Travel Portal are websites or mobile applications that allow users to plan and reserve their travel online are known as travel portals. They provide a wide range of services, such as reservations for flights and hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, and more. 

For travelers to have a smooth and convenient booking experience while also assisting travel companies in improving their services and offerings, a travel portal must have the appropriate features. 

The 11 essential features of a travel portal will be covered in this blog post along with how they can help both travelers and travel companies.

What is a Travel Portal, and How Does It Benefit Travel Agencies?

A travel portal is a platform that gives travel companies a place to advertise and sell their goods and services online. It enables travel agencies to manage their bookings, pricing, and inventory effectively. 

Travel agencies can access a larger audience and grow their business beyond geographic borders with the help of a travel portal. The following are some ways that travel websites help travel agencies:

• expands audience and visibility
• improves operational effectiveness
• improves the experience for customers
• increases revenue; benefits

Now that we know what a travel portal is, let’s dive into its features.

User Interface and Design

A travel portal should have an intuitive and user-friendly interface. It should be easy to navigate, allowing users to search and book their desired travel services quickly. Additionally, the portal should feature a responsive design that adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes, ensuring optimal user experience across desktop & mobile devices. 

Attractive visuals and an appealing layout enhance the portal’s overall aesthetic appeal and engagement.

Flight Booking

Flying is the most widely used mode of travel for tourists. For this reason, a travel website needs the components below in order to make booking flights easy and hassle-free:

• Flight Search: A sophisticated flight search should be available on a travel website so that users can look for flights in accordance with their preferences, such as destination, departure date, and price range.
• Multiple Airlines: A travel website should offer flights from various airlines to give customers more options and reasonable prices.
• Price Comparison: A travel portal should display the costs of several airlines on the same page to assist travelers in comparing and choosing the best option.
• Seat Selection: For user convenience, a travel website should allow users to select their seats and provide a seat map.

Hotel Booking

A travel portal develpoment should offer a varied range of hotels to users. Users can narrow their search depending on their preferences using advanced search parameters such as location, price range, amenities, and star ratings. Users may make more educated judgments with real-time availability and pricing information. 

Detailed hotel descriptions, high-quality photos, and customer reviews provide valuable insights, aiding users in selecting the most suitable accommodation.

Car Rental

Car rental is necessary for tourists who want to explore their destinations independently. The following capabilities are necessary for a travel website to offer a hassle-free automobile rental experience:

• Integration with vehicle Rental Agencies: To give tourists a variety of alternatives and affordable rates, a travel site should interface with top vehicle rental companies.
• User-friendly: A travel portal should have a user-friendly design that enables users to easily search for automobiles, compare costs, and swiftly book them.
• Availability of a Variety of Car Kinds and Options: To accommodate a variety of traveler needs, a travel site should provide a variety of car kinds and options, such as SUVs, luxury vehicles, and GPS.
• Clear Pricing Details and Rental Policies: A travel portal should provide clear pricing details and policies to prevent misunderstandings and disputes between automobile rental companies and travelers.

Travel Packages

Creating and customizing travel packages are valuable travel or customer portal solutions features. Users can bundle flights, hotels, and activities into a single package, offering convenience and often resulting in cost savings. Special deals and discounts exclusive to package bookings enhance the overall value proposition for travelers.

Online Payment and Security

A robust and secure payment gateway is crucial for online bookings. The travel portal should employ encryption technology to ensure the secure transmission of sensitive payment information. 

Offering multiple payment options, including but not limited to credit cards and digital wallets, enhances convenience for users. Compliance with industry-standard security measures provides peace of mind, safeguarding users’ personal and financial data.

Multi-language and Multi-currency Support:

In today’s global travel landscape, catering to diverse audiences is crucial. A travel portal should offer localization options for different languages to accommodate users from various regions. 

Additionally, currency conversion functionality enables international travelers to view and transact in their preferred currency, eliminating the need for additional calculations and potential confusion.

Trip Management and Itinerary:

Efficient trip management and itinerary features simplify travelers’ planning and organization processes. Personalized user accounts allow users to manage their trips seamlessly. 

Access to booking details, itineraries, and e-tickets in one centralized location enhances convenience. Reminders, notifications, and updates regarding travel plans keep users informed and ensure a smooth travel experience.

Support for clients and feedback

Customer service is an essential component of every travel website. Customer service should be available 24/7 via chat, email, or phone to accommodate users from various time zones. 

There should also be a helpline available for answering questions and resolving problems. Allowing travel portals to enhance their services and offerings and a feedback and review system allowing clients to share their experiences is a beneficial addition.

Including Social Media Integration

Integrating social media is an extra benefit for travel portals. Social media sharing options for trip itineraries should allow users to inform their friends and family about their travel intentions. 

Booking activities or lodging through social media integration is also beneficial. Integration of feedback from social media bloggers or influencers is a bonus that improves the customer experience.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are emerging technologies that can transform the travel industry. A good travel portal must have personalized user recommendations based on their search and booking history. By analyzing user data, travel portals can offer relevant suggestions and promotions, increasing the chances of conversions. 

Chatbots are another application of AI that can provide customer support and assistance 24/7, reducing the workload of human agents and improving response times. Predictive analytics can also help travel agencies to optimize their pricing, inventory management, and marketing strategies, resulting in higher profitability and customer satisfaction.

The Bottom Line

Having the right features in a travel portal can make all the difference for travel agencies looking to attract and retain customers. With the 12 must-have features discussed in this blog, a travel portal can offer travelers a seamless and personalized booking experience while providing valuable data and insights to travel agencies. 

If you’re looking for a customer portal solution that includes these features and more to meet your specific needs, CRMJetty is here to help. 

Contact us today to learn more about our travel portal solutions and how we can help take your business to the next level.