Travel Management Software, Travel APIs & GDS Systems are giving new edge to Online Travel Agencies3/4/2017 The travel industry has undergone a major makeover with the introduction of the online travel software and the consequent implementation of travel apps. Earlier planning a vacation was thought to be a task that required intense management skills. We have to go to a travel agent for airline booking or rail booking. Making a hotel reservation was again done through a travel agent or was accomplished after reaching the destination. We would have very vague idea about the “must visit places” at the destination, and would have to hire a travel and tour guide for the same. Similarly arranging a car rental at the destination of visit was done by coordinating with the local travel agent or the hotel. For Travel Agency Software Development – Get a Project Quote – http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html The situation at present is totally different from the statements mentioned earlier. Now we don’t visit a travel agent for airline booking or hotel booking and we don’t contact travel agencies for car rental booking. We don't require a travel guide to tell us about the places to visit at our travel destination nor do we depend on anybody to tell us the direction of a place. Have you ever wonders how the process of planning a vacation have become so smooth and peaceful in the present times. Now I have the privilege of making airline reservation, rail reservation, hotel reservation, car rental reservation and planning the trip sitting at the vicinity of my home or office or any other place of my comfort. The big question is, how this happened? This advance stage in the travel sector was achieved through the implementation of technology. Technology came in the form of development of travel agency software and travel apps. The travel agencies too have undergone a major makeover and now when we think of travel agencies, the picture that comes to our mind is an automated system which has all the information and facilities required to plan my trip. Benefits of Online Travel software for Travel agencies Travel software have been very beneficial for the travel agencies as it has bought a total change in the way the travel agencies used to work. Now a travel agency doesn’t depend on the traditional system of using a pen and paper to keep track of the transaction or depend on handwritten information pertaining to the details regarding dates and availability for airline, rail and hotel reservation. Travel agencies now have an online booking system, where global distribution system integration helps in making all information including availability and pricing available to the clients. The end-users can compare the rates and availability and proceed with the airline reservation, hotel reservation and car rental booking. Similarly maintaining data, information and generating reports have become lot more easier and automated with the help of travel software. Below are the distinct advantages of travel agency software -
Accessible from any location Automated system for maintaining information Automated system for maintaining data and generating reports Data is centralized Easy migration to mobile platform Quick service to the clients Enhance level of customer satisfaction Benefits from travel Apps With more and more people across the globe preferring to access information through their mobile device, travel agencies now have their own travel apps to enhance their business. Travel apps are available for airline reservation, Rail reservation, hotel reservation, car rental reservation, accessing travel blogs, planning the trip and accessing the locations. Travel apps have also helped the travel agencies to respond to the queries raised by the end-users at the earliest and bring enhancement in the level of customer satisfaction. As per the research conducted on travel apps, it was found that travel apps have helped the travel agents to acquire more clients. Our vacation and travel planning has become lot more easier at the present times. This was only possible due to the implementation of travel agency software and travel apps by the travel agencies across the world, making our travel more comfortable and enjoyable.
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Time is of utmost importance to the business travelers, and also efficiency, connectivity and productivity. They want to get information on and book travel products http://www.provab.com and services instantly. Speed is their watchword. If you want to cater to the travel needs of corporate, you must use best of class travel related technology and online booking system. Get a Project Quote for Travel Portal Development - http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html Business travelers want all – organizing travel visas, requesting cash advances, or asking for the use of a corporate car – at one instance of booking process. By facilitating trip organization and increasing control over related spending, you can include travel-related services in the booking flow.
