Paradise Road Travel has launched Last Minute Mauritius, a consumer-facing booking platform that allows South African travellers to search for, book and pay for complete Mauritius holiday packages online.
The platform uses Beachcomber’s API integration to provide live rates and availability, allowing customers to book flights, accommodation, transfers and meals in a single transaction, with prices displayed in rands.
The platform is co-founded by Rian Bornman, Founder of Paradise Road Travel, and Stanley Cornelius, a travel technology specialist and Founder of digital agency Focus Online.
The platform’s hybrid model automates repetitive transaction processes, while offering travellers access to experienced travel consultant guidance for more complicated bookings and requirements.
Travellers can complete bookings independently or communicate with a Cape Town-based consultant via WhatsApp. A dedicated adviser also checks booking details and remains available before departure and during travel.
“Customers should be able to choose how they book. If they know what they want, the process should be fast and direct. But if they want advice, a real person should be easy to reach. Last Minute Mauritius gives them both,” said Bornman.
API integration for agents
Joanne Visagie, Sales and Marketing Director at Beachcomber Tours, explained that Beachcomber offered two digital integration solutions for its agency partners.
The first is a WordPress plugin that allows agencies to incorporate Beachcomber's content, live rates, quoting and booking functionality into their websites without developing a bespoke integration.
The second is a full API integration that enables agencies to connect directly to Beachcomber's systems, incorporating its content and booking functionality into their own websites or internal platforms.
Both solutions provide access to live rates and availability, promotional offers, hotel and room information, tailored quotations, online bookings and payments through Peach Payments.
“The vision behind Last Minute Mauritius is to connect every available supplier over time, and, to start with, we’ve partnered with the island’s most well-known supplier.”
