Friday 12 August 2011

iTours launched in Port

New tour booking app launched
Commission rates a motivating factor
Tourism body to benefit

A Port Douglas company is looking to tap into the 'i' revolution with a new product aimed at the millions of iPhones and iPads users.

iTours was launched at Rydges Sabaya on Wednesday night to around 30 tourism industry stakeholders including tour operators, accommodation providers, and tourism body representatives.

The brainchild of Adam Burckhardt, iTours is a booking application designed for tourists to book tours and activities, while reducing the often crippling commission rates operators pay wholesalers.

"Everyone talks about how ridiculous commission fees are these days and it's gradually gone up from 10 per cent, and we've heard of up to 32.5 (per cent)," Mr Burckhardt said.

"What we're trying to do is say let's use this technology to get direct bookings."

The multi-language application is being rolled out in Port Douglas and Cairns, but Mr Burckhardt said the key to its success will be the expansion of the network to major centres around Australia including the Gold Coast and each state's capital city.

"iTours is a national application that we've put together over the last nine months.

"The idea was to develop one application that would be used all around Australia, and no matter where they (the user) went, based on the location of the phone, they'd get local content," he said.

iTours is taking delivery of 100 iPads next week which will be placed in hotels, resorts, and cafes around Port Douglas to enable guests and customers to access iTours, a restaurant guide, and a visitors guide.

Mr Burckhardt said iTours is donating a percentage of the commission earned from each tour sold to the local tourism body, Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, for use in marketing our region.

"The whole concept has been built around actually providing some of the booking revenue back to the local or regional tourism bodies, so that's our intention.

"Pretty much a third of our booking revenue is to go back to local tourism for destination marketing."

One of the challenges iTours faces is how hotels and resorts will respond to the concept, particularly with a number using the third party tour desk company DCM, but Mr Burckhardt is confident they will see the value in the new service.

"Their core business is selling beds really, and tour bookings should be a service that they do.

"It's (iTours) a service for them and a better service they're providing their customers. So there's no phone calls, there's less staff time."

Have your say!

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guy besley, 17-08-11 14:26:

Stop the "whats in it for me" mentality and just be thankful that there are a few people left in this town that have foresight and innovation. Good luck to anyone who has a go I say! If anyone is worried they will loose business by somebody else's initiative, then come up with either the idea and do it first or do what you do better. Simple really guys... Don't see anyone caring about the customers experience here. mmmmmm

Lisa Reddrop, 16-08-11 16:12:

Brilliant idea. Good luck boys. I think your on a winner. Be more than happy to tell the tourists about ITOURS as we deal with hundreds of them a day. Locals doing great stuff. Good to see

iTOURS , 16-08-11 15:41:

As I recall Damian, we did advise you that this first presentation was intended largely for Tour Operators, however you were still welcome to attend. There are many features of this system and we could not possibly cover all aspects for all audiences in the one night. Nevertheless, we will contact you soon if you wish to find out more.

David Cotton, 16-08-11 15:31:

Hats off to you i-tours this is going to be an exciting ride you are going to go on. Enjoy.

Damian p, 15-08-11 20:12:

Adam, FYI I booked one of your free tickets on-line only to receive a phone call soon after from one of your staff saying that this was the initial roll out intended for tour operators only and there was no need for accommodation providers to attend at this stage, there would be another info session for us at a later date. [Quote, check your records !] So feel free to contact me and explain how this will benefit me and others like me, you've got my details....

Adam Burckhardt, 15-08-11 08:21:

To Damian and anyone else who didn't attend our presentation last week... maybe you should have! You would have been given all the information and figures to help you make informed comments.
iTOURS is a new booking platform which provides benefits to all parties involved, even the accommodation providers. Please don't "roll their eyes" without listening to what someone has to say, as the Company Director I would be more than happy to take you through it and show you all the benefits of becoming an iTOURS Member or Agent. Just call our office on 4099 6548.

