How to Choose a Booking System for Tour Operators and Activity Providers

At Bookable Tourism, we help tourism businesses simplify the process of selecting, implementing, and optimising booking systems. Here's our expert guide to choosing the right fit for your business.

Understand What a Booking System Does

A booking system is more than just a way to take online bookings. A good one should:

Your booking system is the operational heart of your business, and your choice should reflect your unique needs—not just now, but where you're headed.

Your Booking System Should Serve Your Strategy

Too often, tourism businesses choose a booking system based on features, price, or what a peer is using—without thinking about what the business actually needs to achieve. But here’s the truth:

Your booking system should be chosen to support your business strategy—not the other way around.

Before you dive into product demos or pricing comparisons, take a step back and ask:

Once you're clear on your direction, then—and only then—should you look at which restech platform is the best fit to help you succeed.

Here’s how to align your strategy with the right booking system:

Without a clear strategy, you risk picking a booking system that limits your growth, creates extra admin, or doesn’t support how your customers want to book.

Know Your Granular Requirements — Don’t Skip This Step

Before you start comparing features or sitting through demos, it’s crucial to get crystal clear on what your business actually needs from a booking system.

That means going beyond just “I want to take online bookings” and diving into the granular, day-to-day requirements of your operation.

Start by involving your team—everyone who touches the system:

Ask them what’s working, what’s frustrating, and what would make their jobs easier. You’d be surprised how often overlooked pain points can be solved with the right restech platform.

Then, break your requirements down into two key areas:

The more specific you can be, the better chance you have of finding a system that doesn’t just work, but truly fits and supports the way you do business.

This step isn’t just helpful—it’s mission-critical. A system that looks great on paper won’t deliver real value unless it meets the actual needs of your people and processes.

Prioritise Connectivity with a Channel Manager

Distribution matters. The ability to connect your tours or tickets with online travel agents, experience marketplaces, and other resellers is critical to growing bookings and building awareness of your business. That’s where a channel manager comes in.

Some booking systems—like Rezdy—have built-in channel management, while others rely on external integrations. Ask yourself:

The right booking system will either include a strong channel manager or integrate seamlessly with one. Now remember, a channel manager helps facilitate the booking (not the sale).

Unsure of what a channel manager is?

A channel manager is a tool that helps you keep your tour or activity availability and pricing in sync across all the places people can book you—like your website, online travel agents (OTAs), some traditional trade, and more.

But how does it actually work?

It all comes down to something called an API—which stands for Application Programming Interface. Don’t worry about the technical name. Think of an API like a bridge that lets different software systems talk to each other and share information.

Here’s an example:

You run a kayak tour. Someone books a spot on GetYourGuide.

All of this happens in real time—automatically.

Without this “bridge” system, you’d be stuck updating everything manually. That’s time-consuming and risky—you could easily double-book or miss out on sales.

So, in simple terms:
The channel manager is the traffic controller, and the APIs are the bridges that help booking info travel back and forth between platforms.

So from an operation perspective, it means you don’t need to use allotments, manually update via extranets and more. So you can see, why this is a must-have.

Know the Key Players: Comparing Top Booking Systems

Every tourism business is different, and so is every restech provider. Choosing the right booking system means finding one that fits your business model, supports your sales strategy, and can grow with you over time.

Here’s a snapshot of six of the most recognised and widely used booking systems in the industry:

This table is just the start. Your ideal booking system depends on:

Remember: no system is perfect, but the right one can dramatically improve your efficiency, sales, and guest experience. Each platform has strengths—and limitations. It's crucial to align those with your business model and growth strategy.