Small Fish Big Ocean - Helping small tour operators and niche agents with travel ecommerce

Helping small tour operators and niche agents with travel ecommerce

Latest Activity

Walaa Ezz El Din replied to Walaa Ezz El Din's discussion 'Promote the Tour packages online'

Hi Alex I already use the ad words in google, yahoo., myspace, microsoft but this costs alot of money per click, and I do like to make some other travel websites to sell my tours beside the booking directly goes to us also I would like to raise m…

on Friday

Alex Bainbridge replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

Oh dear, this thread is is turning into a TourCMS support thread :) We should probably be having these conversations over on the TourCMS forums !

on Friday

Neil Lapping replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

Hi Jamie, Apparently about 30% of vouchers never get redeemed so they are very profitable. They are a hassle to deal with though. You might want to contact www.buyagiftvoucher.com as they specialise in selling vouchers and take care of all the cc…

on Friday

Neil Lapping replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

Hi Alex, Selling vouchers as a standalone product with auto redeem would be great for us at AdventureScotland.net as the current way of setting them up as a tour often confuses customers during the booking process and they end up phoning up instead…

on Friday

Alex Bainbridge replied to londontraveldeals's discussion 'Harvesting travel deals / displaying targeted travel deals'

The TourCMS Marketplace has some mechanisms to get deals / products for your site (via API and other easier mechanisms). Only problem is that it doesn't have many London products in - so probably not that helpful to you at the moment. Do keep an ey…

on Friday

Alex Bainbridge replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

Jamie I have been following this conversation and apologies for not coming back to it directly (in public) With TourCMS we have a plan to enable you to sell vouchers (with a value) as a standalone product - which would create a voucher (not yet the…

on Friday

Alex Bainbridge replied to Walaa Ezz El Din's discussion 'Promote the Tour packages online'

Hi Walaa That is a great question. We don't have a "list" as such but should probably think about one What you need to consider is whether your tours are going to be SOLD by web sites - or promoted (marketed) and you take the bookings directly. F…

on Friday

Alex Bainbridge replied to Riya Thanissorn's discussion 'Web design and booking engines'

Ben Not used it - but http://www.siteminder.com.au - seems to be have been suggested to me as a good one (if that is what you were looking for) Thanks. Alex

on Friday

Dee Edwards replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

I think you could have a limit on when vouchers have to be redeemed by as a term, and if they are not redeemed by that time then you should be able to claim the money from the trust account (as the 'contract' to deliver the goods has passed). So it'…

on Thursday

Jamie McCubbin replied to Jamie McCubbin's discussion 'Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance'

Just thought I'd add an update to this. I got in touch with TTA and they are happy to run with the gift vouchers idea although it would appear they collect all of the money when vouchers are purchased. Still to find out what happens if vouchers ar…

on Thursday

Rob Barham replied to londontraveldeals's discussion 'Harvesting travel deals / displaying targeted travel deals'

Hi LTD, Have you thought about optimising your site for outbound travel from London airports ? Holidays from Gatwick, Holidays from Luton etc. If so, the sunshine affiliate programme offers RSS feeds by departure airport and has a wordpress plugin…

on Thursday

londontraveldeals added a discussion

Harvesting travel deals / displaying targeted travel deals

Hi All,Newbie here. I have recently started a blog called www.londontraveldeals.co.uk but am encountering a few problems.1 - What is the best way to harvest deals for my site?2 - Are there any wordpress compatible widgets that can display other site…

on Wednesday

Walaa Ezz El Din added a discussion

Promote the Tour packages online

I was wondering what are the updated web channels to promote the tour packages all over the world? any ideas whould be very helpful Regards Walaa Vacations to go travel - Egypt

on Wednesday

Dee Edwards replied to Sue Gregory's discussion 'New website'

David, just wanted to say that's really useful insight.

on Tuesday

David Jarvis replied to Sue Gregory's discussion 'New website'

Hi Sue I would echo things that people have said already, here are my 5 "top tips": 1. Homepage - is this leading people clearly to your products you want to sell? Unfortunately people don't care about your company up front, they are looking for h…

on Tuesday

Martin van-Eerde replied to Sue Gregory's discussion 'New website'

Hi Sue, Web site does look nice. I never saw the old site so cannot make a comparison, but it took me over 5 minutes to find the booking form (is this the same as the sign up form?) My main problem was I thought that the banner "Your Holidays" wer…

on Tuesday

Lee Duddell replied to Sue Gregory's discussion 'New website'

Hi One question and one suggestion: 1. Where to people leave - what is Google Analytics telling you? 2. I think your booking form needs attention (as Paul suggests) - as a visitor I don't have confidence in it. It is the least professional part o…

on Tuesday

Paul Slugocki replied to Sue Gregory's discussion 'New website'

Hi Sue, The new website does look nice and it's good to see a phone number nice and big at the top for enquiries. Going back to some of Alex's feedback on your previous topic you may want to consider offering a stage inbetween seeing the Tour on yo…

March 8

Sue Gregory added a discussion

New website

HiMy name is Sue Gregory and I am a Director of a company organising tours within Sri Lanka (no flights involved) - www.theuniquetravel.co.uk. The Company is 2 years old now and we had a pretty basic website from which we originally we weren't gett…

March 8

Ben Colclough replied to Riya Thanissorn's discussion 'Web design and booking engines'

Thanks Guido and Roin

March 8

Forum

Promote the Tour packages online 2 Replies

I was wondering what are the updated web channels to promote the tour packages all over the world? any ideas whould be very helpful Regards Walaa Vacations to go travel - Egypt

Started by Walaa Ezz El Din in The foyer. Last reply by Dee Edwards 1 day ago.

