UK Travel Agencies Gain Powerful New Booking Tools as Expedia Group Expands TAAP with Tiqets

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UK travel agencies are gaining access to a broader range of bookable experiences as Expedia Group expands its travel technology platforms. Announced on 1 October 2026, the developments introduce curated Tiqets activities to selected Expedia TAAP partners in the UK, alongside a new Rapid Activities API for eligible businesses. Museums, attractions and tours can now be incorporated into more convenient, connected booking journeys during the beta phase.

The expansion matters because travellers increasingly expect flights, accommodation and experiences to be arranged through one service. For travel advisers and technology partners, simpler discovery and more integrated booking capabilities are being prioritised.

Expedia Group B2B Expands Rapid API with Activities and Attractions

Expedia Group B2B has placed activities alongside its established accommodation and car rental distribution capabilities through the new Rapid Activities API. The product has entered beta testing with selected partners, with general availability planned for early 2027. A waitlist has been opened for businesses seeking to explore eligibility for early access.

Rather than directing customers to a separate supplier for every attraction, participating partners can build customised discovery, shopping, booking and management processes within their own websites, apps or booking systems. The inventory has been curated globally by Expedia Group and strengthened by Tiqets’ specialisation in museums and attractions.

The intention is to shorten development time for partners adding experiences to their offerings. It also reflects Expedia Group research titled Full Trip Planning, which found that 77% of travellers wanted to book travel through one platform. Stephen Cheng, Vice President of Expedia Group B2B, indicated that extending Rapid API to activities would equip partners to address that preference.

Expedia TAAP Brings Curated Tiqets Activities to UK Travel Agencies

For UK travel agencies using Expedia TAAP, the immediate change is the introduction of curated Tiqets activities for a limited group of beta participants. The Travel Agent Affiliate Program already allows advisers to book hotels, flights, packages and car rentals, with activity reservations included among its travel offerings.

Within the new beta experience, attractions have been organised to help advisers identify relevant options more quickly. A simplified search and booking path has been provided, making it easier to find experiences that fit an existing itinerary.

Travel agent booking tools are central to this approach. Instead of spending additional time reviewing disconnected listings, participating advisers are being offered a curated selection intended to support more targeted recommendations. Expedia TAAP also provides agency-focused rates, commission opportunities, payment options, trip management functions and support. Access to the new Tiqets selection, however, has not been extended to every UK agency, and remains limited to selected beta partners.

Beta Partners Highlight Changing Travel Planning and Booking Preferences

The significance of experiences within travel planning was highlighted by Global Hotel Card, an early Rapid Activities API partner. Its chief executive, Peter Friend, observed that travellers had traditionally chosen a destination, then booked flights and accommodation before considering activities. He suggested that this sequence was changing, with certain experiences increasingly influencing where a trip was planned in the first place.

For travel agents, a different operational benefit was identified by Flights Guru, which is participating in the UK Expedia TAAP beta. Commercial Manager Liam Brophy explained that finding activities to complement flights or hotels was important to service quality. He indicated that the new functionality would make recommendations faster and more intuitive for sales staff.

Both assessments point to the role of Travel agent booking tools in connecting individual trip elements, although the developments remain at the beta stage.

Tiqets Integration Strengthens Expedia Group’s Travel Technology Ecosystem

The additional inventory comes from Tiqets, a booking platform covering museums, attractions, tours and other experiences across more than 60 countries and 1,000 cities. Its booking services operate in 17 languages. Expedia Group acquired the company on 18 February 2026, after which it became part of the B2B division.

The acquisition now has a visible role in two separate distribution channels. The Rapid Activities API is being designed for partners developing their own customer-facing booking experiences, while Expedia TAAP is delivering curated discovery directly to selected travel advisers.

For UK travel agencies, the practical value lies in easier access to relevant attractions without moving away from familiar booking workflows. For technology partners, the opportunity is to integrate activities into existing digital products. Neither initiative has been described as universally available yet: the UK TAAP offering is a restricted beta, and the API’s broader release is planned for early 2027.

Expedia TAAP Moves Towards More Connected Travel Booking

The expansion of Expedia TAAP and Rapid Activities API marks a further step towards joined-up travel booking across Expedia Group B2B. For UK travel agencies involved in the current beta, curated Tiqets activities offer a more direct way to identify experiences that complement existing reservations.

Technology partners are also being given opportunities to develop tailored activity-booking journeys, although access currently remains limited ahead of the planned wider API release in early 2027. By connecting attractions with established travel products, Expedia Group is aiming to reduce fragmented searches and support the growing preference for arranging an entire trip through one platform.