B2C Travel Portal
The Key Features That a B2C Travel Portal Must Have
The travel industry is a hotly contested one and travel agencies need to have the latest tech and tools in their arsenal to succeed. For this reason, travel agencies all over the world have moved online or are in the process of becoming one. In order to find success as an online travel agency, a B2C travel portal is a must. However, that travel portal must come with all the necessary features and functionalities.
Before you start hunting for a travel technology company, you must first understand what those features are. Take a look below to learn more.
What is a B2C Travel Portal?
In simple terms, a B2C portal in the travel industry is a system designed to connect a travel agency to the end customers or the travelers. This portal will allow flights, cars, cruises, hotels and travel packages to be booked by the travelers. This is different from B2B portals which connect travel service providers and travel agencies.
The key features of a B2C portal are discussed as follows.
Travel Services
These include the travel services that customers want. Hotels, flights, holiday packages and even transfers are all different kinds of services. The end customers will be able to view and book these services online through the portal. Access to these services from their providers is made possible by the use of APIs, GDS or even self-contracts.
Availability and Cost
In addition to the services, the portal will also provide access to the costs and availability of each item. As the travel agency, you will have access to the costs and availability of the various services from the providers. This will also include any additional costs, supplements and discounts. You can then add your own markups to the costs and modify other details as needed before offering them to your own customers. You can even disable bookings for specific dates, properties or services as per your own requirements. Your customers can only view the costs and availabilities that you want them to view.
It is also possible to set different pricing levels for your partners. You can also segregate your partners into markets for added convenience.
Bookings, Reservations and Sales
Through the B2C portal, it becomes possible for customers to make reservations, bookings and purchases of the various services. Options can be provided to them for modifying the bookings if the need arises. Travel portals should have intuitive interfaces that allow reservations to be made quickly and directly without your intervention. As the administrator, you can also view and track all the reservations and sales completed. This way, reservation and booking management becomes easier and more efficient for you.
Document Management
A B2C travel portal should come with an efficient and smooth document management system. This process will be completely automated. Depending on the actions undertaken by the end user, certain documents are generated. For example, a reservation or a purchase will generate an invoice. Once generated, the documents are automatically sent to each party involved. In other words, in addition to the customer, you and your travel partner will receive copies of the invoice. It is possible to customize the process as well.
Hiring a Travel Technology Company
To get the most out of a B2C travel portal, you need to team up with an experienced travel technology company like Team India Web Design. They have considerable experience dealing with API and XML integration which is critical to the success of any travel portal. After all, APIs are what power the portals by bringing in the various services. Such travel technology companies will ensure that you get best-in-class features with rapid turnaround.
Before you start hunting for a travel technology company, you must first understand what those features are. Take a look below to learn more.
What is a B2C Travel Portal?
In simple terms, a B2C portal in the travel industry is a system designed to connect a travel agency to the end customers or the travelers. This portal will allow flights, cars, cruises, hotels and travel packages to be booked by the travelers. This is different from B2B portals which connect travel service providers and travel agencies.
The key features of a B2C portal are discussed as follows.
Travel Services
These include the travel services that customers want. Hotels, flights, holiday packages and even transfers are all different kinds of services. The end customers will be able to view and book these services online through the portal. Access to these services from their providers is made possible by the use of APIs, GDS or even self-contracts.
Availability and Cost
In addition to the services, the portal will also provide access to the costs and availability of each item. As the travel agency, you will have access to the costs and availability of the various services from the providers. This will also include any additional costs, supplements and discounts. You can then add your own markups to the costs and modify other details as needed before offering them to your own customers. You can even disable bookings for specific dates, properties or services as per your own requirements. Your customers can only view the costs and availabilities that you want them to view.
It is also possible to set different pricing levels for your partners. You can also segregate your partners into markets for added convenience.
Bookings, Reservations and Sales
Through the B2C portal, it becomes possible for customers to make reservations, bookings and purchases of the various services. Options can be provided to them for modifying the bookings if the need arises. Travel portals should have intuitive interfaces that allow reservations to be made quickly and directly without your intervention. As the administrator, you can also view and track all the reservations and sales completed. This way, reservation and booking management becomes easier and more efficient for you.
Document Management
A B2C travel portal should come with an efficient and smooth document management system. This process will be completely automated. Depending on the actions undertaken by the end user, certain documents are generated. For example, a reservation or a purchase will generate an invoice. Once generated, the documents are automatically sent to each party involved. In other words, in addition to the customer, you and your travel partner will receive copies of the invoice. It is possible to customize the process as well.
Hiring a Travel Technology Company
To get the most out of a B2C travel portal, you need to team up with an experienced travel technology company like Team India Web Design. They have considerable experience dealing with API and XML integration which is critical to the success of any travel portal. After all, APIs are what power the portals by bringing in the various services. Such travel technology companies will ensure that you get best-in-class features with rapid turnaround.
