Custom software for travel agencies and tour operators

What a trip looks like from the back office

A single client trip can touch a dozen suppliers: airlines, a cruise line, two hotels, transfers, a local guide and travel insurance. Each has its own booking reference, deposit due date, final payment date, cancellation penalties and commission terms. Multiply that by every client and every group, and the real work of a travel agency is tracking dates and money that are spread across supplier portals, email and spreadsheets.

Then there is the client side. Advisors build proposals, revise them three times, collect deposits, chase final payments, send documents and answer the 10 pm text when a flight is cancelled. After the trip, commissions have to be collected from suppliers and reconciled, which is where many agencies quietly lose money. Tour operators have extra layers: departures with minimum numbers, room and seat inventory, guides and vehicles, and travelers who all need the same updates.

Travel agencies software and tour operators CRM: what we build

• Client CRM: travelers, families and groups with passports, preferences, loyalty numbers, past trips and special dates, plus lead tracking for new inquiries.
• Proposals and itineraries: branded, day-by-day itineraries built from a library of your hotels, activities and notes, with versions clients can approve.
• Booking and payment tracking: every supplier booking with confirmation numbers, deposit and final payment dates, and reminders before each one.
• Client payments: payment schedules and online payment links, with clear records of what was collected and what is owed to suppliers.
• Commission tracking: expected commissions per booking, what has been received, and which suppliers are overdue.
• Traveler app or portal: documents, itineraries, contacts and updates on the traveler’s phone, available offline.
• Tour operators software: departures, capacity, rooming lists, guide and vehicle assignment, and group messaging.
• Online booking for set tours and packages, with deposits taken at checkout.

Travel industry software vs. custom

Travel advisors often use ClientBase for client records and back-office accounting, and tools such as Travefy or TravelJoy for itineraries, proposals and client payments. Tour operators use reservation systems such as Tourplan for multi-day programs, or FareHarbor and Rezdy for bookable day tours and activities. These are well-established tools and a sensible place to start.

Custom software fits agencies and operators whose product is the differentiator: a destination specialist with its own supplier network and pricing, a group travel business running school, church or corporate trips with complicated payment plans, a tour operator that wants its own booking flow and traveler app, or a host agency that needs tools for its independent advisors. A custom system can also connect pieces you already use so data is entered once.

Client funds, registrations and records

Travel sellers handle client deposits and payments held for suppliers, and a few states, including California and Florida, have seller of travel registration rules, some with requirements on client funds or disclosures. Rules vary by state and change over time, so check what applies to your business. Software helps by tracking what each client paid, what was paid to each supplier, signed terms and conditions, and every change to a booking. This is not legal advice.

How a project works

1. Follow one tripWe walk through a recent trip or departure from inquiry to commission received.
2. Design the advisor and traveler viewsYou click through proposals, booking tracking and the traveler app before any code is written.
3. Build in roundsPayment and commission tracking often go first, since missed dates and missed commissions cost the most.
4. Bring in your clientsWe import client profiles, suppliers and open bookings from your current tools.
5. Launch and refineAdvisors start using it on new trips, and the monthly plan covers changes after.