The ARC MarketPlace -- a website where agents can book tours and activities -- will cease
operations on Dec. 29. The closing comes after Viator decided to terminate its
partnership with ARC.
ARC MarketPlace
turned 10 this past March. At the time, ARC said nearly 16,000 agents had used
the website since it launched in 2007. Today, it has over 70,000 bookable
tours, products and services.
Doug Mangold, ARC vice president of product, said
the corporation regrets it will be unable to provide those services to agents
going forward.
"We are disappointed that Viator has taken this action, and proud
to have served the agency community with this source of products, commission
payment and call center support for almost 11 years," he said. "Commissionable
products, such as those sold via ARC MarketPlace, are an important source of
revenue for travel agencies, and we will support our customers in transitioning
to suppliers that support them and will respect the relationships travel
agencies have with their customers."