Meet Hero at Arival San Diego 2024
News
Arival is the leading global conference for the In-Destination Experiences industry.
With AI, vertical video, social media and emerging consumer travel preferences, tech tools and travel trends change so swiftly it’s enough to give you whiplash. We’ll be attending Arival 2024 to share thoughts and ideas and gain global insight into what’s new and what’s next.
We look forward to meeting industry colleagues at Arival 2024!
Save the date: Adventure Tourism Awards 2024
Adventure Tourism Awards 2024 returns to the Gold Coast
Adventure Queensland has advised that the Australia & NZ Adventure Tourism Conference & Awards will return again this year to the Gold Coast. This time in a 2-day format spanning 6 & 7 November, the conference provides attendees with opportunities for professional and business development as well as networking and engagement opportunities with industry colleagues. Delegates will hear from industry-leading speakers on critical industry issues and innovative ideas.
Save the date (6 & 7 November). More info to come!
Ocean Rafting wins Gold at Australian Tourism Awards
Ocean Rafting wins Gold & Silver at 2023 Australian Tourism Awards
We’d like to congratulate our great friends at Ocean Rafting who claimed Gold & Silver at this year’s Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
More than 180 of Australia’s quality tourism operators came from each state and territory to vie for top honours across 26 categories. Ocean Rafting claimed the gold in the Adventure Tourism category and silver in the Major Tour & Transport category.
The awards are well-deserved! As a local Whitsunday family owned and operated business, Ocean Rafting shares the wonders of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef with guests from across the globe. It’s two exciting day tour adventures, the Northern Exposure and Southern Lights, offer exhilarating rides to Whitehaven Beach, the ultimate access to Hill Inlet and special snorkelling sites.
Ocean Rafting’s fleet of eight semi-rigid inflatable vessels allow guests to experience Ocean Rafting’s signature adrenalin-fuelled ride amongst the beauty of the Whitsundays, while a maximum of 32 passengers allows for a personalised experience in the pleasure of a small group.
Congratulations Jan, Pete & Nate and the Team at Ocean Rafting – you deserve it!
Meet Hero at TRENZ,Wellington 2024
Meet Hero at TRENZ,
Wellington 2024
We look forward to meeting with industry colleagues at TRENZ 2024, at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, 8-10 May 2024.
TRENZ is New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event and the most important event of the year on the tourism events calendar. TRENZ brings hundreds of international travel Buyers together to meet with New Zealand’s leading tourism operators over four days to build or renew relationships and negotiate business for upcoming seasons.
Hero’s Content Manager, Bart Gelsing will be attending TRENZ as a Buyer and representing the growing network of over 1000 agents, affiliates and resellers using Hero across Australia, NZ and overseas.
If you haven’t yet scheduled an appointment with Hero, send Bart a message and he’ll track you down.
Meet Hero at the Australian Tourism Exchange 2024
News
We look forward to meeting with industry colleagues at the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre between Sunday 19 May and Thursday 23 May 2024.
ATE24 will bring together Australian tourism businesses with global distribution partners, to conduct scheduled business appointments and participate in key networking events. ATE24 will also provide international buyers with the opportunity to experience Australia’s tourism offerings first-hand through pre- and post-event familiarisations. Around 1,500 Australian seller delegates and 700 buyer delegates from over 30 countries are targeted to attend ATE24.
Hero’s General Manager, Evie de Groot will be at the Hero stand in the Solutions Hub, alongside other industry-leading tech, finance and service solutions providers.
If you’re a travel reseller looking for ways to sell more effectively in-store, on tour and online come and see us. If you’re a supplier looking for more agent bookings, we look forward to meeting you!
Commission Split feature now available to Hero Agents
We’re pleased to announce Hero’s latest feature – Commission Split Beneficiaries, supercharging the way agents share commission with staff, referring parties, landlords & charities.
Hero’s Commission Split feature allows your Branch commission to be ‘split’ and automatically paid out to individual Beneficiaries, rather than paid in full to your Agency.
This is ideal if you wish to reward your team with a share of all commission they generate, or if you have a commission share arrangement with a referring partner, landlord or other third party.
You simply set the rules and Hero takes care of reporting, remittance and payments, for example:
- X% of commission is paid to your Agency
- Y% of commission is paid to the Team Member who created the quote
- Z% of commission is paid to your Landlord / Preferred Charity / Referring Partner
Reporting & Remittance
Beneficiaries can be assigned with different access levels to view reports and remittance advice. For example:
- Full access to Sales, Reports & Commissions (For your Team)
- Restricted to Reports (For third parties)
Payments
Payments can be disbursed weekly or monthly. If needed, Beneficiaries can even receive funds in a currency / country different to that of your Agency.
Want more info?
To find out more about Hero’s Commission Split Beneficiary feature, fees and availability – get in touch with us.
Meet Hero at the AUS & NZ Youth Tourism Conference
News
We look forward to meeting and mixing with industry colleagues at the upcoming Australia & NZ Youth Tourism Conference on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Hosted by Adventure Queensland, this years conference will focus on Culture, Country and Technology in an effort to connect us all again after the turmoil of the last few years.
Following the success of the previous conferences and awards nights, Advemture Queensland continues to focus on curating a dedicated half-day conference to address the challenges and opportunities that affect youth tourism in Australia and New Zealand.
This industry-led Youth Tourism Conference provides attendees with opportunities for professional and business development as well as networking and engagement opportunities with industry colleagues. Delegates will hear from industry-leading speakers on critical industry issues and innovative ideas.
See you there!
Evie de Groot
General Manager
[email protected]
Kenny Wynter
Head of Partnerships
[email protected]
Dan Lucas
Co-Founder
[email protected]
Meet Hero at the 2023 BYATA Conference
News
Hero is one of the proud sponsors of the 12th Annual BYATA Conference, commencing on Monday the 28th & Tuesday the 29th of August 2023 at Te Pae Convention Centre in Christchurch.
The annual BYATA conference promises an unforgettable experience and offers the opportunity to engage with and learn more about NZ’s youth and adventure sector. This year’s conference anticipates the participation of over 140 delegates representing more than 100 companies, including renowned industry leaders and Regional Tourism Offices from across the motu.
Hero’s Head of Partnerships, Kenny Wynter will be attending, representing the growing network of over 1000 agents, affiliates and resellers using Hero across NZ, Australia and overseas.
We're upgrading Hero Payments
News
Based on feedback from agency partners and to ensure Hero Payments stays fully compliant with the ever-changing technical and legal requirements of card payment acceptance, our payments solution is getting a makeover!
Card Acceptance & Compliance
Banks and credit card issuers consider the travel industry to be ‘high risk’, and with ever-changing compliance demands to meet it’s now almost impossible to set yourself up with in-person and online payment facilities.
Hero Payments can cater to your card processing requirements in a fully compliant manner!
Plus, payments are no longer restricted to just Visa and Mastercard. Hero Payments now supports American Express at no additional cost, along with support for the latest rules governing PCI and payment processing financial obligations.
