As a tour operator, you probably have a substantial amount on your proverbial plate — managing your tour guides or giving tours yourself, managing your website(opens in a new tab), keeping your books in order, marketing your products on social media(opens in a new tab), and so much more. You also have to make sure that you’re getting reservations so that cash is still flowing into your business. Luckily, there is a wonderful technological invention that can give you a hand at this point in the process: booking software.
In this day and age, there are many booking softwares to choose from. Just a few of our favorites include Peek Pro(opens in a new tab), Regiondo(opens in a new tab), Fareharbor(opens in a new tab), Xola(opens in a new tab), and Rezdy(opens in a new tab) (and all come with a glowing recommendation from us). However, there is a new technology on the market that not only may act as a fabulous complement to your website but also has the community abuzz: Reserve with Google(opens in a new tab).
The Reserve with Google homepage is a Google classic: clean, organized, and simple. Upon scrolling down, you see the headline “Experience something new”, and Google tells you to “Save your spot at restaurants, classes, activities and more using Reserve with Google”. Their four icons really catch your attention, and you immediately know what you can do with this software.
This initiative by Google prioritizes making any event seamless(opens in a new tab). Search for a business on Google; reserve your spot with Reserve with Google; arrive at the location using Google Maps; and pay for your meal, service, or activity using Google Pay. Everything you need is in a Google app, and it’s right at your fingertips.
The big question on our minds, of course, is: what does this have to do with the tourism industry? Can Reserve with Google act as a booking software? What are the pros and cons of using it? Should you get it today (or better yet, yesterday)?
Reserve with Google is a service that is available to you via Google My Business(opens in a new tab), a TripAdvisor-like listing on Google for your tour or activity company. Don’t have a Google My Business listing yet? Create your profile today!(opens in a new tab) (Pro tip: it’s free, so you’re essentially losing money if you don’t have one.)
After a bit of research, it’s clear that Reserve with Google is not a replacement for a booking software — you still have to have an account with a booking software provider like Peek Pro(opens in a new tab), Regiondo(opens in a new tab), Fareharbor(opens in a new tab), Xola(opens in a new tab), and Rezdy(opens in a new tab). What Reserve with Google can do is connect your Google My Business profile and your booking software provider, allowing clients to reserve tours or activities directly on Google. Check out their tutorial on how to do just that.(opens in a new tab) And since this service is included with your (free!) Google My Business account, there are only positives to using Reserve with Google. So yes, you should definitely hop on this bandwagon.
THE TAKEAWAYS
- Reserve with Google is not a booking software. Rather, this technology combines your Google My Business profile with your booking software, allowing clients not only to book directly on Google but also to have their newly scheduled event automatically added to their calendar.
- There really are no cons to using Reserve with Google. Since it’s a service included with your (free!) Google My Business account, it can only gain you clientele. Jackpot!
- Well, there is one downside: you haven’t set this up yet! Their step-by-step guide makes it pretty easy for anyone to attach their Google My Business profile to their booking software. Read more about the technical parts of Reserve with Google here(opens in a new tab) — not only will you find instructions but also absolutely fabulous resources (including guides and tutorials) that are definitely worth looking through.
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