The trade
Representation office, DMC, ground handler: who does what?
The words of the trade, explained simply for travel agencies, tour operators and DMCs.
What is a DMC?
A DMC (destination management company), also called a ground handler, is a local agency based in the destination country. It designs programmes, books hotels, guides and transport, and delivers the trip on the ground.
A DMC works for professionals: foreign travel agencies and tour operators, who entrust it with their clients' trips, for individuals, groups or corporate events (MICE).
What is a tourism representation office?
A representation office is a DMC's sales relay in a foreign market. It makes the DMC known to that market's travel agencies and tour operators, keeps the relationship going day to day and smooths requests for programmes and quotes.
Azur RP is a B2B tourism representation office based in Courbevoie, near Paris. It represents foreign DMCs and ground handlers to French travel agencies and tour operators.
What is the difference between a representation office, a DMC and a travel agency?
The travel agency or tour operator sells the trip to its clients. The DMC is in charge of the local ground services. The representation office connects these professionals and represents the DMC in the market.
Azur RP represents and connects tourism professionals. Azur RP is not presented as the seller or the contractual organiser of the trip.
How does a French agency work with a DMC through Azur RP?
A request travels in four steps.
- The agency or tour operator sends its request: destination, dates, number of travellers, indicative budget and services required.
- Azur RP helps define the brief and smooths the exchange with the DMC partner concerned.
- The local DMC designs the services and prepares a suitable proposal.
- The DMC delivers the trip on the ground.
How can a DMC be represented in France?
A DMC can contact Azur RP to discuss a sales representation mandate, covering in particular prospecting, B2B relations and the development of its visibility.
That visibility is built with travel professionals, through B2B meetings, events, workshops and promotional campaigns.
The destinations and DMCs represented by Azur RP
Nine destinations, from Morocco to Oman. Each page presents the destination, its DMC partner and the most frequent questions.