Za Harricharan, 14-08-11 22:22:

Hey Damian I agree with Mick, You really have to have a meeting with the iTours people. Not saying they will quelch your fears or for you to go with it, rather they will advise you of the breakdown, which will give you a far more logistic choice. As a small business owner, I get margins, profit, additional revenue etc however i am unable to stomach it at the expense of someone else. Again is it not the guest experience rather than the commission? The target (with or without iTours) is an even playing field based on SERVICE, rather than $$$$$$$.

Za Harricharan, 12-08-11 21:17:

Perhaps accommodation places should have a look at the commission structure & the ratio breakdown of who gets what with iTours & the platform that they are proposing. It's about high time that guests are matched with a tour experience that suits their requirements rather than who pays the higher commission. Commissions are not going to be regulated anytime soon. No one wants to touch it as "friendships" & "politics" come into play. Whatever happened to guest requirements, matching the guest with the tour & who offers the best service rather than who pays higher commissions? This is an age old debate. Would you as an accommodation outlet prefer to have a guest say "Wow, if I come back to PD I will stay at XXX again as they offered great advice on tours that really suited me (apart from the fantastic service & facilities they offer) OR "Not going back, they did not even listen to what I required"? Guests rely on our feedback. This one is very close to my business as we get the "If you don't pay me 25% I will not show your brochure", no matter that we offer: amazing service, flexibility, a phone number that is answered by a person in the business, etc. Awesome, thanks for that! Unles you are a large Tour Operator with massive International exposure you work off the back of accommodation places so, many small business's that have amazing product & service have to rely on the Tour Desk staff to promotoe their product. No offence however my business is now in the hands of a 20yr old who has been in town for 3 weeks & who will only work a max of 3 months & has been told to book X, Y & Z as it is a better commission. It is easier to keep a guest rather than looking for a new one. PD is a very repeat tourist destination, let's keep that going. I am just asking everyone to consider different possibilities & to look at them rather than just dismissing them straight away. It will be an ongoing debate unless we do something about it. iTours may not be a solution for your business (or the commission debate) due to cost etc however the commission debate will still rage on unless we as a collective do something about it. If you are aware of a problem & do not do anything about it then you are part of the problem. What would it take for accommodation places & tour operators to work off the same page rather than pulling each other in different directions? My business, just to let you know, has been pulled off all the major hotels in CNS & PD as we refuse to pay 25% (thank you to those who still display our brochure no matter what). This has to be a collaborative approach from Accommodation & Tour Operators for the future for the destination. Not one of us is this destination, it is a melding of Retail, Restaurants, Accommodation, Tour Operators & even the Parks, Beaches & local areas we have - the entire experience. A combined approach as a team is far better than a singular approach. Anyway this is just my point of view. Grateful for others feedback.

bonobo gronk, 12-08-11 15:55:

they way i understood it was the accom provider would still get the same commission as per normal arrangement with tour provider minus 2% - which is the fee for itours providing accom provider with free ipad with the itours app. This alternative way frees up accom providers time, negates use of phonecalls, merchant fees etc....ultimately allowing your guests independent research options in a user friendly way...your guest could still book normally through your tour desk...OR....they could utilise the ipad and you'd only lose 2% but save all of that time and hassle (especially if other guests are checking in/out etc etc...)....oh, and not to mention the tour operators themselves benefitting from having to pay less commissions to some of the other booking systems like the exorbitant amounts with the aforementioned DCM operation....oh, and also the local/regional tourism bodies also gaining revenue to promote guests to visit and perhaps stay in your accom from iTours giving 2% from bookings made from personal iPhones/pads and web app?......once you understand it fully it seems a win win win?

Mick Willliams, 12-08-11 14:02:

Damian
talk to iTours and get the facts and learn how the commissions are split - then comment

Damian p, 12-08-11 11:34:

And an accommodation provider with a tour desk would support this because [Rolls eyes] ? So instead of the tour desk getting a commission iTours gets the commission, hmmmm...