Gift Vouchers to buy tours/TTA compliance 6 Replies

Hi folks I'm thinking about setting up an online system to allow customers to purchase gift vouchers and them redeem them against our tours. I have priced a turnkey solution (where you basically ou…

Tagged: TTA, vouchers, gift

Started by Jamie McCubbin in The foyer. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 12.

Harvesting travel deals / displaying targeted travel deals 2 Replies

Tagged: blog, travel, deals, tarvel

Started by londontraveldeals in The foyer. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 12.

Web design and booking engines 13 Replies

Hi, I have set myself a 12 month lead time to open a specialist agency dealing in high end accommodations / tours in a specific region. I am obtaining my agents qualification next year but also want…

Started by Riya Thanissorn in The foyer. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 12.

New website 5 Replies

Started by Sue Gregory in The foyer. Last reply by Dee Edwards Mar 9.

New Online Travel Idea - Feedback? 2 Replies

Hello again,I´m the one who is desperately searching for a fancy litte Online Travel Startup..;-)Another thing which came to my mind is an idea regarding trips to New York. I´m a regular traveller to…

Started by Carsten Huebscher in The clinic. Last reply by Peter Syme Mar 7.

Intro to GetYourGuide and tour/activity distribution (Via Tnooz) 7 Replies

From over on Tnooz GetYourGuide is an online intermediary connecting end customers with suppliers of tours, attractions and activities. We contract sightseeing tours, adventure activities, multiple d…

Tagged: getyourguide

Started by Alex Bainbridge in The foyer. Last reply by Peter Syme Mar 7.

Which (Online) Startup has potential? 14 Replies

Hi Travel Experts,I`d like to setup an (online) travel startup and already got some ideas, all of them should be on a smaller scale in the beginning (no VC or other outside investment), just to start…

Tagged: Travel, Online

Started by Carsten Huebscher in The clinic. Last reply by Peter Syme Mar 7.

A little teaser for next week..... 2 videos on how people research tours using Google 13 Replies

Much much more coming on this next week here on SmallFishBigOcean..... but here, exclusively(!), are a couple of interesting videos watching consumers searching for tours to Egypt. These consumers ha…

Started by Alex Bainbridge in SFBO guides, videos and articles. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 5.

2 more usability videos from consumers searching for Egypt tours using Google

Published 2 earlier in the week (see videos and discussion thread) and just for good measure, here are a couple more ...and... Interesting eh!

Started by Alex Bainbridge in The foyer Mar 5.

Click-Throughs and Flat Annual Rates 2 Replies

My business partner and I are about to make a quiet, small launch of a travel directory site in a particular niche focused almost exclusively on offerings from independent travel operators. Our visio…

Started by Bob Snowden in The clinic. Last reply by Bob Snowden Mar 5.

Streamline / Merchant Facilities 10 Replies

Hi All I need some advice. I have recently become a TTA member under the illusion that there are guaranteed Merchant Facilities although it seems my Streamline application was declined. Are th…

Started by Jamie Wake in The foyer. Last reply by Barry Coleman Mar 4.

What about licening and financial insurances for the first 2/3 years of operating?? 2 Replies

HI, as I am explaining on my profil, I am researching for all specific things I have to think of when setting up a small tour operator.I appreciated a lot Dee Edwards check list but I am still a wond…

Started by Anne is great in The foyer. Last reply by Eugene Bari Mar 4.

Do You Really Need Online Reservations? 1 Reply

I actually had an hour long chat with Alex recently talking about the thorny question: do you really need online reservations on your website? As you can imagine, it's a complex topic, and if you're…

Started by Andy Hayes in The foyer. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 3.

Travel Innovation Summit 2009: Tripzipr - A Good Idea? 2 Replies

Hello again,by browsing through the contestants of the Travel Innovation Summit 2009 I found www.tripzipr.com, very new and slim...but pretty helpful maybe.What Do you think about this and the servic…

Started by Carsten Huebscher in The clinic. Last reply by Carsten Huebscher Mar 2.

New Venture 2 Replies

Hello, My name is Margot and I am a new member. I am an international tour director and tour manager. I have just begun a new venture with an independent tour company, which means that they curr…

Started by Margot Russell Hanrahan in The foyer. Last reply by Alex Bainbridge Mar 1.

New comer from Kalimantan 3 Replies

Hi ... my name Kiswono. I am a tour guide in Kalimantan the indonesian Borneo.

Started by KISWONO BORNEO in The foyer. Last reply by Dee Edwards Feb 24.

Exchange rate movements 12 Replies

A large majority of my contracted hotel rates are quoted in dollars, Euros and dirhams, could any one please give me some advice as to how they hedge against exchange fluctuations, when preparing quo…

Started by Helen Mavin in The clinic. Last reply by Gary Kniveton Feb 24.

Outcome of UK court case about selling excursions in resort - important 1 Reply

A must read story from over on Travel Weekly UK A High Court judge has found Inghams culpable in a skidoo accident which left a woman wheelchair bound for life and which could change the face of the…

Started by Alex Bainbridge in The foyer. Last reply by Peter Syme Feb 22.

PTR for new business (selling Polish walking tours to people in UK) 1 Reply

Hello, my name is Waldemar Leszczyński and I am Polish. I am going to go into business in Great Britain and pay my taxes here. I would be very grateful if I were given all the essential help via e-ma…

Started by Alex Bainbridge in The clinic. Last reply by Paul Hunt Feb 19.