Digital Wallet Payments
For added convenience, Hero Payments now accepts digital wallet payments including Google Pay and Apple Pay when eQuote payments are made from a compatible device.
Buy Now, Pay Later
By popular demand, we’ve added buy-now, pay-later schemes including AfterPay, ClearPay, Klana, ZipPay and Apple Pay Later. If your customers have these facilities, you’ll get paid upfront and your customers can make payments over time.
Online Security Upgrades
With Hero’s eQuote facility, you can digitally share itineraries with your customers, allowing them to pay online. Our recent upgrade means eQuote is available to resellers in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and Europe. In addition, advanced fraud protection now comes as standard and at no additional cost.
Hero Terminal
New to Hero Payments is Hero Terminal, allowing you to confirm itinerary details with customers over-the-counter (as shown) and accept payment via contactless tap, dip or swipe (depending on the card type).
Processing is a breeze! Unlike a standalone EFTPOS terminal, with Hero Payments there’s no need to manually enter in amounts, perform daily settlements or even check your bank account to reconcile EFTPOS deposits, as everything is automated and recorded in Hero. It’s quick, easy, and means no mistakes!
Any refund processed in Hero where funds are due back to the customer are automatically sent back to their card – they don’t even need to be in-store for this to happen!
Journey Makr's branded Travel Guides, powered by Hero
News
At Hero, we’re big fans of travel, tech and design and we’re very happy to have partners who innovate in this space. One company worth a shout-out is Australian-based, B2B2C travel tech supplier, Journey Makr.
Journey Makr provides its clients with beautifully designed and branded digital guides of local tips for what to see and do and where to go – perfect for hotels, event organisers and tourism bodies.
Every local tip is a bite-sized summary of a place or business and showcases stunning photography, enticing copy, video and a map to get there.
The Guides contain beautifully edited content, tailored to their client’s location – from the best beaches to the unmissable spas and wineries, they are designed to entice visitors to discover more of the region.
The Guides also feature a wide range of Experiences, bookable via the site and powered by Hero.
If you’re a travel-related business and would like to enquire how you can obtain your own branded Guide, contact Journey Makr here.
Meet Hero at ATE Gold Coast, April 2023
Catch us at ATE 2023, Gold Coast
We look forward to catching up with industry colleagues at the Australian Tourism Exchange at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre between 30 April and 4 May 2023.
Hero’s head of success, Evie de Groot and co-founder Dan Lucas will be at the Hero stand in the Solutions Hub, alongside other industry-leading tech, finance and service solutions providers.
If you’re a travel reseller looking for ways to sell more effectively in-store, on tour and online come and see us. If you’re a supplier looking for more agent bookings, we look forward to meeting you!
Evie de Groot
Head of Success
Dan Lucas
Co-founder
Meet Hero at TRENZ Christchurch, May 2023
News
We look forward to meeting with industry colleagues at TRENZ 2023, at the Te Pae, Christchurch from 9–11 May 2023.
Hero’s Head of Partnerships, Kenny Wynter will be attending TRENZ as a Buyer and representing the growing network of over 1000 agents, affiliates and resellers using Hero across Australia and overseas.
We’re looking forward to meeting existing partners and making contact with new suppliers across New Zealand.
If you haven’t yet scheduled an appointment with Hero, send Kenny a message and he’ll track you down.
Hero expands its API network, with new connection to Ibis
Hero is now integrated with New Zealand's leading tourism software specialist, Ibis.
We’re very happy to announce Hero’s latest API partnership with New Zealand’s leading tourism reservation software specialist, Ibis Technology.
Ibis is the preferred choice of many of New Zealand and Australia’s favourite travel brands including NZone Skydive, Skydive Australia, KJet, Rotorua Canopy Tours, Time Unlimited Tours and Hanmer Springs, plus many more.
Hero’s API connection with Ibis, now enables Ibis clients to ‘connect live’ and receive bookings from Hero’s agent network, benefiting from live rates and availability and instant bookings direct into their Ibis manifest.
Live integration also enables expanded distribution, via Hero’s B2B booking widget and B2B2C affiliate-powered solution, Tour.store.
If you’re an Ibis client wanting to take advantage of this new connection, or a travel reseller wishing to promote and sell these travel products to your customer-bases, please get in touch.
Hero introduces Tour.store for travel affiliates
Hero introduces Tour.store for travel industry affiliates
We’re pleased to introduce Hero’s newest feature, tour.store – a consumer-facing, B2B2C, affiliate-powered travel site enabling tourism businesses to easily promote and sell local experiences online.
Accommodation providers, tour operators, agents and content creators can now generate ancillary revenue by referring their guests, followers, fans & customers to a branded landing page on tour.store.
Affiliates can easily promote their page with a QR code, email marketing or posts on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
Customers can browse and book a wide range of tours, activities and experiences via Hero’s PCI-compliant payment technology with tickets generated instantly.
Affiliates receive referral revenue and operators receive net payments direct into their bank account every week via Hero’s trusted payment flow.
Check it our at Tour.store or via the QR code below…
Hero integrates with BookWorld - DormProject
Hero integrates with BookWorld - DormProject
Hero is excited to announce its recent partnership with BookWorld / DormProject. BookWorld is a cloud based booking management system for accommodation providers. By improving and adding new features regularly, their goal is to make it as easy and efficient as possible for their clients to run their hostels.
This integration will give Hero agents the ability to access a whole new range of products with live rates and availability from different hostels/hotels. In turn, these accommodation providers can now benefit from automated management of their products in Hero and receive live bookings directly into their BookWorld manifest.
Get in touch with us or the team at BookWorld to find out more.
Hero Ranks in Digital.com's Best Travel Agency Software List
Hero Ranks in Digital.com's Best Travel Agency Software 2021
Independent software review website, Digital.com has rated Hero among the best travel agency software companies of 2021.
Digital.com conducted over 40 hours of research on 105+ travel agency software companies from across the web and and top solutions were selected based on core features as well as integration and reporting capabilities.
Hero and other software solutions were expected to support a variety of essential features, such as itinerary creation, pricing management, and reservations management. Experts at Digital.com recommend platforms with integrations for accounting, marketing, and ERP tools. The study examined systems that produce insightful reports to help travel agencies make better decisions about allocating resources.
“Travel agencies have a wide range of options when it comes to software to help manage their businesses. Every platform makes claims about how its software’s features and services can help drive the most revenue, but ultimately it comes down to the integrations, reports, and travel agency features. We evaluated the top software on those metrics to help agencies find the best one for their needs”. – Digital.com
To learn more, visit: https://digital.com/best-travel-agency-software
Meet us at The Australian Tourism Exchange 2021
We look forward to meeting industry partners at this year's Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) held in Sydney next month.
Hosted by Tourism Australia, ATE is the leading Australia-focused tourism industry event. This year, tourism buyers and sellers can meet, exchange knowledge, and make business connections amid ongoing uncertainty around international travel and border openings.
