Why Brazil's Travel Sector Is Outsourcing Support

Why Are Travel Agencies Outsourcing Customer Support?

A family misses a connection in Lisbon at 4 a.m. Brasília time. An executive's flight is cancelled in Frankfurt at the same hour. The agency that sold both trips is closed. This scenario — increasingly common across Brazil's travel industry — exposes a structural gap: most agencies operate during business hours, but travel disruptions don't.

How Big Is the Problem?

According to AirHelp, a global travel technology company, 18.5 million passengers experienced delays or cancellations of more than three hours at Brazilian airports in 2025 — equivalent to 18% of all commercial aviation travellers in the country that year. Every one of those incidents means a traveller needing immediate help with rebooking, accommodation or itinerary changes, regardless of the time.

What Is a Tourism BPO and How Does It Work?

BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing. In the travel sector, it means hiring a specialised company to act as an extension of your agency — handling calls, emergencies and rebookings during hours when your in-house team is unavailable. America BPO, the 24-hour outsourcing arm of the Grupo Uniglobe Travel ecosystem, is one of the companies operating this model. It serves corporate and leisure agencies, consolidators, tour operators, short-term rental companies and destination management companies (DMCs) that lack the structure to cover all operational periods.

Is It Only About Night Shifts?

Not at all. The service can be activated for any gap in coverage — weekends, public holidays, or even during business hours when demand spikes and a team needs backup. The real question isn't just who picks up at 3 a.m., but which hours of the week any travel company leaves unattended.

Why Is the Corporate Segment Especially Vulnerable?

An executive stranded at an overseas airport isn't just a personal inconvenience — it's a missed meeting, an unsigned contract, a team left waiting. Companies that rely on travel carry legal and operational responsibility for employees abroad: duty of care, response SLAs and legal exposure in the event of a medical emergency or natural disaster. When the contracted agency doesn't answer after hours, the company's own travel department absorbs that risk — without a dedicated on-call structure or backup.