Are you unsure about which tour operator software is ideal for your business? Making the right choice when it comes to tour operator software is critical for the success of your company.
Generating revenue and expanding your business depend on having a user-friendly web interface and a robust booking management system since more travelers and travel agents now prefer to make their reservations online in real-time.
This article will examine different tour operator software choices and their advantages and drawbacks. Explore the benefits and limitations of different operators to select the software that caters to your business, customers, and profitability.
Top 3 Free Web-Based Tour Operator Software
Are you in search of top-quality software that won’t break the bank? Look no further than the tour operator software providers below, who offer their services at no monthly charge. Instead, they levy a modest fee per booking, since there is no obligation to pay on a monthly basis.
FareHarbor: The best all-around software provider
FareHarbor, a celebrated software, is highly sought-after by tour operators globally in the travel industry. It crafts an exquisite booking engine for websites, provides a robust reservation management system, offers seamless payment processing, and even integrates with sites such as GetYourGuide and Booking.com. Additionally, FareHarbor employs artificial intelligence for pricing recommendations and has a round-the-clock support team.
The all-inclusive booking management system stands out as a preferred feature of Fareharbor. This system grants the user the power to modify information for single or multiple customers at once.
Advantages
By not charging any monthly or annual fees, FareHarbor is offered at a reasonable price compared to other products available. What makes this service stand out is its feature that enables customization of content, making any page suitable for booking. Customers find it extremely convenient to reserve services through FareHarbor. Additionally, it integrates well with other well-known booking platforms like Expedia, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor.
Disadvantages
FareHarbor is unsuitable for reserving hotel accommodations. Numerous brands utilize Fareharbor for scheduling day excursions and events. The web interface is not optimized for mobile devices. Although there is a standalone mobile application that is available for download, it is not as smooth as the web-based platform.
Fareharbor stands apart from other budget-friendly tour providers by providing a platform for customers to share feedback through ratings and reviews. This feature is conveniently located on the user interface, ensuring that customers can easily navigate it. The placement of the rating option on the interface enhances the probability that customers will provide a review for their experience.
Xola: The easy-to-use software provider
Xola is renowned for its web-based application designed for tour operators. Among the features that the software provides are a booking engine that runs online, a system for managing reservations for online and offline bookings, reporting tools, and integration with affiliate firms such as Expedia. Furthermore, the company offers excellent customer support for its clients around the clock.
With just a simple click, the Xola interface grants you access to a broad variety of information while being easy to use.
Advantages
Xola’s user-friendly interface is among its most valuable features, catering to both operators and customers with ease. It facilitates coupon offers and reviews, and boasts a hassle-free mobile reservation process, setting it apart from competing tour operators. Xola University is an additional perk, which provides an extensive range of training tips and supplementary resources.
Disadvantages
Xola’s analytical tools are less efficient when compared to its competitors. While exporting data to Excel provides superior analysis, the reporting tool experiences frequent glitches and the integration features are not smooth. Additionally, the booking fees are costlier than those charged by other competitors offering more advanced reporting tools.
Checkfront: The most integrated software provider
With a variety of functions, Checkfront is an online booking software that assists with a simplified management system catering to reservations made either via phone or in person. Their customer management tool is equipped with automated email sending capabilities, promotion facilitation, digital form signing and gift certificate selling features.
Advantages
Prospective users can take advantage of Checkfront’s 21-day free trial which includes an array of integrations such as booking channels Expedia and Tripadvsior, payment processors such as Stripe and QuickBooks, along with marketing tools like Facebook Ads and Google AdWords. Moreover, customizable reports and valuable financial resources for generating and distributing invoices are available.
Disadvantages
This system, like FareHarbor, is mainly utilized for scheduling tours and activities. However, it offers restricted alternatives for subscriptions and payment schemes. Although the booking fee structure may appear less appealing initially, the paid choices restrict the number of bookings allowed per annum. Additionally, it is not feasible to personalize certain inventory limitations within the platform.
Top 3 Paid Web Based Tour Operator Software
Paid software solutions provide significant value to your tour operator budget if you have allocated funds for software expenses.
