>> Are you looking for a Travel Concierge Service? : Get in touch with our team

Hospitality Industry’s technology has come a long way. Big companies in the industry have kept up with the times by adopting CRM systems and POS software, and are now dealing with the incremental introduction of AI, IoT and IOV to revolutionize the way they communicate with consumers. 

Concierge services in the hotel industry are also changing a lot and innovation is impacting them. In concierge services, automation is slowly but steadily making its way, changing a lot of customer behavior and dynamics of service providers.Most hotels are introducing creative technological solutions to make the front desk experience of their guests more comfortable and hassle-free to avoid long queues and to be more casual and welcoming without the physical and digital gap generated by reception desks. All major global hotel businesses are moving in that direction.

A new concept of concierge

The truth of the matter is that today the internet, mobile apps, social media, review sites, online booking platforms give guests the ability to do local searches and take care of bookings and service requests on their own, turning each traveler into a professional concierge. That’s why this digital revolution will cause hospitality services to shift. 

Simply speaking, innovation has changed everything around the concierge, but at the same time, it has allowed industry operators to maintain momentum by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digital and mobile devices. All of these innovations can facilitate concierge work, allowing them to spend less time on administrative/bureaucratic tasks and more time on human interaction and focus on the needs and desires of customers.

Challenges for the Concierge Service providers

Demand for travel concierge services is growing significantly, as increasing numbers of banks and credit card companies are providing travel services to attract customers and increase loyalty, particularly among the big spenders.The scope and importance of travel concierge services will rise as disposable income, card spending and millennial traveling increases.

Nevertheless, organizational inefficiencies and lack of technology adoption hamper the growth of this sector. Companies providing travel concierge services are affected by issues such as slow turnaround time in customer response, manual bookings, accounting and reconciliation errors, and lack of reporting capabilities to help them keep tabs on their business. Also, their customers are increasingly requesting self-serve B2C portals to allow their premium customer/loyalty program members to make online reservations.

Introducing Travel Concierge Solutions

PROVAB TECHNOSOFT has developed a comprehensive travel platform with interfaces for both concierge employees and end customers, as well as a back & mid-office system for booking management and business automation.It is a seamless platform for travel planning and collaboration that improves concierge efficiency and provides consumers with a top-notch experience. It produces accurate reports and allows centralized monitoring of transactions.

Benefits of Travel Concierge Providers

Client specific marketing

Greater Customer Satisfaction

Shorter Response Time

Increased Productivity for the Concierge

Accurate Reporting

Easier and Quicker Quote Sharing

Better Marketing & Promotions

Higher Conversion rate

Better Concierge-Client Communication

Eliminates Manual Booking Entries

Improved Revenue Management

Better Markups and Commissions Tracking

Features of our Back Office Module

The Travel Concierge Solution includes a powerful Back & Mid-office Module which facilitates the configuration of business and other key business processes including the management of portals, transactions, reward programs, employees, accounting, reporting, etc. The key features are as follows:

Advance business and pricing features for efficient revenue management

Promotions module which allows for delivery of intelligent promotions with business rules and availability criteria

Supplier and Customer Accounting

Ability to manage supplier-specific business rules from a single admin interface

Versatile Booking Management System

Management of both web and mobile bookings Ability to configure markup exceptions

Creates Custom Business Reports for all business needs

>> Are you looking for a Travel Concierge Service? : Get in touch with our team

To sum up, it seems that the human factor is still very relevant, even though the technology is increasingly being used in hotel concierge services. Also, a growing number of travelers are preferring destinations where they can turn off technology and the modern world in search of a kind of virtual detox that rewards human contact. There are even hotels advertising the fact that they offer free wifi stays, so it is quite clear that technology is still not capable of replacing a good concierge service completely.

But what’s the concierge’s future like? It’s hard to say yet. For the moment, the only certain thing is that humans and technology can not only coexist in the delivery of concierge services, but if combined smartly, they can offer great business opportunities to hoteliers and offer extremely high quality of service and personalization to hotel guests.

The post The impact of Technology on Travel Concierge Services appeared first on Online Reservation System.

>> Looking for an Airline Reservation System? : Connect with Sales

travel agency software

These systems were still used by the Airlines themselves, however they were comparatively easy to operate. The first Central Reservation System (CRS) marked the beginning of complex yet easy to operate systems that enabled travel agents to make bookings on them. However, there was still a catch, these CRSs were able to manage only one airline booking, meaning that each airline had its own CRS. This drawback was soon resolved by GDSs (Global Distribution Systems). The first type of scheme that enabled various airlines to be integrated as well as permitted travel agents to book from them. They were also very sophisticated systems with more capacity to search for data and to book. With just one significant step remaining to be accomplished with the kind of reach and complexity that these GDSs offered travel businesses on their fingertips. The significant move was the capacity to enable clients to book their own travel without any interference from airline companies and hotels or travel agents. This necessity gave birth to online booking motors that not only permitted travelers to book directly, but also cut off additional costs and helped book and pay instantly!

