The internet has helped business houses in spreading their wings across international borders. It serves not only as a platform for promotion and advertising but also for seeking out further work possibilities. The best feature of the internet is its ability to be used as an equalizer for serving both small and mid-sized businesses.
Whether your range of services encompasses premium activities such as horse riding classes or yacht charters, your services should have the ability to be reserved or rented well in advance. This is the biggest reason behind a large number of small-scale travel startups resorting to the internet for turning their business around.
The travel booking landscape is undergoing rapid changes of late. Customers are seeking out online supports to take them through the travel and hotel bookings making the effect of a mobile mode felt like never before. Previously, businesses in the travel and tourism sector steered clear from a booking system given that they can be expensive and difficult to operate.
Coming to modern times, travel agencies have undergone a paradigm change with cloud computing making the app development process extremely affordable and monthly subscriptions costing the same as that of an employee’s daily minimum wage. Today, we shall take a detailed look at the reasons behind travel agencies feeling the need for an online booking system on the go:
1. Receiving reservations round the clock
Customers mostly surf the internet outside business hours and are most likely to make spot reservations rather than calling back the travel agency on the following day. Statistics reveal that a lion’s share of bookings is made online from home or in the evening.
This is because there may be limited internet access in the workplace. In addition, every home has at least one PC or laptop with internet connectivity. The normal working hours of a typical travel agency are from 9 to 5.
Thus, there might not be any person to answer the 39 percent of travel booking calls or emails from customers after their office hours, and that is exactly when the bulk of bookings take place. After all, only one out of every three customers leaves a voicemail when their call remains unanswered, adding up to the potential for lost bookings. Coupled with an online booking app, travel agencies can receive booking round the clock, thus maximizing their sales.
2. Minimizing work pressure
A proper online booking system can cater to the following aspects:
Ensure that the bookings are received as per the availability.
Gather all the requisite information so that the customer’s valuable time is not wasted asking the same questions time and again.
Sending an automated email to the customers informing them about the status of the booking.
3. Major cost savings
An online booking system can increase efficiency by 50 percent and reduce staffing expense by 20-30 percent in accordance with the size of the tourism business. Travel agencies previously used to hire seasonal staff for catering to the growing pressure during those busy seasons. But that did not help out much in shaping the company’s profit figure. Alternatively, an online booking system can bring down costs and ensure complete attendance as unlike physical employees, the mechanical system does not call in sick when a seasonal virus takes over the entire town.
4. Online payments
A travel agency usually integrates an automatic payment system in its booking mechanism. This can bring along a substantial reduction in manual workload and provide customers with a safe and easy booking portal. With guests paying the booking amount in advance, travel agents do not have to worry about payments any further. The money can also be retained as compensation in case of a no-show by customers.
The main goal of travel agencies is to sell their services at considerable profit margins. But without an online booking system, you might have to solely depend on walk-ins and phone calls for making reservations. If you are procrastinating over your future steps to grow your travel business, you just need to consult a professional android apps development company to discuss your requirements.
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