What is a Destination Management Company (DMC)?

The travel industry is a very big place. You may have worked in it for many years and still never heard of a destination management company. If you haven’t, though, you could be missing out on some important business opportunities. 

To celebrate The Travel Corporation’s expansion of our DMC offering, we’re giving the low-down on these crucial pieces of the travel and tourism puzzle. Let’s take a look.

What is a DMC?

A destination management company is an enterprise that manages a range of products and services at a popular travel destination. Put very simply, they’re the companies that make travel experiences work. Whether you’re looking for someone to provide a safari trip, coach tours, cruises, catering or just about any other travel service you can name, it’s a DMC that makes it happen.

DMCs are usually smaller, local organizations that have been on the ground at a destination for years. They bring crucial local knowledge and experience to a travel enterprise, giving international partners the insight they need to create safe and exciting products.

What services can they help me with?

Name any travel experience and you’ll find a DMC out there that can provide it for you. The obvious services they provide are travel experiences that might require specialized equipment or skills, like coach tours, flotilla holidays or safaris. But they can also provide a huge range of smaller services that make the holiday planning experience a lot smoother. These include things like airport pickups and transfers, accommodation bookings, vehicle rental, catering or event management. If you’re looking to provide a really unique experience, such as bungee jumping, rainforest hikes or exclusive entry to local sights, the easiest way to provide it is by going through a DMC.

Why work with a DMC?

Destination Management Companies have two crucial benefits: they’re experts in the local area and specialists in the particular services that they offer. That means that you, as a travel professional, don’t have to be. Working with a DMC allows you to book any experience in any location around the world in the confidence that it will be delivered safely and to a high standard. 

However, the benefits don’t end there. Most DMCs have been running their travel businesses successfully for decades. That means they have localized knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in their region. They know that this road is usually flooded in summer, or that the best views of that valley are at sunrise – the secrets that you simply can’t know. That allows you to create better travel experiences that are more likely to do well in a competitive market.

Finally, many DMCs operate a huge range of different services or have partners that do so. That means that they can act as a one-stop shop when you’re creating a travel package. Bring on a DMC partner and there’s a good chance they can book just about everything you’ll need.

Who hires a DMC?

DMCs are a critical piece of the puzzle for international travel agents. If you’re building a travel product with inclusive services, a destination management company will help you put all the pieces together and plug any logistical gaps. They’re also perfect if you’re building something completely new for the market; they’ll offer a great perspective on the most successful travel experiences in the region.

DMCs are also ideal if you’re creating bespoke travel packages for an exclusive clientele. The huge range of services they provide allows you to be more flexible and plan more complex itineraries. And when your client’s needs change, the DMC is there to help you adapt on the fly, providing services as and when you need them.

DMCs are a big help no matter how you work. To learn more about what DMCs can do for you here at TTC, take a look at our services page. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.