ATE will be held from 6 to 9 June at the International Convention Centre Sydney. This will be for international buyers who are based in Australia or located in countries permitted to travel to Australia, domestic buyers and frontline travel sellers. ATE Online will immediately follow, from 10 to 17 June, for all other international buyers who are unable to travel due to border restrictions.
If we're unable to meet with you during an allocated timeslot, send us a message and we'll be sure to catch up during breaks and social events.
Hero a SiteMinder Top-Revenue Maker of 2020
Hero becomes one of SiteMinder's top revenue makers of 2020
12 February 2021
SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, has unveiled it’s list of distribution channels that brought the greatest booking revenue to hotels in 2020 since the COVID pandemic – and Hero has made the list!
SiteMinder’s senior director of global demand partnerships, James Bishop says: “The travel disruptions of 2020 levelled the playing field for many distribution channel providers to demonstrate the unique value they provided to consumers and therefore to hotels. With international travel restrictions in place and rising cases of coronavirus around the world, many consumers were drawn to local hotel accommodations where the direct hotel website has always performed well, or through local booking channels, which, after an initial slump, saw an uptick from pent-up travel demand. SiteMinder’s lists of the top 12 hotel booking revenue makers are testament to real changes in people’s travel behaviour and preferences during this time.”
SiteMinder powers bookings with 35,000 hotels, across 160 countries, to generate bookings in excess of $47 billion annually.
Ranked at Number-12 since the hotel booking reset (Apr-Dec 2020) we’re honoured to be considered alongside industry players such as Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda and Airbnb.
Hero is a fully-accredited integration and distribution partner of SiteMinder. If you’re a hotelier looking to expand your distribution network or a travel reseller seeking API integration with hotels – get in touch.
To read more about SiteMinder 2020 Top-12, visit: siteminder.com/news
Hero proudly supporting Good360
Help us support the Heroes at Good360
We've recently teamed up with Good360.org.au, to help deliver valuable 'care packs' to Australians in need.
Good360 is an amazing charity organisation, which repurposes surplus brand new goods and connects them to the Australians who need them most. It's an innovative idea with a huge impact - over $150M worth of goods donated so far. We want to lend a hand, so have pledged to ship a care pack valued up to $100 for every new agent / operator that joins Hero between now and 31 December. Going into 2021, we'll be increasing our support and hope our valued clients and commercial partners may be keen to participate.
Kids
No child should go without school supplies or basic toys. Packs give kids strength that starts with a smile. Care packages could contain…
- Pencils and pens
- Puzzles
- Educational toys
- School supplies
- Arts and craft supplies
- Lunch boxes
Families
This year has been a challenge for many Australian families. Packs help give a family in crisis the strength to move forward.
- Blankets
- Toiletries
- Clothing
- Make-up
- Building blocks
- Pyjamas
- Cleaning products
Seniors
Little luxuries can bring so much comfort and joy for older Australians living on meagre savings or isolated in aged care communities.
- Puzzles
- Playing cards
- Arts and craft supplies
- Toiletries
- Perfume and aftershave
- Slippers
- Pyjamas
To learn more about Good360 visit https://empowerpacks.good360.org.au
Hero integrates with Square Terminal
Hero now integrated with Square Terminal
We’re happy to announce Hero’s newest integration with Square, now powering PCI-secure customer payments via the Square Terminal.
Square Terminal (https://squareup.com/hardware/terminal) is a wireless, contactless, all-in-one credit and EFTPOS machine, perfect for retail travel agents, visitor centres, hotel concierge and mobile travel agents.
Hero’s integration makes processing customer payments quick, easy and hassle-free. When payment is due, the Square Terminal automatically displays the amount to be paid without staff needing to manually enter transaction values. Customers tap their contactless debit and credit cards, insert chip cards or use smartphones and watches with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Payments are recorded within Hero and once paid in full, orders can be finalised.
Square terminals can be used by Hero booking agents in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and the UK. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance is adherence to the set of policies and procedures developed to protect credit, debit and cash card transactions and prevent the misuse of cardholders’ personal information.
In addition to advanced security and enhanced customer experience, Hero payments provides booking agents and suppliers with a simplified accounts and payment process. Hero remits funds to agents and suppliers with an automated weekly payment process. Suppliers receive payment of the net amount via EFT, without the need to issue invoices, chase payments and issue commission payments to agents. Agents can choose to receive commission payments into a single company bank account, or automatically divided and paid to individual sales staff.
Need a Hero? Get in touch!
Want to start your own travel agency?
Want to start your own travel agency?
If you have a passion for travel and are considering career options, you may be inspired to work in the travel industry. One option would be to set up your own business as an independent travel agent. There’s a lot to consider, so here’s our guide to setting up your own travel agency.
Do I need a travel agent licence?
No. In 2014, the Travel Agent Repeal Bill 2014 was passed, which removed the outdated licensing program which governed Australian travel agents. With regulatory barriers removed, a new breed of ‘hybrid’ travel agents emerged, operating online with a strong social media presence while providing a personalised, ‘concierge-style’ service.
Many of these new travel agencies have been founded by ex-travellers; people like you, who want to share their knowledge and help other travellers make informed choices, get a great deal and have the trip of a lifetime!
In addition to changes in the law, travel technology solutions are now more readily available, removing many of the administrative and financial burdens of running a small travel agency.
Product Knowledge
True travel agents (not just salespeople) are passionate about travel. They have an extensive understanding of the products they promote and sell, and have experienced many of these products first hand. Travel agents provide added-value to their customers by offering impartial advice, to help their customers arrange the trip that’s best-suited to their taste, desires, personality, expectations and their budget. True travel agents offer a degree of peace of mind, and will act as a conduit between the customer and the supplier, before, during and after the trip as required – even when things go wrong!
Being a great travel agent isn’t easy, and to be successful you need to extensive product knowledge. Here are a few ways you can obtain it:
- Famils (Familiarisation Trips). Many suppliers will be willing to offer you discounted (and potentially free) trips, if you have a solid business plan and can prove you got what it takes to generate sales.
- Speak with other travellers. Get the low-down on what’s hot right now, and don’t just take a few a few opinions on board – get hundreds. Canvas hostels all over town and survey other travellers about where they’ve been and what they’ve experienced.
- Talk to other travel agents. Travel agents are generally a friendly bunch, and many would be happy to offer you tips and guidance on how to succeed in the travel industry.
- Get valuable work experience. There are hundreds of travel agencies across Australia who are desperate for smart, savvy and motivated travel sales staff. Be upfront and tell potential employers that you’re keen to work in the industry to learn as much as you can, as you would like a career in travel. Who knows, you make strike it lucky, and be offered a great job and may kick-start your travel agency career that way. (Get in touch with Hero if you’d like to explore this option, and we’ll hook you up with some awesome Agents across Australia)
Other necessary skills
In addition to having extensive product knowledge (which will develop over time) you’re also going to need:
- Great communication skills
- Patience
- Attention to detail
- Organisational skills and the ability to multi-task
- Good maths & finance skills
- Decent IT skills
What’s your sales strategy?