Evolution of the Online Booking Engine

The online booking engines evolved and made the booking process simpler and simpler. They began making it easier for clients to define their reservation demands such as location or hotel name, travel date, number of rooms, hotel star ratings and reviews, city-to-city flights, Airlines flights, and much more. This gave clients the most flexibility and an Online Booking Engine’s true value is in the company regulations and procedures that package the material and provide the ability to shop and buy.

Users’ location

Online booking engines have grown to be able to determine the place of customers to offer more customized and targeted deals. This increased the conversion rates quickly as travel providers could now send push notifications to customers about near-by hotels at great rates as well as near-by sightseeing spots. Customers are more likely to book or change their booking at the last minute if they get the right deal. Travel businesses have noticed this impulsive nature of clients and have taken this chance to provide an even higher experience to acquire more faithful clients.

Personalization

Personalization continues for all travel companies the most profitable single strategy. While many travel businesses have realized its potential, a significant number of companies have not yet exploited this opportunity which puts them a lot behind their competitors. Personalization enables travel businesses to know the behavior and travel habits of a traveler and send extremely tailored deals and provides that boost a prospective customer’s tenfold opportunity to book from you.

Reviews

Online reservation engines have also discovered new methods to maintain clients connected to their websites. They started allowing customers to post reviews on their website itself thereby maintaining control over the purchase journey.

Peer-to-peer travelling

Peer-to-peer travel is a fresh business model that online booking engines have inculcated in their business plan, enabling them to offer clients the capacity to more thriftily explore destinations. OBEs have understood the advances in marketing, such as social media marketing and email marketing that are bound to bring in more customers than any other form of marketing.

>> Looking for an Airline Reservation System? : Connect with Sales

Travel Agent Software

Lifestyle changers

Maybe the internet’s latest advantage for travelers is not just planning and booking their travels, but also getting inspiration.  Besides families and friends from which most travelers are inspired; travelers have also begun to explore new destinations on their own, motivating others to do the same. This provides another chance for travel businesses to maintain track of such travelers with big numbers of supporters and partners to promote their services. Posting fresh and interesting travel thoughts not only enables travel businesses to get more company but also to appear as changes in lifestyle.

Travel meta search engines

After the birth of the online booking engine itself, perhaps the most notable advance was the birth of travel meta search engines that aggregate information from various internet travel suppliers and give the highest prices all in one location. A customer is no longer required to search for dozens of other locations before making his final acquisition. He can simply visit a travel meta search engine and key in his requirements and he will be presented with all the available options to choose and make bookings from.

Online booking engines have developed a long way, exploring more possibilities to develop continuously. What do you think about this article? We would like your ideas to be known. Please reach us by commenting in the comments section below and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin.

The post The evolution of the Internet booking engine appeared first on Online Reservation System.

Looking for Hotel Reservation Software – Get a Project Quote – http://www.provab.com/get_quote.html

Online Reservation Software

But how to integrate, is an intriguing issue. There are three basic methods of integration to your existing website:

iFrame Integration

Top travel software provides the white label links, which can be connected in any travel website. Your web designer can simply import these links in iframe. Thus your website will host the search box and will enable the complete online booking software on your website.

Widget integration

You add the code snippet or a widget, from travel software provider, to your website code. Sections of on the online booking UI will be added to the desired places in your website (e.g., search box, hotel room or flights on special offer).

API integration

API integration is one of the most common methods used today. You need a professional travel software development company to achieve this. APIs provide the web services XML, which should be programmed to connect to third party server to bring the data. Its always advisable to hire an experienced travel portal developer to do this for you. Hotel APIs or Flight APIs integration will give you the complete control on look n feel of the system and customization.

With API integration, travel companies can –

•        Have B2C, B2B, corporate and white-label modules

•        Manage multiple suppliers including GDS & hotel consolidators

•        Manage separate sub-domains / domains for end users and agents

•        Update the markup from the backend

•        Have IP based currency option

•        Have comprehensive reporting system

Why travel portals and online booking software are going for merchant accounts and mcommerce way?

