What Is Despegar
Despegar is Latin America's largest and most established online travel agency, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The platform operates under the Despegar brand in Spanish-speaking markets and as Decolar in Brazil, offering hotels, flights, vacation packages, and car rentals to travelers across 20+ Latin American countries.
Market Position in Latin America
Despegar is the dominant OTA across most of Latin America, often commanding higher market share than global platforms like Booking.com or Expedia in key markets including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru. For properties targeting Latin American travelers, it is the essential regional distribution channel.
How the Platform Works
Travelers search for accommodation by destination, dates, and property type. Listings are ranked by price, ratings, and promotional activity. The platform supports a wide range of localized payment methods that are standard in Latin American markets, including installment-based credit card payments, a feature not commonly available on global OTAs.
Partner Tools and Distribution
Property managers access the Despegar partner portal to manage listings, room inventory, rates, and promotional campaigns. The platform operates on a commission-based model and supports channel manager API integration for automated synchronization of rates and availability across connected booking systems.
Localization Advantages
- Multi-currency support across 20+ Latin American currencies
- Installment payment options (parcelamento/cuotas) aligned with local consumer behavior
- Spanish and Portuguese-language interfaces tailored to regional users
- Deep market knowledge of Latin American travel patterns and seasonality
Competitive Positioning
Despegar's competitive advantage lies in its regional market penetration and localized payment infrastructure. Its dominance in Latin America means that properties not listed on Despegar are effectively invisible to a large share of the region's online travel market. It is a critical component of any hotel distribution strategy targeting Latin American guests.
Who Should Use It
Despegar is essential for properties located in Latin America as well as international destinations that attract significant Latin American leisure travelers—including popular vacation destinations in the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean.