How Distribusion is Closing the Gap Between Offline and Online Bus Sales in Brazil
24 February 2025
Brazil’s ground transportation sector is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technological advancements and evolving consumer behaviors.
With a vast network of approximately 250 regulated bus carriers overseen by the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), the market is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, fueled by increasing demand for accessible and efficient transportation solutions.
One of the key drivers of this growth is the Brazilian bus market’s projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% between 2025 and 2031, supported by the country’s expanding economy and the rising need for public transportation in urban areas. However, despite this upward trend and the global shift toward digitalization, only about 30% of bus tickets in Brazil are currently purchased online, highlighting a vast opportunity for growth in the online ticketing sector.
Yet, the transition to digital remains a challenge, as a large portion of Brazilian bus travelers continue to rely on traditional counter purchases due to limited access to banking services and a strong preference for cash transactions.
Additionally, the significant fare disparity—with counter prices often close to 20% lower than online fares—further discourages digital adoption. These factors underscore the need for tailored digital solutions that address both affordability and accessibility, ensuring a smoother transition for travelers into the online ecosystem.
Distribusion’s Role in Bridging the Gap
Distribusion's customisable platforms offer features such as highlighted popular destinations, calendars with dynamic pricing, seat selection and support for multiple languages and currencies. In addition, they allow the airline or OTA to define its own markup on the white label, ensuring greater flexibility in pricing. These features improve the user experience and increase your own convenience conversion rate by up to 30 per cent.
One of the primary concerns among bus carriers is the lengthy payout cycles associated with online ticket sales. To mitigate this issue, Distribusion is developing payment split solutions that ensure partners receive their fees promptly, improving cash flow and fostering trust in digital platforms.
Beyond bus carriers, Distribusion is extending its services to online travel agencies (OTAs), travel management companies (TMCs), and regional travel agencies. By providing access to a comprehensive inventory of bus operators, these entities can offer diversified travel options to their customers, enhancing their service offerings and capturing a broader market share.
Join the Digital Transformation in Ground Transportation
As Brazil’s ground transportation landscape evolves, the integration of technology and strategic partnerships is essential to meet the growing demands of modern travelers.
Distribusion Technologies is at the forefront of this transformation, offering E-commerce solutions, which enable bus carriers to maintain their brand identity while expanding their reach with customizable booking platforms that support multiple languages, currencies, and advanced seat selection.
In addition, Distribusion Portal is a tool that allows channel partners to manage all tickets sold, with cancellation and reshipment options, real-time monitoring of revenue generated, the main routes sold, as well as various customisable reports.
By addressing existing challenges and leveraging emerging opportunities, Distribusion is poised to reshape the future of bus travel in Brazil, making it more accessible, efficient, and user-friendly for all stakeholders involved.
Contact me to discuss how we can boost your reach and sales with the largest network in the world.
✉️ fernando.cunha@distribusion.com, Country Manager Brazil.