Dubai-based travel technology provider Illusions Online has signed a deal to deliver a complete end-to-end solution for Asia’s leading Destination Management Company (DMC) Go Vacation - in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka deal marks the last of three contracts secured with Go Vacation’s operations in Asia, following deals signed with Go Vacation Thailand and Go Vacation Indonesia earlier this year.
The Illusions system that will automate and integrate every aspect of the Go Vacations business including product management, hotel/services contracting, packages and back-to-back series, client profiles and tariff rules, a booking engine, client and supplier documentation, accounts receivables and accounts payables, CRM, logistics and planning modules, as well as Internet booking engines for clients to purchase the entire product range online.
Also included is the XML capability to allow Go Vacation’s client systems to connect to the Illusions system for product pricing, availability and making bookings.
All these functions are integrated into one centralised online system, not only for Go Vacation Sri Lanka, but for Go Vacation Indonesia and Go Vacation Thailand too.
Erkan Tuncaakar, general manager at Go Vacation Sri Lanka said the Illusions product would make Go Vacation Sri Lanka a “pioneer” in a travel market devoid of online solutions.
“Go Vacation Sri Lanka, like other DMCs in the country, does not have an automated system at the moment; everything is done manually so we receive a reservation by email and then it is processed by our staff using email and fax,” he said.
“When Illusions is implemented, we will be the only DMC in Sri Lanka to have such a system.”
“It also makes life so much easier for our tour operator partners, providing them with price, availability and reservations confirmed almost instantly, twenty-four seven,” he added.
Illusions Online CEO Faisal Memon said the deal with Go Vacation’s operations in Asia would help the technology company achieve its goal of becoming a “key player” in the vast Asian travel market.
He stressed that one of the key reasons Go Vacation had partnered with Illusions was that unlike other solutions on the market, his product could be rolled out in a relatively short timeframe, yet would still provide the ultimate in automation for its businesses.
“Go Vacation Thailand’s system was implemented in record time – just under three months - and we have nearly finished the set up and staff training process at Go Vacation Indonesia’s three offices. We hope to have Go Vacation Sri Lanka’s system up-and-running by the end of the year,” said Memon.
“There is a lot of technology on the market but for companies who want to build their own tailored systems, the implementation of these solutions takes between one or two years, which in this day and age is far too long.
“Having worked with tour operators and DMCs for more than a decade, we have developed a core product that is pretty much ‘out of the box’ and meets the needs of most, although we still customise our solutions to meet individual requirements. But most importantly we implement our solutions quickly - that’s Illusions’ USP.”
Memon said the customisation of Go Vacation’s system included a seamless interface with Microsoft Navision to have real-time data transfer of all accounting transactions between Illusions and MS Navision, as well as the facility to automatically upload bookings from some of Go Vacation’s top clients.
An added bonus for Go Vacation, he said, was that it would benefit from Illusions Online’s new World Travel eXchange (iWTX).
This allows all Illusions customers, which now includes travel agents, to access and sell one another’s content.
“We have set up a distribution agreement with Illusions clients so they can share product rates, inventory and content and we are the conduit,” explained Memon.
“So our clients all over the world will be able to access and sell Go Vacation’s products and pricing in real time.”
Tuncaakar said: “I will be interested to see how iWTX works; it would be great to get direct access to new partners with an interest in Sri Lanka, all on the same system as us.”
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