Use cases of the WhatsApp API in the hospitality and tourism sector

The hospitality and tourism sector is often associated with leisure, providing individuals and families with an opportunity to escape their daily routines. Therefore, planning and preparing the itinerary for the entire trip needs to be perfect to create lasting memories. What's great about this industry is that it can cater to any budget, ensuring you get the best experience. In the past, holidays were typically planned once a year, but today, people take weekend getaways and even plan trips for special occasions and celebrations. With busy schedules, many individuals don't have the time to handle ticket bookings, activity research, and to do property reservations. While Younger generations often prefer to take charge of these tasks independently, without need for travel agents.

In today's digital age, there are number of applications and browsing features readily available at our fingertips, making it convenient for people to explore various options. While trip planning is no longer a task, but the user interface and customer interaction platforms often fall short of expectations. WhatsApp API, on the other hand, serves as a user-friendly tool for seamless communication between businesses and customers. It offers personalized assistance that addresses all customer inquiries and provides immediate solutions without the need to download additional apps or browse websites. Notably, this feature is integrated into one of the most commonly used apps globally, WhatsApp, with billions of users.

How WhatsApp Chatbots Make a Difference for Travel Companies?

Booking and Reservations:

Travelers often require swift assistance when it comes to making reservations, checking flight schedules, and arranging pick-up and drop-off services. WhatsApp chatbots offers an automated solution for handling these tasks. It will be a seamless process for companies to share documents within the chat, including booking confirmations, tickets, or any updates to the itinerary. This level of convenience allows consumers to keep all their essential documents at one place i.e. easily accessible in chat, simplifying the process of finding and reviewing them as needed.

Travel Updates:

Chatbots can offer real-time information regarding any updates, whether it's last-minute flight or train delays, weather condition updates, or changes to the itinerary. This ensures that travellers are kept well-informed throughout their journey.

FAQs:

Chatbots help provide instant responses to commonly asked questions, reducing the need for manual support or agent involvement. A virtual agent in the travel industry that can efficiently answer customer questions, such as those related to visas, travel insurance, baggage policies, ticket refunds, travel packages, or assist with check-ins, would certainly streamline the travel sector.

Solo traveler assistance:

The WhatsApp API assists solo travellers by providing instant support, feedback and reviews, accommodation options, directions, and a sense of security when exploring new destinations. It simplifies trip planning, facilitates location sharing, all through WhatsApp, ensuring stress-free travel and an enjoyable trip.

WhatsApp Chatbot Templates for the Travel

1. Hi,

Your booking for a trip to Kerala is confirmed! Here are the details:

* Departure Date: 20-10-2023

* Return Date: 28-20-2023

* Flight: 7E504

* Hotel: Royal tourist hotel

* Tour Package: Deluxe package

For any inquiries or changes, reply to this message. Have a great trip!

2. Hello,

Your flight 7E504 to Kerala is scheduled for 20-10-2023. Check-in is open now. Please ensure you reach the airport a minimum of 2 hours before your scheduled departure time.

Safe travels!

3. Hi,

In case of emergencies, here are important contacts:

* Local Hospital: Pulse Hospital, 789654123]

* Police: [RK puram station, 789654123]

* Embassy: 987456321

your safety is our priority.

WhatsApp Chatbot Templates for the bookings

1. Hi! Welcome to Royal tourist hotel WhatsApp booking. Please share your check-in date, check-out date, and room preferences to assist you better.

2. Hello! To book a flight, please provide your departure and destination cities, travel dates, and any specific preferences like class and airline.

3. Hi there! Interested in our tour packages? Please tell us your destination, travel dates, and any specific tours you'd like to book.

Hello there! Interested in a cruise? Share your cruise destination, departure date, and any cabin preferences

Benefits of WhatsApp API in the Travel Industry

1. Secured Data sharing

The WhatsApp chatbots enables the secure sharing of personal information, such as IDs, tickets, trip itineraries, and bills, within chats. All travel-related communications are safeguarded and archived for future reference, serving as proof to prevent any misunderstandings. This data security gives confidence in users when sharing information, knowing that their data remains confidential.

2. Optimize booking with automatic replies

In cases where customer support executives are unavailable to answer calls or messages, or when they are occupied with customer queries and unable to handle all calls, virtual assistance is the ideal solution for addressing common questions. It's highly efficient, providing customers with instant responses tailored to their preferences, whether it's choosing destinations, searching for flights, booking car rentals, hotels, or tour packages. This approach increases the likelihood of converting potential leads into bookings, as customers greatly appreciate timely and straightforward answers to their concerns.

3. Room Service and Concierge

This service is primarily available on booking apps, where customers can provide additional information before reaching their destination, such as requesting an extra bed, early check-in, additional blankets, assistance for local travel, or wheelchair access. However, follow-ups are often necessary, and many times these messages go unnoticed. Sending such last-minute messages directly through WhatsApp would be much more convenient for customers, enabling them to convey instructions effortlessly.

4. Manage complaints and return

It's very common for people to have complaints while traveling, whether they are in flight, train, or during their hotel stay. Particularly during their stay, people tend to prefer texting or leaving a message rather than calling customer care, which is a time-consuming process. WhatsApp offers a feature where customers can directly message their concerns, whether it's about leaving items behind, dissatisfaction with certain facilities, or a request for a refund. Expressing their concerns through text-based conversation is very convenient.

5. Feedback and Surveys

Reviews are crucial for travellers, whether they're booking a property or a tour package. Everyone first checks the stay reviews, food reviews, guide feedback, and how responsive hotels are in the comment section. That's why chatbots are better at sending automatic feedback requests after traveling. It will help travel companies review and improve their services. In fact, it's more convenient for travellers to send images or submit reviews in chats. This will, in a way, help customers enhance their experience.

6. Collect loyalty points from traveller

Chatbots can assist travellers in checking and collecting their loyalty points. Whenever customers book tickets or hotels, they are rewarded with points that they can use for their next trip. But usually, they are not aware of this and miss out on extra discounts. Chatbots will help in tracking those points. This feature encourages more business as customers are rewarded for their loyalty.

7. Support in booking journey

Chatbots would be of great help in assisting with selecting destinations, planning itineraries, booking rentals, purchasing tickets, and arranging accommodations. Chatbots provide suggestions based on traveller’s preferences such as budget, duration, location, and amenities, making the booking process easier and ensuring traveller satisfaction. API chatbots can guide travellers throughout the entire journey, streamlining the overall trip experience.

WhatsApp Business API can bring about a substantial enhancement in customer interaction, operational efficiency, and the overall satisfaction of travellers in the hospitality and travel sector. It presents a user-friendly and recognizable communication medium that aligns with the preferences of numerous travellers.