Understanding Trade in Launchpad
The Trade hub helps you manage business-to-business (B2B) relationships with travel agents, wholesalers, tour operators, and destination management companies. These trade partners sell your products to their customers, expanding your reach.
What is trade in tourism?
Trade relationships involve:
Travel agents — sell your products to their retail customers
Wholesalers — package your products for resale
Tour operators — include your offerings in their itineraries
DMCs (Destination Management Companies) — coordinate services for groups
Online Travel Agents (OTAs) — sell through digital platforms
These partners typically receive a commission or net rate for the business they bring you.
The Trade hub
Access the Trade hub to manage:
Partners — your trade partner database
Rate Sheets — pricing documents for partners
Contracts — formal agreements with partners
FAM Trips — familiarisation trips for partners
Trade Events — trade shows and networking
Training — courses for partner staff
Resources — materials for partners
How trade pricing works
Commission-based
You set a Recommended Retail Price (RRP), and partners receive a commission (typically 10-30%) on each sale. Example:
RRP: $200
Commission: 20%
Partner receives: $40
You receive: $160
Net rates
You provide a net (wholesale) price. Partners add their own margin when selling. Example:
Net rate: $160
Partner sells at: $200 (their choice)
You receive: $160
Partner keeps: $40
Getting started with trade
1. Add your trade partners
Start by adding your existing trade partners to Trade Partners. Include:
Company details
Contact information
Relationship type
Commission arrangements
2. Create rate sheets
Build Rate Sheets showing your trade pricing:
Select which products to include
Set commission rates or net prices
Choose the tourism year/period
3. Share with partners
Send rate sheets to partners via email or through the partner portal.
4. Formalise with contracts
Create Trade Contracts for important relationships:
Document agreed terms
Set validity periods
Specify products and pricing
Benefits of managing trade in Launchpad
Centralised database — all partners in one place
Professional rate sheets — branded, printable PDFs
Easy updates — change pricing once, update all sheets
Partner portal — partners can access their rates online
Training — educate partners about your products
Tracking — see which partners are active
Strong trade relationships can significantly grow your business — invest time in building them.