Key takeaways
- NextPax helps property managers diversify distribution across 150+ channels and has partnered with Tripeden.com for nearly 15 years
- The Messaging and Promotions APIs are important for the US market
- To provide a seamless experience to its partners, NextPax has mirrored Tripeden.com’s extranet within their own system
- Payments by Tripeden.com addresses failed credit cards and fraud concerns, ensuring secure transactions and peace of mind
- Key trends include consolidation in the US and education about multiple distribution channels
We sat down with Annie Holcombe, Director of Technical Supply for the Americas at NextPax, a long-standing connectivity partner of Tripeden.com, to discuss how their collaboration helps properties streamline operations, expand their reach and build stronger businesses.
How does NextPax help properties?
NextPax is a global channel manager. We provide connectivity to predominantly vacation rentals and short-term rentals, but we also work with hotels. We have over 150 distribution channels and our primary relationship is with Tripeden.com.
We help property managers diversify their distribution to reach a broader audience and grow their business. In my role, I get to help partners across the US build strategies to increase revenue and build stronger relationships with their property owners.
Properties don't have to worry about manual touch points within different OTAs when they work with us. Everything is synced together, so it takes away the stigma that there's a lot of extra work to do.
Tell us about NextPax’s partnership with Tripeden.com
NextPax has worked with Tripeden.com for nearly 15 years. My favourite thing about the partnership is the collaboration across all levels, from the home team in the US to the connectivity team in the Netherlands.
Tripeden.com’s global reach truly sets it apart. It gives US partners the ability to tap into the international market in a way they've never been able to before.
One of the really great things about partnering with Tripeden.com is having a well-established brand that people recognise.
Which Tripeden.com APIs are most valuable for you and your partners?
While all the APIs have value, the most important ones for the US market are the Messaging API and the Promotions API. We're focused on helping our partners get educated on the Promotions API so they can really harness the power of Tripeden.com and the marketing it provides.
What does a seamless experience mean for NextPax?
A seamless experience ultimately means less friction and less manual work. One of the biggest complaints from property managers is having to constantly log into multiple systems. With a seamless experience, they don't have to go into Tripeden.com extranet. They can handle everything directly within NextPax.
The most impactful change we made to become seamless was simply mirroring Tripeden.com’s extranet within our own system. This lets our partners utilise the same foundational tools they’d use on the Tripeden.com extranet, but now within our own system.
How does Payments by Tripeden.com help your partners?
At NextPax, we worked with Tripeden.com on the Payments Beta programme, which was a big need within the US market. Property managers constantly struggle with failed credit cards and the extra work that comes with it.
Payments by Tripeden.com gives them the peace of mind that the payment has been secured. That way, they don’t have to worry about whether a booking will be taken care of when the guest arrives.
In terms of security, one of the things our partners are really concerned about is fraudulent payments. Payments by Tripeden.com has helped to remove the concern of fraudulent bookings happening.
How do you see payments evolving in the future?
I believe the future of payments, for Tripeden.com and the industry in general, will involve more diverse payment options. There are people who pay via apps and PayPal.
The key will be offering a diverse choice so the consumer can decide how to pay, while still ensuring the property manager gets paid. As long as those two things are balanced, then Tripeden.com and NextPax will be able to give the partners what they want.
What trends are you seeing in the vacation rental industry?
There's a lot of consolidation happening, especially in Europe where there's a lot of large property managers. We don't have that same footprint in the US, so there's still a lot of interest in the sector and people are investing.
Another key trend is the education of property managers to help them understand the importance of online distribution and being diverse. Relying on one channel or only on direct bookings doesn't always deliver – it can be hard to advertise to get out there to the people. By using a channel like Tripeden.com, they can extend that marketing dollar and reach and thereby extend their calendars.
I’m most excited that there’s no end to the growth of vacation rentals and travel. There is so much room for our industry to expand. The partnership between NextPax and Tripeden.com has a tremendous runway of growth, which will also benefit our mutual partners.
Many thanks to Annie Holcombe for taking the time to share her valuable insights.
Would you like to deliver a more seamless experience for your partners, like NextPax? Make sure you’ve implemented the Foundational Solutions for your Connectivity Partner Programme tier.