When your company becomes a member of OpenTravel, as an implementor you can freely join teams, propose projects or simply subscribe to news from a specific project that is germane to your work. This gives you the opportunity to help shape the direction of open standards in the travel industry.
But the benefits to implementers go beyond building better interoperability capabilities. As a member company, you receive preferred pricing to OpenTravel events such as the annual OpenTravel Advisory Forum (2012 conference recap), where you can talk one-on-one with implemention experts from leading travel companies - both established and emerging trendsetters.
Membership Benefits and Application
Visit OpenTravel.org to learn more about membership benefits or apply today. To learn more, see our brief (pdf) presentation on Why Open Standards Matter.
Here are three frequently asked questions by new members.
Who should join?
OpenTravel is a not-for-profit trade association, and our primary focus is the creation of electronic message structures to facilitate communication between the disparate systems in the global travel industry. Membership in OpenTravel is open to companies and organizations such as:
- Travel suppliers, defined as any company with primary control of inventory, including air carriers, car rental companies, hotel companies, railways, cruise lines, insurance companies, golf course owners, motorcycle, water or bicycle tour companies, etc.
- Distributors, including global distribution companies, wholesalers, aggregators, travel agencies and travel web sites
- Solutions providers
- Software developers and technology companies
- Other trade groups and non-profits
How often should I participate in the workgroups?
You can participate as much or as little as you can. However, consistent participation in the workgroups ensures the workgroup and your organization the most benefit. This is especially true if you are trying to have updates or changes made to the specification and documentation. It is also important if you have already implemented messages and want to ensure the specification remains stable and that any changes made are appropriate for your organization.
What’s the difference between a workgroup and a project team?
Workgroups are organized by vertical or segments (hospitality, transport, travel integration); while project teams are generally organized by function (vehicle exchange, promotional message, etc.). A project team is owned by the most relevant workgroup, although any member can participate in any project team, regardless of the vertical(s)/segment(s) their company serves. Schemas are created or modified by project teams and project team work is reviewed by the workgroups. For more information about OpenTravel processes, see the OpenTravel Procedures Manual or visit the organization structure page on this site.
More membership questions?
Email your inquiries to info@opentravel.org.