How operators structure their products, how tour operators sell them within travel itineraries, and what experience APIs should learn from hotel APIs – Understanding the structural differences between B2C OTA connectivity and B2B travel distribution

The tours, activities and attractions sector has become one of the most dynamic segments of the travel industry. Over the last decade, experiences have moved from being a secondary element of a trip to becoming one of the main reasons people travel.

Technology has played a major role in this shift. Online platforms have made it easier than ever for travelers to discover and book activities, while reservation systems have helped suppliers digitize their inventory and distribute it globally.

But behind the visible growth of consumer platforms lies another part of the ecosystem that is equally important and often less discussed: B2B distribution.

Travel agencies, traditional tour operators, DMCs, wholesalers and dynamic packaging platforms sell millions of tours and activities every year as part of larger travel itineraries. Their market share is estimated at 11% for 2025 (source : The Outlook for Travel Experiences 2019–2029 from Arival and PhocusWright), meaning $37 billion, with a 10% growth rate YoY

This part of the ecosystem is particularly relevant for large-scale travel distributors — including major tour operators such as Dertour, Avoris, W2M or MTS — whose systems must handle complex itineraries, high booking volumes and strict operational requirements. These bookings may not always attract the same attention as consumer-facing OTAs, but they represent a significant and stable share of the overall market. 

Many of the APIs used today to distribute tours and activities were originally designed with B2C marketplaces in mind. And while these APIs work well for consumer discovery and booking flows, they do not always match the operational logic of B2B travel distribution. At the same time, many experiences operators have not structured their product configurations with B2B distribution in mind, often focusing primarily on how their products appear in consumer marketplaces rather than on how they will be integrated and sold within professional travel distribution systems.

As a result, the industry often tries to solve B2B distribution challenges using tools designed for a completely different environment.

The consequences are visible every day: complex integrations, confusing product catalogues, unclear pricing structures and inefficient booking workflows.

To unlock the full growth potential of the experiences sector, it is important to recognize a simple reality: B2B distribution requires a different kind of API.

B2C and B2B: Two very different sales environments

At first glance, selling an experience might seem like a simple transaction. But the context in which that transaction happens fundamentally changes the requirements of the technology behind it.

Understanding these differences is essential when designing distribution infrastructure for the tours and activities sector.

1. How the search process begins

In most consumer-facing OTAs, product discovery starts with a very simple logic: destination plus keywords.

A traveler might search for something like:

“Rome Colosseum tickets”

The platform then displays a list of products related to that search.

These results may include different variations of the same attraction:

• skip-the-line tickets
• guided tours
• small-group experiences
• private visits
• early access options

The objective in this environment is exploration. The traveler wants to compare alternatives before deciding.

In B2B environments, the starting point is usually different. Search often begins with a destination and the composition of the travel group.

For example:

Destination: Rome
Adults: 2
Children: 1 (age 8)

This logic closely resembles the way hotel searches work.

The system needs to know the composition of the group in order to determine:

• which rates apply
• whether the activity is available
• how the final price should be calculated

Instead of simply returning products that match a keyword, the API must immediately validate whether a product can accommodate that specific group configuration.

This means availability and pricing logic need to be applied much earlier in the search process.

2. Standalone purchase vs packaged travel

Another key difference between B2C and B2B environments lies in the role that experiences play in the booking process.

In most consumer platforms, an activity is often the main product being purchased.

The traveler is browsing experiences as the central element of the decision-making process.

But in B2B environments, experiences are frequently just one component of a larger travel package. This is particularly true for large tour operators and packaging platforms that assemble thousands of travel packages every day, combining flights, accommodation and experiences within a single booking flow.

That package may already include:

• flights
• accommodation
• transfers
• insurance

The activity needs to fit smoothly into the itinerary.

In this context, the seller — typically a travel agent, a tour operator system or a dynamic packaging engine — is not looking for dozens of similar options to explore.

They need:

• clear choices
• reliable availability
• quick booking flows

Efficiency becomes much more important than discovery.

Too many options slow down the process of building a travel itinerary.

3. Pricing logic

Pricing structures are another area where the differences between B2C and B2B distribution become very clear.

In B2C marketplaces, prices are normally displayed per person and per ticket type.

The final price is calculated gradually as the traveler selects the number of participants and ticket categories. So the checkout process determines the final total.

In B2B distribution, this model is often impractical.

Travel agents and packaging systems usually need an immediate quote for the entire group. For large tour operators managing high booking volumes, obtaining a clear group price in a single response is essential to maintain fast itinerary building and automated packaging workflows.

Instead of calculating the price step by step, the API must return a result such as:

Total price for this group: €186

This allows the agent to quickly evaluate whether the activity fits within the overall travel package.

Group pricing simplifies the booking process and reduces the risk of manual calculation errors.

4. Product structure and content

Consumer platforms typically have internal teams dedicated to optimizing product listings.

These teams manage:

• content quality
• product mapping
• pricing rules
• catalogue organization

Many B2B distributors do not have this level of internal product management. Instead, they depend directly on the structure and quality of supplier data.

This means APIs must deliver products that are already well organized and easy to interpret.

A clear hierarchy helps ensure smooth integrations:

Product
→ Modality
→ Rates by age group

If this structure is inconsistent or ambiguous, it becomes much harder for distributors to integrate and maintain the catalogue.

