Find a rep · US
How do I find a US travel trade rep for my property?
Look for a rep who already sells your kind of property to US travel advisors and tour operators, works the regions and networks your guests come from, and carries no direct competitor of yours. List free on RepBud Ready with the United States as a target market and you are matched with reps in RepBud’s network who cover it; when you both say yes, you are connected.
Who buys
How the travel trade in the United States buys
Travel advisors
"Travel advisor" is the usual US term for a travel agent. Many work independently or from home, and many are affiliated with a host agency that gives them booking and supplier support.
Consortia and luxury networks
Consortia and luxury travel networks negotiate with suppliers on their members’ behalf and run preferred-partner programmes and events. Whether a rep has access to them is part of what you are buying.
Tour operators
US tour operators, many of them specialists in a region or a style of travel, build the itineraries advisors sell. Getting onto their programmes takes time.
The work
What a rep in the United States does
- Advisor training — much of it online and on multi-city roadshows, because advisors are spread across a large country.
- Visits to tour operators’ product teams, with rate and product updates.
- Consortia and network events, where the rep can get a property in front of member advisors.
- Arranging fam trips and site inspections for advisors and operators.
- A monthly report: who was seen, in which regions, and what was promised on your behalf.
Where the trade meets
Trade events held in the United States
Each links to its RepBud event page, with dates, venue and who it is for.
Virtuoso Travel Week
The annual gathering of a luxury travel network in Las Vegas, for its advisors and preferred partners.
USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace
The member-only annual conference of the United States Tour Operators Association.
We Are Africa North America
A trade event aimed at growing high-end travel from North America to Africa.
Africa Showcase North America
A business-to-business roadshow bringing Africa suppliers to North American buyers.
Travel & Adventure Show
Shows in several US cities for consumers and travel advisors.
Before you approach a rep
What to have ready for the United States
- Rates the US trade can quote. If yours are not in US dollars, ask the rep what the operators and advisors they work with expect.
- Clear advisor commission terms. US advisors are commonly paid commission by suppliers, and many also charge their clients a planning fee.
- Which US regions your guests come from, so you can ask a rep which regions they work — the US spans several time zones.
- Material advisors can send to clients as it is: a fact sheet, images and short descriptions.
How to choose between reps, how they are paid and the red flags are in the guide to finding a travel trade rep.
RepBud Ready
Be matched with reps who cover the United States
List free on RepBud Ready and choose the United States as a target market. Properties, lodges, hotels, DMCs and experiences list free.
List free
Tell RepBud Ready what you are, where you are, the source markets you want a rep in and your budget for each. Free for properties, lodges, hotels, DMCs and experiences, with no expiry date.
Matched by market and budget
Your listing is matched with reps in RepBud’s network whose source markets or destinations overlap yours, and whose minimum fee your budget meets. Your budget is used for matching and is not shown on your listing. Reps on all plans are matched, including the free Economy plan.
The rep says yes
A matched rep sees your listing and says yes or passes. When they say yes, you see who they are — name, company and the markets they cover.
You say yes or pass
When you both say yes you are connected, and you can message each other in the RepBud app. Terms are agreed between you and the rep; RepBud takes nothing from the arrangement.
FAQ
Finding a rep in the United States
How do lodges find US representation?+
Most start with reps who already carry similar properties to US advisors and tour operators and have access to the consortia and networks those advisors belong to. On RepBud Ready you list free with the United States as a target market and are matched with reps in RepBud’s network who cover it.
What is a host agency?+
A US agency that independent travel advisors affiliate with for booking tools, supplier relationships and commission handling. Many advisors who look independent to a supplier work under one.
Can one rep cover the whole of the US?+
Some reps cover the country through roadshows, online training and network events; others work particular regions. Ask which regions they actively work and where last quarter’s meetings were.
Do I need a separate rep for the US if I already have one in the UK?+
Often, yes — the buyers, networks and events are different. Some representation companies have offices in both; ask which people will actually sell you in each market.
Other markets
Finding a rep elsewhere
Find a rep in the UK
How the UK trade buys, what a UK rep does, and how to find one for your hotel, lodge or DMC.
Read moreFind a rep in Germany
How the German trade buys, what a rep in Germany does, and how to find one for your hotel, lodge or DMC.
Read moreFor lodges, hotels and camps
The same route, written for accommodation.
Read moreRepBud Ready · Free listing
Find your rep in the United States
List free on RepBud Ready. Reps whose markets fit yours see your listing; when you both say yes, you are connected.
List your business free