The global travel & tourism market is steadily growing and will reach an estimated 2.2 billion users by 2027. This goes to show the sheer importance of running an efficient tour operation.
What is the key to a seamless travel booking experience? That’s easy. It’s a convenient, easy-to-use booking system. Choosing the right online travel booking system for your tour company is paramount, and honestly, a game-changer (for your business and the overall customer user experience).
That said, to stand out from the competition, you need more than just a convenient booking and payment solution. You need the whole package, with features that simplify and streamline all your processes from the moment someone books a tour, all the way through to the after-sales service.
This 3-step guide will show you how to choose the ideal travel booking software for your business.
We’ve curated three straightforward steps for choosing the ultimate travel booking system for your tour company. Ready to take your online booking processes to a whole new level? Let’s get started.
This is two-fold. You need to evaluate your business from an operational and customer experience point of view.
Does your current process resonate with your audience, or do they find it difficult to understand and use? You’ll be able to identify what their pain points are with a quick analysis of any negative reviews received. If you’ve sent out customer surveys, this is also a useful tool to understand feedback from the user experience.
From an operational perspective, are you spending a lot of time on admin, payment issues, and communicating with your clients? These are all signs that it’s time for an upgrade.
Ask yourself what your goals are for your online travel booking processes. Then consider how your current processes hold up against closer scrutiny. To get to the core issues, perform a gap analysis to compare your current performance metrics with what you hope to achieve.
It’s also crucial to research different software options to see what’s out there and what could benefit your tour operation the most. A platform like WeTravel gives you access to a 360 solution, taking control of all areas of your business so that you can focus on the most important part - providing an incredible travel experience.
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Be realistic about your actual needs, and the needs of your clients, vs your wants. Don’t be distracted by bells and whistles that your booking platform doesn’t need. Choose only the features that you know you will use or that could improve your business.
Did you know that WeTravel has an option to try the software for free? Better yet, choose the Basic Plan to get started (did we mention that this plan is also free?)
Once you have identified your unique areas of concern, and what you most need from an online travel booking system, it’s time to draw up a checklist of required features. This will guide you in your choice, taking emotion out of the equation so you can make a data-driven decision for your business.
Real-time bookings are a must! The system you choose should update booking availability continuously and instantly.
When your customers can see the current availability and secure their reservations instantly, their customer journey is a calm and happy one. It saves them the disappointment and frustration of choosing a destination, only to discover that it is no longer available.
Automated communications streamline the entire trip booking process for customers and travel agents alike. They offer significant benefits, saving time and improving the customer journey.
This includes abandoned cart reminders and disputed payment support. It also includes valuable features like pre-departure safety tips and general info about their destination. Communication doesn’t have to stop after the vacation is over.
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You’ll increase the chances of repeat business with post-trip communications. An example is sending out automated messages asking what they enjoyed about their trip, and inviting them to leave a review.
Learn more about the best practices for client communications, here.
Your online booking system should offer a user-friendly interface with a clean, uncluttered look and an embedded checkout link for your website. This makes online travel bookings more accessible to users who aren’t technologically savvy, and would normally be hesitant to make payments online.
With so many people scrolling through social media for news, entertainment, and shopping, it’s no surprise that many access information about travel there as well. This is why social media marketing is one of the most effective ways your travel businesses can boost engagement.
It’s just as important to the travel booking experience. If they have to go off-platform to book a trip, you risk losing that customer. Your booking software should ideally allow people to book a trip with your company directly from that social media platform.
When switching to a new online travel booking system with unfamiliar booking and payment solutions, your staff need to get to grips with the new tech, fast.
The more time it takes to train your travel agents or tour operators on the new software, the more time will be lost while trying to get your booking processes on track. Choose a system with a low learning curve and excellent technical support.
When conducting business online, you need to be able to accept payments 24/7, safely and securely. So a secure payment gateway is critical.
To provide your customers with maximum convenience, it should allow payments in multiple currencies (with competitive exchange rates), and accept most major credit cards. Here’s a comprehensive list of payment features to consider when choosing a payment platform.
Payment gateways can carry high commission fees, and this can negatively impact your profits. Worse still, factoring in those costs means your customer will share the burden with you. So choose an online travel booking system with a payment gateway that addresses this issue, head-on.
Curious about what you can achieve with WeTravel?
Data security is one feature you can never overlook. The right online travel booking system will offer security for client data as well as your own. This includes the protection of personal data, as well as payment data.
Why is online payment security so important?
It protects you and your customer from fraud, but also builds a relationship of trust with your customer base. Only choose a booking and payments system that ensures the protection of sensitive data and adheres to payment card industry (PCI) standards.
Mobile phone use trends are shaping the travel industry. Is the booking system you’re considering mobile-friendly? This is essential, as so many of your customers will be booking their trips on mobile devices.
But it goes beyond customer convenience. It has to be convenient for you, too.
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You should be able to check in on your travel bookings at any time, from anywhere. This means that the online travel booking system you choose should have a mobile-friendly UX and an app for your agents to use, on-the-go.
The online travel booking system you choose should offer you flexible pricing options and optional add-ons, so you can choose what works best for your tour company. You should also have access to customizable elements like branded email communications and branded customer dashboards.
As an example of this, WeTravel offers these customizable branding possibilities.
Some of our features are reserved for Pro and Enterprise plans. But ALL plans, including the free one, include unlimited bookings & team members, with integrated payment processing and support for your team and customers.
A major benefit of using WeTravel? The platform is scaled to grow with your business.
After you have found the online travel booking system that meets your needs, it’s time to make the transition. Despite your eagerness to get started, your staff must be well-prepped and ready for the switch to your new booking and payment solution.
If you’ve chosen a system that is easy to set up and requires very little training, it’ll make the transition that much easier.
The simple setup is just one of the many reasons that over 5000 companies use WeTravel to simplify their online bookings and payment processes. It’s user-friendly for both travel agency staff and the people booking their trips. Have a look at some of our success stories and see for yourself.
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Top-tier support should be a standard feature. Did you know that WeTravel offers a support team available to you on ALL plans?
WeTravel understands the need for ongoing support, on all levels. This transcends technical issues and includes tutorials and academic guidance. That’s why joining the WeTravel community gives you access to e-books and guides, as well as tools and templates that streamline your workflows.
The travel industry is a dynamic force, adapting to and meeting the needs of an ever-more demanding global audience.
Making the transition to more functional booking and payment solutions is a step in the right direction. But to continue offering your clients maximum value, you must stay up-to-date with the latest trends. So cultivate a culture of continuous learning in your staff.
Keep abreast of travel industry developments, and stay informed about best practices. Participate in travel industry-specific webinars that help you to unlock your company’s potential growth. Or join the thousands of industry professionals taking our Academy courses to hone their online business skills.
The right online travel booking system for your tour business should focus on features that really matter. It should provide simplicity, convenience, security, and ongoing support.
WeTravel is more than just a booking and payment solution for travel companies of all sizes. We are the solution, with features that offer an easier and more enjoyable travel booking experience for both you and your valued customers.
Are you ready to give the travel community the convenient, user-friendly, and secure travel booking and payment platform it deserves? WeTravel will help you do that. Contact us today for a free demo.
