Overview

Online Travel Agency (OTA) plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the travel industry today. In the ever changing preferred choice of the customers, it is now offering a dynamic, efficient, and highly personalized OTA Travel Platform for travel agents. With the advent of digitization, it is now imperative and crucial for travel companies and travel portal development company to have an accurate integrated, scalable automated, efficient, streamlined, sustainable user friendly, comprehensive cloud based online OTA Software / Travel portal software that meets the customer expectations and to have a cutting edge over the competition.

 How to choose the Best OTA software?

Online Travel Agency (OTAs) have become central players in the travel domain and facilitate travelers navigate through the complexities of planning and booking of their travel tour. The importance of OTA Software is not only limited to meet the business requirement of the travel company from enquiry to MIS reporting, it offers real time integration, accuracy with global distribution systems (GDS) for hotel information, flight information, tour package and other services. The use of customized APIs to build successful versatile and highly customizable Multispecialty Travel Software  facilitates streamlining and optimizing corporate travel management to ensure ease of business, growth and efficiency and others.

8 Tips to choose the best OTA software are as follows.

 

Ø  Expectations from the OTA software based on business

There is many OTA Software, available in the market and each claiming that their software is the best Online Travel Agency Software. How do you decide?  Decide on your expectation from the OTA software – your specific business requirement. Consider your business growth plans, volume increase of bookings, the services being offered and your target market. This would facilitate identify the features that you are looking in the OTA software and are most crucial for your operations. Going forward this comprehensive feature list would form the pre requisite of the software and form a part of Booking Management. It must facilitate state of technology and result in cost saving may be a part of other expectations from OTA Software,. Likewise compile the details to proceed for software selection.

• Flexibility, scalability with modular architecture

OTA Software, must have flexibility, scalability and ease to customization to meet the changing business needs and statutory government guidelines. Best Tour Operator Software must be capable to manage volume increase of bookings, increased traffic and additional requirements as the business grows. The modular architecture and seamless integration with each module delivers a dynamic plug and play mechanism which can cater to one or more features of the on OTA software solution

Ø  User friendly interface with Dynamic Booking Process Cart  

A user-friendly interface software should be easy to navigate and self-explanatory.  It must enhance the booking experience for your customers leading to higher satisfaction and repeat business. OTA Software, must facilitate dynamic Booking processing. It must facilitate travel agents to create tailored travel packages effortlessly. With the ability to add, remove, or modify various travel elements, such as flights, accommodations, transfers, and activities, the booking process must be flexible, intuitive, highly engaging and facilitates automated notifications, reminders, emails, and in-app messaging, ensuring clients are well-informed at every stage of their booking increasing efficiency.

• Multi-Session Shopping enhancing operational efficiency and cost saving

OTA Software must allow travel agents / customers to retain client itineraries across multiple sessions. This flexibility encourages clients to return to the OTA Travel Platform, review, and refine their travel plans, fostering a deeper level of engagement and trust.

OTA Software solutions must facilitate giving in depth information on various parameters identified by the management in the form of customized MIS reports regarding booking pattern, travel expenses and spending, performance of employees, suppliers. Based on the information the travel companies can take informed decisions resulting in optimizing costs or ensuring controlling costs / cost saving or optimizing budgets for travel and other activities. The selection of state of art technology further helps in cost reduction over the years – operative and recurring expenses.

Ø  Agile Integration Capabilities facilitating Global Market reach

 

Choose software that integrates seamlessly with your legacy software and other applications systems you use, such as back office accounting software, in house developed applications, various marketing tools, third-party applications and various aggregators tools, providing access to a vast array of travel content, bed banks and GDS, ensuring that agents can offer their clients the best options and prices and incorporate new channel partners. The integration of OTA Software solutions with other travel industry software facilitates global reach and expand base. Integration capabilities ensure seamless and streamline operations reducing the need for manual data entry and minimizing errors. The architecture of OTA software must expedite the linking process with new suppliers, ensuring the best turnaround.

• Robust pricing and ROI

Evaluate the pricing module of the OTA Software and ensure it meets the business requirement and is transparent and robust. The OTA Software must provide real-time pricing updates and notifications for the travel companies to take suitable measures based on the demand and supply mechanism. This facilitates in potential return on investment (ROI) from the software through increased efficiency, higher bookings, and better customer satisfaction. It results in optimizing the cost and profits.

Ø  Security compliance and risk management

While choosing the OTA Software it is of prime importance to ensure that the sensitive customer data and payment information. is secured and encrypted as part of data security feature. The software must be industry standards and regulations complaint such as PCI DSS for payment security. It should be compliant to various corporate policies – travel, employees, safety and government regulatory guidelines It must have features like data encryption, secure login, and regular security updates to protect your business and customers from cyber threats and data hacking. The OTA Software must facilitate contingency planning to manage risk – in terms of natural calamity, fire, sabotage, virus attack, internet failure, hacking and others. To ensure minimal down time and respond effectively to travel disruptions, emergencies, and crises management is amongst the main role of risk management safeguarding both employees and the business partners.

• Enhanced personalized Customer Experience support and Client Engagement

OTA Software solution must constantly thrive to ensure enhanced and positive customer experience to the customer ranging from user friendly screens. ensuring ease and flexibility of bookings, online payments, feedback, mobile applications, itinerary management tools, and real-time updates. It ensures clients are well-informed at every stage of their tour. This personalized approach enhances the booking experience, increases employee satisfaction and brings loyalty to the company.

OTA Software must facilitate Travel agents to design and provide unique tailor made travel experiences that cater to their clients’ specific preferences and desires. The client must have the facility to continue building and refining their itineraries. This ongoing client engagement not only leads to repeat business but also creates loyal and satisfied clients.

The OTA Software provider must offer robust customer support preferable 24/7, including multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat to facilitate timely resolve issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Choosing the best OTA Software is a significant decision that can impact the efficiency and success of your travel company. By embracing OTA solutions that meets the 8 Tips to choose the best OTA software mentioned above, travel agents can create exceptional travel experiences for their clients ultimately ensuring their continued success in this ever-evolving industry. Selecting the right software by understanding your business goals and growth path can further help you stay competitive, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the overall experience for your agents / customers.