There are many different ways that you can go about selling travel:
At the most basic level, you may just want to arrange travel for friends that you meet whilst travelling. You can spread the word face-to-face, receive enquiries through social media and keep your costs to a minimum while providing a truly personal approach and travel at great rates. (Just be sure not to sell travel within hostels that operate their own tour desks, as that ain’t cool).
You may wish to sell online, via your blog, a website or through social media channels like Facebook. For this option you may want to create a basic website, so check out Wix, Squarespace, Weebly and WordPress, which offer easy-to-use CMS options, enabling you to build a new website with simple drag & drop functionality. Post products and special offers to generate enquiries or check out Hero’s Web Widgets, enabling you to easily sell ‘live’ online – take a look here.
If you have experience with travel sales and some money to invest in your venture, you may be keen to open a small travel shop or rent a desk space in a hostel / language school which does not currently offers travel sales. This is a big step, but if low-risk rental terms can be agreed, it provides maximum exposure to a steady flow of potential customers.
Alternatively, a great way to kick-start your business is to align with an existing travel agency, and structure a partnership arrangement whereby you operate under their brand, benefit from their support services, and pay a fee / or a commission share back to the agent. This option enables you to get up and running quickly and you’ll have experienced travel agents and successful business-owners helping you out along the way… Your success, is their success! ; ) If you think this option is something you want to pursue, contact the team at Hero and we’ll put you in touch with other Hero agents who may be keen to discuss opportunities with you.
What’s your point of difference?
The travel industry is a crowded market, so to stand out from your competitors you’ll need to decide what makes you better than the rest. Some possible unique selling points could include:
- Honest & unbiased travel advice
- Exceptional customer service
- Premium / unique / specialised product range
- Great value / pricing policy
- Comprehensive after sales support
- Ethical mandate, i.e supporting local charities
How will you purchase?
In order to act as a travel agent, you need the ability to purchase travel from a supplier and resell at a profit to your customer. In travel industry lingo, your purchase price is known as the ‘net rate’ and the amount you sell for is known as the ‘gross’ or ‘retail rate’. Your profit margin or mark-up is generally referred to as your ‘commission’.
In order to establish these sales relationships, you can either contact each supplier individually or book via an online B2B travel sales platform, such as Hero. B2B systems offer instant access to thousands of products, including day trips, multi-day tours, accommodation, bus & rail, campervan & car hire. Net rates, retail rates and commissions are already loaded into the platform, so it’s easy to see what you can earn and plan your budget accordingly.
Paying your suppliers
If you choose to purchase directly from your suppliers, you will need to agree to their payment terms. Often, for new agents, payment will be required at the time of purchase via credit card, or if credit terms are agreed, you will be required to pay the net amount in full within 7, 14 or 30 days from the sale date.
In some instances, suppliers may offer agents a deposit-only payment model, whereby the customer pays you the commission amount, and then pay the supplier the balance (net amount) upon arrival. This is an incredibly simple model, but customers may be reluctant to pay a ‘deposit’ to a small travel agent, for fear that it may be a scam. Likewise, suppliers often prefer that customers have pre-paid in full, ensuring they’re not subject to losses should the passenger ‘no-show’.
For a more systematic option, by using a B2B platform such as Hero, your payments to suppliers will be aggregated into 1 simple weekly direct debit payment. The platform will then distribute payments electronically to each of your suppliers. This alleviates administration, finance and management burdens, allowing you to operate without the stress.
Issuing Tickets
Once you’ve sold a trip, your customers will need a ticket or travel voucher.
You can create your own vouchers, although this is not recommended, as you will be prone to human error resulting in the wrong / missing information being provided to your customers.
You can ask suppliers to email a booking confirmation directly to your customers, although there’s a strong chance that your net rate / commission amount may be accidentally shown on the booking confirmation, leading to very unhappy customers.
If using a booking platform such as Hero, vouchers will be automatically generated and can be easily downloaded, printed or emailed to your customers.
Taking payments
Taking payments from your customers can be a tricky affair, as people will need a level of confidence that funds won’t ‘disappear’.
If selling travel to close friends and after building up a strong reputation, this may become less of an issue, and customers may be happy to pay you in cash, or transfer money to your bank account.
Payment solutions such as PayPal may enable you to ‘request’ funds via email, rather than taking cash payments. Visit Paypal’s website to figure out if this is right for you and how much it will cost you in fees.
Alternatively, platforms like Hero offer the use of their own merchant facilities, enabling you to take payments by credit card, or by emailing a payment link to your customers, allowing them to pay online. Again, fees will be incurred for each credit card payment, but you can choose to absorb these yourself (out of your commission) or your customers can pay a credit card fee, to cover associated costs.
Promoting yourself
To start your own travel agency and be successful you’ll need a smart marketing & promotional strategy, to ensure your sales messages reach potential customers. There are countless opportunities available, however some of the most popular include:
- Start a Facebook Group and build a following
- PPC (pay-per-click) advertising with Google AdWords, Facebook Ads & Facebook Promoted Posts
- YouTube & video content
- Great website content and organic SEO
- Old school printed marketing material – such as business cards / brochures
Name your business
Depending upon how you plan to brand yourself, you may want to choose a business name, or simply stick to your own name, for that personal touch!
If you have a business name in mind, visit the ASIC website to see if the name is currently unused, and available for you to register.
Registering your business name relatively easily. ASIC’s website is packed with handy videos and guides to help you get the name you want.
Register an ABN
In order to look professional and keep the tax man happy, you’re going to need an Australian Business Number, or ABN. It’s free to apply for an ABN and the process can be completed easily online via the ABR website.
Open a bank account
Once your business name and ABN are sorted, you’ll need to open a company bank account. Speak with your local branch or call your bank’s small business helpline to see what’s best for you.
Get Insured
Be sure to speak with a specialist insurance provider to find out what cover you will require. We highly recommend Allsop Bunting Insurance.
The Hero travel booking platform is designed for travel agents of all sizes. If you’re keen to start your own travel agency, contact us and we’ll do our best to provide you with additional help and information.
Hero’s automated payments just got faster!
19 May 2020
Hero’s automated payments just got faster!
As our industry navigates the impacts of COVID-19, the financial practices of travel agents, OTAs and intermediaries are under scrutiny. Hero is taking the lead and fast-tracked planned development to support the industry with an even better payment process.
Coming June 2020, Hero will introduce ‘Hero Faster Payments’, automatically initiating payment to operators for confirmed bookings as soon as they become non-refundable (eg 14 day prior to travel). This means in many cases operators will now receive funds prior to the travel date.
Hero’s payment processes already streamlines the flow of funds between customers, agents and operators. Unlike other B2B systems, Hero removes the requirement for operators to manually claim vouchers for dated bookings, leaving them free to focus on running their business, not chasing money.
Customers pay in advance to secure seats, and funds are held in trust allowing Hero to efficiently process payments and refunds to both agents and customers in line with operator cancellation policies. These policies are easily configured in Hero and operators have added peace of mind knowing they’ll be paid in full for any ‘no-shows’. Refunds are processed without operators needing to sign direct-debit agreements with Hero, and sales commissions are allocated to agents the same day the booking is made.