The travel agents who desire to provide professional travel booking services to business travelers can make use of latest travel technology related services with new booking options. Then the travel agency can provide them the facility to request additional services online as they book their business trip. You the travel agent will then deal with the demand. This will help the corporates to conform with their travel policy. Anyway, you must provide the business traveler a single entry point to complete his comprehensive travel booking instantly. You can also offer hotels that especially cater to the needs of the business travelers, such as Wi-Fi enabled room, meeting rooms, leisure activities etc, to enable them to work and relax whenever they want. Remember, ‘corporate travel is a travel arranged by a business for accomplishing business purposes. You must devise ways to reduce the cost of corporate travels, but to upgrade the business travel experience. With the contribution of latest travel technology to travel industry, travel software including airline reservation system, hotel reservation system, car booking system are on rise. House sharing, car sharing are the latest developments, where in people are searching these path breaking and cost effective deals through travel technology. To stay ahead of the curve, a robust travel software is the basic need of travel agencies today. Travel agent software, not only offers a 24/7 sales system for travel companies, but also provides a comprehensive web based admin to review the booking logs and users summary from any corner of the world. To know more about us, please visit http://www.provab.com. You can call us at +91.8880321321 and email us at [email protected] With Regards, Ujjwal K Business Manager PROVAB TECHNOSOFT http://www.provab.com PROVAB TECHNOSOFT (http://www.provab.com) is a leading travel technology company, delivering best in class travel portals to global clients. We integrate Sabre API and Sabre GDS as web services for OTA across the globe. The GDS integration includes flight module, hotel module, cruise module, transfer and sightseeing modules. http://www.provab.com/globaldistributionsystems-gdssystems.html Get a Project Quote : http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html Global Distribution Systems or GDS systems connects to the airline reservation system that connects to various distribution systems used by online travel agents and travel companies. Though it was initially aimed at improving the airline reservation system, but now GDS are widely used for booking hotels, airline flights, railway and bus tickets, cars, cruises and insurance. Sabre GDS hotel and airline integration allows your travel business to access a wide range of online sales channels and travel products, improving your online sales revenue. http://www.provab.com/gdssystem-globaldistributionsystems.html
The GDS system integrated through PROVAB’s travel technology team provides robust travel portal and travel reservation system which connects to travel agents and customers worldwide through various B2B, B2C, B2B2B modules and various white labelled products , broadening your market reach. http://www.provab.com/traveltechnologyfortravelsoftware.html Latest updates on GDS system also includes SEO and Social Media tools to bring maximum visibility in travel booking system. PROVAB also offers integration of a single web application with multiple GDSs. Taking into consideration the individual needs of our clients we deliver targeted GDS integration services and cater to the changing demands of online travel market. http://www.provab.com/gdssystem-globaldistributionsystems.html Advantage of integrating Sabre GDS
The Sabre Global Distribution System unites more than 350,000 travel agents around the world, offering airline, hotel, cruise and car rental bookings. Sabre integration has been proven to improve travel agents’ productivity and efficiency. PROVAB TECHNOSOFT offers you a connection to an innovative end-to-end solution and 24/7/365 customer service through the Sabre XML API. Developers of travel related products and travel agencies get the freedom to integrate or innovate their own application with the Sabre XML API. We can use the development and customization capabilities of the Sabre API to meet the unique needs of your business. Get a Project Quote : http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html About Us: PROVAB TECHNOSOFT, a leading travel development company, provides innovative solutions like travel reservation system, airline reservation system and online reservation system to customers across the globe. We develop hotel reservation system, car reservations system, channel management system, hotel CRS, flight reservation system and hotel software’s. To know more about us, please visit http://www.provab.com. You can call us at +91.8880321321 and email us at [email protected] With Regards, Ujjwal K Business Manager PROVAB TECHNOSOFT http://www.provab.com A global distribution system (GDS) is a database capable of storing and updating enormous information on the supply of a wide range of tourism products worldwide. GDSs enable the travel agents to access, in real-time, availability, features and prices of flight tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises, ferry reservations, trains and other services. With a Global distribution system integrated to their website, travel agencies can allow their customers to search and book travel products and services and issue tickets too. Looking for a Travel Portal – Get a Project Quote - http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html Global Distribution System Travel agencies are greatly aided by GDS systems because they are enabled to offer their customers rates, inventory, discounts, rooms, and descriptions on a real-time basis. In other words, global distribution systems are intermediaries between travel product suppliers –and travel retailers who sell tickets to the final consumer. Main features of GDS: • Report availability and prices of travel products • Reserve user requests. • Sale and ticketing • Track sales (extend customer’s stay, change of flights, etc). • Facilitates control management for travel agencies). Evolution of GDS The prototype of GDS in the travel industry can be seen in the 1950s as the traditional legacy business model which inter-operated between airline vendors. Computer reservation systems (CRS), at the initial stage, was used by the airline companies as an automated booking system, but later, travel agents were given access. Around 1980, CRS enabled travel agents to connect to various travel providers in a single system. At