More and more attractions are embracing the Front Office App - BLOG
Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2017The Front Office App is currently being rolled out throughout the Netherlands. This platform makes it possible for you to see large and small attractions in the immediate vicinity of your hotel, bungalow park, B&B or VVV. And in addition you can sell tickets to your guests with a favorable revenue model. It all started with small providers says Ernest van Veldhuizen, account manager of the platform. We have a reservation system (LeisureKing) that is widely used by small businesses such as bike rentals, escaperooms, bowling alleys and boat rentals. Because we wanted to deliver more than a free reservation system, we decided to exhibit these businesses on a platform where they could be booked directly. A nice way of delivering more than requested. Then came inquiries from campsites and bungalow parks eager to book these activities and attractions. We started on the Veluwe, Ernest says enthusiastically, because that's where our roots are. Now we have nationwide coverage and are also active abroad.
Why the major attractions are now discovering the Front Office App as well is simple, continues van Veldhuizen; we put the barcodes into our system for free and can sell tickets easily and simply through the Front Office App. The Guest stands at the front desk, is informed about the possible activities in the immediate area, and the tickets are printed out on the spot and paid for by the Guest. Because there is a revenue model behind the tickets for the hotel or bungalow park, information is now converted into revenue.
Vouchers
Amusement parks are now also getting the message that campsites, hotels and bungalow parks no longer want the classic voucher booklet. The vouchers are listed as stock at the campsite and in practice they also cause a lot of hassle at the front desk. With the Front Office App, for example, campsites only buy the tickets when the guest is at the reception desk. The guest charges for the tickets directly, and the campground prints them as a service or mails them to the guest very easily. In short, with the Front Office App, voucher books are now truly a thing of the past.
The guest wants a discount
What we soon found out is that the guest is willing to buy the tickets at the reception, provided there is a discount for the guest. This, of course, is incorporated into the system and the accommodation location therefore determines what it "gives away" to its guest. In addition, each amusement park itself determines its commission to an accommodation location or tourist office. We stay out of this, but of course we are happy to give advice and think along to make it interesting for all parties.
Event calendar
A new addition to the Front Office App is the events calendar. After all, the most frequently asked question at the Front Office is: what is there to do (locally)? To not only provide insight into attractions and activities, we decided to expand the Front Office App with an events calendar. A calendar where it is visible what the local activities are. The interesting part of this story is that we built this system in such a way that the hotel, bungalow park or tourist office can also add its own events. We are currently testing this system on the Veluwe and the reactions are promising. The best thing about the calendar is that it can also be linked to the website of an accommodation location and, if necessary, displayed via narrow-casting. In addition, tickets of attractions can also be sold through the website of a hotel or campsite. This way there are multiple channels where the guest is alerted to local activities and attractions.
What does an attraction actually have to do to get on the Front Office App as well?
Of course, we are happy to come by for a demonstration. In addition, the setup and realization is at most 1 hour of labor. Because we place barcodes in our system you avoid technically complicated connections. If you do not want this and only want to work through an API, we can of course offer a solution. Are you an attraction that is not yet bookable online or does not have barcodes? Then of course we can take care of this, including a reservation system.
For more information about the Front Office App, please visit leisureking.eu/en/front-office-app
