Source: OpenTravel Alliance

The OpenTravel Alliance, the not- for profit responsible for developing and maintaining interoperability for disparate systems in all verticals of the travel industry, and the International Inbound Travel Association (IITA), the national nonprofit trade association representing the United States' international inbound travel industry, have announced a strategic partnership, made public at IITA's recent 2020 Summit in St. Petersburg, FL.

The partnership provides new collaboration opportunities between the organizations and member companies, including the ability to participate in respective educational events and work groups. Both organizations share the goal of improving travel interoperability, and this partnership exposes key influencers for US inbound travel to OpenTravel standards that will ultimately improve bookings and business.

"We're committed to providing our members with new benefits that are specific to inbound travel, including advancing technology with the inbound operator's business needs in mind," said Lisa Simon, Executive Director of IITA. "The OpenTravel Alliance is the authority on travel data standards, and by providing open-source specifications, OpenTravel provides a level playing field for seamless connectivity throughout the travel distribution system."

OpenTravel standards are the foundation for tens of thousands of messages on a daily basis. They allow companies from various travel industry verticals, including air, hotel, car, rail, etc., to interact seamlessly, allowing consumer direct bookings.

"IITA has been leading conversations about issues critical to inbound operators and the industry that have resulted in greater collaboration and best practices," said IITA Chair Gary Schluter, founder of Rocky Mountain Holiday Tours. "How technology is driving change in the distribution system has been at the top of the list and this partnership provides a key opportunity to highlight the solutions-oriented nature of OpenTravel to tour operators, DMOs and suppliers.

In an education series during IITA's 2020 Summit sponsored by BWH Hotel Group - which is a member of both associations -, Jeff ErnstFriedman, OpenTravel Managing Director, presented on "How Connectivity is Reshaping Travel Distribution" and shared details on the role data standards play in opening up business opportunities.

https://opentravel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/375051-200x63.jpg 200w, https://opentravel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/375051.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">"It is clear that there is an appetite to understand and leverage technology to meet the needs of a changing industry," ErnstFriedman said. "By adopting and collaborating on open standards, the industry can compete on providing enhanced customer experiences and find efficiencies by collaborating on the underlining infrastructure."

"IITA champions a unique perspective of the 80 million travelers coming to the United States," said OpenTravel Alliance Chair Susanne Auinger. "OpenTravel is excited to be more closely involved, working to improve interoperability and expand the travel ecosystem for those seeking to explore the US."

About IITA

The International Inbound Travel Association (IITA) is the national nonprofit trade association representing the United States' international inbound travel industry. IITA members include inbound tour operators and suppliers (lodging companies, transportation, destinations, attractions, restaurants, etc.) from across the country. IITA inbound tour operators (also known as receptive tour operators) are US-based companies, which specialize in creating, marketing, and selling US travel products to international travelers. For more information on the International Inbound Travel Association, membership, new programs or services, please visit https://inboundtravel.org/ or email [email protected].

About the Open Travel Alliance 

OpenTravel Alliance is passionate about solving the challenges of connecting multiple systems within the complex travel distribution ecosystem. Our mission is to enable the future of travel by driving the evolving AI driven digital experience for consumers. OpenTravel Alliance creates, expands and drives adoption of open specifications — including XML and JSON — with partners such as LF OpenAPI which is incorporated into our tooling for the electronic exchange of business information across all sectors of the travel industry. Our membership includes airlines, hotel companies, car rental firms, cruise lines, railways, tour operators, travel agencies, solutions providers and technology vendors. Billions of OpenTravel message structures are used daily, carrying billions of messages between trading partners. Future innovations, partnering with Overture and other LF foundations, will be to deliver
universal open travel offers allowing all travel related products to be published for sale in a consistent secure digital means sellable by any retailer with an agreement with the product owner. A key enabler of AI agents in this space. Learn more about offers. Founded in 1999 as a not-for-profit trade association, OTA became a member of The Linux Foundation in 2020 and continues to evolve while maintaining its essential role in standardizing travel industry messaging. For more information, visit www.opentravel.org.