Agents and operators are to benefit from revolutionary new powers to sell online and to target customers through innovative content management technologies including XML and RSS, following the launch of TourCMS, a pioneering travel website management system. TourCMS, developed by leading travel industry consultancy Travel UCD, enables operators and agents to sell through their own websites and third-party portals.

From launch, the XML-based system becomes the only off-the-shelf solution allowing operators and agents to manage web bookings, web content, web distribution and web marketing, and is available for an annual licence fee starting from just £400.

Through TourCMS agents can sell product from their partner operators, as the solution enables third-parties to upload bookable content through any web browser. To obtain the same functionality presently, companies must develop their own systems or invest thousands of pounds in a range of disparate applications.

The system allows users to manage inventory and content, sell through their own website or other web portals, generate customer invoices and other stationery, and track the success of online marketing campaigns.

TourCMS also becomes the industry’s first solution to offer Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology, which is predicted to revolutionise how holiday offers are communicated to consumers. RSS bypasses the internet or email to automatically inform customers when new information from a ‘tagged’ website is available, meaning agents’ customers can now be instantly alerted every time a new deal is launched.

TourCMS integrates into its customers’ existing websites and can be installed and managed centrally or by any web design agency. Users enjoy complete control over their site’s design and content, with TourCMS powering their operations.

Alex Bainbridge, Travel UCD’s CEO said: “Our aim for TourCMS is to create the Microsoft Word of travel website management. The system is incredibly affordable, easy to integrate and simple to use, and means agents and operators can now claim a greater share of the prodigious online market.

“RSS is used by websites such as Reuters and BBC to offer constant news feeds - now innovative agents can provide their customers with live late deals and even latest industry news. This will be the next big revolution in travel retailing.”
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