Why use online booking software or a tour management system?

Zaui’s online booking software, activity reservation system & tour management system connects shuttle operators and experience providers with customers where they buy. There is no doubt that the internet has profoundly impacted the travel industry. Technology has changed how people purchase and the manner in which they make their decisions.

Part of this change has been consumers source of purchase expanding from traditional channels to Internet-based channels. Online booking software revenues were $26 billion in 2003 and $52 billion in 2004.

Jump to 2008 and online online booking software generated about $105 billion in US travel sales and $133.6 billion in US Retail Sales! This is trended is expected to continue to grow at 9% per year through 2013.  The web has revolutionized how people buy. Infact, eMarketer states that “Growth will come from online buyers who shift a greater share of their discretionary spending from stores to the Web.”

With the huge successes of travel companies selling products online, and not wanting to be left out, shuttle and activity tour operators have begun to explore how technology can enhance their businesses. Some tour operators have experienced a modest upside in their revenue, while others have seen more than 60% of their sales move online. Imagine the cost savings from using a web-based tour management system.  Reduce expenditures for labour, operations, call center operations and marketing.

Reasons to use a tour management or activity reservation system:

  • Decrease your labour costs for operation.
  • Increase your efficiency by streamlining your processes.
  • Increase your revenues by easily distributing your product over many channels.
  • Easily control your inventory and resources from one location.
  • Grow your business with less overhead.

The Zaui Shuttle & Activity Reservation System will:

  1. Allow for efficient inventory management and fare management.
  2. Facilitate opportunities to partner with other operators, by enabling 3rd party tour sales and packaging.
  3. Help you to better serve your guests by consolidating all customer management information in one location.
  4. Grow with your business, allowing you to serve more guests through improved management and control of inventory without incurring the high infrastructure costs otherwise required.
  5. Access new revenue channels by enabling web bookings for both consumers and 3rd party sales (commission agents and wholesalers).

What steps do I need to consider?

The success of using online tour management software comes in the motive to use it:

  1. Single source of real-time inventory visible across all channels. Those channels might be your resellers, operations staff, managers or even your accountants.
  2. Expanded product visibility and offer those offerings for purchase through a variety of channels in real-time. Items that are tracked in a tour management system can be displayed and sold through numerous channels.

Leveraging online tour reservation technology will differentiate Shuttle and Activity Tour Operators who achieve real bottom-line benefits from those that do not.