travel tech insights

This week I was on a software provider's website and read this description of an ERP product feature, “With FeatureABC, the accuracy, the reliability and the availability of information are improved so management can make better strategic decisions more quickly. Consolidation is beneficial in many processes in an agency.”

At first, I found myself thinking, “What are they talking about? What does this mashup of adjectives even mean?” Then I thought, “How many people in the travel industry even know what reports they need, much less what reasonable expectations should be for their reporting tools and database?”

Sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? How could a travel agency be its own worst sales enemy? And, if somehow it was, why would any management team in its right mind allow the situation to continue?

A recurring theme in this blog is the central role travel technology plays in the business model of successful travel companies, particularly enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems designed for the travel industry. There’s a simple explanation for this – Travel ERP has the potential to deliver such a wide array of benefits that it fits into any number of travel topics: reducing operational costs with automation; making better decisions with more accurate reporting; or supporting sales with better travel partner integration, just to name a few.  

Like every other sector of the travel industry, steady growth in business travel doesn’t necessarily translate into increased sales for every travel management company (TMC). The travel sector is challenging because the business model is complex and competition is fierce.

One travel industry trend that holds particular promise for growth is experiential travel. To an increasing extent, people want to return from their destinations with a sense of having authentically experienced that part of the world.