Passport Online Inc. reports it is now making its supplier content accessible to travel agencies in a data feed format, in addition to its popular VacationPort and NexCite programs.
The data feed will allow fast consumer searching against a single source of well-structured data, returning lead-in pricing. The data feed also includes a variety of rich media, including: titles, itineraries, photos, product descriptions, ship information, promotions, and a variety of additional information depending on the product type.
“One of the most significant challenges in the leisure travel industry is finding a consistent way to feed promotional offers and travel product content to consumers electronically. Travel industry suppliers have such complex and varied products and services and deliver their content in a variety of ways,” said Greg Kott, President and CEO of Passport Online Inc.
“One of the unique features of our products has always been our ability to translate and serve up that content for consumer viewing and shopping online. With the launch of a data feed service, we are now allowing access to companies that may already have their own web presence and simply need content delivery,” Kott said.
VacationPort is a research, shopping and comparison program for agency websites, which helps agency customers find cruises, pre-packaged vacations and escorted tours. Powering the VacationPort program is the VacationPort content, which is updated daily with data from nearly 100 travel suppliers. The VacationPort data is standardized to a large degree as it is loaded into the VacationPort database, introducing commonality between large varieties of products.
Among the new travel agency organizations utilizing this data feed product are CRUISE PLANNERS, an American Express Travel Services Representative of Coral Springs, FL, Travel Planners International of Maitland FL, and Pavlus Travel of Albuquerque, NM. Each organization has a unique data feed implementation in combination with additional Passport Online products and services.
Data can be imported and used in a variety of ways, from powering a web based search tool or mobile app, to augmenting existing travel data, enhancing CRM and back office tools, and more. Provided in standard XML format, the data can be provided as frequently as daily.
Like all VacationPort tools, the VacationPort data feed respects industry and preferred supplier relationships. All consortium exclusives that Passport Online loads into VacationPort are provided in a customized version of the VacationPort Data Feed, as appropriate based on affiliations. Exclusives can also be loaded using the optional Promotion Publisher tool and will then automatically be included in the customized Data Feed file.
Pricing for the VacationPort Data feed depends on the intended usage of data.
Passport Online is a leading supplier of Internet tools that help the leisure travel industry reach the travel agency consumer. Millions of unique travel agency consumers use Passport Online's shopping engine on travel agency websites to search for their next vacation experience.
Visit www.passportonlineinc.com