CAPE Town-based inbound tour operator, African Eagle, is rolling out its Internet booking engine, Tourmap Web, to other inbound tour operators.
Tourmap Web is designed to be used as a business-to-business tool (B2B) and clients can search for availability of services such as accommodation, tours and transfers, and book such services online. Some 1 250 hotels, guest houses and B&Bs are currently listed on the system, as well as African Eagle services, including meet and greets, city tours and transfers. Each property listed on Tourmap Web has a listing of facilities and room categories.
The confirmation is instant as bookings are only possible when there is availability for the requested services. All services in the database are the result of an agreement between Tourmap Web and suppliers that are able to ‘close for sale’ when needed.
Tourmap Web has been developed so that an inbound operator can facilitate transactions between outbound operators and suppliers.
“The system allows for the specifics of the relationship between the outbound operator (client), the inbound operator (Tourmap Web) and the supplier to be maintained because the rates, services available and allocation of services can be specific for each client.”
Tourmap Web is not a last-minute booking engine. “Services and products cannot be booked within three days of travel. Bookings can be cancelled, amended or added to before then.”
Smaller operators will benefit from the system, he says, because African Eagle has negotiated better rates. There are also no software costs because Tourmap Web is web based and there’s also no cost to use the system. “Operators can even remain with their existing ground handler and simply use the system when they need to.”
