What software for tour operators covers
Software for a tour operator covers the parts a booking widget doesn't: enquiries, quotes, itineraries, deposits and balances, and the documents a client needs before they fly. We build these systems for UK operators selling high-ticket trips by enquiry, where every booking starts as a conversation with a consultant.
Where the trip gets built by hand
An enquiry lands in a shared inbox. A consultant copies the dates and party size into a spreadsheet, checks supplier rates in three tabs, and builds the itinerary in Word. The quote goes out as a PDF and the deposit arrives by bank transfer, matched to the booking a week later.
Booking platforms are built for fixed departures with a set price. Trips built per client break them early. So the real system becomes the inbox, the spreadsheet and the memory of whoever took the call.
What we build for operators
- Enquiry capture from the website and the inbox, each one routed to the right consultant with the trip details pulled out.
- A quote builder that prices from your own supplier rates, margins and seasons.
- Itineraries assembled from a library of properties, transfers and activities, sent as a branded document.
- Deposits and balances taken through Stripe, with reminders before the balance date and the payment written back to the booking.
- A client area with the itinerary, vouchers, flight details and what is still owed.
- Payment and booking records kept the way your ATOL or package travel obligations require. Your adviser sets those rules; the system follows them.
- Invoices and supplier costs posted to Xero, so the accounts match the bookings.
One booking, before and after
| The job | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| New enquiry | Shared inbox, forwarded by hand | Logged with dates and party size, assigned to a consultant |
| Quote | Spreadsheet of rates, typed into Word | Built from the rate library, priced with your margin |
| Deposit | Bank transfer, matched later | Card payment through Stripe, recorded on the booking |
| Balance | Diary reminder, chased by email | Automatic reminder with a payment link |
| Travel documents | Email attachments, resent on request | In the client area, with the latest itinerary |
Work we have done in travel
We have built a booking system for an activity holiday operator, built to replace the platform it had outgrown. It covers inventory, rates, extras, deposits and cancellation rules. It is built and not yet live, so we won't quote results from it.
Separately, a travel operator's site moved off WordPress and Elementor, with an assistant that routes incoming enquiries. Page builders slow a site down and make small edits risky. The method for moving off one is under website rebuilds.
Where to start
Booking systems
Availability, rates, extras, deposits and balances, run from one office view.
Read moreQuestions from tour operators
Do we need bespoke software, or a tour operator package?
It depends on how you sell. If you run fixed departures at set prices, a package will cope. Bespoke pays off when trips are built per client and the quote, the itinerary and the payments live in different places.
Can the system handle ATOL requirements?
It can record and report what your ATOL or package travel obligations require. We build to the rules your adviser or the regulator sets. We don't give legal or licensing advice.
Can you move us off WordPress at the same time?
Yes. The site and the booking system can be rebuilt together or in separate phases. We map every old URL to its new home so search rankings carry over.
Will clients have to create an account?
Only if you want them to. A client area can open from a secure link in the confirmation email, with an account as an option for repeat travellers.
Walk us through one enquiry
Book a free initial alignment call. Take us from the first email to the balance being paid, and we'll tell you which parts are worth building and which a package already does.