header image

Technology in Tourism

Posted by: | November 27, 2010 | 2 Comments |

Technology is seems to be everywhere these days, especially in the tourism business. I really don’t do a lot of online shopping, but when I do, it’s most often on those websites that get you deals on airline tickets and hotel rooms. I’ve used them for a few years and have gotten quite proficient at them. Unfortunately, those websites were about the full extent of my knowledge in travel software before this post.

Upon researching, I never realized that there were so many types of software that are used “in-house”, meaning that they are designed specifically for the staff to use. I can see that there are some benefits to using technology in this field. For one thing, if the employees know the system well enough, it can save a lot of time by organizing the data so that it is always ready to use. Also, it appears like these programs are great planning tool and can help find mistakes far in advance. There are a few drawbacks however. Like anything else, overuse will create dependencies, meaning that the staff won’t be able to function if the program suddenly stops working. I’ve also noticed that in many cases the users can’t override the system if the user is in the right and the system is wrong. Think about how many times somebody has tried to help you with a travel problem only to end with “ya, sorry, I wish I could, but the system won’t let me”.

I found one software package called Big Easy Travel by Bold Endeavour that sounds promising. It is made for tour operators, hotel reservations and car rental reservation systems. It was originally released in 1999 and has been continuously improved ever since. This shows that the company is fairly stable and has had repeat costumers to stay in business. One big plus is that the company tailor makes each and every module for all of its costumers. I found two weaknesses with the program. The company is in the United Kingdom and it might be harder for companies in the States to do businesses with them. I would also guess that because the every package is custom made for a costumer that it is more expensive then just getting standard software from another designer. Their website gives almost no examples of their work, although if their software is radically different for different costumers that might be an advantage.

under: Technology Assignment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories