Tourism Exchange Australia

Booking Systems

Tourism Exchange Australia (TXA) was developed with the basic principle of connecting consumers via ATDW distributor websites with real time rates and inventory from Polling Partners.

Polling Partners are defined as a person (entity) that has agreed to make tourism products available to customers through multiple Distributors by agreeing to integrate their third party booking system that provides rates and inventory in real time and can conclude a customer's booking by taking payment and issuing a booking confirmation in real time. Examples of Polling Partners that have already integrated to TXA are listed below.

In the interests of meeting consumer expectations Tourism Exchange Australia (TXA) is sourcing rates and inventory for accommodation, attractions, events and tour operators and we are committed to providing a wide range of products in all locations.

TXA is a combination of the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) product database and V³’s Open Booking Exchange (OBX). The ATDW collects and distributes product information on Australian tourism experiences and the OBX:

a) sources rates and inventory information from Polling Partners; and
b) provides the connection for a customer to book and pay for a Polling Partner’s products in real time with the Polling Partner

The following systems are already integrated

• Discover Australia Holidays
• frontdesk
• Jewel Reservations Systems
• Myfidelio.net
• Respax Australia
• RMS
• Roamfree
• Room Master
• Seatem
• TravelPoint Holidays - An AOT Group Company

Diagram of how Tourism Exchange Australia connects consumers with operators. Click image to enlarge.

The multitude of connections with the Polling Partners provides Distributors with access to a wide range of products with high quality product information and real time rates and inventory, enabling them to provide an end to end quality consumer experience.

In order to become a Polling Partner in the TXA, one of two options are available:

A. If you have an integrated Booking System then follow the following three steps apply:

• Contact Stephen Wells from V³ (see end of page for contact details)
• Enter into a Polling Partner Agreement
• Undertake the necessary steps required for your booking system to activate the integration

B. If your booking system is not integrated, contact your system supplier and encourage them to integrate.

In order to ensure more businesses have the choice of (A) above and can participate in TXA, TXA has prioritized a number of integrations to booking systems. These priorities have been set on the following criteria.

Threshold Criteria: The technical capacity to integrate. This means they have the capacity to provide all of the following to TXA in the manner defined by TXA:

• Provider Availability
• Product Availability
• Booking Messages
• OBX content information
• Ability to take customers’ money and provide a booking confirmation in real time

If the Threshold Criteria is met then prioritizations are based on:

• Confirmed access to a high number of unique or unduplicated products that are not already on the TXA
• Confirmed access to the maximum available inventory for each of the products listed above
• No system set ‘business rules’ which precludes any Distributors from taking the products listed
• Confirmation that their commercial agreements with the Providers allows the Providers to participate in an ‘open’ exchange
• A commitment to the principles of TXA

To become a TXA connected booking system, a five step process will occur:

1. Contact Wendy Smith or Stephen Wells (see end of page for contact details) and provide an overview of your business against the criteria

2. You will then receive documentation to enable further analysis; this documentation includes a non disclosure agreement to protect your business

3. After receipt of these documents you will then be required to provide details of the businesses that use your booking system to enable data matching (for products to be sold by TXA Distributors they need to have a listing on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, see Home Page for more information)

4. If your system scores high against the criteria you will then receive further documentation; once signed you will receive the required technical documentation to integrate into the TXA and you will be provided with technical support and assistance

5. If required, after technical integration you will assist your clients to activate the TXA connection
For more information on booking systems and how TXA works please download the relevant tutorials from our Tourism E-kit for free.

Further information is available by contacting:

Stephen Wells
Executive Director V³
swells@v3leisure.com
Phone: 08 9227 3903
Fax: 02 9279 1190
Mobile: 0419 928 303

Wendy Smith
Tourism Exchange Australia Project Manager
wsmith@atdw.com.au
Phone: 08 8289 9190
Mobile: 0401 124 410