Innovation through technology

TourFox becomes the first company in the world to implement the e-Swiss Pass Module on its website, which goes to show that thinking out of the box is a key aspect of every industry, says Sindhu Madhavan, Account Manager, TourFox. Soon, the company will implement Easy Rail Access (ERA) in sector tickets.

Hazel Jain

TourFox is proud to inform the travel fraternity that it has touched a unique milestone of being the first company in the world to implement the e-Swiss Pass Module through ERA (Easy Rail Access) API platform on tourfox.com. Sharing this update is Sindhu Madhavan, who says, “We are truly proud of this achievement! The credit goes to our in-house IT team that has strived to achieve this integration with our esteemed rail partner – Rail Europe. Being the number one GSA for Swiss Passes in India, this integration was always envisioned, and we are glad to have successfully implemented it.”

With the introduction of e-Swiss Pass, it was our endeavour to implement the pass on tourfox.com; a registered travel agent can now log on to our site and book it

This was launched in December 2019 with the idea of extending the e-Swiss Pass on tourfox.com to agents across India before the European holiday season begins in 2020. Emphasising on innovation in technology as a necessary roadmap today, she adds that consumer e-commerce today is primarily driven by price and convenience, and a great deal on products that are delivered quickly. “To achieve this desire for instant access and a faster turnaround, it was extremely important to continually invest in technology platforms that help us connect with potential customers across all channels, be it booking offices or online portals. Our online platform has been our most significant source of strength in terms of visibility and revenue, and we will keep investing in technology,” she says. Swiss Pass is by far the most popular way to travel in Switzerland and is the most sought-after product due to its sheer convenience of use. Such a popular product should be available to the end-user with ease, says Madhavan. “With physical Swiss Pass, the agent had to get the pass picked up or wait for it to be delivered. During high season, it became a challenge as other products like hotel and mountain vouchers were e-vouchers and instantly available to our travel agents. With the introduction of e-Swiss Pass, it was our endeavour to implement the pass on tourfox.com, to make it easily accessible to our travel agents. A registered travel agent can now log on to our site and book a Swiss Pass with ease,” she explains.

Once it is booked, it is instantly sent to the agent’s email ID, thereby making it seamless for the user to purchase a Swiss Pass. The travel agent can even fulfil a last-minute Swiss Pass request for a customer through the site. Such are the benefits of this integration.

“We will also be implementing ERA in sector tickets that will make the booking process simple and quicker. European rail travel has undoubtedly increased in a big way with more and more demand to travel by train due to increasing airfares. This has prompted us to implement instant e-tickets to our travel professionals. Our trade partners will be able to log on to our site and book these sectors effortlessly, thereby simplifying the booking process and increasing its reach,” she says.

TourFox specialises in offering services and products that include rail passes, air tickets, hotels, apartments, sightseeing and excursions, packages, wellness options, and tailor-made itineraries within Europe. Its premium apartments in Lucerne, Interlaken and Zermatt are bookable on the portal for the upcoming summer season, and the early birds get the best of commissions as well. Tourfox.com provides an array of services the world over.