South African National Parks (SANParks) is implementing a technologically advanced system called the Tourism Property Management System (TPMS) that will facilitate accommodation and activity bookings.

This solution will be phased in from August 1, starting with Golden Gate Highlands and Addo Elephant National Parks.

According to SANParks Head of Communications, JP Louw, the new system is a tourism-focused, cohesive, and modern software solution that enables SANParks to execute its tourism operations more efficiently and effectively. It will improve accessibility, streamline booking processes and create opportunity for new revenue channels.

SANParks has been facing several technological challenges that inhibited its operations in the tourism, hospitality, and property management areas. These challenges are primarily due to constrained and legacy IT systems, disparate data silos, and inaccessibility to critical information. In turn, these operational efficiencies impair SANParks’ ability to deliver effectively on its strategies and drive revenue growth.

SANParks then conducted an analysis on the weakness of the organisation’s current systems, which led to the introduction of the internationally recognised TPMS that can effectively support business processes in the tourism, hospitality, and property management areas.

SANParks cautions that the transition from legacy IT systems to a modern TPMS is likely to disrupt some operations at Head Office and the relevant parks.

“Notwithstanding, all effort will be made to avoid or minimise such impacts,” said Louw.