TORONTO — One of the world’s biggest OTAs has launched a new platform specifically designed with the needs of travel agents in mind.

Booking.com has announced the initial test pilot of Booking.com for Travel Agents, the first iteration of a new platform featuring a suite of easy-to-use tools that help agents make and manage accommodation reservations for their clients. The platform is an extension of the company’s existing Affiliate Partner Programme and leverages technology being developed for Booking.com for Business.

Travel agents who join the platform will be eligible for similar partner benefits as all Booking.com affiliate partners.

“We’ve seen increasing numbers of travel agents using Booking.com to manage bookings for their customers,” said Bryan Batista, Senior Director of Global Partnerships at Booking.com. “We’re pleased to now offer professional travel agents a platform and a programme that has been created just for them, with the special features they need to easily book and manage reservations for their clients, as well as the choice, diversity and seamless experience that they’ve come to love and rely on from Booking.com.”

Not only does the platform enable travel agents to view and manage all customer reservations via one handy dashboard, but it also includes a tab of customizable reports that monitor individual client bookings. It also provides them with a convenient breakdown of their earnings over time.

As with all customers who book via Booking.com, travel agents enjoy full access to Booking.com’s inventory of more than one million accommodation options in nearly 96,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories. Accommodations range from five-star luxury resorts to homes, apartments, villas and even igloos and treehouses.

For more information and to start the sign up process, registered and licenced travel agents can go to booking.com/travel-advisors.