The Online Travel Agent Academy is a 15-module course that will help international tour operators and travel agents to effectively promote and sell BiH to their clients, leading to more arrivals, higher spend and extended stays
In July 2021, USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Turizam) has launched the Online Travel Agent Academy (OTAA) with the aim to reach, inform and educate thousands of international tour operators and travel agents in key source markets around the world about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) amazing, rich and diverse tourism offerings. Since the launch, 330 international travel agents have completed a total of 1145 OTAA courses, earning the title of “Certified Bosnia and Herzegovina Specialists”. As a result, they will be able to effectively promote and sell BiH to their clients resulting in more arrivals, higher spend and extended stays.
Click the button below to find out more about courses:
USAID Turizam has identified that one of the key challenges that prevented tourism in BiH from reaching its potential was the very limited Business and Business (B2B) sales and distribution channels and network the Inbound Tour Operators (ITOs) in BiH have. This challenge has become even more pressing to address as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In order to meet this challenge, USAID Turizam has partnered with UK-based company OTT, to develop, host and launch this training program. OTT is considered one of the leading companies providing this type of specialized training and education to travel professionals around the world, with an extensive network of around 62,000 travel professionals globally.
International travel professionals who opt to register to learn more about BiH get access to 15 modules that detail what the destination has to offer and provide a deeper dive into the offerings and themed experiences available that may be relevant to different traveler profiles and interests. The content, is complemented with high quality videos and photos that further tell the story of what BiH has to offer. After the conclusion of each module, registrants take a short exam to test their knowledge and understanding of the destination. The ones who successfully pass the test receive a branded certificate as “Certified BiH Specialist” and start looking for business partners in BiH.
