Tools for Travel Management Companies

The travel industry has been greatly impacted by the rise of SaaS travel management software.

Why am I mentioning SaaS travel management platforms in a marketing post? Because they more than experience and financial management tools. They have marketing power too. Using them, your business looks more professional, offers better service and availability, and they can promote your engaging content legitimately to your customers.

When you utilize your travel management platform to achieve content engagement, SEO and link-building, you’re empowering your complete travel business marketing strategy.

In future blog posts, I’m going to drill down into those promising opportunities that are happening in travel business, and keep looking for the next big thing in travel management experiences. You may have thought there is little left to achieve in this industry dominated by Expedia, Travelocity, Booking.com, Airbnb, Kayak, TripAdvisor, Hotwire, TravelZoo, Hotels.com, CheapTickets, Priceline, Trip.com, MakeMyTrip, VRBO, Trivago, Vacasa, etc.

Software Functionality and Brand Loyalty Won’t be Enough

Some of the above brand-name travel companies are using SaaS software to extend services and dominate whole categories. So SaaS is creating monopolies.

You have to respond in kind to protect your market, reach B2B and B2C audiences and develop new service/product niches that you can exploit.

I’ve appreciated using VRBO, Expedia, Travelocity, Hertz, Budget, Fox Rentacar, Hotels.com, Priceline, Southwest Airlines and many others for reliability and low prices. Admittedly, my first choices are Air Canada, VRBO, Fox RentaCar and Hotels.com.

Despite these company’s brand value and dominance, I still head to Google Search to find flights, accommodations, and destinations that are most significant to me. Google search still is travel’s homepage.

However, in this post, we focus on the fact that SaaS travel software and travel services don’t market themselves. Some of these companies don’t market well, so they become irrelevant to the travel narrative. Consumers aren’t brand loyal, which means your brand must be actively marketed to fend off continuous erosion of your customer base and brand significance.

Are Others Eating your Lunch?

Do you lose customers, or do these savvy marketing-first companies take them?

Largest travel companies courtesy of Companiesmarketcap.com

But most of these companies and many new startups aren’t intimidated by the challenge. With SaaS solutions as a great equalizer, they can deliver services similar to the market leaders. And there are travel service niches ready to capitalize on.

Changes in the Travel Market Spell Opportunity

Existing travel companies have streamlined their own businesses and improved service to their customers.

More of the travel business is self-serve, more responsive in real time, reliable, and profitable. These facts have grown traveler’s and tourist’s confidence in traveling today. If it hasn’t brought prices down, it has at least increased the value proposition for travelers who are financially enabled and ready to spend.

Travel services today range from bookings to passport assistance, insurance coverage, communications, and payments via any digital device. You can see the array they offer in the top travel management software providers’ post. That’s a lot of convenient services making travel much more personally relevant, easier and less stressful, and more satisfying.

Soon the market of travelers became the biggest promoters and generators of new sales. Some travel management software platform providers may have become lax about marketing. That’s unfortunate, yet it’s my opportunity to help them excel and get their value offer to the right travel audience.

Content Marketing: There are Dreams to Capture!

Does travel still need to be marketed? Is there much content marketing can do to build brand, reach travelers, travel managers and engage them? Oh yes, whether it’s travel experience descriptions or magnificent photos of places, we really can capture their dreams and make them happen.

In essence, we’re making dreams come true.

Incredible Switzerland, a top destination for active travelers. Who will remind travelers to make that trip happen?

Stunning Santorini, Italy, a magnet for trendy middle-class travelers who might see themselves getting married in front of those incredible panoramic views.

Brilliant, Uniquely unparalleled Santorini Greece courtesy of Alexandra Tran on Unsplash.

I doesn’t get much more exotic and luxurious than stunning Maldives islands. It’s that prestigious, exclusive destination that hypnotizes any traveler who likes warm, private, and pampered.

Maldives Island Travel Destinations by Mike Sigurski Unsplash.

As I covered in a previous post on SaaS travel management software, solutions offer a wide variety of value add to hotels, car rental agencies, airlines, restaurants, tour providers, insurance companies, and travel agents. A whole new sector of consultants and intermediaries has arisen with innovative business models.

The net effect of SaaS travel business software is a larger travel market and opportunities to scale up subscriptions, revenue, and upselling opportunities.

A Quick Look at Travel Management Software

provide specific digital online functionality for travelers
lower business costs
provide a fuller range of travel management features and services
flexibility in usage of SaaS software subscriptions and scaling to actual usage
reliability of software for bookings, customer service, and value delivered
data security
extending self-help services to customers
streamlining business operations (tour bookings, reservations, payments)
improving accounting and financial reporting
improved data collection and marketing insights
improved customer service
aid in the travel company’s customer loyalty and long-term value (boosting loyalty programs)

So there are many dimensions to the value offer of SaaS travel marketing, and the SaaS travel management platforms collect a great deal of actionable information. That’s vital for creating the most focused, high-octane value proposition to the most focused audience.

See these 10 steps for SaaS travel business marketing, valuable whether you’re a travel agency, Hotel, Car Rental company, tourist venue owner, winery owners, SaaS software developer or tour operator.

There are niches and angles to this market you haven’t visualized yet.

Since most travel management services companies lack good online visibility and engagement, content/SEO/Social media promotion services are a must. These are the most cost-effective and best lead-generating channels. The cost-per-customer acquisition price is the best it gets.

Of course, it takes talent and resources to be competitive. You could take your business to marketing agency with travel expertise, but they’ve already jumped their prices to serve successful companies. Their price will be a stopping point.

Instead, you can outsource much of what you need to a Canadian travel marketing services provider. Any elements missing such as web design, brand consulting, and public relations can be outsourced too if you need them.

A more cost-sensitive and effective approach involves brilliant content expertly optimized for Google search, strongly promoted with an engaging social media strategy. Best value for FREE! Where high-targeted traffic can reached for FREE, why would any savvy business person pass on that?