5. Choice vs clarity

In B2C environments, offering many alternatives can be beneficial.

A traveler browsing an OTA may appreciate seeing several different options for the same attraction.

But in B2B environments, the situation is different.

Travel agents rarely have time to evaluate dozens of nearly identical products. This becomes even more critical for large-scale distributors whose systems may process thousands of itinerary searches per hour.

When building travel itineraries, they need:

• clear options
• consistent product structures
• minimal duplication

Presenting 20 or 30 similar products for the same attraction often creates confusion rather than value.

In B2B distribution, clarity is far more useful than abundance.

What a B2B-ready API should provide

If the tours and activities sector is to scale effectively within the B2B ecosystem, APIs need to be designed around the operational needs of travel distribution. Several capabilities are particularly important. This is particularly important for global tour operators, wholesalers and large distribution platforms whose technology infrastructure must support large product catalogues and complex packaging logic.

Retail and net pricing

B2B distribution requires flexibility in pricing structures. Some distributors operate with retail prices, while others prefer to work with net rates and apply their own margins.

For this reason, APIs should support both:

• retail rates
• net rates

This flexibility allows distributors to integrate products into their own commercial strategies without additional technical complexity.

Group-based search and pricing

A B2B API must be able to return results based on group composition.

This means the system should:

• validate applicable rates
• confirm availability
• calculate the total price for the group

Ideally, all of this information should be returned within a single response.

Without this functionality, booking workflows become slower and more complex.

Clear product–modality–rate structures

Product information should follow a consistent hierarchy.

A typical structure would be:

Product
→ Modality
→ Rates

Each rate should correspond to a clearly defined age category.

Simple and predictable structures make integrations easier and reduce operational errors.

Simplicity in rate configurations

Overly complex rate structures should be avoided whenever possible.

Examples of complexity that often creates problems include:

• overlapping discounts
• inconsistent age brackets
• multiple special pricing categories
  

While these structures may seem attractive from a commercial perspective, they often complicate integrations and booking flows.

In B2B distribution, simpler pricing structures tend to scale more effectively.

This is clear product structure, ready for B2B distribution:

This is an example of a product that simply can’t be distributed to B2B wholesalers and tour operators:

Clear definition of age ranges

Age categories must always be clearly defined.

For example:

• Adult: 18+
• Child: 6–17
• Infant: 0–5

Without clear definitions, booking engines cannot reliably calculate prices for different group configurations.

Standardized passenger data requirements

Booking workflows should request only the information that is strictly necessary.

Excessive mandatory questions slow down booking processes and create friction for travel agents.

Passenger data fields should be standardized whenever possible, and additional mandatory questions should be minimized.

Clear pickup point structures

For tours that involve transportation or meeting points, pickup information should follow a clear and consistent structure.

This includes:

• predefined pickup locations
• standardized descriptions
• clear time references
  

Inconsistent pickup information is one of the most common sources of operational issues in experience bookings.

Multi-item booking capability

B2B transactions often include multiple products within a single itinerary.

For example, a travel package may include:

• accommodation
• transfers
• experiences

An API should ideally support multi-item booking workflows or, at minimum, provide predictable and fast response times when bookings are made sequentially.

Instant voucher delivery

Once a booking is confirmed, the voucher or ticket should be generated immediately.

This is particularly important when experiences are part of larger travel packages.

Delivering documentation instantly ensures that agents can finalize the itinerary without additional manual steps.

Intelligent product selection

One of the biggest challenges in the experiences industry today is product duplication. Multiple suppliers may offer similar tickets for the same attraction.

For B2B distribution, APIs should ideally return:

• a single relevant option
  or
• a small curated set of options

instead of dozens of nearly identical products.

Reducing duplication helps simplify integrations and improves booking accuracy.

The opportunity ahead

The tours and activities sector still has enormous growth potential. Demand continues to expand as travelers increasingly seek memorable experiences as part of their trips. But scaling this growth across the global travel ecosystem requires infrastructure that reflects how the industry actually operates.

B2B distribution remains a critical channel connecting travelers with experiences around the world. Travel agencies, wholesalers and packaging platforms continue to play an essential role in building complex itineraries that combine flights, accommodation and activities. Large tour operators and wholesalers remain some of the most important buyers of experiences globally, integrating activities into millions of travel packages each year.

For this ecosystem to function efficiently, the underlying technology must evolve.

APIs designed primarily for consumer discovery do not always match the operational needs of professional travel distribution.

Without the right infrastructure, experiences risk being perceived as:

• difficult to integrate
• operationally inconsistent
• technically complex

And when that happens, a significant part of their market potential remains untapped.

Building better infrastructure for the experiences industry

At Globick, we see these challenges every day. Connectivity is not simply about linking systems together, it is about ensuring that those connections work efficiently for the people who rely on them. Many of the integrations we work with involve large-scale distributors and tour operators whose operational requirements are very different from those of consumer marketplaces.

For B2B distribution, this means APIs designed for:

• clarity
• speed
• reliability

When connectivity works properly, the benefits extend across the entire ecosystem:

• Suppliers reach new markets.
• Distributors simplify integrations.
• Travel agents build itineraries more efficiently.
• Travelers enjoy richer travel experiences.

The growth of the experiences sector will continue in the years ahead. But unlocking its full potential requires technology that understands a fundamental difference: browsing an experience is not the same as building a trip around it.