this stage, in addition to flights, hotels and car rentals were included. CRS acquired much strength by late 80s being so helpful to both suppliers and distributors. In the 90s, computerized reservation systems of airlines were transformed to global distribution systems (GDS). So we see that GDS has developed from airline alliances and ended up becoming independent business units with product internationalization and introduction of new products, especially hotel rooms. GDS integration for travel agencies and suppliers of travel products Travel agencies must have full access to a global distribution system GDS. To get connected to a GDS, travel agencies need a contract. This will enable the travel agents to provide an astonishing amount of travel product rates and information to their customers, at the lowest possible rates. An experienced travel technology company can integrate any GDS to the computer reservation system or website of a travel agency. It’s critical also for the properties to be on a GDS. Travelers now go to travel portals to find travel products. So hotels, car rentals, etc, have to be there to get Internet visibility and, thus, more reservations. A GDS allows real-time access to inventory system of a hotel with the current prices, discounts, room types, facilities like Wi-Fi and different aspects of interest to the potential customer. Owners can hire a good travel technology company to get access to the GDS of their choice. A property can be connected only in one GDS provider. If the property owner wants to change the provider, he can cancel the existing provider and activate another with a switch letter. How much does it cost? To integrate GDS to your system, you’ll have to pay a one-time setup cost and pay a monthly charge of a minimum amount per reservation. Major GDS systems Amadeus was started in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS in order to create a European GDS, by fusing their CRSs. In 1989, seven more airlines joined Amadeus and began to allow travel agents to book flights through neutral screens. It is now the largest leisure package distributor in the world. Through Amadeus GDS integration, a travel agent can offer travel products from 430 airlines in 195 countries, 32 car rental companies in 37,918 locations, 20 cruise lines and 300,000 hotel properties. More than 100,000 travel agencies are connected with Amadeus GDS. Sabre, a joint venture by American Airlines and IBM, was started in 1960. In 1970, Sabre system began to be installed in travel agencies. Now 55,000 travel agencies use Sabre GDS to book products from 400 airlines, 88,000 hotels, 24 car rental brands, and 13 cruise lines. Galileo and Worldspan are the other two major GDSs. There are also third party consolidators like Sahara, Infini (Japan), Axess (Japan), Tapas (Korea), Fantasia (South Pacific), and Abacus (Asia/Pacific) that cater to particular regions or countries. The big consolidators also include such as Expedia, Orbitz (Merchant program registration needed), Hotels.com, Travelocity, AAA, Hotwire, Priceline and TravelWeb. The future of GDS As a tool of of content aggregation, GDS is here to stay and be more powerful. Novel technological solutions in middleware continue to appear. Global distribution systems have a long way to go. Starting a travel business from home is a good idea indeed. You need only a little investment. It is low-risk too. Just that you must be very enthusiastic to offer your clients best in class travel deals. For B2C Travel Portal Development – Get a Project Quote - http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html The first step in your home based endeavor is finding the right host agency. It’s better to have a host agency. It will keep your spending low, give you big commissions, and do your backend office. Moreover, if you are a novice in travel industry, they will train you too and assist you in running the business. Most of the host agencies have their online travel software in place, which you can also get access off. With the host agency, you need not have an ARC, CLIA, or IATAN number which is costly and difficult to get for a startup. The host agency’s accreditation number is enough and it will be your parent company. If you use the GDS, the host will take care of the ARC report which will be time-saving to you. They will also help you to get a travel agent license as required by your region.
Experts recommend to restrict your travel business first to some niche rather than offering all airlines and hotels in the world. It may be for a particular region or a special holiday package. But don’t market just one product, try two or three. Or you can cater to the travel needs of business travelers to a particular country. Or try your luck in booking charter planes for the high-end corporate travelers or billionaires. Name your travel agency accordingly. Try to offer something, which is little different from the generic node. You are in travel business to make money by providing quality, reliable service to your customers. Have separate accounts and track business expenses. To get your home-based travel agency clicked, you must have a working knowledge of travel agency software, customer service experience and experience in traveling to the destinations you deal in. Keep on having very satisfied clients and serve your clients to the max. Word of mouth does wonders in travel business. Regarding Author: Author is a senior business analyst and an expert in travel portal development and marketing strategy implementation. Have you ever thought about the benefits associated with buying online booking B2B software or a travel distribution platform? What are the benefits that you and your partner will be able to fetch from the online booking B2B software? Have you ever thought about the functionalities of travel software or what is travel distribution platform? This write-up is an answer to all the questions that arise in your mind in regards to the online booking B2B software and the benefits associated with it. To install travel inventory distribution platform – Get a Project Quote – http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html B2B travel software is the system that allows partners or travel agents to book items from the system that is used by the travel agency or tour operator. B2B online booking system helps the partners to have a look at all the products and documents directly along with enabling them to make reservation from the system. It is very essential to know the reasons for online booking B2B software being one of the best and the benefits for the same have been mentioned below. Travel partners provided with the