Do you need a Hero?
Hero launched in 2015 to provide the travel industry with an independent and unbiased B2B booking and automated payment solution. We continue to deliver on our promise:
- Hero is independently owned, industry neutral and unbiased
- Operators control commissions and can set varying levels per agency
- We do not compete with our partners
- Payments guaranteed on time, every time
To find out more about how Hero can help your travel business, email [email protected] or hit the link below.
Industry announcement regarding Coronavirus COVID-19
16 April 2020
Hero industry announcement regarding Coronavirus COVID-19
To our valued industry partners
We hope this message finds you healthy and staying positive in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
The global travel industry has been hit hard, and like many of you we’ve initiated contingency plans in our organisation to ensure stability throughout this period, and to retain jobs wherever possible. We have also launched initiatives to pro-actively support our industry.
To assist operators, Hero has encouraged agents to limit the volume of customer cancellations by suggesting a switch to flexible, open-dated tickets, with an extended validity of 24-months.
Operators due to receive funds from Hero for all completed bookings have now been paid, although a 21-day delay on payments has been enforced to validate and process the huge amount of refunds being entered into the platform.
To support agents and their customers, Hero has processed all refunds due in full, although some delays were again caused by the sheer number of refunds being requested.
Throughout this time Hero's mission has never been more clear: To build innovative technology solutions to enhance the way the travel industry conducts business, and to support both agents and operators in how they transact. We are a solid business that is still open for business, and are here to support you in any way possible during this challenging time for us all.
If you need anything please reach out to our team at [email protected] or via live chat within the Hero platform. Alternatively please call James or Dan directly if you wish to speak to either of us. We appreciate all of your continued support, and wish you and your family good health during these extraordinary times. We’re excited for restrictions to be lifted, and for Australia to once again become a destination of choice for many travellers.
We’ll be ready and waiting.
Dan Lucas & James Clay
Co-founders, Hero
Hero upgrades UX with eye-tracking
Hero upgrades UX with eye-tracking
Hero has teamed up with Sydney-based user experience research agency, UXbridge to enhance its UX design.
At Hero, we provide travel agents & resellers with industry-leading technology to supercharge their sales. In line with this, we regularly engage our agency and vendor partners to test new features and suggest ways to improve our products and services.
Taking this to the next level, we’ve engaged the experts at UXbridge to analyse Hero’s user interface design and propose valuable research findings.
Using eye-tracking technology, visual heat maps and interviews with Hero users, UXbridge can uncover subconscious behavioural insights that are otherwise virtually impossible to identify. Together, we’ll use these findings to enhance our user experience.
To learn more about the UX and eye tracking services provided by UXbridge visit: uxbridge.com.au
Taronga Zoo selects Hero as tech partner
Taronga Zoo selects Hero as technology partner
We’re delighted to announce Hero’s technology partnership with Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Taronga Conservation Society Australia appointed Hero to develop technology to power accommodation bookings at Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo, including Taronga Sydney’s new exclusive eco retreat – the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga.
This is Hero’s first Government partnership and involves two of Australia’s best rated tourist attractions, with over 2 million visitors every year.
Taronga can now sell a range of accommodation, activity and physical products on its consumer facing website, linked via Hero to various internal and third party reservations and accounts systems. Products can be sold ‘live’ or as personalised gift certificates for redemption via the Taronga website at a later date.
“Last year Taronga staff & wildlife delighted >38,000 overnight visitors across our two zoos. After years of planning, (and a few hurdles) the new ‘Wildlife Retreat at Taronga’ is officially opened! On-site research has shown an overnight stay at Taronga increases a guests intention to change their lifestyle to protect wildlife from 48% to 71%. The Retreat also provides a new revenue stream that goes directly back into our work. I can promise there is nothing like it anywhere in the world – a truly unique Australian wildlife experience.” said Cameron Kerr, Director and Chief Executive, Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Taronga Zoo cares for over 4000 animals from over 350 species, many of which are threatened. Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo participate in regional and global conservation breeding programs to establish insurance populations for species threatened in the wild. Taronga operates two wildlife hospitals that treat and rehabilitate injured native wildlife as well as providing best practice care for the animals at its Zoos. Taronga creates transformational experiences that empower people to change their attitudes and behaviours and achieve positive outcomes for wildlife.
We’re honoured to work in partnership with such an amazing organisation!
For more information about Taronga’s conservation initiatives, visit: https://taronga.org.au
G Adventures, supporting entrepreneurs
We'd like to put a shout-out to G Adventures, in recognition of an amazing initiative which supports business development opportunities for ex-employees worldwide. Yep, that's what we said, ex-employees!
Most great companies have career development strategies in place for employees. However, until now, we knew none that actively developed policies to support staff when they find themselves looking for a new challenge.
Being a tour guide is a tough gig! Living a nomadic lifestyle with weeks or months away from friends and family inevitably leads to burnout at some stage. Amongst other tour companies, this is often an awkward subject. Energy levels fade over time, steps are taken to boost morale, but over time productivity generally slips again, and there's little option but to terminate the guides employment.
G Adventures recognised this back in 2015 and wanting to support its best guides, it launched the G Values Fund. It's a smart initiative that allows tour guides (or in G's case, it's Chief Experience Officers or CEOs) who are at the tail end of their careers to continue working with the company in a different capacity: as entrepreneurs.
CEOs can apply for a low-interest loan to start a tourism-related business that provides value and branded experiences for G Adventures customers. Through funding and mentorship, the G Values Fund provides an opportunity for CEOs to start a business and experience a whole new level of freedom within the G community.
It's a great idea - we love it!
To learn more about the G Values Fund, visit: https://gvaluesfund.com and if you think you have what it takes to be a G Adventures CEO, visit: https://www.gadventures.com.au/careers/tour-leaders/
Lost in Australia, you're a Hero!
Lost in Australia, you're a Hero!
We want to put a shout out to our great friends at Lost in Australia. With the launch of a gorgeous new website, Lost in Australia now donates a percentage of its profits to organisations that protect wildlife and work to conserve the environment.
During the booking process, customers are asked to choose an organisation that they wish to support, including the Save the Orangutan Foundation, Wildlife Warriors, Sea Shepherd or Jane Goodall Foundation. Alternatively, customers can nominate a preferred charity that they wish to support instead.
The donation comes at no extra cost to Lost in Australia’s customers.
Hero and the team at Lost in Australia have worked closely since 2015 and we’re blown away by their professionalism and passion for travel.
To learn more about Lost in Australia and see the great work they’re doing to help ensure that our natural wonders are here to be shared with future generations, visit: https://lostinaustralia.org/help-us-save-wildlife
Hero partners with Aventuras Australianas
Hero partners with Aventuras Australianas
Hero is pleased to announce its latest technology partnership with Latin-America focused travel wholesaler, Aventuras Australianas.
Aventuras Australianas, the Australian-based travel marketing wholesale specialist selected Hero to provide the booking and payment technology required for its key Latin American travel agency partner, Mundo Joven Travel, mundojoven.com.