A merchant account is a specific bank account intended to hold funds, received from credit and debit card sales through online payment interfaces on B2C travel software and Travel POS. If you’ve ever used your card and actually wondered where the funds just disappeared to, they went into a merchant account. When a customer pays for booking travel products using credit or debit card, money from his account is immediately transferred to the travel agent’s merchant account. From there, money will be transferred out to a normal business bank account through a standard protocol.

Regarding Author:

Author is a travel technology expert and has been involved in several travel portal development projects.

The post Online Reservation Software for Travel Agencies surging in Dubai, United Arab Emirates appeared first on Online Reservation System.

For- B2B travel Portal Development– Get a Quote

http://www.hotelreservationssystem.com/getaprojectquote.html

Hotel Booking System Software

1. Cloud based
2. CRM Software
3. Multiple XML integration
4. Mobile and Smartphone based apps

Cloud-Based

The ability to manage hotels via the cloud gives multi-property owners the ability to control all of their locations from one screen. Cloud-based online reservation software is a great time saving for boutique hotel to hotel chains of any size. New features are quickly available and working at your location within minutes of release. It affords owners and managers the time to get back to their guests without the hassle of hardware and software upgrades, because everything is done in the cloud.

CRM software
Hotel CRM Software helps you optimize workflow and operations to create a proactive and responsive environment for delivering exceptional hotel guest service every time. It leverages mobile applications and devices to automate service delivery and streamline preventive maintenance to improve guest satisfaction while lowering overall operating costs. The software provides accurate and actionable guest information throughout the entire hotel organization..

Having one system does two things:

Saves time
Reduces errors

Multiple XML and GDS integration

One of the proclaimed benefits of cloud-based software is its ability to integrate easily with other software.Multiple GDS & Hotel XMLs Connectivity ensures that clients and agents access more than 100,000 properties globally to chose the best from them. Have a strong B2B and B2C module in your online reservation system.

Go for mobile and smartphone apps

As a hotel revenue manager , mobile and smartphone apps acts as a benefit for you and your guests. If your site is easy to use and book on a mobile device it will increase reservations. And, if your systems and site are accessible via your own mobile devices you can get more done on the go. In either case, mobile access is not a trend to be ignored.

According to recent PhoCusWright research, more than half (51%) of mobile web users purchased travel products such as hotel rooms, flights or car rentals on a smartphone in 2012. A smaller share completed a mobile travel booking (28%). By 2014, PhoCusWright reports that mobile bookings will grow to $25.8 billion, representing 8% of the total travel market.

Having a site optimized for mobile research and bookings is an important part of any hotel looking to increase occupancy.

There is a great opportunity for independent hotel owners, to increase occupancy rates and take market share from their competitors. OTAs are a key part of this opportunity. If hotels can use an integrated system that captures OTA reservations and puts them directly into a PMS without manual intervention, increased revenues and decreased costs will lead to higher profits.

Which is best GDS software for IATA travel agencies?

If you are a growing travel agency and aspire to do business globally, gds travel software will be right choice as this will bring you competitive edge. If you are a startup agency and Non IATA, then you can go for non GDS travel software or B2B2C systems.

The post Hotel distribution and online reservation system: Tips and Trends 2014 appeared first on Online Reservation System.

For B2C Travel Portal Development – Get a Quote

http://www.hotelreservationssystem.com/getaprojectquote.html

Online Reservation System

Online Hotel Booking Engine

With users demanding the world class service it is better to have integrated system in place and allow the business to flow towards the right end. Competition will be increased for the time to come and one should always have to visualize the future.  Having technology in hand always empowers your business for long term growth. Technology can always help you in focusing on key result areas rather than non core areas. Do have a look at detailed product specifications:

http://www.provab.com/travelportaldevelopment.html

Key benefits for travel companies in endorsing the online reservation system:

• Real time sales: A better travel reservation & distribution chain will increase your sales and save your time because prospects can see your inventory, make reservations and payments online in real-time.
• WYSIWYG: Then your inventory is adjusted instantly, so all vendors and suppliers know exactly what can be sold at all times. It includes tools that enable the accommodation provider to monitor activity on his website.
• Online Performance measurement and Sales matrix : Your business story can be measured and scaled as online systems will display the performance matrix and act as a critic for every move you make. Real-time reporting shows the number of prospects, and how many were converted to actual reservations. This builds a profile of customer behavior and identifies sales trends information that can be used for strategic planning purposes.
• Custom travel solutions: As these online reservation systems gives a deep insight on your packages, customers will be clearer with their plans. The online reservation system thus provides an ideal system to the travel agents, tourist to plan their tours and book holiday homes, tourist destinations, hotels, resorts and guest houses.
• Advertisement and Promotions: You can advertise and provide notifications for the products you are about to release. Promotional campaigns can be coded to monitor their effectiveness.
• Easy Payment System: The efficiency in business is measured with turnaround time and quality, online reservation system ensures you have both. It is very important to reach the customers emotional side in this business and having stayed connected will undoubtedly give the thrust you require. Allocating funds in bank accounts has been made easy using the payment gateways.
• Less manpower and paper work: Online reservation system will cut down the time taken and costs for the consumers and travel agencies as there is minimum paper work involved. It requires less staff compared to conventional models and moreover many noncore part of business can be outsourced to system.
• Repeat Business with more sales: The customer database generated through sales can also be used for targeting future marketing campaigns.