information required for purchasing - One of the biggest advantages is making your entry into the travel services system visible to the travel agents. The look of the travel agent system will be absolutely similar to yours. The only difference would be that you as an administrator with have more options. The next question could be the features that the travel agents would be able to view in the system. Services - The services that are a part of the system is gathered and centralized and the travel agents will be able to find them during the course of making reservation. Along with the list f the services, the travel agents will also be able to view the description (service image, service info), selling price, the location, suppliers for the services and the number of units available. These are the information required for creating a new reservation. Pricing and Availability - Along with the service list, your travel partner also has access to the pricing and price list for each and every service and the features that forms a part of the service. The pricelist viewable to your partner includes the price of the basic service along with the price of the additional services, supplements, reduction and discounts. After a service is made available through addition of allotment, enabling the partner to book the service directly and enter the payment for it. In case there is no addition of allotment, the partner can click on “Send Enquiry” option. In case you as an administrator disable booking for specific dates, partners will not be able to make any booking during the particular period. Promotion Special Offers - The promotion could be viewed on the B2B login side as well. You also have the facility of entering the special offers in the system, enabling your travel partners to use them. This helps in generating demand and increasing sales. Different pricing level for the market or partners - In case you prefer to have different pricing level for different partners, it could be defined in the back office by using the option different market. For example, if you are targeting three different markets like European market, Asian market and American market, you have the facility of adjusting the prices by the addition of different commission to the market. Each partner will be able to get the price depending on the market they are assigned to. This will enable the travel agents to get the price predefined for them. This acts as a great marketing tool when it comes to assisting, increasing and rewarding partner sales. Entering Reservation and Reservation Management - The travel interface is designed to enable the travel partner make a reservation directly, when they have availability to information like product, price, and information about special price, promotion, services, availability and similar information. The overview of all the reservations accomplished by the system is also available. This means that the system will allow the administration and the travel partner to track the reservation and manage them effectively. Making all the Documents available - The system will provide the travel partners with all the documents, enabling them to make the same available for the customers. There is a very well support system for the mutual communication between the tour operator and tourist agency and its partners. When a partner makes a reservation, the document provided is dependent on the action taken by them. When a request is sent and offer and itinerary follows automatically. When a booking is accomplished, there is an automated process of sending the invoice. This process could be customized depending on the need of the travel agencies requirement. Along will this the partners will get an overview of all the documents created and are connected to the reservation system, which could be forwarded to be printed for the customers. This is one of the key features of travel distribution platform.
Online booking B2B enhances the communication process - This is a benefit that both the sides can enjoy. One partner checks with the suppliers, makes a confirmation for the reservation and send documents while the other one is sending new reservations. This process eliminates the need of communicating over the phone and saves time and money. This is also a way of attracting customers, finding new customers, creating new marketing campaigns and making better sales. Providing better control over the whole process - This means everything is under the same roof. Partners get an overview of the reservations and the documents that they have made. The whole process is centralized, eliminating the risk of making possible mistakes. Travel distribution platform has become a backbone of travel agencies, who are using online travel portals. PROVAB TECHNOSOFT (http://www.provab.com) have been at the service of small- and medium-sized travel agencies around the world, since 2003. We’ve been providing innovative and cost-effective travel portal development and have become an almost a synonym for Travel Technology Company in many parts of the world such as Singapore, Dubai, Riyadh and Copenhagen. Our expertise in B2B and B2C travel portal and travel API integration. With the travel portal developed by us will enable you provide to your customers domestic and international flight booking, hotel booking, rental car booking, cruise booking, holiday packages, bus booking and so on. It also includes Admin control panel, Multicurrency and Multilanguage facilities. PROVAB’s XML-based travel technology solutions facilitates integration with multiple CRS, GDS and other providers of travel products and services. We will customize the portal for your company that your customers can get access to thousands of travel products and services under one single XML feed.
Technology has become an integral part of travel business. You, as tour operator can’t neglect this fact anymore. Your present and prospective customers will no longer visit the travel agent’s office to book the flight or hotel any more. They will do it through the Internet or mobile app. This is not a crisis for the traditional travel agent but a splendid opportunity. But you need an expert travel technology company like PROBAB to bring technology to your travel business. Visit us today at http://www.provab.com. You can also call us at +91.8880321321 and email us at [email protected]. |
AuthorPROVAB TECHNOSOFT is an award winning travel technology company , delivering B2B / B2C travel software, travel CRM, accounting software, car rental software and mobility solutions to global travel & hospitality companies. ArchivesCategories
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