With its head office in Mexico City and over 42 retail locations throughout Latin America, Mundo Joven provides youth travellers with discounted airline tickets, accommodation, travel insurance and tours, plus a wide range of educational packages and programs worldwide. Mundo Joven’s annual consumer event ‘Mundo Joven Fest’ attracts 15,000 attendees.
Debbie Turner, director, Aventuras Australianas said: “Having worked with the team at Hero over the past four year, we knew it was the best solution for Mundo Joven’s sales team. We needed a smart and fully integrated solution to automate bookings and disbursement of payments with our preferred suppliers across Australia, New Zealand, Bali and beyond. Hero provides everything we need and more.”
Aventuras Australianas provides Mundo Joven with product product contracting services, packaging, and face to face product training across locations including Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and Argentina. Taking advantage of Hero’s technology, Aventuras Australianas can also distribute product / promotional messages and videos direct to Mundo Joven’s team.
Work and Holiday Visa Information for the South American Market
- Mexico and Brazil are currently negotiating with the Australian Government for the 462 Working Holiday Visa.
- 21K Work and Holiday visas granted in 2017-18.
- 16% increase compared to 2016-17.
- Top 5 destinations for Work and Holiday, USA, China, Chile, Spain & Argentina.
Contact Aventuras Australianas
For operators and suppliers wishing to promote their products to Mundo Joven Travel, including exposure at Mundo Joven Fest 2019, contact:
Debbie Turner +61 (0)408 856 219
Kat Noonan +61 (0)418 222 058
[email protected]
www.aventurasaustralianas.com.au
Meet us in Toronto, September 2019
Meet us in Toronto, September 2019
We absolutely love Toronto… and according to recent statistics from Tourism Toronto, so do another 43 million visitors every year! Toronto’s annual visitor spend total over $8 billion annually, fuelling over 300,000 jobs across the region.
Toronto is a popular travel destination for visitors from China (319,000 visitors p/a), the United Kingdom (263,000), India (161,000), South Korea (122,000), Japan (95,000) and Germany (93,000).
We look forward to meeting with travel industry colleagues in Toronto in September 2019. To arrange a demo of Hero (or a coffee and a chat) get in touch!
Tipi secures Hostelworld strategic investment
We wish to congratulate our great friends and colleagues at Tipi following its new strategic alliance with Hostelworld.
Tipi’s industry-leading hostel check-in software and sleek smart-locks streamline the check-in process. Guests simply check-in via the Tipi app prior to arrival and access their room using their phone.
During their stay, guests can ‘connect’ via the Tipi app and explore (and soon book) local tours, activities and transport to their next travel destination. Hostel operators can reduce annoying check-in queues and engage electronically with guests by broadcasting messages, offers and travel deals via the Tipi app.
Hostelworld is the world’s leading hostel booking platform, encompassing 17,000 hostel properties and 20,000 other forms of budget accommodation globally. As part of the investment, Hostelworld will support Tipi to achieve ambitious growth plans.
Tipi’s CEO, Jack Bowcott said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Hostelworld. They are the go-to platform for hostel travellers and have a key focus on investing in the best technology for the hostel market. We started Tipi with the mission of making hostels smarter and guests happier. This investment brings us one step closer to achieving this objective, with the opportunity to bring our smart technology to a wider audience of hostels.”
Congratulations to Jack, Arash and the team at Tipi!
For more information visit: https://tipi.travel and https://www.hostelworld.com
Hero announces integration with Checkfront
News
Hero is pleased to announce its latest integration with tour & activity booking reservations system, Checkfront.
With over 4500 customers in over 130 countries, integration with Checkfront will provide Hero agents with a world of new sales opportunities.
Likewise, tour, activity and rental suppliers using Checkfront will benefit from live booking bookings from Hero agents.
Checkfront works great for businesses that accept bookings in daily, nightly or hourly allotments. Suppliers using Checkfront can benefit from:
- Manage your daily, nightly, and hourly availability in a simple calendar view
- Maximize capacity with dynamic pricing rules for individuals, groups, and seasons
- Collect everything from shoe size to dietary restrictions with customizable form fields
- Grow your bottom line with gift cards, vouchers, activity packages and promotions
If you’re a tour operator interested in learning more about Checkfront, visit www.checkfront.com. If you’re a retail or online travel agent, hotel concierge or tourist information centre and would like to learn more about Hero, please contact us.
Meet us in Bali, August 2019
Indonesia is ranked as the ninth-fastest growing tourist sector in the world, the third-fastest growing in Asia and fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, with over 12 million visitors annually.
Both nature and culture are major components of Indonesian tourism. The natural heritage can boast a unique combination of a tropical climate, a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands and the second longest shoreline in the world after Canada.
The beaches in Bali, diving sites in Bunaken, Mount Bromo in East Java, Lake Toba and various national parks in Sumatra are just a few examples of popular scenic destinations. These natural attractions are complemented by a rich cultural heritage that reflects Indonesia's dynamic history and ethnic diversity. One fact that exemplifies this richness is that 719 living languages are used across the archipelago.
We look forward to meeting with travel agents, tour operators and accommodation suppliers in Bali, Indonesia in August 2019. To find out how Hero can help supercharge your travel agency, get in touch!
Hero launches API with CustomLinc
Hero is pleased to announce its latest API integration with CustomLinc, a leading Ticketing, Reservation Systems and Passenger Logistics for tourism operators.
CustomLinc provides enterprise class reservation software designed to handle high-volume ticketing and logistic operations for leading tourism organisations. Via CustomLinc, Hero agents will now benefit from live bookings with an extensive range of tour, activity, cruise, ferry & rail suppliers across Australia & New Zealand.
Hero is a sales and payment platform for booking agents of all sizes. It’s packed with features to help you increase sales, reduce administration and enhance customer service. To find request a demo of Hero, get in touch.
To learn more about CustomLinc and visit www.customlinc.com
G Adventures selects Hero as Technology Partner
World leading adventure travel company, G Adventures has selected Hero as a technology & payment partner to power optional tour and activity bookings throughout Australia & New Zealand.
Using Hero, G Adventures' chief experience officers (CEOs) can now provide their passengers with personalised itineraries of optional tours & activities, benefiting from live rates, schedules and availability. Passengers can view their itineraries online and pay securely via Hero's PCI complaint credit card hardware or online payment link. After booking, passengers receive e-tickets via email, containing everything they need to know about their activities, such pick up times and locations, what to wear and what to bring.
"We have now successfully completed trials of the Hero Activity Booking Platform in New Zealand and Australia. After analysing the results of these trials, we are happy with the performance and functionality of the booking platform and have decided that from Monday 7th January 2019 the Hero Platform will be the only method our CEO’s (Chief experience officers) use to make their on-ground optional activity bookings." says Hugh McMillan of G Adventures.
In addition to providing a streamlined service to its passengers, G Adventures now benefits from a PCI compliant payment flow, real-time reporting capabilities and reduced administration. G Adventures' product partners receive live bookings direct into their manifest and automated payments direct into their bank account every week.
