Leanne has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry holding various roles including Branch Manager, Audit Manager and Ecommerce Project Manager with Co-operative Travel which will be invaluable within this position. Her experience spans both the eCommerce and retail aspects of the travel industry and Leanne has a wealth of knowledge on the Traveltek product portfolio. Leanne, during her time at Traveltek, has been pivotal in driving forward the Customer Success team. In recent months she has led our efforts on building out our RPA capabilities through our Traverse relationship and played a crucial role in shaping our data strategy.

Leanne Woolvine, said, “I have been with Traveltek for over seven years, and I have enjoyed my time here and been able to be part of some exciting and first of its kind projects for the travel industry.  I am both delighted and excited to be taking on this next challenge as Head of Product and have the opportunity to work with our customers on the planning and execution of Traveltek’s products, and particularly the product roadmap”.

Cressida Sergeant, Chief Commercial Officer, said, “As part of Traveltek’s commitment to improving our service to customers, we have been reviewing our processes and structure around how we manage our product roadmap. Following extensive customer feedback, as an Exec Team, we decided this role needed to move within the commercial function of our business. This is a pivotal role, encouraging a customer-focused and transparent approach to our product delivery. I am delighted to have Leanne take this role forward and wish her all the best in this new endeavour”.

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Beginning in September Traveltek’s Cruise API will become available to 60,000 B2B travel buyers around the globe via Hotelbeds’ Beyond the Bed portfolio, which also includes transfers, activities, theme parks, multi-day tours and car rental.

Traveltek’s Cruise API provides access to over 30 cruise lines that are available to book direct.

Javier Arévalo, Managing Director of the Beyond The Bed portfolio at Hotelbeds, commented: “As cruise ships are now beginning to sail again and many travellers are booking cruises for 2021, we felt it was essential to offer our 60,000 B2B travel buyers around the world access to this very important segment. After a careful review of the market we felt that Traveltek’s Cruise API offers the best and most exclusive range of cruise products available and that its cutting-edge technology suits the needs of our API partners.”

Traveltek’s, Chief Executive Officer, Mal Barritt added: “We are delighted to partner with such a well-established and recognisable B2B travel brand. I know that our Cruise API will be able to meet the current and future needs of Hotelbeds 60,000 B2B travel buyers. Whilst the industry has been challenged hard, the recovery is slowly underway, and Hotelbeds is in a strong position to capitalise on this.”

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1) Why are you looking to invest in a new travel technology solution?

• Is it to consolidate your current technology stack from multiple technology solutions into one?
• Is it to improve productivity and profitability?
• Is it for efficiency savings and to reduce resource-heavy tasks?
• Will you outsource all your technology or will you decide to take an API and do some of the build in-house, it’s worth discussing your options with your prospective technology partner.

2) Have you considered what connectivity you will require within your new technology solution? 

• Who are your key suppliers? Can your tech provider assist you with recommendations here as to who would be most suitable to help you achieve your business goals?
• What supplier types do you need to have connectivity with? Can you start small and build up this portfolio of suppliers? 
• What distribution capabilities are you looking for? For example, are you looking to sell B2B, multi-channel (B2B & B2C), also are you looking to distribute your own product market-wide?

3) What are the scalability capabilities of the technology provider?

• If you are planning to grow your business, you need to ensure the partner you choose will have the resource to support you through that journey? For example, are they a product-driven technology company? If yes, you should ask to see their roadmap of development.      
• It’s also worth looking at what reporting capabilities and tools the technology company has to help you grow and scale.

4) Budget & Approval Process

• When deciding on the budget for your project, this has to be weighed against the commercials. It should be scaled against the productivity, profitability, and efficiency gains that the project will deliver.
• Make sure you have buy-in from your senior management team with regards to your preferred option. This will then ensure a smoother rollout of the project.     
• It may be worth considering your investment in stages if you are a start-up, starting with crucial models and investing more in technology as you scale your business.

5) Market Legalities and Tax Requirements

• Something that is often overlooked, and should be discussed at the start of a project is any specific requirements around market legalities or specific market tax requirements that would be required. Also, are you looking to push any connectivity through to your finance system?

 Additional points to note….

• Ensure you secure client references
• Training approach
  • How simple is the system to use? What resources do they have to support you post-live? Will it be easy to train new members of staff, can the training be delivered online, or is it face-to-face?
• Workshops
  • Throughout the sales process, there should be workshops of key workflows for sales and admin teams to ensure the technology is adding value and improving efficiency.
• Does your technology partner have a partnership approach and understand the travel industry?

The post Your Guide to What to Consider When Looking for a New Technology System appeared first on Traveltek.

Since its inception, Travel at 60 has gone from strength to strength, however, to develop their business further, they acknowledged that they needed to streamline their travel technology platform to improve efficiency and provide an enhanced online customer journey.

