From marketing to making bookings and sharing content, today’s tour operator has an array of technology tools to choose from. Tourism Update rounds up some of the best options.
- Travelogic
Travelogic is database-driven software that offers tour operators the ability to streamline the booking process by integrating supplier databases with itinerary-building software as well as quoting and invoicing systems. The supplier database is a key element of the software and Travelogic offers the option of having a database manager capture the supplier information on the database.
Using Travelogic, tour operators can manage the entire booking process, from quotation to the issuing of vouchers. Travelogic has also partnered with Smartbox and Wetu, allowing users of these products to pull data and create itineraries on these platforms, while Travelogic also has its own itinerary builder.
Integration with Nightsbridge and ResRequest means that tour operators using Travelogic have access to live availability from suppliers.
- Tourplan
Tourplan is a software solution designed for group, FIT, tailor-made and packaged tours, which allows tour operators to provide fast and accurate quotations to their clients and also make reservations. It also offers reporting functionality and an online diary system providing timely reminders and required follow-ups.
Tour plan also comes with an integrated accounting system that means users need only capture data once.
- Nightsbridge
The NightsBridge is a reservation and management system used by accommodation suppliers. The system offers tour operators access to live availability, allowing them to check availability and make bookings directly online.
Accommodation suppliers using the system have access to reports, including outstanding payments, monthly sales, occupancy rates, arrivals and departures and client lists.
- Wetu Itinerary Builder
Wetu is an itinerary builder that allows tour operators to create interactive itineraries for clients using up-to-date supplier and destination images, videos and virtual tours. Once an itinerary has been built, it can be printed, viewed online as a virtual itinerary or on a mobile device as an app. The virtual itinerary is map-based, allowing users to interact with the content. The virtual itinerary can be used in the quoting period and can also be embedded into third-party websites. Any updates made to the itinerary in the Itinerary Builder will be updated on the website too.
The platform is cloud-based, which allows users to access it at any time, provided they have Internet access. Wetu integrates with Nightbridge to provide users access to live availability as they build itineraries. It also integrates with Travelogic and Tourplan, so that Wetu users can build itineraries from within these platforms.
Wetu also offers a free content portal offering anyone promoting and selling travel to Africa easy access to up-to-date supplier content, including images, videos and virtual tours as well as information on room types and facilities.
