The software used in transportation and tourism is an essential solution for conducting business and monitoring company activities. Comprehensive software applications streamline the transport and tourism industries. They empower businesses to be more flexible, modern and add capabilities to control and process data. It’s challenging to imagine how most transport and travel businesses run at all without software technology.
The Most Important Features of the Tourism Software
The software is required to control buses and trains’ movement, hotel check-ins, guest or tourist arrivals and departures, tour schedules, insurance coverage, and many other aspects of the hospitality and transportation industry.
You should pay particular attention to utilizing software that resolves transport and tourism-related logistics and organizational issues. Organizational issues include the schedule, arrival, and departure to bus stations and other tourist drop-off and pick-up areas, confirming passengers, making special accommodations if necessary, and planning trip logistics.
All the processes mentioned above excel when used in combination with automation. Automated processes simplify procedures for the customers and increase efficiency for operators. Customer satisfaction is a must for tour operators who wish to remain competitive in their market area.
For best results, the entire software system must work in harmony. The tourism industry is strictly regulated, and so that rules can vary from state to state. Further, every destination has unique characteristics, which might change throughout the year, but must get considered. All variables must get anticipated and allow guests to book in advance, sometimes months and years before they plan to travel.
Ensuring a smooth payment system is vital. Software systems should calculate payments for services, discounts, and commissions. Often, the service pricing in the tourism industry is multilayered. Factors and parameters, including service class, passenger ages, promotions or discounts, and upgrades, must be easy to change or modify as needed.
Other preferences can also get noted to accommodate for special dietary needs, medical requirements, personal or religious beliefs, etc.
Types of the Tourism Software
There are two types of available software applications available.
- The first is the end-user interface, commonly used by the tourist for individual bookings. For ordinary tourists, a concise and straightforward interface with quick access to online payments is essential.
- The second is for agents working with large groups to arrange tours and trips. For agents working with groups, a high priority is downloading, processing, and saving documents related to the operational control of seat availability in buses and accounting for free seats.
ERP Solutions
Tracking rates and prices are also critical. It’s often challenging to manually track payment workflows, especially when running simultaneous operations and processing different currencies. Tourism operators should integrate payment systems with multiple external platforms to supply data to request external resources and strategies. A reliable and flexible software system is essential to provide a seamless booking experience. Whether you opt for custom-built software or a solution based on a modern ERP system, Acumatica ERP could easily fit the bill.
The more integrated your operations, the easier it is to maintain the system and train staff in its practical use. Integrated software allows the manager to learn their responsibilities and perform them efficiently quickly. If multiple users access the services, it’s convenient to provide timely information and data services through the site and mobile application. Using these resources, the user can complete their online registration, complete payments, and monitor their order for paid services.
The availability of online services significantly improves communication with the customer and, subsequently, boosts trust and business reputation. The software should operate to handle details of the organizational transport and travel services and financial transactions. Customers should find the website or mobile application easy to use.
Likewise, managers and employees of the company should find it convenient to use. ERP solutions with quality documentation and courses, such as Acumatica ERP, are best suited to achieve a high level of skill and competence when working with existing companies’ software.
The Best Customer Experience
The ideal customer experience might include the following steps:
- The customer visits the company’s website
- Selects the number of people traveling with him
- Selects the departure and destination points, the number of days and the tours to reserve
Once the travel itinerary is confirmed, the hotel rooms, transportation, and planned excursions get booked automatically based on the customer’s booking criteria.
By clicking “Book,” the customer applies to online payment, and the company’s manager receives an instant request that can be moderated and tracked. Upon receipt, the operator can:
- Contact the customer
- Confirm details
- Answer any customer questions
- Provide information about additional services
At this time, thanks to the online payment, all services are already provided by contractors. The customer information gets registered at the hotel, transportation companies, and with the team leader. The customer receives an itemized receipt.
The difficulties that the integration of proper software system in the tourism and transport business helps to overcome:
1. Scheduling drivers, guides, hotels, museums, and other tours.
2. Planning bus schedules and tour schedules.
3. Reserving parking spaces and hotel rooms.
4. Establishing driving routes and having route alternatives, if needed.
5. Confirm buses’ occupancy by passengers and change in passenger seats, assigning hotel rooms, and adding and closing hotel rooms.
6. Making payments and issuing payment receipts.
7. Establishing funds transfer and bank payments.
8. Completing settlements with agents.
9. Providing Agencies and clients with access to their accounts.
10. Reliable and confidential storage of customer and agent data.
11. Establishing data for Marketing, PR, and advertising.
The more problems tourism software can solve, the easier it is to predict processes and risks. For operators, all aspects of tour planning become more efficient. For customers, the process of reserving group or individual travel becomes simplified.
Undoubtedly, upgrading to specialized travel and tourism software makes doing business easier by ensuring uninterrupted, automated booking 24/7. Contact Sprinterra today for more information on software solutions for your business.
Yuriy Muzychyn
February 2021