Visitors to the KARAVEL website are asked a few simple questions about their likes and dislikes. Their answers are turned into an individual travel blueprint which helps the travellers to choose the ideal resort, sights, restaurants and activities – and can tell the difference between a skier with a passion for gastronomy and a snowboarder who likes designer shops.
Having hooked the would-be travellers with some well-suited ideas, the second part of KARAVEL kicks in to turn consumer interest into firm bookings with a very user-friendly online ordering system. Irish KARAVEL partner, Sabre, is the leading provider of technology services for the travel industry and it developed a new generation booking system which helps customers feel sure they have got the best deal on hotel, car hire and flight reservations.
Jenny Rizzolo of Sabre explains "it allows KARAVEL to offer exactly the same access to prices and schedules over the Internet as they would in a shop - only at a time that suits them as of course the internet is available 24 hours a day!"
Folco Aloisi of Karavel gives an example. "Customers are given fares for a chosen date, plus or minus five days. So if the best fare is only available on a Monday, but the customer has input Tuesday, the booking engine will still come back with the Monday fare, just as an intelligent travel agent would."
Injecting consumer-oriented websites with the all-important personal touch is no easy task. The KARAVEL breakthroughs represent a new generation of agile software. "The idea generator searches packages to match many criteria, including landscape preferences, age and whether the client is travelling with friends or family," explains Aloisi.
He is confident that the new technology – available now at the KARAVEL website (www.karavel.com)– will help his company expand in online travel sales. "Most travel websites offer similar prices, but we're the only people to give customers personalised content. This will help us to acquire and maintain a significant market share."