Travefy: The traveler-preferred software provider
Travefy is a helpful application for travel agents and tour operators who provide a combination of travel activities. It provides an efficient client management solution for professionals in the travel industry. With its sleek and personalized interface, travelers can easily manage their journeys without any complications.
It is possible to personalize your marketing profile by including the details you wish your visitors to view.
Advantages
Travel agents can utilize Travefy to create and send proposals, handle client preferences, generate tailor-made content, and gain access to a library of travel guides. The platform also enables automatic updates for itineraries by connecting with numerous flight and cruise systems. Furthermore, the app designed for travelers is visually appealing and has garnered interest from many consumers.
Disadvantages
Travefy is most effective for travel agents and tour operators who have comprehensive itineraries. However, day tour operators or activity providers may not find much use for the system’s complete range of features.
Rezdy: The most robust software provider
Rezdy provides an online reservation system that smoothly integrates with Facebook, Google and your business website. This system enables your business to accept bookings in real-time through a third-party booking engine. Additionally, Rezdy’s booking management tool helps you keep track by allowing you to add offline bookings and view everything in a single location.
Advantages
Apart from its booking management functions, Rezdy provides payment processing and advanced reporting options. A customer database, passenger manifest tool, and inventory management system are all readily accessible using Rezdy. The Marketplace feature stands out as it links your enterprise with third-party channels like Expedia for enhanced exposure.
Disadvantagess
Adapting the system to your preferences demands more time due to its high complexity. Compared to other tour operator software providers, the customer support response rate is slower.
Tourplan: The best quality software provider
The market’s top-notch tour operator software is Tourplan. This acclaimed system delivers an extensive range of functions which include sending quotes and integrating with third-party channels. Tourplan’s features enable your brand to impose intricate restrictions, sell products using various currencies, monitor inventory instantly, and create website connections.
Advantages
The Tourplan software caters to both small and large tour operators. However, it’s the larger businesses that will reap greater benefits from the vast array of services on offer. Tourplan offers support for group bookings, MICE, FIT’s, as well as an extensive range of packages and tours. Tourplan boasts a global team and committed support representatives who remain available round the clock. Tourplan can be accessed through a desktop app, a cloud-based browser, or a mobile application.
The videos and resources provided by Tourplan can assist you in deciding whether they are the suitable software provider for your needs.
Disadvantages
Out of all the software listed, Tourplan is the priciest. For smaller enterprises, Tourplan’s services may not have as much value for their brand. Tourplan doesn’t permit bookings that extend over multiple days.
Tour Booking Software
The purpose of the Tour Booking Software is to assist tour operators in managing various aspects of their business, including planning, itinerary, catering, and reservations. This software automates inventory and enables the Travel Company to effectively organize tours, including managing customer information, back-office activities, tour information, accounting, and reporting. It simplifies the tour booking process for clients worldwide by providing a comprehensive booking system that includes tour offers, ultimately increasing bookings and revenue.
A software program called Tour Booking Software has been developed for excursion operators to manage various aspects of their tours. This program allows them to keep track of scheduling, itinerary, meals, booking, and stock management in an automated manner. Travel companies can also use this software to manage client information, back-office activities, tour information, accounting, and generate reports.
How Does Tour Booking Software Help Tour Operators?
Designed specifically for a travel company that desires to provide its customers with a diverse selection of local tours, excursions, and experiences in a centralized location, this booking system is user-friendly and versatile.
Online bookings are becoming the preferred method for travelers in today’s digital age. With just a click, bookings are made, replacing traditional offline methods. This shift benefits both tour operators and travel agencies, as they can efficiently manage their tourism business.
Key Features of Tour Booking Software:
A cloud-based platform referred to as a tour operator system does not rely on on-site servers or hardware. It allows tour operators to handle various tasks, including client interaction and sales, product management and sales across multiple booking channels (both online and offline), billing, payments, and dealer management. These features are available at any time and from any location as long as an internet connection is available.
Below are some growth-infused must-have key features for tour operators.
