The upgrades to its technology ecosystem include a new benchmarking service, Peer Travel Insights (PTI), to help clients measure the performance of their travel programme against other similar businesses – including with regards traveller wellbeing.
Mimicking the likes of Yapta and TripBam, the TMC has also developed its own hotel re-shopping technology and enhanced its airfare re-shop solutions.
Its new Hotel Re-Shop Expert (HRE) tool identifies and rebooks like-for-like hotel rooms that are available at cheaper rates. In the UK, it is currently available to clients using the Sabre GDS system.
GBT is also now deploying artificial intelligence to analyse past booking preferences and anticipate traveller behaviour within its KDS Neo booking tool, with the ‘recommendation engine’ available now in EMEA and in May for clients in North America.
Meanwhile, its mobile experience will soon incorporate booking tools other than its own Neo platform, while all travellers now have access to a live messaging platform to contact travel advisers.
The new functionality is the latest tranche of enhancements in an ongoing technology investment programme that was launched by the TMC in 2015.
“TMCs now need their own technology that helps companies manage the entire travel ecosystem,” says Evan Konwiser, GBT’s Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing.
“Some may opt for more proprietary tools and others may look for third parties. Either way, the TMC must bind the experiences together or else a key part of the TMC value proposition falls down.”
