Blog

8 Best CRM Systems for Tour Operators: 2024 Comparison

Sam Jefferies • October 16th, 2024

Tour operators need a customer relationship management (CRM) software to:

Centralise customer data: Automatically store and organise essential customer data (names, emails, phone numbers) in a central database.
Automate communications: Automate standard customer communications like booking confirmations, tickets, tour reminders, and follow-up emails.
Support marketing: Facilitate customer retargeting by automating abandoned cart emails and sending newsletters or other marketing emails.

You may consider names like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho because they’re industry-leading CRM systems. While these systems are top-rated for a reason, they’re usually far too much for what tour operators require. They include dozens of features, and tour operators end up paying for functionality they don’t need or use.

Plus, most tour operator software (including Bókun) already includes a CRM, so you don’t have to purchase this software separately and integrate systems.

To help you in your search for the right CRM, we’ve compiled this guide of top-rated tour operator software with built-in CRM systems. We’ll cover each software’s background, notable features, and pricing details so you can easily compare your options.

Bókun
Xola
Peek Pro
TripWorks
FareHarbor
Rezdy
Beyonk & BookingHound
Resmark Systems

We’ll kick off with a review of our tour operator software, Bókun.

As a Tripadvisor company, we partner with both Viator and GetYourGuide to offer unique benefits for tour operators. We’ve worked with tour operators and experience providers at all growth stages, helping teams establish an online presence and drive new business via digital strategies.

To explore our platform further, keep reading or start a 14-day free trial.

1. Bókun

All-in-one tour operator software to manage bookings, sales channels, products, staff & customers

Bókun boasts a comprehensive feature set to support all areas of tour and experience providers’ operations. Our system lets you:

Create a centralised calendar to manage bookings and availability across all sales channels.

Enable direct website bookings using our one-click website builder to create a branded booking site.

Provide online payment options to streamline the checkout experience for travellers, minimise drop-off points in the sales process, and boost booking conversions.

Connect with dozens of OTAs — major players like Viator, GetYourGuide, Expedia, Trip.com, Civitatis, Tiqets, Google Things to do, and niche-specific OTAs — to promote your tours and experiences to millions of potential customers.

Establish partnerships with travel agents, DMOs, and other tour guides or travel businesses to resell or cross-promote each others’ experiences and drive new bookings and revenue. Our network includes over 27K businesses in the travel industry.

Design tour listings with detailed descriptions, high-quality media, and add-ons; set pricing and create dynamic pricing rules; and manage all listings in one place.

Track inventory and equipment for experiences.

Link Tripadvisor to feed traveller reviews to your site.

Manage traveller check-ins with mobile tickets, mobile booking calendars, and ticket scanning.

Offer customers the flexibility to reschedule or cancel bookings, with automatic calendar updates when reservations are modified.

Monitor bookings, analyse sales performance metrics, measure revenue, and gather valuable insights about your customer base via Bókun reporting.

Bókun includes native CRM software to manage customer information and automate communications. It saves you countless hours on manual bookkeeping, ensures nothing slips through the cracks, and promotes customer satisfaction.

Moreover, it helps you earn new business by supporting retargeting and email marketing.

In the following sections, we’ll demonstrate how our CRM keeps you organised and helps you provide the best customer experience.

Afterwards, we’ll delve into Bókun’s benefits for tour operators, discuss pricing, and explain how to get started with our system.

Bókun CRM for tour operators

Bókun’s CRM solution automatically captures and stores customer information when travellers make a booking or contact you (e.g., via email inquiries or website forms). It keeps an organised contact list in the central dashboard for easy reference by tour operators.

You can save unlimited contacts within our CRM, which supports you regardless of how large your customer base grows.

It stores all available customer information, including names and email addresses, and maintains a history of the tours or experiences they book.

Not only can tour operators easily browse their contact list, but they can also learn more about each contact and the travel experiences that interest them. Furthermore, they can select previous bookings to view the details.

Are contacts booking for just themselves, or do they have family members they’re bringing along? Do they purchase add-ons? Have contacts requested any special accommodations that could be relevant to improving your product line?

Our CRM simplifies and improves contact management so tour operators can focus on more valuable tasks — like providing a five-star experience when customers arrive, developing social media pages, or creating marketing campaigns to support lead generation.

