Buying direct from tourism operators
Cut out the middlemen

As explained in the travel industry section, the 'traditional' way of buying holidays from travel agents involves a number of "middlemen" :

How the mainstream travel industry works:

As you can see, the internet provides tourism operators a chance to save a huge amount in distribution expenses, as there are limited or no extra steps in the process of selling direct to you, the holiday maker.

Buy holidays direct and save
Be aware how the industry works

However, the same partners in the travel industry mentioned above, generally try to prevent tourism operators from selling direct to you. Why ? Probably because the web will one day make these partners extinct (that's why so many of them are trying to set up web portals and control allotments and pricing of many tourism operators).

These 'partners' in the trade usually have a contract prohibiting the tourism operator from advertising at less than a certain pre-agreed rate.

So be aware you need to shop around and make direct, private contact with tourism operators and negotiate the best rate they are able to offer you. This site publishes the direct links to operator websites wherever possible. The one thing you can be sure of, is it will be much cheaper for operators to sell direct to you than through the other channels which supply travel agents.

Private and secure conversations
So, contact the operator websites DIRECT and negotiate your OWN deal. Its up to the individual operators what discount they offer you, but you can typically expect a saving of between 10% - 20% off the rates advertised in the industry, by dealing direct, especially if you are travelling within the next 7-14 days.

Also, by dealing direct, you will likely get access to :

- the best rooms
- with the best position
- the best view / layout etc

as the rooms for 'direct sale' (on which the operator earns a better profit, as you can see above) are usually the 'premium' rooms

These rooms often differ from those offered at the deeply discounted rates which are then marked up by the wholesalers and retailers in the travel industry. To prove this point, try booking through your favourite travel agent, and ask for a guarantee in writing which exact room you'll be allocated ! For example, booking with one of the large wholesaler-supplied organisations and asking for an ocean view in your Gold Coast apartment, you'll likely be told the truth, or some version of it. That is - these rooms are severely discounted (then marked up for sale to you) so you can't be guaranteed any specific room, and certainly not one in a premium position.

So have fun using this site to help you plan and book your holiday ! Enjoy your trip to Queensland.

While we are fans of the direct booking model, we acknowledge the traditional booking channels offer advantages for some people

Benefits of booking direct
    * The biggest incentive exists for the tourism operator to offer you the best rooms and/or best price
    * Access to the most up to date product information
    * The widest possible range of choices (no one limits you to a certain range of products as may happen in the industry model)
    * Access to local knowledge from people who live in the region
    * Often you won't need to pay the bulk of your booking until you arrive
    * Ability to add air travel insurance and extras
    * Deal with the same people who will welcome you when you arrive
    * Ask specific questions and receive expert answers
    * Compliance and insurance (usually) cover your consumer rights

Disadvantages of booking direct
    * Payment may need to be made electronically
    * May not be governed by your local travel regulations
    * Caveat Emptor - you need to research your chosen product
    * Check your travel insurance to confirm what is covered