Travel at 60 has partnered with Traveltek to utilize its award-winning iSell platform along with iBos and CRM products. Another critical element was that Travel at 60 is expanding its Cruise offering and the Traveltek platform is one of the best in the market place in terms of its ability around dynamically packaging cruise.

Wendy Harch, Chief Commercial Officer Travel at 60 said “The Traveltek team based here in Australia made it a breeze to roll out this new technology – even during such a tough operating environment over the last few months.  Alongside our full-service call centre, we are excited to now also be able to offer our clients online search and booking functionality for cruise, flights, hotels and more.”

Rebecca Esterhuizen, Head of APAC, commented “We were very excited when Travel at 60 approached us last year about this project. They are a very dynamic company and have a strong presence within the online travel community in Australia and New Zealand. And the Traveltek solution that we have been able to provide has achieved the goals that Travel at 60 were looking for, which was to have a truly one-stop-shop technology platform. I wish them all the success for the future, and they are now best placed with efficient and effective technology to capture the market as it starts to return”.

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Beaverton, OR (June 16, 2020) – Passport Online Inc. has signed an agreement with Traveltek to provide the API (Application Programming Interface) connectivity for its Tandem booking engine solution. Launched in 2010, Tandem has successfully provided independent agencies and consortia and host agencies a powerful booking solution for business-to-business and business -to-consumer cruise and tour bookings. Traveltek’s API content will expand the product reach and global opportunities for Tandem agency and consortia customers.

“This new agreement builds on the success we have had with our booking platform and allows us to fully realize the vision for Tandem as a complete booking solution for all of our customers’ travel needs,” said Greg White, Passport Online’s SVP Technology and Operations, “But, more than that, Tandem can continue its evolution into a comprehensive travel advisor productivity platform, integrated with our content, marketing and social media tools in one cohesive package.”

Traveltek, for nearly 20 years, has been providing award-winning travel technology systems and is one of the market leaders in relation to its travel API product. With more than 200 suppliers enabled on the API with multi-channel, multi-currency and multi-lingual content “Ours is one of the most powerful and fully integrated, end-to-end leisure travel platforms available in the market” said Mal Barritt, Chief Executive Officer at Traveltek . “Working with Passport Online brings our global perspective and their US market knowledge to create a robust, stable and extensive supplier range. Plus, an easy to use travel technology platform for Tandem’s agency and consortia customers. This partnership further cements Traveltek’s expansion into the US market, and we look forward to a mutually prosperous relationship with Passport Online.”

Tandem will transition to the Traveltek connection in the third quarter of 2020, with no interruption of service for its current customers. “Though this integration is critical to our future growth, we wanted to assure continuity of product and seamless transition for our Tandem customers. We need to provide best-in-class booking options as our travel agency clients ready for the rebound in leisure bookings that we all anticipate this year,” said Jeanne Colombo, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Passport Online.

In 2019, Tandem had a nearly 20% increase in sailed bookings, an amazing growth after a 25% rise in 2018. The platform was trending for similar growth in 2020 prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Initially, Tandem will offer the same shoppable content currently available in the platform, with a selection of 19 bookable cruise lines and tour/vacation suppliers bookable. In the coming months, Passport will add booking support for additional suppliers and travel types to the Tandem platform, as well as enhancing global booking capabilities for its partners.

“We will look to expand our global capabilities to meet the needs of our consortia partners as they continue to grow internationally,” White said.

Passport Online currently works with more than 7,500 travel agencies to create, expand and diversify their digital footprint through websites, social media and email marketing. The reach grows exponentially as Passport powers digital tools for more than 35,000 agents in partnership with many of the industry consortia and host agencies as well as hundreds of independent agencies.

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Rebecca has extensive experience both within the financial and travel industry, thus bringing to the role a unique set of skills. The APAC region for Traveltek is strategically vital and with the appointment of Rebecca into this newly created position cements the strategic focus within the area.

Rebecca Esterhuizen said, “I’m excited to be stepping into this role. I believe with the recent events impacting the travel industry so heavily, there are a lot of opportunities for businesses to reshape the way they operate and I am excited to see how Traveltek can work with our existing and new partners throughout this time. I’m looking forward to focussing on APAC and driving this region forward”.

Cressida Sergeant, Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The appointment of Rebecca into this newly created role is an exciting time for Travelteks journey within the APAC region. The skills, experience, and knowledge that Rebecca brings to this role will ensure an exciting new chapter in Traveltek’s journey within the APAC region. We wish Rebecca all the best in her new role”.

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Newly launched start-up Envirotels has partnered with travel technology specialists Traveltek to launch a new website, giving customers the ability to search and book hotels and flights and to offset their carbon emissions. For each booking made on the site, they plant trees in the Amazon Rainforest to offset the associated CO2 emissions.

In addition to offering traditional online booking services such as hotels and flights, Envirotels provide eco-friendly travel information and best practices for the eco-conscious traveller.

Utilizing the Traveltek API, customers can filter and choose to stay in properties based on their sustainability practices.

The new site due to launch mid-June was developed and designed by Envirotels, utilizing the Traveltek API to search for hotels. Envirotels is also using Traveltek’s core agent booking systems iSell and iBos to launch their travel proposition in the US market.

When selecting a tech partner for the job, William Rademacher, Founder Envirotels said: “Being a start-up niche OTA, I wanted to find the perfect partner to work with to provide us with hotel inventory. I looked at many options, and Traveltek stood out as not just providing a superior API but most importantly, a personalized support mechanism for us as we worked through development. Since conception over six months ago, Traveltek has worked with my team and me to ensure that we were ready to launch our platform, providing a seamless customer experience. We have had many specialized requirements during this time, and I cannot fault Traveltek in terms of their service, product, and flexibility. Perhaps most importantly, Traveltek gives my company the ability to add features seamlessly without having to add additional parties. Very soon, Envirotels will add flights, activities and transfers all through the Traveltek API.”

Commenting on the project, Traveltek VP Sales for North America, Kevin Walker, said: “We are delighted to support a new start-up in the US market with our API product for which we see a growing demand. Along with our award-winning iSell and iBos products. At this moment in time, it is nice to be able to celebrate good news, and the topic of more eco-friendly and sustainable travel is certainly very relevant. Envirotels are now well placed for when the market returns”.

Traveltek has been building award-winning travel software solutions now for over two decades, and we acknowledge now more than ever how vital technology will be to the industry as it navigates its way through the current challenges. Technology tools to drive efficiency and cost-saving are at the forefront of many of our customer’s minds right now, and we are working in partnership with them to demonstrate how our new automation tools support in these goals. Technology is particularly crucial for start-ups looking to gain efficiency right from the start, and we wish Envirohotels every success with their new venture.

The post Traveltek Supports New Online Travel Platform Envirotels appeared first on Traveltek.

The partnership will allow Traveltek customers access to sophisticated, cutting-edge reporting that will increase efficiency and productivity. Cheshire-based Traverse has integrated advanced reporting and automation services with the Traveltek software, bringing the strengths of Traveltek’s award-winning travel booking platform (iSell) and Traverse’s automation and machine learning skills together.

Data insight is a huge requirement for Traveltek customers, and the new products will deliver an impactful and powerful BI (Business Intelligence) reporting suite. In addition, Inbox automation will provide a complete solution to the customer, automating matching of supplier confirmation documents within iSell (Traveltek’s core platform), and will automatically handle other inbox administrative tasks that currently take up a great deal of staff time.

Traveltek has already successfully piloted the Inbox automation software with an existing customer who is already benefiting from improved efficiencies.

John O’Neill, Managing Director at Traverse commented: “It’s a fantastic opportunity, and pleasure for us to work with Traveltek to expand the range of analysis and automation solutions that we can deliver”.

Mal Barritt, Chief Executive Officer at Traveltek says: “We understand the importance of travel companies being able to use technology to access and analyse data and streamline and enhance manually heavy processes. The partnership with Traverse is very exciting as it allows us to provide these tools to our customers, further supporting a frictionless sales booking process, and it builds on the existing Traveltek product offering.”

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CruiseAppy brings together the mobile app customer inspiration, search & book, engagement and insight tools with API integrations to the Traveltek iSell CRM & iBos Back Office suite, which is widely used by cruise retailers throughout the world.

This allows all unique cruise, flight & hotel packages curated by an agency in the Traveltek platform to be featured on the app, along with full online booking for major cruise lines, synchronization and automation of quotation & booking data, payment of holiday balances & push of customer documentation into the app.

Each app is uniquely branded to the style of the Cruise retailer and made available on the Apple App Store & Google Play.

Increased Demand 

Cressida Sergeant, Chief Commercial Officer at Traveltek said “After much demand from our customers for app technology we are delighted to be partnering with CruiseAppy as a solution. This partnership offers a valuable new mobile sales and customer engagement channel for our existing customers, as well as broadening our product offering that will attract new clients to our wide range of services.

We have already worked well with CruiseAppy in case study projects which has demonstrated the combined power of Traveltek’s live availability & booking API within an app environment and formalising the partnership to include areas of CRM & Back Office brings significant benefits to all our cruise customers”

Peter Whittle, Co-Founder & CEO of CruiseAppy said: “This marks a significant milestone for CruiseAppy, which, since our move from incubation stage to full launch this month, has already generated great demand with new agents signing in the first weeks of launch. This partnership broadens the product portfolio for both Traveltek & CruiseAppy, while offering us access to a substantial number of potential new app clients.

“55% of holiday research now starts on a smartphone & 78% of all video is now watched via a smartphone. With these stats in mind,  this partnership gives a great opportunity to inspire cruisers and provide great customer engagement features via a mobile app that will ensure cruisers will keep coming back to the travel agency for all their cruise needs, again & again.”

World Travel Market  

Traveltek & CruiseAppy will be showcasing the partnership at World Travel Market, Stand TT506, 4^th – 6^th Nov 2019

The post TRAVELTEK ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH MOBILE APP & VIDEO STREAMING PLATFORM, CRUISEAPPY appeared first on Traveltek.

He says “I was at My Travel when it merged with Thomas Cook. I set up my own cruise-selling business which I ran for eight years, then ran luxury tour operator Destinology and the ITC Group.”

Barrit acknowledges: “I’ve never run a technology business before. It is a fresh challenge for me.” However, he sees this as a positive: “I can look at it from the perspective of a customer. That is a different way of looking at it. This job couples my passions for travel and technology.”

He believes the ability “to look through the lens of a customer” is one of the reasons Traveltek recruited him, saying: “I had been a customer of Traveltek twice in the past. I also ran two very tech-savvy travel businesses, Destinology and ITC, where we put together a technology platform and understood how to support it. We ran Destinology as a technology business which just happened to sell luxury holidays.”

Traveltek attracted private equity firm YFM to invest £5.3 million in 2016. Barritt says: “We’re three years into the cycle with the investors and have put together a new three-year plan.

“This is a year of transition. We’ve pumped in a significant amount of money – £250,000 on infrastructure improvements for customers as we migrate to a cloud-based infrastructure, and £500,000 on front-end and back-end resources. We’re bringing in new resources, making multiple investments in people and infrastructure.”

At the same time, Barritt explains: “We decided to pull back expansion to focus on the UK and Europe, North America and Australasia, and on protecting the interests of existing customers, on providing better services to them. We closed our offices in Dubai and Singapore.”

However, the company retains a strong presence outside of the UK. “One of the largest clients is in the Netherlands – a new customer which operates across Europe,” he says.

Investing in core platform

Barritt’s aim is to “simplify the business model and standardise what we offer.”

The Traveltek business has three parts: “First, on API (Application Programming Interface) all of our content is integrated from over 200 suppliers and enabled on an API, based on the supplier a client wants to work with.

“Second, our core operating platform iSell – a sealed booking system offering search and book and customer management and evolving into a product – management system.

“Third, website journeys – we facilitate booking journeys for businesses.”

The investments the company is making also fall into three categories. Barritt says: “First, we’re reinvesting in our core platform, iSell, to provide best-in-class functionality.

“Second, we’re developing a standardised booking path for customers, building standardised journeys. We are trying to simplify what we do so we just hand over the booking journey to the client. Creating bespoke journeys is more difficult to support.

“Third, we’re developing a new tours preposition for next year, which we are looking to launch at World Travel Market in November. It’s for tour operators curating their own product, and, in time, we’ll add cruise to it.”

Challenging times bring opportunity

Barritt identifies a number of challenged facing the business, but with Brexit thankfully not one of them.

The first is “around how we deliver customer service.” He says: “We were lacking some tools and resources. We deployed research and support teams and tolls and are introducing service desks.”

“A second area we were under-resourced in was in front and back-end teams. We were concerned we weren’t paying enough so we’ve increased salaries.  We also needed more people in certain areas so we have 15 people starting – a workforce increase of 15%.”

The company employs 80 people in East Kilbride and about 115 in total.

Barritt insists: “We’re a company that is growing and we continue to invest. Glasgow and Edinburgh are renowned for their tech innovation and we see travel technology growing in Scotland.”

On Brexit, Barritt says: “I have no concerns.  It’s been going on for three years. We are not just reliant on the UK market, We’re present in the US and Australia and when times become more challenging in the UK there are always opportunities, Businesses look to automate more processes. That is an opportunity.”

Data is also a “big opportunity”, he says, arguing: “Traveltek is one of the largest distributors of cruise product in the UK.  We have access to significant amounts of cruise-related data and we will look to harness that, to offer insights on the industry and the cruise market.

“A lot of our customers are cruise specialists and about 25%-30% of UK cruise bookings go through our platform – that is high street agents, tour operators, and online travel agency bookings.”

He adds: “We have a real range of clients from high-touch, bespoke tailor-made tour operators to simple flight and hotel retailers. IF we have a gap, it’s in the escorted touring market, which is what the new product will address.”

Barritt argues: “My approach to the business is to get the right people in to get the right product. We’re looking to bring in different skills.

“The people investment side of the business is important. It’s all about the people.”

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