It also provides the resources to perform customer research and use those insights to make data-driven growth decisions.

Automated Communications

To complement our CRM tool, Bókun includes automated communications that send emails automatically, freeing office managers from handling them manually.

We provide a gallery of email templates that you can design and schedule to send at specific times or after particular actions.

You can create branded booking confirmations, design tickets, and craft memorable pre-trip reminders or follow-ups to personalise customer interactions.

We also offer templates for abandoned cart emails to boost booking conversions. You can entice travellers to book by adding discounts or offering other perks (like a free add-on) and program Bókun to send these when customers abandon their bookings.

Additionally, you can design templates to streamline and automate other communications and spur customer engagement, like monthly newsletters, promotional emails for new experiences, and more.

Create multiple templates to store successful collateral for future email marketing initiatives.

The CRM and automated communications tool come with a Bókun subscription. You can store unlimited contacts and templates without extra fees. Our team can even advise on marketing and business growth strategies as you earn bookings and scale through Bókun.

Now, let’s discuss some of our other benefits for tour operators so you can learn more about how our platform works.

Bókun benefits for tour operators

As a part of the Tripadvisor family, Bókun partners with Viator and GetYourGuide to help tour operators worldwide scale their businesses.

Our Tripadvisor connection allows you to display reviews on your booking site. Travellers can see verified reviews from other customers on your site and easily view your Tripadvisor profile.

Our Viator partnership earns you 12, 24, or 48 free subscription checks per year (depending on your package). We also waive Bókun booking fees on Viator reservations, so you can manage them at no extra cost. Viator users can auto-import products to Bókun to sell those experiences on their website and skip the setup process.Connecting Bókun with Viator also makes earning the Badge of Excellence easier, increasing the likelihood of Viator recommending your tours and experiences.

Our connectivity partnership with GetYourGuide boosts your visibility on their site and offers the strongest API performance, allowing the platforms to work together in real-time.

Bókun pricing

We offer the lowest fees among competing booking systems with three paid packages to support scaling teams. Our starter plan is $49/month.

We only charge 1% to 1.5% booking fees on direct, OTA, and partner bookings (with fees waived on Viator reservations).

Tour operators can add and manage offline or in-person bookings in Bókun at no additional charge.

Our intuitive and user-friendly software ensures that anyone can learn the system and onboard other guides without formal training.

We also provide an app store with various (free and paid) modules to tailor Bókun to your business processes.

Getting started with Bókun

To learn more about our software and key features, start your 14-day free trial.

No credit card or commitments are required. After the trial ends, you can upgrade to a paid plan or continue with our limited free plan.

2. Xola

Xola’s online booking software is designed for tour operators and attractions, with booking, channel, inventory, and staff management. The system includes a native CRM and automated communications, and Xola provides digital marketing tools to support customer retargeting, increase bookings, and optimise revenue.

Xola’s key selling point is its booking engine. It’s carefully developed to encourage travellers through the checkout flow and prevent abandoned carts. If travellers drop off, you can automate abandoned cart emails to be sent.

One downside is that Xola does not offer a marketplace for connecting with other businesses in the tourism industry and creating partnerships. The platform lets you sell through OTAs, but the marketplace is not as expansive as competitors (like Bókun).

Features

CRM
Marketing tools to promote your tours & retarget customers
Automated customer communications
Website building service
Online booking widgets (for existing sites)
Channel management & connections with OTAs
Inventory management
Availability management
Staff management
Phone booking system to manage offline reservations
Native POS
Digital waiver solution
Customisable tickets (and ticket scanning tools for convenient check-in)
Reporting
Mobile apps

Pricing

Xola entices customers by not charging subscription or booking fees. Instead, they refer to their fee as a “partner fee,” which still functions like a booking fee — customers pay 1.9% + 30¢* for online bookings. While Xola touts an advanced booking engine, this extra fee can deter customers from completing checkout.

*Rates vary outside of the United States.

Xola’s site does not share complete pricing details; they recommend contacting their team to learn more about pricing.

3. Peek Pro

Peek Pro is another tour operator software with additional marketing tools to support business growth. It’s one of the most comprehensive options in the market, including CRM and automated communications, booking management features, OTA connections, a robust marketplace, convenient automation tools, and even a feature to apply for business loans (Peek Capital).

