Given that the travel industry is such a complex ecosystem, it’s no surprise that it has been difficult to develop the perfect travel booking system to manage it.
At the moment agents and bookers rely heavily on Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and the New Distribution Capability (NDC) to find information and book airline seats, hotels and cars. But the fragmented nature of the systems makes it difficult to pretend this is the ultimate solution.
Paraphrasing the old joke:
Travel agent – ‘How do you create the best travel booking system from here?’
Expert – ‘I wouldn’t start from here.’
You wouldn’t start from this place because there are too many problems built in. Ideally, you would start afresh.
One of the problems is the foundational architecture of GDS and NDC. These systems have evolved over decades, adapting to the changing needs of the industry. However, their origins in legacy technology can impede the seamless integration of new features and innovative functionalities.
Attempting to modify these systems is like renovating an old house – you always have to compromise because you can’t knock it all down.
Another issue with GDS and NDC is that they operate within a complex network of stakeholders, each with its own set of protocols, standards, and priorities. The web of relationships and operating challenges makes the seamless integration of new technologies and the creation of a holistic, user-friendly booking system, difficult.
Efforts to modify and improve GDS and NDC often encounter resistance due to the massive scale and scope of these systems. Incremental modifications may not address the core issues such as the perceived lack of personalisation, complex interfaces, and the difficulty in navigating vast amounts of data.
Creating the ultimate travel booking system will require a paradigm shift—a departure from retrofitting existing systems.
At Journey Mentor we saw that starting from scratch was impractical because of the extensive infrastructure and interdependence of the present travel industry systems. But that didn’t mean we shouldn’t try to improve the current situation.
We knew there was a demand for tools that integrate both GDS and globally available NDC content, alongside local content, in a unified platform, speedily and seamlessly offering the best of all worlds. So that’s what we have done. It’s not perfect but it’s a lot closer to perfection than what’s currently available.
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