Booking.com is piloting a new platform, Booking.com for
Travel Agents, which will enable agents to book and manage accommodations via
Booking.com.
The program is an extension of Booking.com's Affiliate
Partner Program, and agents who join the platform will have similar benefits to
affiliate partners. Affiliates distribute Booking.com's products on their
websites or through their businesses, earning commissions.
Booking.com for Travel Agents uses technology that is being
developed for Booking.com for Business. It will enable agents to book and
manage their reservations on a single dashboard, as well as run reports and see
a breakdown of their earnings.
Bryan Batista, Booking.com's senior director of global
partnerships, said the company has noticed more agents using Booking.com, spurring
the development of a product for agents.
Batista said Booking.com expects to add features to the
platform over the coming months.
Expedia has a similar program, the Expedia Travel Agent
Affiliate Program, which enable agents to book hotels, airlines and other
Expedia products and manage their bookings and account.