Tourvest Travel Services (TTS) has introduced a number of advanced features to TravelIT, including a new air booking platform, a travel and expense management platform and the seamless integration of TMC back-office accounting systems. The developments are the product of a massive investment by Tourvest and are the culmination of a three-year project that was fast-tracked during lockdown.
TravelIT ceo, Philip Katz, told Travel News more about the developments.
Mid- and back-office integration
Full integration of the TravelIT mid- and back-office administration has been completed. This means that TravelIT now offers clients an end-to-end solution from the quotation stage right through to final invoicing and payment of suppliers. The back-office automation was achieved through the integration of cloud-based NetSuite accounting software. TMCs using the TravelIT system now have full control of invoice generation, including the ability to invoice clients seamlessly using different currencies in different countries. TravelIT is integrated with a number of banks, allowing clients to make payment seamlessly from anywhere in the world. Supplier payments have been automated and the platform can now automatically pay suppliers using a virtual card once a purchase order is issued. Philip says the use of once-off virtual card payments also substantially reduces the risk of credit card fraud and automates the reconciliation of card statements, which is normally a tricky, intensive admin job.
Philip believes that automation in this sector will really set travel management companies apart in 2021. He explains that agencies will be able to significantly reduce their manpower costs by increasing productivity by reducing the focus on manual administration functions. This allows consultants to focus on providing their customers with high-touch customer service. He says, prior to COVID-19, many TMCs had higher numbers of back-office and accounting staff than front-office consultants and that many of these jobs were cut during the streamlining of various travel businesses this year. An automated solution saves time and offers substantial cost savings, says Philip.
Air bookings
“The new air booking system, which we have aptly named Phoenix, as it is rising from the ashes of the pandemic’s destruction, presents flight data from a wide variety of sources in a streamlined single-view display, making it 100% suitable for business use,” says Philip.
TravelIT has fully integrated COVID-19 travel requirements with the booking platform and loaded all the relevant requirements and travel forms in the system. Philip says this function is a great help to consultants who are being bombarded with rapidly changing country entry requirements on a daily basis. The platform is even set up to enable clients to book and pay for their COVID-19 PCR tests within the required timeframe before departure.
He says, while TravelIT still considers the GDS its primary source of flight data, Phoenix pulls content from many aggregation platforms and direct airline API connections. The platform currently incorporates direct connections with Lufthansa, British Airways, Travelfusion (200 global LCCs), Mango and FlySafair.
“There is a huge number of connection options for every route search and we have created an artificial intelligence system that pulls the top-pick flight itineraries out of an enormous number of flight offerings. As an example, there are over 450 possible flight connections to choose from between Johannesburg and London. The platform offers clients complete cost transparency and works on the concept of ‘missed savings’ when displaying flight options. It prompts travellers to comply with company booking policies and ‘AI’ picks up patterns of bad traveller behaviour and when company policies are overridden.”
Travel and expense management
The new travel and expense management system can be used by both the TMC’s employees and travellers to track their travel expenses, including general work expenses, and to reconcile company credit card accounts from an easy-to-use app on each employee’s phone. This eliminates messy paperwork and reduces time for both the employee and the company.
The new suite of offers will be launched to Tourvest franchise partners this month.
