to be more than just asking if towels can be left hanging, rather than be replaced.
10. Commissionable rates that are fixed and not likely to be undercut by best available rate, except on tactical offers that are short term.

There are a few hard and fast rules to what makes a ‘Travel Trade friendly’ product.

• A good product needs to be sellable & tangible, concepts won’t work.
• Preferably pricing needs to be set 12-18 months in advance, this is because this follows typical hotel contracting timelines.
• All prices must have a travel trade commission available, which is not the same price, as the public price.
• The frequency and availability of the product needs to be regular for it to be included in tour operator programmes and ideally daily for OTAs.
• Cancellation policy, child policy and any other relevant details, needs to be supplied with pricing.
• Final numbers are always confirmed in advance, but it is much easier to work with your product if you offer credit. This means you as a supplier, will be paid after the visit has taken place and usually within 30 days. OTAs will pay you as the supplier, on the day that they receive the booking from their customer.

• Group organisers will book around 6 months in advance and coach operators up to a year in advance, with prices set with group rates accordingly.
• Group organisers will expect free entry for themselves and often for their coach driver too. Coach drivers and guides will expect to be given a food/beverage voucher.
• Group organisers will want to know what the minimum number for a group will be at the time of enquiry and what special services they may get.
• Coach parking will be a requirement with free parking preferred. They will cancel a trip if they cannot fill enough seats.
• Group Travel Organisers prefer to come when school groups have already left or are well on their way round. It is helpful to advise them on the best time to visit.
• Group Travel Organisers will often want a free visit (‘FAM trip’) in advance of bringing their group.
• FITs may also use sightseeing buses or arrive by coach if they are on a day tour, these could be smaller coaches.
• FITs will all be travelling on an individual ticket even if they arrive on a coach.
• FITs often arrive by car, on local transport, or bike.