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When the time comes for your business to start looking for new travel technology solutions you will find the market awash with suppliers that claim that they can meet your needs.

You may be in a position where you have a legacy system that does not do what you need it to, it is restricting your business and most of the things you need to do are now performed in other systems or Excel files.

You may be a new company looking to launch your business and want all of the functions and flexibility that a new system can bring, on-line booking through your website, real time management information and accounts, packaging and integration to 3rd party suppliers for flight, accommodation and other products.

Whatever your position you will face the same challenges, and the key is to identify your business requirements and choose the right travel technology system at the right price.

On the technical side, you will want to ensure that the system will be scalable for the future, not grind to a halt when more than 10 people access it at the same time and integrate it with your other systems to ensure that you don’t have data stored in different systems.

Choosing the right system is not just about seeing a few PowerPoint presentations and a quick demonstration from a couple of companies that you have found on the internet. It’s about going through a proper, tried and tested process to select the most suitable system and supplier.

If you short-cut this process you will almost certainly pay the price further on down the line when either the system doesn’t do what you thought it would and you have to spend a significant amount to develop it, or when it is not installed on time and your staff and customers start to lose faith.

Travology has extensive experience helping travel companies to find the right technology and our tried and tested process of selecting a suitable supplier will ensure that you get a system that does exactly what you need it to, on-time and within budget. A little investment at the beginning guarantees no surprises further on down the line.

If you are looking for a new travel technology system, contact Travology today for impartial advice on how we can help you.

Travel Agent Desktop Systems

Having a single technology solution is essential to allow a Travel Agent to quickly and accurately search a wide range of travel products from tour operators to airlines, accommodation providers, cruise companies, car hire companies and many more.

With today’s modern technology solutions, integration with numerous product suppliers in ‘real-time’ is standard. This allows the agent through a single search to view hundreds of thousands of results and then proceed to book.

Using dynamic packaging tools, a Travel Agent can use the Travel Booking System to quickly put together a Package holiday consisting of multiple components from different suppliers e.g. A low-cost carrier flight, a hotel from a Bed Bank or Channel Manager and a transfer from an Ancillary service provider of Destination Management Company (DMC).

With pricing and availability being in real-time, this allows the Travel Agent to be able to make the sale immediately, whereas in the past, they would have had to contact the suppliers through phone calls and emails and then wait for a response.

Travel Back Office Systems

A Travel Back office system, used by Travel Agents, Tour Operators, OTAs is essential to hold a full record of the booking including costs, margins, suppliers and financial liabilities.

Travel Back Office Systems also typically come with sophisticated workflow functions that can automate tasks such as collecting money from clients to paying suppliers.

Automated reconciliation tools for processes like BSP for airline payments, credit card and bank statements are also commonplace and reduce the need for manual intervention and the associated errors that these processes can cause.

A fully integrated front, mid and back-office system means that there is no longer the need to re-key booking data from one system to another saving time and cost of errors.

There are numerous travel agent systems in the market and Travology has been involved in the successful implementation of many of these for Travel Agencies, Tour Operators and Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

We can help you to short-cut the process of finding the right solution at the right price.

Contact us today for free impartial advice on Travel Agency systems.

What is Dynamic Packaging?

A keystone in the evolution of travel packaging was the inception of dynamic packaging software.  These complex systems allow tour operators and travel agents to mix and match various combinations of travel components to create bespoke holidays on demand.

Holiday packaging has evolved significantly over the last 25 years, accelerated by an ever-increasing proportion of online transactions over the web and other digital applications.

Dynamically packaged travel products offer almost limitless flexibility when compared to more traditional, fixed packaged tours found in most holiday brochures.  The flexible nature of DP holidays has in part contributed to its rapid growth in popularity.

Dynamic packages have grown in popularity with tour operators supplementing their product range by offering DP holidays alongside their pre-packaged arrangements.

Likewise, airlines have started to offer branded DP holidays using dynamic packaging solutions to match ground arrangements with their inhouse flight inventory.

An increasing number of travel and tourism businesses are starting to recognise the incremental revenue opportunities that dynamic packaging technology can provide. Not only being able to marry flight and hotels together seamlessly but also maximising ancillary sales.

Choosing the right DP software is an important step on the way to becoming a successful holiday business.  Let’s look at the benefits that DP holidays can offer over fixed packaged holidays

Dynamic Packaging Software Benefits

Being able to create holidays on the fly has numerous advantages. Some of the advantages of being to offer dynamic packaging travel include:

• Providing the customer with more choice and flexibility in selecting their holiday arrangements
• Allowing the customer to cherry-pick which travel options they want and remove components they do not need
• Filling gaps in availability when fixed packages may not be available
• Offering alternative options when fixed packages do not meet the customer’s requirements
• Being able to manage yield and margin business rules with a greater level of fluidity
• Gaining a competitive advantage by generating prices based on real-time supplier connections
• Actively managing business rules and generating dynamically priced holidays

Technology – Important things to consider

In the past, DP holidays came under criticism with some detractors claiming they offered less consumer protection than traditional package holidays.

