EXPEDIA has launched its Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) in Hong Kong, and is offering a HK$800 (US$103) bonus on top of commissions for the first HK$12,000 worth of bookings for new partners.

Travel experts who sign up with TAAP will gain access to Expedia’s global inventory of more than 145,000 hotels, be able to check availability of hotel rooms, activities and flights, and make bookings in real time.

Commission levels for TAAP are up to 10 per cent on hotels and activities, and five per cent on packages (flight plus minimum of three nights’ hotel stay).

“The Internet has fundamentally changed the landscape for how travel products are distributed. Today, travel (experts) can buy inventory from any part of the world at any time of the day from the Internet,” said Charee Guico, travel agent distribution manager Asia, Expedia.

“Expedia is offering a great opportunity for travel (experts) to increase their revenue when booking online,” she added.

TAAP was first launched in Italy in 2002 and has since expanded to the rest of Europe, America and Asia-Pacific.

In Asia, TAAP rolled out in India in 2010, in Singapore, Japan and Malaysia in 2011, and in Thailand (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 15, 2012) and South Korea in 1Q2012. The programme currently has 3,500 travel expert partners in the region, and subsequent launches are planned in Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam over the coming months.

For more information, visit access.expedia.com.hk or call (852) 2157-0605.