Online Reservation System

It is unusual that people are more attracted to online reservation systems rather than traditional practices but reality is people tend to catch the attention only if an enterprise has made their presence in internet. It is may be due to the time constraint or traveling to your place or they might even think that technology can be handy than a human being. Whatever the reason is, it is your zeal towards the development of business matters at the end of day and customer will recognize that only if you endorse the change in industry.

Thus, the presence in internet world always gives an impression to your customers and displays your responsibility towards excellence.

Which is best GDS software for IATA travel agencies?

If you are a growing travel agency and aspire to do business globally, gds travel software will be right choice as this will bring you competitive edge. If you are a startup agency and Non IATA, then you can go for non GDS travel software or B2B2C systems.

Source : PROVAB TECHNOSOFT is leading online airline & hotel reservation system development company. We have won several awards for our clients globally.

The post Benefits of Online Reservation System for Travel Agencies (info@provab.com) appeared first on Online Reservation System.

For B2B Travel portal Development – get a Quote

http://www.hotelreservationssystem.com/getaprojectquote.html

Online Reservation System

Online Reservation System Integration

With the success of e-commerce, where buying and selling of product or service is conducted over the internet, global travel agents also use the consolidated database including the images of hotels and rooms, information on prices and deals, and even information on local and nearby areas. Some online reservation software also allows to post the feedback from the existing users to add value for the future buyers.

Online reservation system is also helpful for the buyers to do last minute hotel bookings along with other travel arrangements. Online reservation system is the best medium to provide best hotel deals which may be exclusive and different from what other travel agents provide.

An Online Reservation System can have any or all of the following

1. GDS system – Large hotel chains typically have direct connections with global distribution system (GDS) (Sabre, Galileo, Amadeus, Travelport, Worldspan etc.). These in turn provide hotel information directly to the hundreds of thousands of travel agents that align themselves with one of these systems and provide massive reach to hotels / hotel chains

2. Multiple XML connectivity – an efficient online reservation software is the one which provides wider choice contents including for hotels, tours, transfers and insurance options – all with a focus on best price and value thus providing quick and easy access to customers than their competitors. The online reservation system is compatible with 23 hotel xmls with hotel suppliers like GTA, Kuoni, Hotelbeds, Tourico, Travco, Special Tours, HotelsPro, Path Finder, Miki Travels, Sun Hotels, Darina Holidays, DOTW, Asian trials and Versys.

3. Hotel Websites and CRS (Central Reservation System) / Hotel CRS – A hotel CRS Individual hotels are now designing their own websites to improve the likelihood of filling rooms faster online. They use online reservation system for real time booking of their hotel rooms. Chain hotels require central reservation system (Hotel CRS) which helps to connect to their every hotel and their hotel rooms to one single database system. Central reservation system helps to manage the online bookings through the headquarter itself. All reservations are done through a single database from which all reservation sources draw immediate room availability and rates.

Hotels and excursions are the top grosser for holiday companies and tour operators

With a survey done recently on travel software companies in USA, India, Europe and Asia, hotel booking software with GDS connectivity, is the fastest growing category. Top hotel APIs like Amadeus, GTA, expedia, hotelbeds and DOTW are giving access to top hotel inventory in niche geographies. Hotel aggregators are setting up top hotel booking software to sell unsold inventories of hotels at the last minutes.  

PROVAB TECHNOSOFT is an award winning travel technology company, delivering B2B / B2C travel software, travel CRM, accounting software, car rental software and mobility solutions to global travel & hospitality companies. We work with over forty top travel aggregators, global distribution systems, channel managers and DMCs. With clear focus on technology‚ agile methodology and innovation, we ensure quality deliverables and speedy turnaround to develop and deliver scalable travel portals and booking engines.

The post Hotel Inventory Source for Online Reservation System / Online Reservation Software – GDS System, Hotel Suppliers – XMLs, Hotel CRS appeared first on Online Reservation System.