A tour operator kept wondering, “How can I use this huge data to provide the best solutions to my customers? How can I make the best use of my Customer Relationship Management software?” The answer lies in the use of technology. Digitization has transformed the travel industry. Now it’s important to be prepared and quickly adapt to change.

Tour operators and other travel service providers should not watch the change but sense it well in advance and take immediate actions to incorporate it into their business. In the new digitally driven world, technology leads your business and tour operators should leverage technology to provide better services to their customers. 

What are the technology challenges faced by tour operators?

1. Data-driven business

The main technology challenge for travel operators or tour operators today is managing data. It’s a primary need as data filtered into information and then interpreted can be channelized to understand customer behaviour patterns to offer customized solutions. It includes a collection of solutions to various business challenges.

Let’s say you have customer data, through which you could derive that during a particular season customers prefer a certain destination. You should pitch that destination at the right time to drive sales. Certainly, it would increase sales.

ETOS a travel management software, which could enable tour operators to target destinations during a particular season or to a specific audience. How will you get this information? You need to dig into the data. Today, interpreting data and using it to render the best travel experience is at the crux of the travel business. 

So, the challenge is managing the data that could identify your path for future business.

2. Duplication of data

Maintaining customer information becomes tedious for travel operators. Leads and enquiries are generated from various sources like call centres, social media, marketing teams, references, etc. When the same advertisement is repeatedly sent to the customer it surely leaves a bad impression. Customers might just start skipping the emails and other information sent to them. 

So, travel operators can have a system where software can immediately indicate if you duplicate customer data. The implications of duplicate data are immense, which we may not realize immediately.

3. Managing customer feedback

These are the days of speed and proactiveness. The more proactively you get involved with communicating with your customers the more business you will generate. Some of the modern tools are social media feedback, google reviews, and feedback shared by customers on various travel portals. Managing these feedbacks is a big task.

It's time you have someone who is equipped to manage customer feedback across various platforms. It's vital that you thoughtfully reply to these feedbacks and reviews. It's best to upload customer feedback videos and images of particular destinations covering their experiences. Any negative feedback should be handled with maturity and poise. Do you have a team to manage customer reviews?

Even when a customer calls to provide a verbal response it's best to request them to put it online.

4. Contract management

A tour operator works on various contracts with vendors. For each region, the destination and service provided vary. So, managing these contracts is time-consuming and cumbersome. Thus, tour operators need a system or technology that manages these contracts.

ETOS software company has a contract management solution for hotels, guides, transport, restaurants, etc. It's about having comprehensive software that manages all these contracts. Through ETOS, Contract Management and Inventory Control solutions, tour operators can design and build their itineraries.

If you wish to maximize benefits from any technology you should define the purpose of a certain system. Ask yourself questions like, “Do I need this system or do we need to redefine it?” “Is the present system easier to use, supporting business growth or its leading to delays?” If a digitized itinerary helps travellers and eases their travel then go for it. 

5. Software integration

Tour operators have to communicate with online travel portal teams, hotels, transport providing companies and a range of suppliers. They have their own IT technology, which may be an app or software.

If you have to accommodate each app and software it would lead to clutter and confusion. You might also end up losing customers. Technology should be agile enough to integrate with other platforms. The technology that you use to ease processes should be flexible enough to accommodate new software or apps.

This drives business growth and maximizes the use of technology. Flexibility is even more necessary in the travel industry owing to its diverse requirements. So, use agile technology and don’t lose your customers.

6. Customer Relationship Management to Customer Experience Management

Tour operators need to look at the holistic view of customer experience. In the entire customer lifecycle, observing customer behaviour at each stage and understanding it helps to pitch and sell the right products and the right time. A personalized experience is possible only when you move away from traditional Customer Relationship Management to Customer Experience Management. Deliver the best experience by using the right technologies. Combining big data with automation makes this possible.

At present tour operators’ business is bound to grow if they focus on customer experience. They need to render the best experience by knowing more about the customer preferences and expectations. Successful businesses rely heavily on providing befitting solutions to customers. 

7. Creating and maintaining a trustworthy online presence

Only having a website is not sufficient. The purpose of the website is to create an online presence and generate leads. The website should be customer friendly. 

It should be SEO driven and the website should talk about customer challenges and their solutions. Blogs, videos, and images should be regularly updated on the website. Also, it should be mobile responsive; since most customers access your website from their mobile phones, it should be designed in a way where it's easier to have a look at it on the phone and laptop as well. 

Always partner with service providers like taxi drivers or hotels that have already established a reliable online presence. It would be great if they have an app as well. 

Each tour operator should be well aware of the changing business landscape and proactively use technology to drive business growth.

ETOS is here to guide and support you through this growth journey.


Talk to our team at [email protected] or +919820140434 to know more.