The ‘split contracts’ applied to DP holidays, created a loophole which meant that such arrangements fell outside of the definitions of the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs).

Some commentators claimed that DP holiday providers had gained an unfair competitive advantage by selling dynamically generated holidays with a lower tax liability.  Lower tax liability could allow those businesses to undercut the price of an equivalent package holiday.

Under recent updates to the PTRs, more holidays now fall under the regulation, giving consumers added protection when things don’t go to plan. The regulations require that any travel company combining and selling travel services as part of the same holiday or trip will form a single contract and as a result, will fall under the PTR’s definitions.

Travel companies or travel providers will be liable for providing the services and therefore responsible if anything goes wrong. In essence, the customer has a contract with the package provider rather than sperate contracts with each of the airline and hotel.

There is far more to dynamic packaging technology than simply choosing the right software. You will need to consider the legalities of selling travel components in this way.

You will also need to source the right products at competitive rates and deal with any operational issues that may arise from selling DP holidays

In the traditional package world, once a package is sold it is the responsibility of the Tour Operator to deal with any operational issues, such as overbookings, cancelled/unavailable facilities etc.

If you start dynamically packaging, you will need to consider what you will do if the low-cost airline that you have used as part of your dynamic package changes the flight time or even worse cancels the flight.

You will then be left with the accommodation and the responsibility of finding your customer an alternative flight. There are also issues around financial bonding and ATOL that you need to consider.

These obligations should be an important consideration when thinking about entering the DP market.

Choosing the best System

In addition to the existing regulatory requirements, another important consideration is which technology supplier to choose. Building a DP system from scratch is an in-depth task which requires significant investment and know-how and may not be a viable approach for all businesses.

As DP technology experts, Travology can offer expert and impartial advice on which DP solution will be best for you. We have many years of experience of working with several DP system providers and can help you with the vendor selection, system integration and project management of a DP system lunch.

Travology has been at the forefront of the dynamic packaging technology market helping travel companies to find the right technology and systems to be able to compete in the latest dynamic market.

The right technology is critical to be able to package and sell products in this new dynamic way. You may well have your inhouse flight or bed stock, but you will probably want to source additional stock from scheduled airlines, low costs airlines and charter airlines as well as get bed stock direct from hotels or bed bank suppliers.

There are then the ancillary products such as transfers, car hire, airport parking, excursions and tours all of which can form part of the dynamic package. If you can’t sell these items, then the customer is likely to buy them from someone else.

There are numerous travel technology companies in the marketplace that will tell you that they have the answer to all of your problems and can provide you with a dynamic packaging engine today, but do they understand the market and the potential pitfalls, which can be extremely costly?

If you want to get into the DP market, contact Travology and we will give you independent advice based on our extensive knowledge and experience to ensure that you avoid any costly errors.

The internet has undoubtedly been responsible for the huge change in the way that people research and book their holidays.

With the uptake of home broadband in the UK hitting record levels and mobile technology being widely available this will only increase and it is therefore essential for travel companies to be able to offer their products for sale through a fully bookable e-commerce website.

Unfortunately, unlike many products sold on the internet, travel is highly complex and to make it successful it is imperative to offer the latest up to date information, availability and prices.

Technology is the key to enabling online distribution. A fully integrated online solution will eliminate the need for dozens of staff manually processing web bookings, as well as disappointed customers who thought that they had made a firm booking.

Travology has implemented full eCommerce solutions for a number of travel companies to enable the selling of traditional packages to highly complex tailor made holidays and dynamic packages.

Getting your website working is the first part. You then need to make sure that your travel website is visible through offline and online marketing, both paid for and ‘free’, e.g. search engine optimisation (SEO).

If you are looking to improve your existing website or are starting from scratch, contact us today for impartial advice on how we can help you.

As a hotelier, managing your yield effectively and selling your rooms at the right time have always been the cornerstones of your business.

In the past, this could be a very long winded and resource expensive exercise. Having the ability to automate many of the processes and distribute your stock through numerous 3rd party agencies at the press of a button is essential to survive in today’s marketplace.

There are numerous systems that claim to meet your requirements and prices that vary with equal complexity.

Travology can help you though this maze and ensure that you find the right system to meet your requirements at the right price.

If you are looking for a Property Management System (PMS) and/or Hotel Channel Management Systems, contact us today for impartial advice on how we can help you.

Travology has unrivalled experience in implementing, supporting and developing destination management systems and infrastructures.

Starting back in 1997 Andy Boyce was responsible for the installation of new computers and a resort based reservations system for Sunworld Holidays, later to become Thomas Cook Tour Operations.

Prior to this, the overseas resort offices were working with paper based systems and reservations information being sent from the UK by telex and fax.