G Adventures is an adventure travel pioneer offering the planet's most awe-inspiring selection of affordable small-group tours, safaris and expeditions. G Adventures award-winning trips embrace authentic accommodation, exotic cuisine and local transport to put travellers on a first-name basis with the planet’s people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife. Find out more at www.gadventures.com
On the road with RatPack Travel
News
Many of the companies that work with Hero have amazing stories about how their business started and developed over time. A great example is RatPack Travel, a boutique backpacker travel platform operated from a pimped-out bus ‘on the road’ somewhere in Australia.
Sam Finley founded RatPack Travel in 2016, after travelling Australia and New Zealand on a 2 year working holiday. Sam had been working in the travel industry and believed there was an opportunity to create a new online travel platform for backpackers travelling Australia and New Zealand.
“My goal was to create an awesome online platform to give backpackers the personalised service, honest advice and value they deserve” said Sam.
RatPack Travel began its journey in the popular tourist destination of Byron Bay on Australia’s East Coast. Sam was working at a backpacker hostel while developing his concept for the future of the business. After approaching the owner of the hostel to ask if he could use some space in the office to open his travel shop, the RatPack Travel HQ was born.
Needing a technology solution to automate his sales, payments and reporting, Sam teamed up with Hero. “Before switching to Hero we had to book everything manually” he says. “It was all very manual and long winded! I would meet the backpacker usually in person, and I’d call the tour operators to check availability, prices and then book it in. I’d then have to record everything in a spreadsheet to track commissions and later pay suppliers. With live availability on Hero and automated payments, this has totally changed everything!’’
The beachside location and laid-back vibe in Byron Bay was exactly what Sam had in mind for RatPack, however as his business grew, larger corporates moved into the area and it was time for RatPack to find a new location. This resulted in buying and renovating a 1970’s Toyota Coaster bus which is now their very own office on wheels! It doesn’t get any more adventurous than that! ; )
Sam developed RatPack’s website to provide customers with a platform for planning and booking their trip with live rates and real-time product availability. And RatPack’s team expanded, with a crew of young, experienced travellers who want to help others get the absolute best out of their big adventure on the other side of the world.
RatPack provides its customers with a tailored travel experience and personalised itineraries to suit their travel plans, budget and time frame. “We provide tours and activities that are fun and social and have a 5 star reputation. We’re always there for their customers, before, during and after their travels and we believe in providing a personalised service” says Sam.
And Sam believes Hero has helped his business grow. “The team at Hero are legends and always help us out when we need them! Whether it is updating a product or assisting with the integration with our website. Also, the live chat feature is really useful for our team. The services offered by Hero are extremely reliable, user friendly platform, which suits our needs very well and the support offered by the team is great!”
RatPack has undergone an immense transformation, from a small travel desk in Byron Bay to a popular online travel platform with a global team. This is an accomplishment that they are (deservedly) very proud of. Their success came quicker than they had planned, but they’re very happy with the results seen so far. “We’ve learned that sometimes you have to roll with change and not resist it. Everything happens for a reason and we are the living proof of that.”
To learn more about RatPack Travel, visit www.ratpacktravel.com and check them out on Facebook and Instagram. And, if you spot the RatPack bus while on the road in Australia, call in and say Hi!
Dutchies Travel wins Adventure Tourism Awards 2018
We wish to congratulate the team at Dutchies Travel for winning the title of 'Best Online Travel Agent' at the 2018 Adventure Tourism Awards, Australia & NZ!
The Adventure Tourism Awards, held on Australia's Gold Coast recognises the outstanding achievements of tourism businesses that service the backpacker, youth and adventure travel sector across Australia and New Zealand. Dutchies Travel won the title of Best Online Travel Agent based upon consumer voting and appraisal from an independent panel of judges.
Dutchies Travel provides expert advice and independent travel support services to tens of thousands of Dutch holidaymakers every year, powered by its comprehensive website, Instagram and Facebook page and self-hosted Dutch community events. Dutchies Travel is staffed by an exceptional team of smart and savvy travel advisors who are located across the globe. The Dutchies' team go above and beyond the role of a typical online travel agency, taking care to inspire, educate and support the Dutch travel community, worldwide.
Congratulations Lisanna and the team at Dutchies Travel!
Hero Secure Payments powered by Square
Hero is pleased to announce the launch of Hero Secure Payments, a PCI DSS compliant customer payment solution for travel agents and resellers of tours, activities and attractions.
Hero Secure Payments enables booking agents in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and the UK to process customer payments by Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard and Amex using PCI DSS compliant hardware, powered by Square.
Customer-facing POS stands and contactless card readers make payments faster and more secure by eliminating the requirement for agents to physically handle credit cards. Customers simply pay using their preferred payment method - mobile wallet, tap-and-go and chip cards.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance is adherence to the set of policies and procedures developed to protect credit, debit and cash card transactions and prevent the misuse of cardholders' personal information.
Hero co-founder, Dan Lucas comments "Historically, it was common for booking agents to operate without their own merchant facility. Customer credit card details were provided to suppliers over the phone or manually entered into the supplier's online reservation system. As PCI policies have changed over time this model has been deemed as non-compliant, putting agents, suppliers and their customers at risk. Hero Secure Payments has been developed to provide agents with a secure alternative."
Square is a merchant services aggregator and mobile payment company with hardware payments products, including Square Contactless and Chip Reader and Square Stand, pictured above.
In addition to advanced security and an enhanced customer experience, Hero Secure Payments provides booking agents and suppliers with a simplified accounts and payment process.
Hero remits funds to agents and suppliers with an automated weekly payment process. Suppliers receive payment of the net amount via EFT, without the need to issue invoices, chase payments and issue commission payments to agents. Agents can choose to receive commission payments into a single company bank account, or automatically divided and paid to individual sales staff.
Hero partners with Zaui
Hero has partnered with Zaui, a leading web-based activity and tour management system to connect Hero booking agents with a wide variety of new suppliers worldwide.
Zaui is a world-leading tourism reservation and management solution for tour, activity and transportation businesses. Zaui provides a technology-driven platform to run every aspect of a tourism business. Major software features include: automating bookings, connecting suppliers to Online Travel Agents such as Viator, Expedia & Hero etc, POS and mobile applications and real-time business analytics.
Hero is a sales and payment platform for booking agents of all sizes. It's packed with features to help you increase sales, reduce administration and enhance customer service. To find request a demo of Hero, get in touch.
To learn more about Zaui and visit www.zaui.com
Meet us in Tokyo, December 2018
Did you know, that during the 4 year period of 2011 to 2015, Japan's inbound tourism grew by 33 percent every year - among the fastest rates in the world. In 2015, international tourism contributed JPY 3.5 trillion (USD 35 billion) to the Japanese economy.
Recognising the value of inbound tourism, the government of Japan has set an aspirational target to double annual inbound tourism from 19 million visitors in 2015 to 40 million in 2020, and triple the annual number of visitor nights in non-metropolitan areas.
