travel tech insights

You wouldn’t drive around an unfamiliar neighborhood or city without a map or some kind of GPS device. Not only could this result in confusion and frustration, but it could also result in more concrete, tangible consequences such as lost time, increased fuel costs, and undue wear and tear on your vehicle. To successfully navigate new areas, you need a powerful mapping system to get you where you need to go as fast and efficiently as possible.

Much the same can be said for why travel companies need a powerful, integrated travel booking system. Because the travel industry is  built on responding to disruptions (inclement weather, environmental events, or other delays and cancellations), travel companies must be agile enough to handle these and other temporary breakdowns in calculated, efficient ways to retain customers and continue operations in as normal a way as possible.

As we’ve discussed in previous blog entries, travel agents, travel management companies, and other players in today’s global travel industry need fast, powerful technology platforms for maximum efficiency and productivity. Whether you’re talking about content mapping tools, travel ERP suites, long-term success in today’s travel industry depends largely on a company’s ability to leverage the right technology at the right time to reach and retain customers.

With networks and partnerships established in disparate regions across the globe, it can be difficult to coordinate sales efforts, particularly due to the need for integrated, multi-functional software solutions with common access points. Travel companies have a wide variety of these solutions to choose from, especially when it comes to selecting the right travel booking engines for a given company’s needs and desires. As such, these travel companies have to consider a number of different elements when selecting a technology partner based on specific criteria and desires.  

But all this choice, while a positive thing for travel companies, begs the question: How do you choose the right software your travel business? How do you most effectively analyze your criteria and needs to ensure the software you select brings the greatest value to your business? And how can you tell which IT provider will be with you for the long haul and which will disappear after simply making the sale?

Take a look at your weekend to-do list. It probably involves multiple stops at a variety of different stores for a number of varied products. While this use to be the norm, megastores like Wal-Mart and others have made it easy for customers to purchase all the products they need in one convenient place. Everything from groceries to clothing to automotive supplies and beyond. Megamarts like this have become a one-stop shop for customers on a global scale.

The same can be said of online booking engines. For travel agents, there once was a time when multiple interfaces or systems would have to be used in order to search for available bookings, view inventory, coordinate with the client or customer, and finally distribute confirmations or other necessary documents. As online booking sites and other methods of travel bookings rose to prominence, travel agents were significantly hampered by the lack of maneuverability and agility associated with using multiple systems or platforms to complete relatively simple operational tasks.

Let’s face it: The travel industry is built on responding to disruption. Whether it’s inclement weather  forcing cancellations of flights, hotel accommodations, or tours, or overbookings due to sudden spikes in demand, travel companies must be agile enough to handle these and other temporary breakdowns in calculated, efficient ways to retain customers and continue operations in as normal a way as possible.

Just like in life, planning ahead is good practice when considering a vacation or trip. Researching and completing bookings well in advance gives travelers peace of mind, keeps them organized, and allows travel agents and tour operators the opportunity to offer additional bookings to complement a customer’s existing itinerary. But the sad fact is the travel industry is prone to unpredictability and cancellations happen.

Weather. Personal struggles. Changes in availability. All these elements factor into why travelers must sometimes postpone, alter, or altogether cancel bookings, accommodations, and tours, and a travel company’s cancellation policy can go a long way toward either enhancing or remedying a traveler’s disappointment.