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TourRadar is the world’s leading booking platform for organized adventures with more 2,500 “trusted and vetted” operators, including big brands like Globus and TTC and thousands of approved niche operators, according to Kimberly Stirdivant Wason, director of partnerships and head of the travel advisor program. All told, the company offers upward of 50,000 tours for travel advisors to choose from for their clients.
TourRadar was founded by Australian brothers Travis and Shawn Pittman, whose intent was to establish a technology platform that would serve as the epicenter of the $200 billion global adventure travel ecosystem by connecting travelers, operators and distribution partners. They knew that “there were all of these great operators out there providing great products, but it was difficult to find them. So, they set out to create a solution,” Stirdivant Wason said.
Multi-Day Travel Experiences
An organized adventure is a multi-day travel experience seamlessly organized by a trusted operator – including everything from accommodations to meals to experiences to friendly guides, Stirdivant Wason said. All travel advisors have to do is choose their client’s adventure. “They pack their bags and go. It’s that simple,” she added.
Stirdivant Wason said the inventory caters to the passions of every traveler, with adventures as active as the client wants them to be. Organized adventures can be anything from cruising the waters of the Wendell Sea off Antarctica to exploring the Mongolian Steppes on horseback to sightseeing in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons on an escorted coach tour to customizing a journey in India. There are fixed departures as well as FIT options. Many advisors, she said, use TourRadar to book group tours as well, which range in size from five to 50.
Adventure Booking Platform
Aside from its size and variety of products, TourRadar differentiates itself through its technology, with an Adventure Booking Platform that connects travelers and advisors to operators all over the world. The company offers flexible booking and insurance options, and a best price guarantee, Stirdivant Wason said.
TourRadar works with more than 10,000 travel advisors, mostly from the U.S. and Canada. A number of host and independent agencies have partnered with the company to create accounts so their travel advisor members can easily join to make bookings.
The advisor dashboard is the centralized hub that provides a place for agents to access and manage their bookings, communicate with operators, track commissions, make new reservations and manage their accounts. There is instant confirmation for almost all programs.
Travel Advisor Assets
TourRadar provides advisors with high-quality images, videos, detailed tour descriptions, and other assets that they can leverage on their websites, social media platforms and other marketing channels.
More than 90 percent of the tours listed on TourRadar provide agents with a 12 percent commission. Whether it’s the first booking, 20th booking or 100th booking, the company never bases commission on volume.
For the latest on TourRadar incentives and promotions, visit tourradar.com/agents.
Selling TourRadar
Historically, solo travelers have been the company’s strongest segment. Thousands of tours are available, with no single supplements.
The cost for a single supplement can on average add 20 percent to the overall cost, which is significant. As a marketplace, TourRadar said it is working to create better transparency for solo travelers.
The primary TourRadar target is travelers 40 or over from the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Approximately 60-percent-plus of 2022 bookings come from the 40-plus age
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