travel tech insights

4 Must-Have Features for Tour Operator Software

Managing your tour operator software solution, like nearly all strategy solutions in the travel industry, is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Different companies of different sizes with different business and customer engagement goals require a variety of solutions that are aligned with their scale, potential for growth, resource availability, and market share. Simply put, you wouldn’t pick-up your child from school in a moving van, nor would you attempt to haul a large camper or recreational vehicle with a small sedan. In order to complete certain tasks properly, you need to utilize the tools and methodologies that will ensure success and make it easy for you to repeat that success in the future. 

The choices tour operators have in selecting the proper software solutions is no different than deciding what kind of vehicle is best for any given situation. Cost, ease of integration with existing systems - ERP, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), and other optimized solutions - efficiency, agility, and the ability to collaborate with individuals across all points of the value chain are all factors to take into account when selecting a software solution - though, once again, the scale and degree of these factors varies heavily depending on the size of the company and its overall financial and customer-relation goals.

Topics: travel software Tour Operator Tour Operator Software trends

Tour Operator Trends and Technology

Within the tour industry the trends of early 2016 are mirroring those of 2015: customers are increasingly looking for customized offerings that promise highly personalized travel experiences.  It’s not surprising: who doesn’t want to return from a trip with a sense of having authentically experienced that part of the world?  What travelers wouldn’t want to feel they really know something where they’ve been, and that where they’ve been is unique – more than just another gondola ride in Venice?  The question is – how are savvy tour companies responding to these trends?

Topics: Travel Industry travel technology Tour Operator Tour Operator Software Tour Companies Tour Operators

Is Travel Agency Workflow Stepping on Sales Potential?

Sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? How could a travel agency be its own worst sales enemy? And, if somehow it was, why would any management team in its right mind allow the situation to continue?

Topics: Travel Industry travel technology travel erp Travel Management Company travel agency workflow travel agency Tour Operator

Tour Operators Innovate with Food and Adventure Tourism (Infographic)

One travel industry trend that holds particular promise for growth is experiential travel. To an increasing extent, people want to return from their destinations with a sense of having authentically experienced that part of the world.

Topics: Travel Industry travel agency Tour Operator Food and Adventure Tourism Food Tourism Infographic

The Value Proposition of a Travel ERP System

A great deal of the discussion around travel technology involves highly visible customer-facing solutions: travel apps; responsive websites; social media and the like. Operational technology, focused on helping management and staff run the business, tends to get overlooked. A perfect example is enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems specifically developed for the travel industry.  An increasing number of travel agencies, tour operators and TMCs are deploying them, but there’s not much discussion about this technology in general travel media. If you aren’t familiar with the Travel ERP topic, you need to be: the trend for these systems isn’t based on hype or superficial value; it’s driven by real process benefits and significant competitive advantages.

Topics: Travel Industry travel technology travel erp travel agency Tour Operator dcs plus automated processes erp system