Travel tech for tiny teams: Must-have tools to manage bookings like a pro

In today’s hyper-competitive travel landscape, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are expected to deliver the speed, personalisation, and seamless experience, often with a team of just three to five people. Therefore, smart, cost-effective travel tech does the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Whether you are managing customised itineraries, processing bookings across multiple channels, or juggling vendor contracts, the right tools can make your SME travel management run like a global agency. Here’s your definitive roundup of top-rated tools, system integrations, and tech-stack guidance tailored for SMEs

1) Booking and itinerary management tools

• TripActions (now Navan): Ideal for growing SMEs with mid to high travel volume. Navan streamlines travel booking, expense management, and traveller support in a single platform. Its AI-powered booking assistant, real-time policy compliance, and integrated expense tracking make it a strong all-in-one option.

• Wanderlog: Perfect for micro-sized travel consultancies and boutique planners. Wanderlog offers collaborative itinerary planning with drag-and-drop simplicity. While it lacks deep GDS integration, it is excellent for trip curation and sharing with clients.

• TravelPerk: A strong choice for SMEs who want plug-and-play simplicity and robust customer support. With 24/7 agent assistance, built-in carbon offsetting, and a vast inventory of flights, hotels, and rail options, TravelPerk is a favourite among sustainability-focused SMEs.

2) CRM and client communication platforms

Having a smart CRM is non-negotiable for SME travel management success. It lets you nurture repeat clients and automate follow-ups.

• Trello + Mailchimp: This combo works brilliantly for very small teams. Trello can serve as a visual CRM when customised with lead cards and client journey labels. Mailchimp handles newsletters and marketing automation to keep your business top of mind.

• Salesforce Essentials: Scaled-down version of Salesforce built for SMEs. Syncs seamlessly with booking tools like Travefy, offering a powerful system for lead capture, client engagement, and deal tracking.

• Zoho CRM: Affordable, travel-agnostic, and super customisable. It supports WhatsApp, email, and chatbot integration, which are essential for handling multi-channel communication on the go.

3) Payment and invoice solutions

• Alipay+: A game-changer for SMEs that serve international travellers. With over 1.7 billion users through 36 international payment partners, Alipay+ connects tourists directly to 100 million merchants across 70 markets, over 90% of which are SMEs. With no costly setup, your business can accept QR payments from global travellers instantly, especially as standardised national QR codes rise in Asia (like India’s UPI or Malaysia’s DuitNow). In Malaysia alone, over 80% of inbound QR transactions in 2024 came via Alipay+, and local SMEs saw a 6x year-on-year revenue growth. Alipay+ also offers digital tools like A+ Rewards, an in-app marketing platform where SMEs can promote themselves directly to e-wallet users, and Voyager, which enhances location-based discoverability. In Thailand, Alipay+ is also working with tourism boards to spotlight lesser-known cities, helping hyperlocal SMEs flourish.

• Antom (by Ant Group): Works alongside Alipay+ to enable SMEs to accept a wide variety of local payment methods, such as cards, wallets, BNPL, and more, tailored to each market. This optimises checkout experiences and reduces cart abandonment. Its AI-driven assistant, Antom Copilot, helps SMEs quickly identify the best payment options by region or industry and offers direct API integration, cutting payment setup time by 95%. It is like having a smart payments consultant on your dashboard.

• AI FX Model (Alipay+): For travel businesses dealing with frequent booking changes or refunds, Alipay+’s proprietary AI-driven FX model helps forecast hourly exchange rate demand. This helps SMEs price their services more efficiently and minimise currency risk, a real advantage in the volatile world of international bookings.

• Stripe: Popular with travel startups offering international packages. Its multi-currency support and seamless API integrations make client payments frictionless.

• Zoho Books: If you are already using Zoho CRM, this accounting and invoicing suite ties in beautifully. It is GST-compliant (great for Indian SMEs), automates recurring invoices, and tracks expenses per client.

• Xero: Ideal for small operators in Western markets. Xero integrates with over 800 third-party apps, supports real-time currency conversion, and enables travel-specific reporting for SMEs with complex vendor relationships.

4) API and integration hubs

• Zapier: The most beginner-friendly way to connect tools like Trello, Stripe, Google Sheets, and more. No coding required. For example, you can automate “Add new client in Trello → Trigger welcome email via Mailchimp.”

• Makcorps API: Offers real-time hotel price comparison data, helping smaller operators compete with OTAs. It works well with custom booking engines or even simple WordPress websites.

• Amadeus for Startups: If your SME wants to scale into serious inventory control and dynamic packaging, Amadeus’s startup support programme offers APIs, mentorship, and discounted access to global travel content.

• Antom APIs: For travel SMEs focused on seamless and locally-relevant payments, Antom’s powerful API integrations allow immediate connection to preferred payment methods across countries, reducing bounce rates and offering a frictionless checkout experience.

Choosing the right tech stack

1) Solo travel consultant (0–1 employees)

• Must-haves: Wanderlog, Trello, Mailchimp, Stripe or Alipay+

• Goals: Simple itineraries, personalised service, strong communication

2) Boutique travel agency (2–5 employees)

• Must-haves: TravelPerk, Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zapier, Alipay+ Voyager

• Goals: Manage small groups, integrate sales and payments, multi-channel marketing, and increase discoverability

3) Growing SME travel management firm (5–20 employees)

• Must-haves: Navan, Salesforce Essentials, Xero, Amadeus APIs, Antom Copilot

• Goals: Automate bookings, scale operations, build B2B client pipelines, enable localised global payments

When choosing your tech stack, avoid the temptation to go “all-in” on a fancy, one-size-fits-all tool. Instead, think in modular terms and stack tools that solve specific problems and can scale with your business.

The new era of SME travel management demands smarter workflows, real-time data, and tools that amplify your expertise. The travel tech you choose today could be the difference between 5 bookings a week or 50. And with the right tools, your tiny team can move mountains.

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