What is a channel manager and how does it work in the tourism travel sector?
we will analyze what a Channel Manager and how tour operators, airlines, hotels, transfer companies or travel agencies can benefit from this way of sales management.
The first thing to know about a Chanel manager It's just that it makes it easy to manage all the tourism products you can offer. Eliminating the "human error" through a fully automated process. The Channel Manager is essential if you are selling products from many tourist platforms.
What is the channel manager?
The Channel Manager is a computer tool that allows you to centralize all your tourist offers from the same point. This is essential because the tourism offer is becoming more and more varied as more and more companies are distributing their products.
The Channel Manager allows you to sell your products from many different platforms without having to go to each of them Every time a customer asks for a specific tourism product. In short, a tool for centralizing all your products.
For example: Company A offers you the opportunity to sell hotel rooms; Company B offers you a package of excursions and company C offers a car rental service. With the Channel Manager you always have everything in sight And in a much simpler and more effective way you can offer your customer these and many other products, so it is not difficult to guess that the satisfaction of your ultimate customer, the tourist, will be increased .
This means that the tourist businessman manages all his distribution channels from one place, as well as the website and the booking module. This way you have precise control over all your bookings and your inventory. No risk of errors (for example, you will never offer a room that has already been reserved). You can also update prices and change inventory from the Channel Manager to see it across all your channels.
Who can use the Channel Manager?
All those involved in the tourism sector can currently use it. There is no doubt that this computer tool is used by the big chains, but with the emergence of many tourism industry distribution channels, more and more small hotels and travel agents are implementing this system, which means their resources need to be optimized.
The main advantages of channel manager
Very easy to use, because it automatically updates the prices and online availability of your booking engine and other distribution channels at the same time. This also entails significant savings on working hours.
Reduces human errors Because all processes are controlled automatically. Update rates and availability of all products for sale from one website.
With the channel manager you can compare your prices and your products with the competition, which allows you to make direct decisions.
You increase your income Because you increase your online bookings.
U Immediate statistics About your company's performance that allows you to vary sales strategies in a very short time.
This tool is available 24 hours a day. You don't need to install any programs because the entire system is in the cloud.
You can even consult all your products and the movements of the tool in your mobile phone. Because it is a 100% responsive tool, i.e. adapted to the screens of any device.
What do you have to take into account in your channel manager?
That is compatible with your booking engine.
That is compatible with your most productive sales channels.
That you get online visibility.
This is linked to your booking module and your management system.