Since launching in December 2013 In addition to South Africa, neXt is also available to travel agents looking to branch out on their own in Kenya, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt, and will launch in the UAE in November 2015.
neXt, Travelstart’s booking management system for Independent Travel Consultants, is empowering young entrepreneurs with the tools to start their own businesses without any capital or start up fees. Against the background of unequal access to tertiary education, neXt removes barriers to opportunity and is kick-starting small South African businesses.
Leonore Venter a neXt agent from Atlantic Coast Travels said: “Travelstart is one of those companies where you seek help and it’s given to you in the most friendly/professional and efficient way possible.
If there is a problem with a booking, they will be sure to contact you personally to advise you how this problem can be resolved, and not just leave it up to an e-mail or text.”
She added that among the benefits of using neXt, having all airlines visible on one platform is very useful, and the neXt platform adds your mark-up, so when you send the quote to the clients it’s automatically added to the total.
Young entrepreneurs can flourish having the full backend support from Travelstart, the largest booking site in Africa, Middle East and Turkey, and the expertise of seasoned travel consultants. To date the tool has assisted many in creating a lasting business for themselves and creating a brand to compliment this.
Since launching in December 2013 In addition to South Africa, neXt is also available to travel agents looking to branch out on their own in Kenya, Turkey, Nigeria and Egypt, and will launch in the UAE in November 2015. Grown its user base to 3531 in South Africa – 40% of which have signed up in the last 8 months. neXt ITC’s retain 100% of their markup, are given access to Travelstart’s negotiated fares, and are supported by the OTA’s Cape Town based technical team.
Mikha’il Ernest, Global Sales & Marketing Manager for neXt said, “We are proud of our growth in South Africa. Not only do we aim to empower travel agents but also give back and grow entrepreneurs and independent businesses through the continuous support we offer them under the established and respected banner of Travelstart. We’re proud to say we’ve made a positive impact on peoples’ lives and we look forward to accelerating our efforts in new markets.”
neXt agents can leverage the complimentary monthly round table discussions hosted by Travelstart. During these sessions agents have the opportunity to give and receive feedback and learn from informative presentations such as ‘Travel Terminology 101’, ‘Travel planning tips for Travel Agents’ and ‘Social Media for ITC’s’. neXt is supported by a dedicated processing team who handle ticketing, reissues and refunds. neXt enables ITC’s to avoid exorbitant start-up fees and receive the most up-to-date technical support available.
neXt empowers ITC’s to focus on their customers while post sales processes such as payments, schedule changes, and updating information are handled by experts working behind the scenes. Leonora Venter says she has been using Travelstart’s neXt from the beginning and hasn’t “had a doubt yet so far. My business has grown rapidly.”
In addition to retaining 100% of their markup, ITC’s can also diversify their revenue streams by selling add-on products such as travel insurance during the transaction or post sale. Travelstart and neXt are proud supporters of South African entrepreneurs.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
