Global Distribution System

Category: Academics

What is a global distribution system? A global distribution system, or GDS, is a computer network used by travel agencies and other distributors to book airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel-related act of assistances. A GDS is essentially a reservation system for the travel industry, and it’s used by hotels, airlines, tour operators, and other businesses in the tourism section. Think of it as the middle man – connecting a hotel’s reservation system and the travel agent. A travel agent can gain information, such as real-time rates and room availability, through the GDS. Then when a travel agent makes a booking, the GDS will convey this information to the hotel’s booking system to ensure that it is accurately updated. The GDS was created to remove the require for manual input at either end of the booking process – which used to be time-consuming and often, inaccurate.