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Introduction

OTA-based notifications for excursions use the OTA_TourActivityRQ/RS message set (OpenTravel). These are used in push-model integrations to provide partners with up-to-date rates, availability, and product content for excursions and activities. A typical notification horizon is 12–18 months. Delta notifications are commonly sent every 15 minutes during daytime and hourly overnight.
This page keeps a transactional focus: structures and rules are aligned with the real-time messages you use in pricing/booking flows (OTA_TourActivityRQ/RS), while showing how the same elements appear in push notifications.

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Notification Schedule

  • Full notification: inventories, rates, and/or availabilities for all products and for the full period.
  • Delta notification:
    • Stock (availability) deltas only include affected dates.
    • Rates deltas ship the full rate scope for the affected product/period.
  • Frequency guideline: full weekly; deltas every 15 min (09:00–22:59 CET) and hourly overnight.

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Allotment (Availability)

OTA_TourActivityAvailRS with Target="Stock". Used to communicate when a service operates, what release applies, and how many units remain.

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Skeleton

<OTA_TourActivityAvailRS Version="2016.2" Target="Stock">
  <TourActivityInfo>
    <BasicInfo SupplierServiceCode="TIC" SupplierProductCode="ST" TourActivityID="PESLPA4GTA"/>
    <Schedule>
      <Summary Start="09:15:00"/>
      <Detail Start="2017-11-01" End="2018-04-30"/>
      <!-- Daily patterns covering the Detail range -->
      <OperationTime Pattern="11111" PatternLength="1"/>
      <Release      Pattern="PT00HPT00HPT00HPT00HPT00H" PatternLength="5"/>
      <Allotment    Pattern="9999999999" PatternLength="2"/>
    </Schedule>
    <TPA_Extensions>
      <PickupDropoffs>
        <PickupDropoff Code="70706" LocationName="Arenas del Mar Hotel" OtherInfo="Hotel" PickupInd="true"/>
        <!-- … more pickup points … -->
      </PickupDropoffs>
    </TPA_Extensions>
  </TourActivityInfo>
</OTA_TourActivityAvailRS>

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Technical Notes (Availability Patterns)

  • The Detail node’s Start/End bounds the date range covered by all patterns underneath it.
  • OperationTime (PatternLength="1"):
    • 1 = service operates; 0 = closed (closeouts, DOW restrictions, etc.).
  • Release (PatternLength="5"):
    • Each day consumes 5 chars in XML duration format (e.g., PT00H, P1D).
  • Allotment (PatternLength="2"):
    • XX = remaining integer units (e.g., 07)
    • 99 = Free sale
    • RQ = On request
    • SS = Stop sale
  • A date is bookable only if all three concepts pass: OperationTime=open AND Release satisfied AND Allotment available.

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Pickup/Dropoff Logic

  • Services with transfers list allowed hotel pickup points in TPA_Extensions/Stocks/Stock/PickupDropoffs.
  • All hotels in the list are valid pickup/dropoff candidates; some allotment conditions may be constrained to specific pickup points.

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Deactivation

Communicated with the same RS envelope, marking StockStatusType="Deactivated". Without dates, the product is deactivated entirely. 
<OTA_TourActivityAvailRS Version="2016.2" Target="Stock">
  <Success/>
  <TourActivityInfo>
    <BasicInfo TourActivityID="PESLPA4GTA"/>
    <Schedule>
      <Detail Start="2018-01-01" End="2018-12-31">
        <TPA_Extensions>
          <Stock Type="Main" StockStatusType="Deactivated"/>
        </TPA_Extensions>
      </Detail>
    </Schedule>
  </TourActivityInfo>
</OTA_TourActivityAvailRS>

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Rates

OTA_TourActivityAvailRS with Target="Rates". Used to communicate amounts, pricing base (per person / per group), brand-specific rates, pickup scope for transfer services, and participant policies.

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Skeleton

<OTA_TourActivityAvailRS Version="2016.2" Target="Rates">
  <TourActivityInfo>
    <BasicInfo SupplierServiceCode="TIC" SupplierProductCode="ST" TourActivityID="PESLPA4GTA"/>
    <Schedule>
      <Detail Start="2018-01-01" End="2018-06-30"/>
      <Detail Start="2018-07-01" End="2018-12-31"/>
    </Schedule>

    <Pricing>
      <Summary CurrencyCode="EUR" Amount="50.00"/>
      <PricingType>PerPerson</PricingType>
      <!-- Optional brand scoping -->
      <Group GroupCode="BRAND1"/>
      <Group GroupCode="BRAND2"/>
    </Pricing>

    <Policies>
      <!-- Age windows & group-size limits -->
      <Participant MinAge="13" MaxAge="99" MinParticipants="1" MaxParticipants="1"/>
    </Policies>

    <!-- Transfers only: pickup scoping -->
    <TPA_Extensions>
      <PickupDropoffs>
        <PickupDropoff Code="74073" LocationName="Lux Mar Apartments" OtherInfo="Hotel" PickupInd="true"/>
        <!-- … -->
      </PickupDropoffs>
    </TPA_Extensions>
  </TourActivityInfo>
</OTA_TourActivityAvailRS>

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Technical Notes (Pricing & Policies)

  • PricingType:
    • PerPerson: multiply by pax that fall into priced participant categories.
    • PerGroup: amount covers a whole group window (see Policies).
      • If booking pax exceed MaxParticipants, compute multiple units (ceil division).
  • Brand-specific pricing:
    • Presence of <Group GroupCode="…"/> means rate applies only to those brands.
    • Override rule: brand-specific beats generic for matching conditions.
  • Policies / Participant windows:
    • Expressed via age ranges and Min/MaxParticipants.
    • If only ADT policies are present, you effectively signal adult-only experiences; CHD/INF ranges can be omitted entirely when not permitted.
Authoritative price & availability are those returned by OTA_TourActivityBookRQ/RS at booking time. Do not commit to fixed prices solely from notifications or search responses.

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Transactional Flow Hints (OTA_TourActivityRQ/RS)

While this page shows push RS envelopes, the same structures carry over to the transactional pull flow:
  1. Search/Price: OTA_TourActivityAvailRQ/RS
    • Request filters by TourActivityID, date, pax composition (ages), optional brand, and pickup scope.
    • Response mirrors Schedule, Pricing, Policies, and (for transfers) PickupDropoffs.
  2. Book: OTA_TourActivityBookRQ/RS
    • Send the selected date, pax detail (ages), pickup (if required), and any brand context used in pricing.
    • RS confirms inventory, final price, and returns record locator.
  3. Retrieve/Cancel: OTA_TourActivityResRetrieveRQ/RS and OTA_CancelRQ/RS (when supported).
When computing eligibility for a date, apply OperationTime → Release → Allotment in that order. For price, apply brand override, then PricingType math (PerPerson vs PerGroup), then policies.

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Packaging Notes

  • Pre-package: Combine multiple services (e.g., hotel + rent-a-car) under a single offer.
  • Dynamic package: Compose at runtime.
  • Car packages: use Inventory Block Codes (ACRISS-based).