A complex net of activities are involved in the entire travel package that is offered to travellers. But the travellers are not aware of all the efforts that go into ensuring their comfort and happiness.

From the travellers’ perspective, it’s all quite simple.

They decide to take up a journey for varied purposes and the only thing that matters is that the journey should be comfortable and without any challenges.

Though for a tour operator and Destination Management Company it includes numerous functions like:

·        Choosing various destination

·        Creating an itinerary customized for clients

·        Preparing packages

·        Booking flight tickets

·        Booking hotels

·        Arranging visits to various destinations

·        Managing payments

·        Tracking customer behaviour

·        Arranging 3D tours

·        Calculating discounts

Thus, software becomes necessary to handle all these activities under one roof to smoothly deliver the travel experience. The software helps to book tickets, prepare itineraries, track customer details and behaviour patterns.

If you decide to upgrade the existing system or transition from the manual system to an automated one or invest in new tour management software/ travel software, it is critical to study a few things before you go ahead.

To operate efficiently you need to put in a lot of effort, time and other resources. There are many factors that can affect the efficiency of your day-to-day operations.

You might not even observe the challenges that affect the efficiency levels of the day-to-day activities.

Clients demand the best online experience, which can be facilitated by tour operator software. You need to offer a flawless experience in this present competitive digital world.

 
So how does one choose travel software?

Let’s discuss 5 things you should consider before investing in travel software!

1. List of features

Ask yourself, “What are the key features needed in the software?”

Do you need:

·        Filter crucial information

·        Automatic booking cancellation

·        One-click quotation

·        To create a complete itinerary

·        Get insight into sales

These are varied requirements so you can have customized features that fulfil your unique requirements.

There are some travel ERP software that can provide the features you need or else you can choose a customized software. Also, some amount of flexibility in the software can help your business.

Ask yourself : 

·        What are the time-consuming activities?

·        What are the tasks that are adding to the work and rendering no significant benefit in the entire process?

·        Who are your customers; target audiences?

Consider the customer journey and the points where the experience can be improved.

For example, your customer has requested a customized itinerary and you take a lot of time to put things together and offer it to the customer. Here you will require efficient software.

2. Content Management

• Travel websites are content drive and a wide range of content is shared by tour operators and DMCs like customer feedback in text or video format, blogs, photographs, etc
  
  
• There is user-generated content that is vital for building trust among customers
  
  
• You need software that helps to manage your website to create a distinct brand presence
  
  
• Software like these can help create a visually appealing website that can assist your customers to make vital decisions regarding their travel.

 3. Easy to use

• Your team should find it easy to use the travel software
  
  
• The User Experience and User Interface design should make the job of your team easier
  
  
• Your team should have access to all the information they need, quickly and without any hassles
  
  
• Finding out the availability of flights, approval status, preparing quotations and itinerary, etc., and various other information and features should be easy to use
  
  
• Primarily they should get information that is necessary to serve the customer quickly and easily without any complications
  
  
• An instruction manual should not be required to use functions or they should not spend time reading and understanding them.

 4. Scalability

• For a growing business, there should be room for flexibility

• The work should not halt or slow down while transitioning to other software

• When businesses grow many more functions get added

• All these changes in the business processes and functions should be accommodated in the present software

• The software should support and enable your business growth.

   

5. Analyzing data

• The software should allow you to identify patterns and trends to help arrive at strategic decisions

• A single dashboard with all travel-related information should be available so that the data can be analyzed to take strategic decisions

• Often data allows you to take crucial business decisions.

   

Other vital factors to consider - 

1. Demonstration

• There are a few more tips that are vital when you consider investing in travel software

• A demo of how the software runs are necessary to be able to confidently use it

• The demo gives a fair idea of how the app will run and how the team will benefit from it

• Let your team come up with their suggestion on the usability and interface of the software

• Ask your team to share their honest opinion if the software can make their work simpler.

You can request a FREE demo from the ETOS team. Know more about the demo request by clicking on this link https://www.etosglobal.com/request_demos 

2. Customer service

• The company should have an efficient customer service department available to resolve queries

• Consider if the software company has a customer service department to answer your team’s queries because their feedback is vital since they will be using the software on a daily basis

• During day-to-day affairs challenges will emerge so customer service is necessary

• Once their queries are resolved and they can smoothly operate the software, your team will appreciate the efforts taken by you to have introduced technology for their benefit.

   

ETOS offers travel management software that enables your business growth in the digital economy. We offer complete tour operator management software called DMC24 which is a comprehensive solution for DMCs to manage all their major functions.

It is easy-to-use tour operator software with 250 inbuilt features for day-to-day sales and operations. The ETOS team is here to guide you through every step of the journey.