Looking Back at 2025: A Year of Meaningful Progress at Zaui

As we close out 2025, we’re proud to look back on a year of significant strides for Zaui and our community of tour, activity, and transportation operators. From powerful new software features to insightful webinars and guides, 2025 was all about helping operators like you run smoother operations, reach more customers, and future-proof your business. In this end-of-year wrap-up, we’ll highlight some key product enhancements, the knowledge resources we’ve shared, and even give a sneak peek of what’s coming in 2026.

2025 Product Highlights: Making Operations Smoother and Guests Happier

This year, our development team rolled out a host of new features and improvements in the Zaui platform. Each enhancement is designed with operator benefits in mind, saving you time, increasing flexibility, and improving the guest experience. Here are some of the standout updates from 2025:

Service Disruption Management

Unexpected delays or route closures happen and now Zaui makes handling them easier. Operators can seamlessly redirect or rebook guests to alternate locations or times when disruptions occur, all within the system. The Service Disruptions tool lets you update schedules in real-time and instantly notify affected passengers via email/SMS, keeping everyone informed and calm. The result is less scrambling during interruptions and more satisfied guests even on the bumpiest days.

Passes - More Flexible & Powerful than Ever

In 2025, Zaui launched a comprehensive Pass Management toolkit designed to help operators create flexible offerings that encourage repeat bookings while maintaining full operational control. With configurable pass types like Journey Passes, operators can bundle multiple activities into a single product and define how guests redeem them, whether that means choosing one experience from several options or limiting how often each activity can be used. This approach makes it easier to build value-driven passes that align with real-world operational needs.

The toolkit also simplifies pass setup and management behind the scenes. Operators can easily visualize pass details, add custom images to match their branding, and rely on built-in safeguards such as login-required redemption to prevent misuse. Passes can be transferred, cancelled, or refunded directly from the booking engine when plans change. Together, these capabilities make passes a practical way to boost revenue and build guest loyalty without adding complexity to daily operations.

Learn more about how Zaui Passes work in practice in our blog, or book a personalized demo to see how they can be tailored to your business.

New Booking Policy Toolkit

‍Zaui has introduced a full Booking Policy toolkit to give operators more control over cancellations, changes, and revenue protection. Every Zaui account now includes a default, always-on policy, ensuring there’s always a clear fallback in place. Operators can configure tiered refund rules based on how far in advance a guest cancels, allowing policies to reflect real business needs rather than one-size-fits-all terms. Modification fees can also be applied, helping operators recover administrative costs when bookings change.

The toolkit also introduces more flexibility at checkout with optional add-ons like Flex Cancel, giving guests the choice to purchase more lenient cancellation terms while creating an additional revenue stream for operators. Policies can be tailored by activity or sales channel, and the system clearly displays applicable fees and refunds when a booking is changed or cancelled, even across multi-activity reservations. The result is clearer expectations for guests, fewer manual exceptions for staff, and smarter protection for your revenue.

Learn more about how the Booking Policy Toolkit works in practice in our blog, or book a personalized demo to see how you can tailor policies for your operation.

Expanded Payment & Accounting Integrations

Zaui’s 2025 upgrades made it much easier to get paid and keep your books in order. Throughout the year the platform added new payment options, upgraded its payment gateways for better security and checkout performance, and streamlined back‑office accounting with new API connectors and billing improvements. These enhancements give operators more flexibility at checkout and ensure that payment data flows seamlessly into financial reports, saving time and reducing manual reconciliation.

Zaui isn’t just one system,it’s a complete ecosystem. The platform now offers more than 90 integrations letting you connect to your preferred payment providers, accounting tools, marketing apps and online travel agencies. Together with the latest payment and accounting upgrades, this ecosystem helps you automate workflows, expand distribution and grow efficiently.

To see how Zaui’s integrations and payment features can be tailored to your business, book a personalized demo with our team. We’ll show you how these improvements can simplify operations and drive revenue.

Resource Assignment Enhancements

For tour and transport operators managing lots of gear or vehicles, Zaui gave the equipment assignment tools a welcome upgrade. The interface is now more user-friendly, and assignment tracking is more accurate than before. You can assign buses, boats, bikes, or any equipment to bookings with confidence that nothing (and no one) will be double-booked or misplaced. This streamlining of resource scheduling helps prevent errors and keeps operations running on-time.

Guest Experience Enhancements That Help Operators Thrive

In 2025, Zaui invested heavily in guest-facing upgrades designed to make life easier for operators and travellers alike. Confirmation pages were improved so customers can add bookings to digital wallets or calendars and automatically receive emailed confirmation details, reducing the need for staff to resend information.

New self-service capabilities allow travellers to cancel (and in some cases update) bookings online, with refunds processed according to your cancellation policies. Confirmation emails are now automatically sent even when a booking is only partially paid, keeping guests informed without additional operator effort.

Reminder and follow-up emails are more reliable and timed around pickup and return journeys, while improvements to the My Bookings experience make it easier for guests to view and manage their reservations. Together, these updates reduce manual touchpoints and help operators deliver a smoother, more professional guest experience while freeing staff to focus on operations, not paperwork.

Unified & Flexible Group Booking

Zaui’s 2025 updates make complex bookings much more straightforward. A new unified group‑tour interface in the Online Booking Engine brings all of an operator’s tours together, so multi‑tour itineraries can be managed and booked in one place. The refreshed “Choice Group” booking UI guides guests step by step through selecting activities and add‑ons, offering an intuitive experience. Operators also have the flexibility to decide whether visitors choose a date/time or a departure location first when booking tours with multiple locations or schedules. This configurability lets each business align the online booking flow with its operational priorities, reducing confusion and improving the guest journey.

