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Multi-branch travel business

Travel branches set-up for agencies that grow office by office

Run your head office and every branch office on one booking platform. Sign supplier contracts once at head office, share that inventory with each branch, and let every branch keep its own website, prices, accounting and local suppliers.

  • Multiple branch offices
  • One supplier contract
  • Shared inventory network
  • Web, Android and admin panel

The branch network

One head office, many independent branches

A travel branches set-up lets the head office contract XML hotel suppliers once and pass that inventory down to every branch system. Each branch then runs on its own: its own domain, design, currency, staff and books.

Branches do not sign separate supplier agreements. They sell the head office inventory with their own markup, add the local products they source themselves, and can offer those local contracts back to head office.

See which suppliers you can contract at head office in the Travel XML API suppliers list

Network mapPick a branch
XML suppliersOne master contract per supplierXML
Head officeHolds the contracts and shares the inventoryHQ
Website
dxb.example.com
Currency
AED
Languages
EN · AR
Markup on head office rates
8%
Local contracts
Desert safaris and airport transfers
Accounting
Own ledger and invoices
Website
lon.example.com
Currency
GBP
Languages
EN
Markup on head office rates
6%
Local contracts
Theatre packages and rail passes
Accounting
Own ledger and invoices
Website
ist.example.com
Currency
TRY
Languages
TR · EN
Markup on head office rates
10%
Local contracts
Bosphorus cruises and city hotels
Accounting
Own ledger and invoices
Website
kul.example.com
Currency
MYR
Languages
MS · EN
Markup on head office rates
7%
Local contracts
Island transfers and resort deals
Accounting
Own ledger and invoices

Sample network. Branch names, domains and markups are examples only.

How a rate travels

One supplier rate, a different price in every branch

The head office receives the net rate, adds its distribution margin and passes the rate on. Each branch adds its own markup before the customer sees a price. Switch branches to compare.

Rate relayDouble room, 1 night, city centre hotel

  1. XML supplier

    Net rate

    $120.00

  2. Head office

    Distribution margin3%

    +3.60

  3. Branch

    Branch markup8%6%10%7%

    +9.89+7.42+12.36+8.65

  4. Customer

    Selling price

    $133.49$131.02$135.96$132.25

Example figures in USD

And the other way

A branch can load its own local contracts and sell them to head office. Head office reaches those contracts through the API and resells them to other branches, B2B agents and corporate clients.

  1. 01Branch loads a local contract
  2. 02Offered to head office
  3. 03Resold across the network

Who does what

Head office and branch roles, side by side

The platform keeps a clear line between what head office controls and what each branch decides for itself.

  • Supplier contracts

    Head officeSigns one master XML contract per supplier

    Branch officeNo XML supplier agreement needed

  • Inventory

    Head officeShares its rates with every branch

    Branch officeSells head office inventory to its own customers

  • Pricing

    Head officeSets its distribution margin

    Branch officeAdds its own markup on top

  • Local contracts

    Head officeBuys branch contracts and reaches them through the API

    Branch officeLoads its own local contracts and sells them to head office

  • Website and brand

    Head officeKeeps the group brand and admin panel

    Branch officeOwn design, website and identity

  • Accounting

    Head officeSettles with branches for the inventory they sell

    Branch officeRuns its own accounting system

  • Sales channels

    Head officeSells B2B, B2C, corporate and to branches via XML

    Branch officeGets a complete online booking system

  • Adding a branch

    Head officeNo installation cost for any additional branch

    Branch officeStarts on the same platform and inventory

Related:White-label B2B travel portalTravel agency accountingB2B travel portal

Opening a branch

What a new branch needs before it goes live

Every branch is created from the head office platform. Fill in its profile, choose what it inherits, and it is ready to trade.

New branchDraft
Branch nameDubai branch
Website addressdxb.example.com
Base currencyAED
LanguagesEN · AR
ThemeBranch theme
Markup on head office rates8%
Inherit from head office
  • Hotels
  • Flights
  • Tours
  • Car rental
Allow local contractsOnCreate branch

Illustration of the branch profile. Field names may differ in your version.

  1. 01

    Map your network

    List the offices you run today and the ones you plan, with their markets, currencies and languages.

  2. 02

    Contract at head office

    Sign and connect your XML suppliers once, at head office level, so every branch can draw on them.

  3. 03

    Create each branch

    Give the branch its domain, theme, currency and staff accounts from the head office platform.

  4. 04

    Set branch pricing

    Choose the markup each branch adds to head office rates, by product where you need it.

  5. 05

    Load local contracts

    Let the branch add the hotels, tours and transfers it sources locally, and decide which to offer upstream.

  6. 06

    Go live

    Test a booking end to end in the branch, then open it to customers on web and mobile.

Business types

Branch networks for every kind of travel company

The same set-up fits different business models. What changes is why you open branches and what each one sells.

  • Destination management companies

    The challenge

    Stand out in a crowded market by running operations online and delivering tailored experiences.

    Branch patternA branch per destination, each selling head office hotels next to its own ground services.

    DMCs

  • Travel management companies

    The challenge

    Give corporate clients a self-booking tool to plan, buy and manage their trips.

    Branch patternA branch per region or key account, with its own policies and invoicing.

    Corporate travel

  • Travel agents

    The challenge

    Offer customers a broad product choice and bring new products to market quickly.

    Branch patternHigh-street offices that share one inventory but keep local prices and staff.

    Travel agencies

  • Online travel agencies

    The challenge

    Compete with more destinations and extras in one smooth booking flow.

    Branch patternCountry sites under separate brands, domains and currencies, fed from one contract base.

    Online travel agencies

  • Travel wholesalers

    The challenge

    Open new distribution channels, streamline operations and stay price-competitive.

    Branch patternSales offices in source markets that resell the wholesaler's rates with their own markup.

    B2B travel booking software

  • Tour operators

    The challenge

    Balance classic packages with custom tours while moving work online.

    Branch patternMarket offices that sell the operator's tours and add locally sourced products.

    Tour operators

Where branches sell

Every branch gets the full booking platform

A branch is not a cut-down storefront. It runs the same web, mobile and back-office software as head office, under its own brand.

Surfaces

  • Booking websiteThe branch's own domain and theme for direct customers.
  • Android appA mobile app option on the same booking system.
  • Admin panelBookings, content, markups and staff for that branch.

Channels

  • B2C customers
  • B2B agents
  • Corporate clients
  • XML distribution

Why it pays off

  1. Happy customers
  2. Positive reviews
  3. Loyal customers
  4. Revenue growth

Explore:Mobile appsThemesCustomization

See pricingBook a demo

Questions

Travel branches set-up: common questions

What owners ask before connecting a head office to its branch offices.

Talk to sales

It is a way of running a head office and several branch offices on one PHPTRAVELS platform. Head office holds the supplier contracts and shares the inventory, while each branch keeps its own website, design, markup, accounting and local suppliers.

No. The head office signs one master contract with each XML supplier and the inventory is shared across branches. Branches sell that inventory with their own markup without signing separate agreements.

Yes. A branch can load the hotels, tours and transfers it contracts locally and sell them to its own customers. It can also sell those local contracts to head office, which reaches them through the API.

Yes. Each branch has its own design, domain and identity, along with its own currency, languages and staff accounts, while running on the same platform as head office.

There is no installation cost for any additional branch. The platform itself is licensed once, with source code included; see the pricing page for the current plans and talk to us about your network size.

Destination management companies, travel management companies, travel agents, online travel agencies, wholesalers and tour operators all use it, each for a different reason, from destination offices to country sites.

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