Travel tech and modern travel marketplace recently announced a new Mondee Affiliate Network to offer exclusive access to a broader set of products and better economics on all travel content, including air, hotel, and other ancillaries, like travel insurance, digital wallets, marketing tools, and more.
The travel industry is ripe for disruption. With the recent increase in canceled and delayed flights, only those who booked with a travel professional were able to have an expedited re-booking experience and had access to the latest flight information. It’s a common myth that travelers believe working with a travel agent means a trip is more expensive. It’s often not the case and is something many travel experts are working to dispel [Nerd Wallet].
Quick look at the travel expert industry
From the rise of travel experts in the creator economy to traditional travel agents, many are looking for new ways to monetize their specialty and add new revenue streams. While it’s not a new concept, affiliate networks can be a profitable addition. This past year both AirBnB and AmEx discontinued their travel affiliate programs, leaving a void in their respective industries.
Travel professionals are the only audience with access to exclusive closed group deals and discounts that general business and leisure travelers will not find on public travel discount sites. As a part of the exclusive deals they can offer, partnering with these sites means an affiliate program allows them to save travelers money while increasing their own revenue.
“We are excited to introduce the Mondee Affiliate Network, a cost-effective solution for travel agencies, experts, and affiliates looking to recover from the pandemic and become more competitive in the ever-changing market,” says Prasad Gundumogula, Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Mondee. “The program creates an exclusive relationship between Mondee and its customers, accelerates Mondee’s market share penetration immediately into the air and hotel industries, and positions the company as a leading provider of complete travel content and experiences to travel agents and affiliate groups globally.”
Affiliate program benefits for network partners
Affiliate programs provide the ability to streamline and centralize all activities for travel experts and gig workers, which means less time is spent focused on tedious and time-consuming administrative tasks, and more time can be spent on building the business. They also gain immediate access to marketing tools that keep them competitive and top of mind amongst their audiences. Marketing tools can range from resources, content, and access to products, and in the case of Mondee, the company provides its affiliates with discounts, incentives, exclusive products, and a monetization model with a multitude of revenue opportunities. This translates into a win for customers as through this model, they have access to more and different types of discounts and offerings than ever before.
Affiliate programs have matured from being a trend to a critical component of the expert tool kit — especially for influencers, gig workers, and the band of creators who rely on affiliate marketing. This reliance stems from the demand for continuously new and fresh content, that is customized and curated specifically, for an influencer’s niche audience. This demand has encouraged affiliate programs to revolutionize their offerings as influencers rely on their audiences to earn.
Travel agents, agencies, airlines, and hotels all benefit from affiliate programs and were the primary benefactors prior to influencers. These groups still largely make up the overwhelming majority of affiliate program users.
Affiliate Programs in the current economic climate
There are many affiliate programs that exist within and outside of the travel industry. These programs continue to grow in volume because they have proven to be a successful, profitable avenue, and as the industry changes and becomes more inclusive of new groups of professionals, new programs are offering marketing tools that cater to their specific subset of needs.
The current economic environment has had a negative impact on the lifespan of programs, including affiliate programs, charitable giving initiatives, and more. For programs that launch now, it is important they have a large membership base that has demonstrated interest in this type of offering. Additionally, providing unique and exclusive resources to affiliates can also help to sustain and uplift the credibility of these programs.
Working with a travel expert is not more expensive. It’s advantageous and presents an opportunity to tap into a breadth of incentives and offerings that you’d typically never have access to without and that you most definitely won’t find online. Travel agents can actually save you money, streamline the booking process, and fast-track changes for you without the headache of long wait times and get you out of a travel jam when you need them to.