For this reason, we typically recommend them for larger teams.

The risk with Peek Pro is variable (often high) booking fees. Peek Pro fees can be as high as 6% — depending on the terms of your contract — so if you sell pricier experiences, these fees add up quickly. However, Peek Pro lets you choose between covering the fee or passing it to the customer.

Features

CRM
Marketing tools (including customer retargeting)
Automated customer communications
Online booking widgets
Customisable booking calendar
Reservation management
Product management
Integrations with OTAs & channel management tools
Availability & staff management
Options to sell memberships, add-ons, bundles, gift cards & vouchers
Dynamic pricing
Fast check-in features, including digital waivers, Kiosk mode, & ticket scanning
Customer portals
Peek reseller network
Peek Capital
Native POS
Integrations with online payment processors
Reporting
Mobile apps

Pricing

Peek Pro does not share pricing online; you must contact their team for a custom quote. Reviews suggest they charge a one-time set-up fee ($199) and variable booking fees (up to 6%).

4. TripWorks

TripWorks tour operator software also includes a suite of marketing tools, but its features are arguably more advanced than those of Peek Pro or Xola above in that it lets tour operators plan marketing campaigns and manage online advertising.

TripWorks features (and pricing) are best for larger or rapidly growing teams that can benefit from these added features. TripWorks also frequently works with global teams.

Features

CRM
Automated communications to manage standard confirmation emails & retargeting
Online booking widget
Connections with OTAs & channel management
Reseller network
Reservation management
Product & availability management
Dynamic pricing
Digital waivers
Marketing tools to build campaigns & manage online advertising
Integrations with marketing software & business applications
Native POS
Integrations with Apple Pay & Google Pay
Options to sell gift cards & vouchers
Reporting
Mobile ticket scanning app

Pricing

TripWorks does not disclose pricing details online. The site shows they offer two packages:

The Standard plan includes all TripWorks features to manage operations (including the CRM). Most tour operators find this plan suitable.
The Enterprise plan unlocks full platform access and is recommended for global teams.

You can join TripWorks’ platform for free — explore the features, build tour listings and set availability, connect with OTAs, and browse the reseller network. You choose a package and begin paying for a subscription once you’re ready to start accepting bookings.

Note: TripWorks requires you to process at least $5K in credit card transactions each month (or $30K over six months), or they charge a $49/month “inactivity fee.” This is also why TripWorks is better for larger teams that can clear this minimum each month.

5. FareHarbor

Next on our list is FareHarbor: they’re a popular tour operator software brand because they partner with Booking.com and offer website-building services for small businesses.

Their platform’s features support all areas of operations, and of course, it includes a CRM with auto communications to send booking confirmations, retargeting emails, and other marketing emails.

However, FareHarbor’s booking fees are comparable to Peek Pro above — they charge variable fees (up to 6%) and pass fees to the customer. High fees and extra costs at checkout can negatively impact conversions and cost you bookings. Consider your tour pricing to determine if FareHarbor could be a suitable option.

Features

CRM
Automated customer communications
Website-building services
Online booking widget
Customisable booking calendar
Connections with OTAs & channel management
Reseller network
Product management
Availability management
Staff management
Native POS
Integrations with Stripe
Customer portals
Fast check-in features & online waiver tools
Reporting
Mobile apps

Pricing

FareHarbor does not charge subscription fees; they charge travellers a variable fee (up to 6%) when booking with you online.

6. Rezdy

Rezdy is a global brand that offers tour operator software and packages to support teams of all sizes. It’s also a popular name because it recently merged with Checkfront and Regiondo to reach new customers and grow its brand.

The platform includes a vast feature set to manage bookings and support operations, and features are user-friendly, so there is a minimal learning curve. It also offers a CRM and automated communications (that work like Bókun or competitors above).

The primary deterrent with Rezdy is pricing. They split features across packages, subscription fees are higher than most competitors, and booking fees vary between 1.75% and 2%, depending on the package.

For example, they offer the CRM in the entry-level package, but you need the Advanced package to access the automated communications feature.

Features

CRM
Automated customer communications
One-click website builder
Online booking engine
Connections with OTAs & channel management
Reseller network
Product management
Reservation management
Live availability
RezdyPay — Rezdy’s native payment gateway — and integrations with solutions like Stripe, PayPal, Google, and Apple Pay
Integrations & API
Reporting
Mobile apps

Pricing

Rezdy offers three packages, and all packages come with guided onboarding and ongoing support.