We look forward to meeting with travel agents, tour operators and accommodation suppliers in Tokyo, December 2018. To find out how Hero can help supercharge your travel agency, get in touch!
Hero announces partnership with Rezdy
Over 40,000 new products coming soon to Hero!
Hero is pleased to announce its latest partnership with tour & activity booking reservations system, Rezdy.
Hero agents will now benefit from instant access to over 40,000 products from 2,000 suppliers within Rezdy's worldwide supplier marketplace.
Hero co-founder, Dan Lucas says "Hero's API with Rezdy connects two of the world's leading travel software systems, providing both agents and suppliers with technology and connectivity to run their businesses with ease and efficiency."
Suppliers using Rezdy can now receive live automated bookings from Hero agents, direct into their Rezdy manifest. Suppliers manage product content, rates and inventory within Rezdy, with complete control of the agency commissions and net rates offered to Hero agents.
Dan continues "Integration with Rezdy is a crucial development in our mission to provide the world’s largest B2B marketplace of experience, transport & accommodation products. Combined with Hero's powerful cloud-based travel agent management software, travel agents can easily reduce administration and increase profitability.
"Hero and Rezdy share many core values. We're not owned by tour operators or travel agents, and we focus solely on developing smart B2B technology to empower the partners within our networks."
If you're a retail or online travel agent, hotel concierge or tourist information centre and would like to learn more about Hero, please contact us.
Hero announces MailChimp integration
Hero integrates with MailChimp for enhanced agent customisation tools.
Hero agents will now benefit from the ability to customise their customer communication templates via Hero's latest integration with MailChimp. This premium feature allows travel agents to manage their email templates with all the design customisation features available within MailChimp.
To find out more about Hero's travel agent software, feel free to contact us. To learn more about MailChimp's email template design features, click here.
Meet us in Bangkok, July 2018
Thailand has one of the most developed tourism markets in Asia. The ‘Land of Smiles’, is known for it hospitality, beautiful beaches, historical places and eco-attractions, its world-famous cuisine, good infrastructure and affordable accommodation.
Annually, Thailand welcomes over 30 million visitors and this figure is expected to surpass 40 million by 2020. Most visitors will continue to come from the Asia Pacific region (31.2 million in 2020), followed by European tourists (5.7 million in 2020).
Thailand is facing increasing competition from neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar, and in response the Thai government has made visa procedures easier. For Chinese and Indian visitors the Thai government introduced a six-month multiple entry visa and reduced the visa-on-arrival charges. In addition, for visitors from 19 countries Thailand waived visa fees, while visitors from 52 countries can stay up to 30 days in Thailand when entering via an international airport. These lenient visa policies make Thailand an attractive country for both long term tourism and short term visits.
Tourism is one of Thailand’s main economic sectors, accounting for 7% of its GDP. Revenue reached USD 71 billion in 2016. Daily tourist spending reached THB 5.100 per person last year and is expected to further increase in the coming years.
We look forward to meeting with travel agents, tour operators and accommodation suppliers in Bangkok in June / July 2018. To find out how Hero can help supercharge your travel agency, get in touch!
Hero partners with FareHarbor
Hero is delighted to announce its partnership with tour & activity reservation solution, FareHarbor.
Travel agents using Hero will now have access book 'live' with over 6000 new tour, activity rental and attraction suppliers across the globe. Hero's API connectivity with FareHarbor facilitates real-time rates and inventory plus live bookings and instant confirmations.
Hero co-founder, Dan Lucas says "Our partnership with FareHarbor is an exciting step forward in our mission to provide Hero booking agents with access to the world's largest B2B marketplace of tour, activity, transport & accommodation products".
Founded in Hawaii in 2013, FareHarbor's reservations solution is trusted by 6000 clients worldwide. If you’re an operator of tours, activities, rentals or attractions and would like to find out how FareHarbor & Hero can help you manage and grow online & agent bookings click here.
If you're a retail or online travel agent, hotel concierge or tourist information centre and would like to learn more about Hero, please contact us.
Meet us in London, December 2018
We look forward to meeting with travel agents, tour operators and accommodation suppliers in London, December 2018. To find out how Hero can help supercharge your travel agency, get in touch!
Hero partners with ProCharter
We are pleased to announce our partnership with tour reservation solution, ProCharter.
Hero agents can now access an exciting new range of tour suppliers across Australia, and book live with real-time rates and availability.
Additionally, tour operators using ProCharter's reservation software can enhance direct-to-consumer ecommerce capabilities via their own website, selling their own product range online in combination with complimentary tours, activities, accommodation and transport products from Hero's product marketplace.
To find out more, get in touch!
Meet us in Vancouver, October 2017
We look forward to meeting with travel agents, tour operators and accommodation suppliers in Vancouver in October 2017. To schedule a demonstration of Hero, to find out more about how we can help streamline your booking process, please get in touch!
Did you know?
- More than 10 million people visit Vancouver every year
- Vancouver's top five visitor markets are Canada, the US, China, UK and Australia
- Tourism contributes over $4 billion to the Metro Vancouver economy annually and provides over 70,000 full time jobs
- There are nearly 25,000 hotel rooms in Metro Vancouver, with over 10,000 in the downtown area
- Vancouver gets approximately 230 cruise ship calls annually
- More than half of BC’s tourism-related businesses are located in the Vancouver Coast and Mountains region
Meet us at WYSTC Montreal, September 2017
Following our participation within the Australia Village at WYSTC 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia, we are proud to attend WYSTC in 2017.
Now in its 26th year, the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) is the leading trade event for the global youth, student and educational travel industry.
WYSTC travels to a different destination every year to ensure that attendees get first-hand experience of the topics and trends affecting youth and student travel within the host country and/or region. WYSTC 2017 will take place in Montréal, Canada.
We look forward to meeting with agency, supplier and integration partners at this year's event!
Hero partners with SiteMinder
Hero is pleased to announce its integration with award-winning Channel Manager, SiteMinder.
Hero's link with SiteMinder enables seamless 2-way integration with over 25,000 accommodation providers in more than 160 countries worldwide. Hero agents can now benefit from live access to a growing range of new and exciting hotel and hostel accommodation providers, across the globe, while accommodation providers enjoy automated management of room availability, rates and reservations with Hero.
We're looking forward to meeting with youth / student travel agents and products suppliers at WYSTC Belgrade in September 2016.
Dates: Tuesday, 20 - Friday, 23 September 2016
Venue: Sava Centar & Crowne Plaza Belgrade - Belgrade, Serbia
Hero is extending its product range and agent network across the globe, and welcomes discussions with interested parties.
To connect with Hero at WYSTC, contact us via our site or request an appointment within WYSTC's Marcom eSchedule system.
Meet us at the Adventure Queensland Ball, July 2016
Hero will be at the Adventure Queensland Annual Ball, taking place this year at Peppers Noosa Resort on Thursday 28 July. We're looking forward to mixing business and pleasure with tourism operators from across all over Queensland at this awesome event.
If you haven't yet got your tickets, visit to Adventure Queensland site at: http://www.adventurequeensland.com.au