Notification Center 

To help you stay on top of important system events, Zaui introduced a new Notification Center. Think of it as your command hub for system alerts. Administrators can now enable or disable notifications with a master switch (useful if you want “quiet hours”). Zaui also unified how supplier partner notifications are handled, so they’re more consistent. Several new alert types were added: you’ll get notified if a partner sales channel or marketplace integration is enabled/disabled, when user permissions are changed, or if there’s a failed login attempt by an agent or customer. We even added smart tags to categorize disruption alerts (so you can distinguish a weather delay vs. a traffic delay at a glance) and a security alert for “new device login detected.” In short, you have greater visibility into what’s happening in your system in real time so you can react quickly and keep things running smoothly.

As you can see, it’s been a busy year of product improvements! Each feature we introduced in 2025 was driven by feedback from operators and the evolving needs of the industry. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes efficiency or front-end booking experience, these enhancements are already helping users of Zaui save time, reduce friction for guests, and capture more revenue.

Empowering Operators: Webinars, Guides & More

Beyond software updates, Zaui dedicated 2025 to sharing knowledge and best practices across the tour and transport community. We understand that having the right tools is only half the battle  knowing how to grow and optimize your business is just as important. That’s why we hosted webinars, published guides, and partnered with industry experts to help you make the most of the current travel boom. Here are some highlights from our content and resources this year:

Maximizing Your Distribution: In July, Zaui partnered with Distribusion to host a webinar “Maximize Reach & Revenue: How Transportation Operators Can Win with Online Retailers.” The session focused on why digital distribution has become increasingly important for transportation operators and how technology is reshaping the industry. Speakers explored practical ways to work with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to fill more seats without eroding margins, and shared how tools like AI can support smarter pricing and inventory management. With insights from Kaspar Fjetland (CEO, Zaui) and Ryan Knapp (Distribusion), operators walked away with actionable ideas for expanding their online reach and making better use of distribution channels. If you missed it, the recording is available here and is well worth a watch for operators planning their next stage of growth.

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‍Turning Clicks into Bookings: Another popular webinar Zaui hosted was all about website optimization for tour and activity operators. Co-presented with OATS Marketing and Copernican, “Turn Clicks into Bookings” focused on helping operators convert more of those website visitors into paying customers. It was a very actionable session, covering how to spot and fix common website issues that might be hurting your conversion rates, as well as best practices for a high-converting online booking experience. We even touched on automating waitlists and filling last-minute cancellations, so no opportunity is missed. The speakers - Patrick Marvin from OATS (a digital marketing guru for travel brands) and Benjamin Hester from Copernican (expert in revenue optimization) shared a ton of value. If your website is your storefront, this webinar gave you the tools to tidy up the shelves and turn more lookers into bookers. Watch here.

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The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide for Transportation Operators: This in-depth guide is perfect for any shuttle or transport operator evaluating their tech stack. We know the digital landscape is changing fast, and choosing the right reservation system has never been more critical. The guide breaks down what to look for in a platform  from core features to integration capabilities to ensure it will support your efficiency, customer experience, and long-term growth. Whether you run intercity buses, ferries, private charters or tours, the Buyer’s Guide helps cut through the noise and identify which solution will actually meet your needs. We’re all about informed decisions, and this e-book equips you with the questions to ask and the trends to consider before you invest in new software. Download Now.

Shuttle Operator Playbook (by Niall McKeever): Written by Niall McKeever, Head of Customer & Business Development at Zaui and former founder of Airporter in Northern Ireland, this playbook is rooted in real operational experience. In Digital Decisions: The Airporter Journey to Digital Excellence, Niall shares the key decisions behind building a successful, scalable airport transfer operation and preparing it for acquisition. Drawing from his journey as an operator, the playbook explores how moving away from manual processes and embracing integrated technology can transform day-to-day operations. It offers practical guidance for shuttle and transportation operators on improving efficiency, empowering drivers, strengthening reporting, and building a business designed for long-term growth and resilience.
Download the playbook to learn from an operator who’s been in the seat and see how smarter digital decisions can shape the future of your shuttle business.

These are just a few examples of how we tried to deliver extra value beyond the software itself. Through webinars, guides, and success stories, our goal is to help operators learn and thrive in every aspect of their business. Whether it’s marketing know-how, distribution strategy, or operational excellence, we’re creating resources that you can put into action. If you engaged with any of this content in 2025, we hope it sparked new ideas for you – and rest assured, we have plenty more knowledge-sharing planned for 2026!

Looking Ahead to 2026: More Innovation on the Horizon

We’re not hitting the brakes as we head into 2026 in fact, we’re gearing up for even more improvements to keep your momentum going. Without giving too much away, expect to see features that further enhance revenue management and operational flexibility next year. We’ll also continue expanding our integration network to connect you with more marketplaces and tools, refining the user experience for both your staff and guests, and prioritizing the security and reliability you count on from Zaui.

In short, 2026 is shaping up to be another exciting chapter. We remain committed to helping tour, activity, and transportation operators future-proof their businesses and scale to new heights. The travel industry’s landscape is always evolving, but together with our operator community, we plan to stay ahead of the curve with smart, value-driven solutions.

Thank you to all the Zaui operators, partners, and team members who made 2025 such a success. We loved seeing your wins  from record-breaking booking milestones to smoother day-to-day operations ,and we’re honored that Zaui could play a part in them. Here’s to an even more prosperous 2026! Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and an adventurous new year ahead.

Let’s keep innovating and growing together. 🚀

Happy New Year from the Zaui team!

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