Wetu, a specialist in technology solutions for the travel trade, hopes its latest itinerary output solution will be a hit with consultants, with functionality and back-end design encouraging personalisation and collaboration with suppliers.
Wetu founder and CEO, Paul de Waal,took some time last week to introduce the new platform to existing partners and new customers in an online briefing.
Tourism Update tuned in for the launch and also heard what a big impact current travel trends are having on the travel tech industry. Despite competition from direct and third-party online booking channels, Wetu’s executive leadership is convinced that human consultants – with the correct tools – can do a better job of planning and executing a booking, and leaving customers impressed.
During the briefing, De Waal described better content, customised bookings and tech tools that allowed users to collaborate with others in the supply chain to create a better experience and win more business.
In a pre-launch statement, he said: “With increasing adoption of technology, potential travellers now have access to a wealth of information and visuals, which have naturally altered the way they research, plan, and book their trips.”
Client feedback leads development
Wetu said it engaged with clients during the development process to be able to understand their operational needs, difficulties and challenges better. The feedback guided the design and functionality of the output solution. De Waal added: “Ultimately, the new itinerary output aims to provide a solution that adds value to clients and a more engaging experience for potential travellers.”
Based on a visual demonstration of the new solution, customers will see high-quality video and imagery feature throughout the booking journey, and enquiries can be handled seamlessly, which allows for easier and fast decision-making and, therefore, conversions. Users can also control what content the client sees. Meanwhile, Wetu also has an app to manage customers during their journey.
Other highlights include:
- curated destination, accommodation and experiences images
- an intuitive user experience means all vital information is available in one place
- the solution is fully mobile responsive
- upfront pricing highlights all that is included and excluded, providing customers with peace of mind
- brand representation is possible through customisable colour, fonts, logos and contact info
De Waal told listeners that the new itinerary output was just the beginning of “a new customer experience from Wetu", with more sophisticated tech for the trade on the way.
Neethling du Toit, Wetu Chief Technical Officer, said re-tooling the output solution would ultimately enable users (consultants) to showcase their expertise. “Creating a great trip proposal takes all the providers coming together in an instant. Digital-first customers are overwhelmed by offers.
“We need to leverage all that new technology offers and reduce the grunt work and allow users to focus on service.”
De Waal concluded: “We are deeply committed to the trade. [They] play a valuable role and provide a far better experience to the traveller than if it (the booking) was automated. Our goal is to allow users to focus on the client. People think this is simply an itinerary builder or an app, but we are [actually] a platform that enables the travel trade to connect better.”
