Reservations via Whatsapp: a hidden gold mine for the Tourism and Leisure sector

The tourism sector was one of the segments most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, since with the economic crisis and strict health rules there was a sharp drop in revenue, but it was also the sector that digitized itself the fastest and implemented technologies such as reservations via Whatsapp.

This industry, in its origin, was already experiencing numerous challenges, since, even though its clients were familiar with the technology, the sector still dealt analogically with last-minute cancellations, sudden accommodation requests, as well as a lot of paperwork for admission requests and guest registrations.

‍

‍

With all these restrictions brought about by social isolation, these types of services became obsolete and it was crucial, in order to adapt to the new reality, to digitize these procedures. According to 11th Coronavirus Pandemic Impact Survey on Micro and Small Businesses, carried out by Sebrae in partnership with the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV), 85% of the companies that operate in tourism have been digitized.

“With a drop in revenue registered in 91% of the companies in the segment and with only 9% of the establishments operating in the same way as in the pre-pandemic, the digitalization of micro and small tourism companies was one of the solutions found by the entrepreneurs who make up the activities of the sector”. - Carlos Melles, president of Sebrae

In this article you will understand how important process optimization is for the sector and how the implementation of Whatsapp was crucial to resume the growth of this segment.

How did Whatsapp revolutionize the hiring, booking, and sales process?

This sector is currently focused on digital transformation, through automation in the industry and hospitality sector, in order to establish a relationship and a closer relationship with your customers, after all, you have to be where your customer is.

According to Statista, The expansion in the tourism sector Overall, there was an increase of around 20% in 2021 compared to the previous year and this was also generated as a result of the automation that was implemented in the segment.

The post-pandemic brought a considerable change in the behavior of travelers, today they are looking for smooth logistics and personalized experiences, which come determining trends in the sector and causing agencies to remodel themselves to meet these new requirements.

For a long time, travel agencies booked your flight and hotel room analogically, but it was a time-consuming process (and a lot). Think, in an agency with a thousand monthly clients, how much labor would that require? What's more, the risk of overbooking was enormous.

Today, consumers, instead of consulting travel agencies or standing in long lines, simply enter some keywords and are able to do this entire procedure on their own, with just a few clicks. Therefore, the quest for practicality has been a game-changer.

In this sense, to be where your client is, it is necessary to understand the penetration impact that some tools have, and based on Statista data, WhatsApp is the main communication channel for global smartphone users. And it is expected that in 2022 the platform will reach more than 2.26 billion unique users.

With the implementation of Whatsapp Business in your agency, the hiring, booking and sales process is carried out in a personalized and optimized way for your clients. In addition, you will be able to provide a digital information center and catalogs, through easy sharing of pertinent local updates and personalized experience with travel advisors.

Instant messaging automation to amplify that experience

Previously, automation for the tourism and leisure industry was based solely on the reduction of costs and paper, such as the implementation of signing documents online, but as consumers discovered the ease of digitizing processes and using instant messaging services, their requirements increased.

With the high demand, in many cases, support teams are unable to respond to constant inquiries, provide reservation information, and solve problems without wasting the customer's time and ending up wasting it.

To automate most of the communication with the customer, but also to make those conversations more personalized for each individual, the Chatbots have become the travel assistants that agencies need.

Through them, all questions are answered with equal enthusiasm and minimal response time. In addition, they make the user experience easier, since when we deal with trips, customers do not choose the time to request the services.

Problems can arise at any time of the day, and most of these issues require instant resolution. Otherwise, the customer feels completely abandoned and their frustration means that their service is not contracted.

Accept via WhatsApp and Subscription via WhatsApp

To make your company stand out even more in the market, Acceptance via WhatsApp and Subscription via WhatsApp are the competitive differentials that only Clicksign provides.

Subscription via WhatsApp is the most practical way to close deals and agreements. After all, in Brazil alone, there are almost 120 million accounts and the app is still the favorite for sending messages to 96% of the population.

Through this option, you can close your appointments directly, without the need to pay commission fees of the agreed amount for intermediary companies, such as Booking.com or Airbnb.

At Clicksign, customers of the Professional, Business, Automation and Integration plans can send documents for signature through their preferred messaging application, with an additional cost of just R$0.40 per message sent.

Unlike the subscription via WhatsApp, No Oil there is no need to have a document ready, in docx or pdf and don't even redirect those involved to the Clicksign platform. The sender just enters the text ready to be accepted by the recipient and the recipient will complete the entire Accepted process with few clicks without leaving the app. Some examples of use cases are:

• Terms of Use - your company can send the customer or user the terms of use of your service through Accept;

• Reservation/scheduling confirmation;
• confirmation of reading;
• registration changes;
• authorization;
• receipt of documents;
• confirmation of services provided;
• confirmation of request and much more!

Among the main benefits of Accepting via WhatsApp are:

As seen before, the tourism sector has enormous potential to grow, bringing diverse opportunities to companies, but it is difficult to achieve it without the help of technology.

Technological implementation, through WhatsApp and chatbots, has become an important competitive differential, as they prioritize the customer experience at every stage of the process.

Travelers' primary concern today is to have a hassle-free travel experience. They want complete travel management to be done online.

Therefore, to meet this need, the digitalization of this sector is crucial. Being in the spotlight and close to your target audience has never been easier and has never cost so little, so if you want to stand out, invest in the digitization of your agency.

Clicksign is the ideal solution to accelerate the growth of your business! If you want to know more about how Online Document Signing can revolutionize your processes, click here and talk to an expert.