Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Program), a booking engine which connects travel agents to Expedia Group’s global portfolio of accommodation, flights, packages, car rentals and in-destination activities, is celebrating reaching a milestone of 15 million cumulative trips booked on its platform.
TAAP team celebrates in their Milan office.
(From from the left) Fiorella Diaz Guerrero, Oriana De Renzo, Mario Giacalone, Diego Pedrani, Mirco De Pellegrin, Contrado Sperindio, Paolo Falabella
Diego Pedrani, Senior Director, Retail Distribution, Expedia Partner Solutions TAAP brand, says: “We are delighted to mark such a significant moment for Expedia TAAP. Our powerful, ready-built agent booking engine has experienced dramatic growth since its creation. TAAP empowers travel agencies to grow their business by offering their travelers competitive rates and availabilities sourced by Expedia Group. Expedia TAAP also offers popular features such as in-destination experiences, last-minute availabilities and competitive package rates.”
Expedia TAAP, which is part of Expedia Partner Solutions (EPS), one of the B2B brands of Expedia Group, is used by over 35,000 agencies in over 30 countries; its popularity stems from the industry-leading technology the platform is built on, which boasts unique planning tools such as a customizable itinerary builder, instant booking confirmations and real-time reporting on transactions and earnings. Through Expedia TAAP, agents can access more than 600,000 accommodations, flights from over 500 airlines, car rentals from 175 providers and more than 35,000 in-destination activities worldwide from Expedia Group’s travel supply.
Pedrani continues: “A year ago, TAAP came under the dedicated care of our team at EPS which has provided additional resources for the platform to continue to thrive. As a result, the program has experienced accelerated growth, demonstrating just how much the platform unlocks the power of Expedia Group for our travel agent partners. EPS is laser-focused on providing the expertise, personalized support, technology and tools to enable our travel agent partners to reach their full potential.”
HolidayXP, a retail travel agency franchise encompassing 12 stores, are on track to exceed 30% booking growth in 2019 through their use of Expedia TAAP as their primary booking platform.
Joe Line, Managing Director, HolidayXP, says: “We use Expedia TAAP because they allow our travelers to find better deals than they could find themselves online, saving 15% on average for accommodation. Working alongside our dedicated Expedia TAAP account manager has also enabled our growing number of travel consultants to get the maximum benefit from the platform and drive our business growth.”
1000 Mile Travel Group, a supplier of travel management solutions, has also grown into a multi-million-dollar business since they began using Expedia TAAP, exceeding 20% revenue growth over the last three years. They have tripled their agent base, expanded to new markets in the UK and have plans for US expansion. Ben Ross, Managing Director and Founder, 1000 Mile Travel Group says: “We regularly test other booking platforms, but always choose Expedia TAAP. It’s an easy-to-use platform and we consistently find the best rates and availabilities compared to other travel partners.”
In 2018, Expedia TAAP received two Travel Weekly Magellan Awards in recognition of its online travel services – receiving a Gold award for ‘Overall Trip Planning’, and a Silver award for best ‘Travel Agent Only Website’.
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