travel tech insights

Why Travel Agencies Need Continuously Mapped Content Databases

Think about the concept of spring cleaning. That one day every spring when you go through your house, organize your possessions, give every room a good cleaning, and clear out any clutter that has accumulated during the past year, Without this yearly ritual, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where you can’t find certain possessions, where important documents like bills go missing, and your house falls into complete disarray.

The same is true for agencies when it comes to continuously cleaning and mapping their content databases to ensure updated, accurate information about the products and services available from suppliers and for customers. Much like how spring cleaning makes for a better overall living situation in your home where things are neat and organized, continuously mapped databases means travel agency operators won’t miss out on the latest and greatest offers from suppliers, book inaccurate allocated hotels or accommodations, or be bogged down by slow search response times in their booking engine, travel ERP suite, or other technologies.

Topics: Tour Operator travel agents Static databases static content Content mapping content matching

4 Reasons Why Travel Agents Need An ERP Solution

Let’s talk about cooking for a moment, particularly the cooking of a stew. A typical stew is made up of many core ingredients essential for a healthy diet: meat, starch, carbs, vegetables, and others. These ingredients are then combined in one-pot for a well-rounded eating experience that is efficient for the diner and often easy for the cook to prepare. The end result, if done properly, is a well-integrated dish of complex flavors that is often simple to execute and easy to repeat in the future.

The same is true when it comes to ERP solutions for travel agents. In today’s complex, interconnected travel industry, travel agents are called to execute any number of disparate tasks at any given moment - everything from travel operations to financial duties to operational or back-office functions. The result of these demands is a complex business atmosphere that can require much in the way of time and resources, which can hamper an agent’s productivity and efficiency in serving customers.

Topics: travel erp travel agency travel erp system travel agents

3 Business Process Challenges for Travel Agents

Today’s travel agent is in an interesting position. Some travel industry insiders believe traditional brick-and-mortar travel agents are set to experience a resurgence due to renewed interest from millennial travelers, while others believe traditional travel agents have long outlasted their utility in an online-driven industry. The truth of the matter is most likely somewhere in the middle of these two ideas, but either way travel agents in today’s complex, global travel landscape are faced with a number of challenges in remaining a relevant part of the industry, particularly when it comes to business processes.

For traditional travel agents, the concept of business processes - a series of related business actions or transactions resulting in a certain goal or objective - can be a major pain point for agencies still relying on outdated methods of completing transactions between wholesales, suppliers, distributors, and customers. These methods - often relying on manual data entry, management, and customer relations - lack the flexibility, agility, and transparency travel agents need to get the right products to the right people at the right time. This lack of speed and convenience can seriously hamper a travel agency’s entire value chain and be a determining factor in how healthy and stable a travel agency truly is.

Topics: travel erp travel agency travel business Business Process Automation travel agents

How Search Efficiency Helps Travel Agents

For travel agents, the ability to offer customers quick and efficient search responses is similar to running a marathon - you have to be steady and consistent, but you also have to be fast and nimble, especially in today’s global travel and tourism landscape. A travel agency’s ability to drive sales and profitability depends on utilizing a booking engine with a powerful search component to help customers sift through the multitude of products and services in order to find the product that best suits their needs.

However, it’s not just about assisting customers through the metaphorical jungle of travel offers - it’s about decreasing the amount of time customers devote to this task. In today’s hyper-connected travel industry, travelers expect agents to respond quickly and comprehensively to inquiries, which makes search response perhaps one of the more most important value propositions of advanced booking and reservations systems. In an era when so many travelers can research and complete bookings with the technology they carry in their pocket on a daily basis, the onus is on travel agents to deploy booking systems with enough computing power to return advanced searches in a competitive enough manner.

Topics: travel technology travel erp travel reservation system travel agents Travel booking engines Response

3 Reasons Why Travel Agents Should Optimize Search Capability

Imagine you’re planning a long road trip with a group of friends. You’ve plotted out your route, made a list of stops you want to make and sights you want to see, and the last step is deciding what car you’re going to drive. You want a car that is reliable, big enough to comfortably seat everyone, and cost-effective enough so you don’t squander money on fuel. This may sound strange, but the link between this hypothetical road trip and optimizing travel agent search capabilities through advanced mapping is stronger than you’d think.

In incorporating advanced search capabilities, travel agents desire reliable search capabilities, comprehensive search functions, and a search technology solution that is cost-efficient and promotes growth across the entire value chain. Travel booking engines, with their capability to integrate travel suppliers and work with more wholesalers and Global Distribution Systems, empower agencies to offer an even greater product variety and availability at the best rate.

Topics: travel technology travel booking system Advanced Booking Systems travel agents Travel booking engines