- Easy integration
- All in one place
- Automated process
- Improve back-office management
- Quick response to prevent loss of reservation
- Multilingual
- More Currencies
- Fully customizable
- Mobile-friendly design
- Advanced search option
- Cancellation Policy
- Automatic price calculation
- Discounts and offers to feature
- Automatic e-mail and SMS notification for confirmation of booking
- Voucher module
- Multiple payment gateway integrations
Key Benefits of Tour Booking Software:
Despite the availability of online tour booking software, numerous travel agencies continue to rely on traditional cell phone reservations for taking bookings. This approach necessitates the presence of staff members to manually manage and organize bookings instantly. Although many tour operators argue that manual reservations have been effective for decades, it may not be the most efficient or convenient method.
Listed below are some significant advantages of utilizing online tour booking software to help you in making an informed decision. These include:
- Inventory management
- Track sales
- Efficient service
- Offer the best tour experience
- Take reservations 24/7
- Reduce workload and save time
What is the difference between a travel agent and a tour operator?
A person or business that designs and offers its own travel plans, tours, vacation packages, or itineraries directly to clients or other travel agents is referred to as a travel agent. A travel agent exclusively promotes their own products, including tours, activities, holiday packages, and travel itineraries, rather than selling packages from other individuals.
The intermediary connecting the customer and travel companies is the travel agency. Through the travel agent, customers can purchase different travel packages, activities, vacations, or itineraries that are supplied by other travel agencies. Travel agencies are not responsible for the creation of travel products or activities; rather, their role is to sell such products from other travel agencies.
What are the best features of travel agency software?
- Suitable for mobile
- Multicurrency and multilingualism
- Payment gateway integration
- Barcode scanning
- Dynamic and multiple tour options
- Create a route
- Package settings
- Reservation management
- Customer reviews
- A record of confirmed, issued and claimed tickets
The best travel agency software module
Make a list of travel agency software modules and compare their product features to determine which one is best for your business.
- Reservation management
- Supply Management
- CRM (customer relationship management)
- Back office management
- Bookkeeping
Solutions for Inbound and Outbound Tour Operators
The Decision of the Inbound Tour Operator
MIS Reporting offers a complete solution for inbound tour operators with advanced features that enhance the quality of customer service. The solution includes functionalities for tour creation, inventory and group travel management, sales process automation, service orders improvement, accounting, back office, and customer management CRM.
To enhance the sales and reservations of inbound tour operators, the ideal approach is to generate bundles for travel, accommodations, transportation, activities, and car rentals and market them directly, thereby boosting the financial gain of the enterprise.
For precise profitability of every travel item, utilize the potent travel agency solution of Inbound Tour Assistance. Their solution for inbound tour operators effectively handles the entire operation, enhancing sales and efficiency.
Outbound Travel Agency Solution
With our comprehensive travel agent solution, you can streamline your sales process, expand your customer base, and efficiently handle your third-party inventory. Our package includes robust b2b back-office management, invoicing features, and workflow enhancements, giving you all the tools needed for success.
We offer comprehensive solutions to outbound travel agencies for them to fully automate their business processes and contribute to the transformation of the tourism industry.
Why Use Tour Booking Software?
A travel business cannot overlook the significance of travel booking software as it can enhance its marketing campaign, streamline information, boost reservations, and improve productivity.
It’s simple to integrate Tour Booking Software into a website, which streamlines the booking process and simplifies back-office management and accounting. Travel arrangements for tourists are conveniently managed with the top-notch features and functionality of the software.
Maximize your business potential and expand your client base with the assistance of a robust travel technology firm. Streamline bookings, inventory, and administrative functions, elevate advertising strategies, and gather valuable insights to bolster progress.
Over the last few years, the internet has become the prime platform for the tourism sector. Presently, most transactions occur via travel websites, applications, and similar digital mediums. With easy accessibility to the internet, clients make use of online resources for finding and reserving tours, among other requirements. In case your travel enterprise lacks an option for visitors to make online reservations via your travel/tour website, you are possibly missing out on a considerable amount of business.