A whopping two trillion dollars are expected to flow through the global tourism sector in 2024. This means that people are eager to explore the world. But planning a vacation has become an uphill battle. People nowadays have a lot on their plates and arranging a vacation sounds laborious to them.
Travel agencies can turn this scenario in their favor by offering services through an online booking portal. Loaded with impressive features and driven by high-end technologies, these portals act like time-saving machines for travel agents. They automate manual tasks, reduce paper dependency, and ensure quick reservations. Travel agents can also witness a greater profit flowing into their pockets. Let us explore the major features of an online booking portal that assists travel agencies in reaching the right audience and serving them well.
What is an online booking portal?
Travel agents have been using online portals for a long time but need a competitive edge in the crowded tourism market. They need to ensure their agency is not just another face in the crowd, but a beacon of exceptional services. A high-end travel booking portal is the key to reaching this goal. It acts as a one-stop solution for all travel requirements. The portal brings together hotel reservations, flight and train ticket booking, car rental, outdoor activities, and vacation planning under one platform. Developed by trained experts, an online booking portal delivers ease, convenience, and value to a travel agency’s operations.
Benefits of booking portal
1. Comparable prices
Booking portals contain numerous options for reservations and bookings at different prices. Travel agents can compare them and book the most suitable one for their client. Since these portals fetch information from multiple sources, finding the best deal becomes easy. Comparable prices help in delivering a satisfying service to customers. Saving money on bookings builds trust and provides more business to travel agents.
2. Greater sales and marketing
Marketing becomes effortless with an online portal as it allows travel agencies to showcase their offerings. All services are listed on the portal, giving direct access to customers. The portal link can be hyperlinked to other web pages bringing more traffic. Affiliate and email marketing can also be easily put to work with the help of a portal. The booking portal displays beneficial deals, cashback offers, and discounted packages, attracting more customers and higher sales.
3. Maximum bookings
Travel agents can manage multiple bookings with the help of a portal. Tech-driven features automate most tasks, eliminating the need to manually track and manage uncountable bookings. From sending booking confirmations over email to ensuring secure payments, the portal requires minimum effort from travel agents.
4. 24/7 services
Since travel portals are available online, they can be accessed around the clock. This adds value to the travel agency’s reputation among its customers. Whether the customer needs a taxi rental at 2:00 am or wants to embark on an early bird tour, time is not an issue with online booking portals.
5. Wider online presence
Billboard advertisements are a thing of the past, these days we have ‘online billboards’, and a travel portal acts like one. Travel agents can showcase their expertise through these portals. They get access to the global audience, whether in the US or UAE. Having a huge online customer base means more bookings and commissions.
Features of online booking portal
1. Ticket booking
This feature gives several options for booking train and flight tickets to the user. Simply by filtering dates and destinations, they can find amazing deals on tickets from different airlines.
2. Hotel and restaurant reservation
Users get information on multiple hotels and restaurants on the portal, eliminating the need to visit separate websites. This allows them to plan their stay accordingly as they find good places to eat near their accommodations.
3. Train and flight status checker
Booking portals allow proactive booking management for travel agents to manage and check reservations made for their customers. The portal sends timely notifications and reminders, ensuring customers do not miss their flight, and have everything planned.
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4. Chat and call support
Providing a seamless customer experience ensures positive relations. Through an online portal, travelers receive real-time assistance through chat and call. Customers gain confidence in agencies for a timely resolution to their problems, and they feel valued throughout their journey.
Conclusion
Online booking portals provide a stress-free booking experience to travel agents and their customers. Travelers spend a lot of time planning their vacation, travel agencies can give them a delightful experience by properly leveraging booking portals. Portals deliver valuable information on flight tickets, hotel reservations, taxi rentals, and adventure sports. By streamlining these processes, travel agents enjoy a seamless booking operation for their customers. Travel agencies can learn more about the features of online booking portal by contacting an expert service provider like TBOHolidays.
Source: Statista
Features of Online Booking Portals FAQs
Yes, travel agents can partner with airlines, restaurants, hotels, and other service providers. They provide access to exclusive discounts and cashback offers to loyal customers.
Definitely, these portals can be linked to the service provider’s CMS. This assists travel agencies in offering additional services to their customers without heavy investments.
Yes, online booking portals are equipped with real-time analytics and marketing tools that help small travel agencies reach a wider audience and expand their business.
Pratyush Kumar Srivastava is a seasoned expert in B2B travel writing with years of experience in the industry. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of travel technology, supplier relationships, and market trends, Pratyush offers valuable insights to help businesses optimize their travel booking strategies. Passionate about innovation and efficiency, he is dedicated to guiding travel agencies through the complexities of modern distribution channels to achieve growth and success.
