Helloworld Travel’s in-house wholesale brand Viva Holidays is currently in the user testing phase and final stages of development for its new web-based platform ‘Mango’, which will replace legacy system Calypso and soft launch to the network in September.
The new mobile-responsive B2B platform will feature an intuitive, slick-looking interface to help make agents lives easier when booking the latest Viva Holidays package deals, hotels, resorts and events for their clients.
Speaking exclusively to Karryon, Executive Director and Head of Wholesale and Inbound, Helloworld, Cinzia Burnes said that Tourplan powered Mango will be a revelation for the network for easily accessing and booking Viva Holidays domestic and international products as the return of travel ramps up in Australia and beyond.
“Mango is powered by Tourplan which we’ve been using in certain parts of the group for three decades, so while we understand that change in the short-term can be a little challenging for some, we think the network is going to really love it.”
The new platform will provide a one-stop portal for bookings that will also feature direct links to Air Tickets and the Viva Holidays Agent site along with the functionality to book a video call with the sales team.
All of the latest campaigns, agent incentives and training programs will also be featured on the home page and ‘shop window’ of the site including a rolling news ‘living’ space for important information such as webinars, agent incentives, products and destination launches and operational updates.
Mango will also include the option to book a brand new range of bespoke product offerings for agents including charter flight touring, rail, and small group luxury tours.
“Agents have told us of their need to cut through the amount of saturated and same product in the market, so we’re really excited to launch an expanded range of bespoke products, bookable through Mango that we feel will be a game-changer for agents and their clients,” said Mrs Burnes.
Mrs Burnes said that prior to the latest round of state and territory lockdowns and restrictions, domestic bookings had been booming for Viva Holidays, with intra-state travel especially popular.
“Intra-state bookings to destinations like Cairns and the Gold Coast was solid in Queensland while the Margaret River and Broome in Western Australia have also been top sellers for us,” she said.
Noting that the group had also seen an increase in overall traveller spend, with people upgrading from three to five stars and adding more experiences to their highly prized trips, Mrs Burnes said “We were already selling domestic when the pandemic first hit, so that was a seamless transition for us to operationally scale up, meet demand and offer agents and travellers great value and travel options.”
“We are also very realistic about when international travel can resume and will wait until we get a green light from the government before we start selling the world again,” she said.
Asked about the value of travel agents and the ongoing debate of charging fees in a post-pandemic travel world, Mrs Burnes said, “Anyone who is thinking about booking their European trip next year online is probably thinking again right now.
“When you book with an agent you have their mobile number and can call them anytime, pre, during or post-trip to personally help you with whatever you need for your trip,
“Personally, I think that more than justifies charging fees and only further highlights the value of what a travel expert does.”
Mango will soft-launch to the Helloworld Travel network in September, incorporating MTA (Mobile Travel Agents), with user testing and feedback integrated into the platform before it fully launches in mid-October.