The project involved developing a computerised reservations system to allow resort staff to manage customers on the ground; this included producing rooming lists, manifests and other supplier documentation and managing and updating bookings. Alongside this, a new computer infrastructure was installed in over 125 resort offices from Cuba to Sri Lanka.

Today Travology looks after the IT requirements in overseas offices for several tour operators.

A recent project also involved project managing a new hotel reservations and point of sale system for a large UK Tour Operator.

Having worked as overseas staff, we have a vast amount of experience in this area, understanding both the technical and operational challenges that this work involves.

If you are looking for a new resort/destination management system or service please contact us to see how we can help.

A Travel CRM system (short for customer relationship management) is software that allows travel agents and tour operators to effectively manage their customer’s lifecycle. When implemented and used correctly, travel agency CRM systems can increase engagement during the booking process, provide a richer customer experience whilst on holiday and ultimately increase retention rates when the customer returns.

What are the benefits of a Travel CRM System?

• Increase conversion rates and revenue by better understanding your customer’s needs, travel history, and preferences
• Increase customer lifetime value by understanding the end-to-end customer life cycle, from enquiry to sale
• Develop a single customer view (SCV) across all touch-points and marketing channels
• Win life-long loyalty by providing personalised customer experiences that drive real value
• Centralise multi-channel communication e.g. phone, email and live chat communications with customers
• Deliver remarkable and memorable customer experiences from initial enquiry right through to post-trip feedback

How do Travel CRM Systems work?

Travel CRM systems retain information about customers who have made enquiries or booked with you before, including their demographics, likes and dislikes and marketing activity all in a single customer view (SCV). This gives you the tools to ensure that you can properly communicate and service your customers and secure future business using online and offline marketing techniques. It can also improve the productivity of your sales consultants by quickly identifying customers when they contact you and providing key information about them at your fingertips.
A travel CRM system will not only allow you to store essential information but can then be used to produce lists of customers for targeted mailshots or ensure that when customers enquire with you again you treat them as a ‘personal’ customer; something as simple as knowing that one of the party is a vegetarian may be the difference between them booking with you again or losing them to a competitor.

Finding the best CRM for Travel Agency

Travel CRM systems are highly complex and cater to all sorts of requirements, from large scale businesses to smaller, specialist companies. To ensure that you maximise your marketing spend and generate the very best conversions, a travel CRM system is an essential part of your system set-up. With so many solutions on offer, it can be difficult to select the best product for your business and this is where we can help you
Travology is an expert in this field, having helped many travel agencies and tour operators to find the right travel CRM solutions to meet their requirements and budget. CRM for Tour Operators can be very different from the requirements for Travel agency CRM. We understand this and have over 20 years’ experience in helping travel business find the right solution.
If you are looking to improve your customer interaction or marketing activity or considering upgrading your CRM system, contact us today for impartial advice on how we can help you.

What is the best Travel CRM Software for Tour Operators?

Tour operators understand the importance of a fully integrated and scalable travel CRM system and CRM software is no longer seen as a “nice to have” but as an essential component of any successful travel business.  However, with so many options available, how do you know which CRM system is the right solutions for your business?.  Some of the larger, multinational Travel CRM solutions may be suitable for large and well-established travel businesses but that doesn’t mean that they will be the right choice for every travel agency or tour operator.

At Travology, we have reviewed the functional capabilities of all current travel CRM solutions and can provide impartial advice on which CRM system will meet your needs.  Because we’ve evaluated the CRM characteristics and functions specifically for travel industry clients (both large and small) we know we’ll be able to help you to select the best CRM systems for Tour Operators.

Global Distribution Systems or GDS as they are known are travel industy’s most widely used systems for sourcing flight availability and prices and making bookings. GDS’s also offer other travel products such as car hire, rail and cruise.

In the UK the 4 most widely used GDSs are Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan and Sabre.

There are other technologies in the market providing access to flight stock with some of these focusing on low cost carriers and the charter market where the GDS’s are not particularly strong.

Travology has extensive experience with GDS and flights solutions having implemented such solutions with many of the world’s leading travel businesses.

This is a highly complex and area and our experience will ensure that you find the right solution for your business.

If you are looking for a new GDS or flight solutions please contact us today for impartial advice

Travology has extensive experience with 3rd party inventory sourcing systems having implemented such solutions with many of the world’s leading travel businesses.

Such systems provide real time access to flight, accommodation, car hire, cruise and other travel products through a single source.

This is a highly complex and area and our experience will ensure that you find the right solution for your business.

If you are looking for 3rd party inventory sourcing systems please contact us today for impartial advice.

Travology has extensive experience with airline, bedbank, cruise and car hire systems having implemented such solutions with many of the world’s leading travel businesses.

There are a vast number of specialist systems providing technology suitable for these specific product types and they vary greatly in their capabilities and costs.

This is a highly complex and area and our experience will ensure that you find the right solution for your business.

If you are looking for an airline, bedbank, cruise or car hire systems please contact us today for impartial advice.