Pricing is as follows:

The Foundation plan is $49/month. This package grants basic platform and CRM access; you can save customer info, manage bookings, connect with OTAs and partners, and report on bookings and revenue. (Notably, it does not include automated customer communications.) Rezdy also charges 2% booking fees in this plan.
The Accelerate plan is $99/month. This is the recommended package, granting access to automated customer communications and advanced CRM functionality. Rezdy charges 1.9% booking fees in this plan.
The top tier plan, Expansion, is $249/month. This plan is recommended when you require a bespoke booking management tool, as opting for the Expansion plan grants access to Rezdy webhooks and API. You can also enjoy (slightly) lower booking fees in this plan: 1.75%.

7. Beyonk & BookingHound

Beyonk and BookingHound are sister software brands that offer solutions to manage bookings and high-volume ticket sales. They commonly work with UK-based tour operators, attractions, and event management services.

Beyonk is the solution for tour operators. It includes the core features listed below — including the CRM and automated communications — and a few extras to support tour guide operations (like a scheduling tool).
BookingHound is the solution for attractions and ticket management. It also includes the core features but provides advanced tools like waitlisting, capacity management, and options to sell season passes. Notably, this package provides customer retargeting, while Beyonk does not.

Beyonk and BookingHound’s pricing appeals to businesses of all sizes. The main hangup is moderate booking fees (4%). Tour operators can choose to cover these or pass them on to travellers. While these fees aren’t as high as others on our list, they can still impact earnings.

Features

CRM
Automated customer communications
Online booking widgets
Custom checkout workflows
Connections with OTAs & channel management
Reseller network
Inventory management to monitor equipment, facilities & staff
Tools to manage online or in-person payments
Options to cross-sell products & offer add-ons
Options to sell gift cards & issue discount codes
Dynamic pricing
Options to offer free events
Content management system
Affiliate codes
Reporting
Analytics from Meta & Google

Also available in Beyonk:

ePOS system
Staff & schedule management
Zapier integrations

Only available in BookingHound:

Online ticketing tools
Capacity management system & waitlisting tools
Options to sell memberships or season tickets
Options to sell merchandise
Customer self-service portals
Questionnaires
Abandoned cart retargeting

Pricing

Beyonk does not charge subscription fees; instead, you pay 4% in booking fees on each reservation, which you can choose to cover or pass on to the customer.
BookingHound is available for $38/month, with the same 4% booking fees.

Beyonk also offers custom enterprise packages.

8. Resmark Systems

The last option on our list, Resmark Systems, is ideal for smaller teams or seasonal businesses due to its convenient pricing and user-friendly platform.

This software contains all the essentials for selling tours online and managing bookings, including a CRM and automated communications. It also includes a digital waiver solution, offering 50 free waivers each month, making it appealing to adventure or excursion-based tour providers.

However, it lacks a reseller marketplace for teams building distribution networks through partnerships.

As a result, many tour operators may “outgrow” this system and seek a more comprehensive solution, making it better suited for smaller teams just starting to explore OTAs and travel distribution channels.

Features

CRM
Automated customer communications
Website building services
Booking widgets
Channel management & connections with OTAs
Availability management
Digital waiver solution
Integrations with popular payment gateways
Dynamic pricing & other advanced pricing options
Options to sell add-ons
Options to create tour packages
Advanced booking management tools like notes & task management
Inventory management
Resource management
Reporting
Accounting tools

Pricing

Resmark offers two packages and custom enterprise plans. Both packages include all core features listed above — including the CRM and automated communications — and the digital waiver solution (up to 50 free waivers per month).

The difference in Resmark’s two packages is in their pricing models:

Option 1: You pay a one-time set-up fee of $500 with no monthly subscription charge. Resmark charges 3.5% in booking fees, which you can cover or pass on to the customer. Resmark recommends this package for seasonal businesses or those planning to pass booking fees to travellers.
Option 2: You pay a $95/month subscription fee with no initial setup costs. Resmark charges 2% booking fees in this plan. Resmark recommends this option for businesses that operate year-round.

Explore Bókun’s tour operator software and CRM system by starting a 14-day free trial!

Related reads: