Looking for new Tour Booking Software?

Which Tour Booking system is right for you?

Raise your hand if you are still using EXCEL to manage your bookings and manifests! Don’t worry, I have been there and done that too! But as most of us in the industry are aware, online competition for tour sales is becoming more and more of a pay to play scene but you don’t have to fall behind. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

During COVID-19 restrictions we have all had a chance to reflect and rethink our businesses. The industry is going to reopen and small tour operators with small groups and unique experiences are going to be in demand. Use this time to do your research and get yourself set up for success!

Tour reservations systems are way more user friendly now, even for the least tech savvy person like me! Tour reservation software options have come a long way since I started in the US Tour industry 14 years ago. There are so many options and its tough to know where to begin. I have created a list of some points that you might want to consider when you are trying to make this decision.

• Online Booking and secure payment processing
  • The MOST important tool of your new system. Guests should have able to check accurate availability and book on a secure site with just a few clicks. The payment information needs to be PCI compliant. Meaning it needs to be 100% secure or your credit card processing company may not approve.
  • It needs to be easily connected to your “Book Now” buttons on your website.
• Booking Management
  • Any system you choose should allow you to confirm, amend, and cancel bookings with ease.
  • The system should allow you to customize and send branded email confirmations and itineraries to your guests automatically when they book.
  • If you have designated pickup locations or meeting points, you should be able to add these to your booking form for guests to select.
  • If you need your guest to sign a waiver, there are systems that offer this feature which can help save a lot of time on the day of the activity.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
  • A must have tool for you build your email lists for marketing campaigns. When you are ready to reopen after COVID restrictions lift, or you launch a new product you are going to want to share it with your customers via email marketing & social media.
• Reporting Features
  • REVENUE REPORTS – It goes without saying, you need to know how much money you are making! Revenue reports are essential to helping you sort out your financial situation. Even better if the report can be imported to your Bookkeeping Software like Quickbooks.
    • PRO TIP #1: If you are working with accrual accounting systems, make sure your report shows when the revenue will be recognized in your P & L. For most this will be the tour date.
  • BOOKING CHANNEL REPORT – Do you know where most of your bookings coming from? If you have multiple sites, concierges, travel agents or API connections driving bookings, you are going to want to track how these channels are performing. Focus your energy on the channels that are making you money.
  • PRODUCT PERFORMANCE REPORT – Which product is your best seller buy revenue and by volume? Reporting on product performance is crucial to knowing what is working and what needs work! Learn from what is working and see why other products are under-performing.
• PASSENGER MANIFESTS FOR YOUR GUIDES/DRIVERS
  • In my opinion your booking system is useless without a tool this feature. This might be an email manifest or if you are lucky, a login to an app that also allows guides to check in guests on their smartphone. Either way, it is a MUST HAVE on my list for any tour operator.
• MARKETPLACE & CHANNEL MANAGEMENT
  • This is where the booking magic happens. Say goodbye to manual entry of reseller bookings. As soon as you are set up and connected to your direct website you are ready to open the API flood gates to a whole new world of online travel agencies. If you already work with OTAs you want to check that they are connected to the platform that you choose. Especially if you get a large volume of bookings from that company.
  • You should be able to set up net pricing, commission levels and manage bookings directly with the partner via the API.
• INSTANT MESSAGING
  • This is an awesome feature when you are trying to find your guest at the pickup location but there are 100 other people in the same place!
• REVIEWS & FEEDBACK
  • To save you time and get feedback on your tours, it is always helpful to have a tool that can automatically request guest feedback & reviews post tour.

These are just a few features that make it to my MUST HAVE list when it comes to tour operator software. Check out some of the companies that I considered for a Tour Business below;

REZDY – One of my favorites from when I was researching. This system is great for attractions, multi-day group tours, one day tours. Its easy to integrate to your website and they continue to add functionality.

CHECKFRONT – If you are just starting out or looking for a website + reservations they have some great options to get both in one! They work with a variety of different business types in the industry. Plus they have very helpful staff that will spend time with understanding your needs.

FAREHABOR – I know a few small & large tour companies that are using this system and they are happy with them for the most part. Owned by Booking Holdings (Booking.com) This software has all the bells and whistles that you could need.

TREKSOFT – Software created by a tour operator for tour operators. This is great for one day tours and ticketed attractions.

BOKUN – This software is owned by Trip Advisor now and that can be good and bad for some, but that is no reason to disregard them as an option. They are a great team of experts and the features of the system have expanded to website creations and focused tour operation features.

BOOKINGKIT – I admit I don’t know a lot about this one but I was impressed with their workshop they hosted at Arival. They had some great accounting report features that my book keeper would have drooled over and it looks like they have added more great features since my first introduction. Worth checking out just to compare.

PRO TIP #2: There is no one size fits all system. Don’t rush into this without doing your homework. Its a costly mistake if you change your mind later. Ask others in your area who are in your community or in the same type of tour business to see what they are using and how it is working for them.

PRO TIP #3: The costs involved with Tour Operator Software vary dramatically with each company and can be VERY confusing. Before you reach out to a Tour Operator Software company, pull a booking report with numbers so that you can do some realist calculations on what the software is going to cost you.

How to prepare your Tour Company for a BIT inspection.

Every year in California all registered Commercial Passenger Vehicles (aka Tour Buses & Vans) are required to be inspected by a certified CHP inspector. These requirements may vary by state so this is based on the California rules. The inspection covers both the Commercial vehicle records and your Commercial Driver records.

RULE #1 – Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for your annual inspection!

What you need to prepare for your Commercial Vehicle Inspection;

• Vehicle Maintenance records for up to 12 months need to be available for the inspector.
  • Every commercial passenger vehicle should have a 30 day vehicle inspection reports showing a mechanic thoroughly checked the vehicle and any defects were resolved.
  • A record of oil & lubrication changes by vehicle based on the designated intervals.
  • A separate record of your brake checks readings every 30 days
  • As a best practice, it is recommended that you have mileage based tire checks & alignments on your vehicles.
  • You need to have your mechanic do a FULL fleet inspection to ensure that all mechanical defects, commercial vehicle signage requirements are all checked. A certain percentage of your fleet will be inspected by the CHP inspector. If anything fails inspection it could jeopardize to your business so it is important to take this inspection seriously.
• Copies of all current Vehicle registration cards and commercial insurance certificates.
• Original DVIR’s (Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports) for at least the last 6 months. DVIR’s should be signed by the driver and should show a pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Any defects reported MUST show a record of being corrected and signed off by your mechanic or Ops Manager. There cannot be any missing logs. The only time a log is not created is when the vehicle is being driven to a Mechanic or non-commercial reason.
• Original Driver Logs for at least the last 6 months (digital or paper). Logs cannot show any HOS (Hours of Service) violations. If one or more do show a violation, it needs to have a valid (and acceptable) reason for the violation noted and signed off by the driver & supervisor. A signed violation follow-up document needs to be added to the file.
• Current list of Commercial Drivers enrolled in your EPN (Employer Pull Notice)
• Driver Qualification Files – Each file should contain;
  • A copy of valid Commercial Driver License with passenger endorsement and any restrictions
  • Pre-hire drug test result
  • Current Driver MVR (Motor Vehicle Record). This document should show no violations and should be signed off by supervisor & dated confirming that it was reviewed.
  • Copy of the Drivers current Medical Certificate certified by certified medical examiner.
  • Driver proficiency record showing each driver is cleared by a Training Manager to drive each of the different size vehicles n your fleet.
  • Signed authorization for a Safety Performance History Records Request from the drivers prior employer. It is important to show proof that this document was sent. A copy of a fax report, certified mail receipt etc. A copy of this proof be stapled to the document.
• Commercial Driver Drug & Alcohol Testing policy and certificate of designated in-house manager who has completed the training and manages the program. Also a copy of all the drivers enrolled in the program.
• Annual random driver drug testing report from your designated Drug Consortium showing all random drug tests performed & results for the last 12 months. Depending on your fleet size you are required to randomly drug & alcohol test a percentage of your drivers every quarter. Your Drug Consortium designates who is chosen for random testing.

***Please noted that this is based on California rules. Other states may have more or less requirements. ALWAYS consult you commercial vehicle inspector for a full list of the current rules and documents required by law. ****

5 Tips to help restart your tour business after the COVID shutdown.

COVID-19 restrictions are slowly but surely lifting and now is the time to rework your business plan to fit the new market as people start to venture out after lock down.

Here are 5 tips to get you kick started!

1. Research your new target market
   • Borders restrictions and consumer confidence have really changed and even reduced your customer base to the local or state level. Depending on the experience you offer you most likely need to rework or even pivot your product to match new demand for indoor/outdoor adventures.
2. Plan your updated marketing and communication playbook
   • Its time let the world know that you are back and ready to offer your guests an amazing and safe experience. Plan out the reopening message that you want to share across all marketing channels – website, email marketing, social media & press release.
   • Make sure that your message includes how your business is keeping guests safe. Remember, COVID-19 is still something that is top of mind for people so make them feel comfortable choosing your service. If guests feel safe they will focus more on enjoying the experience of getting back outdoors and it will reflect in your reviews.
   • Get your social distancing signage (if applicable) & “safe tour rule” signs ready for day one.
   • Prepare your marketing budget to align with your plans so you are spending money when it counts most and where it is most effective for your type of business.
   • Save time and schedule your posts to deploy when you want them to be sent out.
3. Prepare and train your staff for reopening
   • Train your staff on new cleaning procedures where applicable and COVID-19 work policies before you reopen. If your staff feel safe and prepared, your guests will too! It is also a good time to rebuild your team moral and show your appreciation after such a long break.
   • Let your staff know how you are preparing the guests before they show up on the day. Your guides should not be the first people to tell guests they need a mask.
   • Place signage on your office areas, in vehicles to show that you are following through on your safe tour promise.
4. Check and update your business listings
   • Update your OTA supplier pages with any changes that guests need to know about. (eg. All guests must wear a face mask to join the tour.)
   • Update your Google Business, Yelp, Facebook and other business listings to ensure you have all the correct information and business hours.
   • Update the availability and seating capacities on your booking site
5. Countdown to reopening
   • Get your customers and staff excited about reopening and getting back to work. Create a countdown and share on social media and with guests who have booked. Show them what they can expect and what they will miss if they don’t book with you!
   • Give yourself grace with reopening. You don’t have to open on the day restrictions are lifted. You might be trying new experiences and want to test them out on smaller private groups first. Whatever you do, just make sure you put your best foot forward in all aspects. You don’t want to rush and disappoint just to get money in the bank.

Do you need help with your reopening plan? Contact me now to schedule a free 30 minute consultation.

Schedule a call