The Tourplan Operating Model: How High-Performing DMCs Actually Structure Their Teams Around Tourplan
For many destination management companies (DMCs), Tourplan is more than a software tool. It sits at the centre of day-to-day operations.
Across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and many inbound destinations, Tourplan has been widely used to manage the lifecycle of travel bookings. Reservations teams rely on it to build itineraries, manage supplier services, apply pricing and generate documentation.
While the system itself is consistent, the way DMCs organise their teams around Tourplan varies widely.
Some organisations run highly efficient reservations operations that scale smoothly as enquiry volumes grow. Others find that workflow slows down as the business expands and more enquiries move through the system.
The difference usually comes down to how teams and responsibilities are structured around Tourplan.
What Tourplan Is Designed to Do
Tourplan was developed specifically for inbound tour operators and destination management companies.
The system supports several core operational functions:
maintaining supplier and service databases
building multi-day itineraries
applying rates and margins
confirming bookings with suppliers
producing documentation for clients
managing booking amendments
For many operators, Tourplan effectively acts as the central operating system for reservations teams.
How Most DMCs Actually Use Tourplan
In many DMCs, especially mid-sized operators, reservations consultants perform a wide range of tasks within Tourplan.
A typical workflow may include:
interpreting the initial enquiry email
creating or locating the client record
building the itinerary structure
selecting services and suppliers
applying pricing and margins
sending quotations
confirming bookings with suppliers
generating documentation
handling amendments
This structure gives consultants strong ownership of the booking. Experienced staff develop deep knowledge of the system, suppliers and pricing rules. For smaller teams this approach can work well. Consultants maintain close contact with clients and can adapt quickly to complex travel requests.
Many experienced reservations teams are familiar with the amount of manual work required when building itineraries in Tourplan. As one reservations leader from AC Group described their process before introducing automation:
“Our consultants would read the enquiry, interpret the requirements and then manually build the itinerary in Tourplan service by service.”
— Rob Russell, Owner and CEO, AC Group
As enquiry volumes increase, however, the workload carried by individual consultants can become significant.
The Typical Tourplan Workflow
While implementation varies between companies, most Tourplan-based DMCs follow a similar operational lifecycle.
Enquiry received
Client record created or updated
Itinerary built within Tourplan
Services selected from the supplier database
Rates applied and margins calculated
Quotation sent to the client
Supplier confirmations requested
Booking confirmed and documentation produced
Amendments handled if required
Many of these stages depend on the same individual consultant. As long as experienced staff are available, the workflow moves efficiently. When volumes increase or key staff are unavailable, the process can slow down.
Where Tourplan Excels for DMCs
Tourplan remains widely used because it performs several operational tasks extremely well.
Managing complex itineraries
Multi-day travel programs with numerous services can be structured clearly within the system.
Maintaining supplier databases
DMCs can store large volumes of supplier information, including service details and contracted rates.
Pricing and margin management
Tourplan allows operators to apply structured pricing rules across itineraries.
Supporting FIT operations
Independent travel bookings with multiple services can be organised and tracked effectively.
For many established inbound operators, these capabilities continue to make Tourplan a reliable operational platform.
Where Operations Often Slow Down
Operational challenges typically arise in the surrounding workflow rather than in the system itself.
Several areas regularly create pressure for reservations teams.
Interpreting enquiry emails
Many requests arrive in unstructured formats such as long emails, spreadsheets or PDFs. Consultants must interpret these details before building the itinerary.
Itinerary construction
Complex travel programs require selecting and arranging multiple services within the system. Consultants often build itineraries step by step, selecting accommodation, transport and activities from the supplier database.
For many DMCs this process is still highly manual.
As Trent Hartnett, Co-Owner of New Zealand inbound operator PDNZ, explains:
“Reducing the time it takes to manually load itineraries into Tourplan was a major priority because it affects almost every request we receive.”
— Trent Hartnett, Co-Owner, PDNZ
Rate lookup
Consultants often need to locate the correct rates from large supplier databases.
Repetitive data entry
Similar itinerary structures may be recreated repeatedly for different clients.
Amendments
Changes to travel plans can require modifications across several parts of the itinerary.
These tasks are manageable individually. Together they can place significant demand on reservations teams during busy periods.
How High-Performing DMCs Structure Teams Around Tourplan
Some DMCs address these challenges by adjusting how responsibilities are organised around the system.
Three operational models appear frequently across the industry.
Model 1: Pod Structure
Common among mid-sized operators. Essentially, one consultant manages the booking from enquiry through to confirmation.
Advantages:
strong ownership of the client relationship
flexibility when building complex itineraries
direct communication with agents or partners
low barriers between staff encourages adaptability and team building when problem solving
Challenges:
reliance on highly experienced staff
limited scalability when enquiry volumes rise
new staff take longer to master bespoke itinerary creation
high variability in mastery of Tourplan features
Model 2: Specialist Workflow Teams
Often used by larger DMCs. Responsibilities are divided across stages of the booking lifecycle to compartmentalise and increase standardisation.
Teams may focus on:
enquiry interpretation and itinerary creation
supplier confirmations
documentation and travel packs
amendments and operational support
Advantages:
increased throughput
easier training for new staff
clearer performance metrics
Challenges:
coordination across multiple teams
maintaining clear ownership of the booking
high performing individual contributors may become unfilfilled if the processes are too strictly applied - reducing internal competition for “the best bespoke itineraries”.
Model 3: Key Account Operations Teams
Used when a small number of clients generate a large share of revenue. Dedicated teams manage bookings for specific accounts.
Advantages:
strong understanding of client requirements
consistent service delivery
strategic protection of primary revenue via internal visibility and clear ownership
Challenges:
operational complexity when managing multiple accounts
stagnation as the team culture becomes focused on “one big fish” - which can lead to patterns of underplaying the potential of small but ambitious accounts
The Emerging Role of AI in Tourplan Workflows
Travel companies are also increasing investment in operational technology as booking processes become more complex. Skift Research notes that travel startups and technology platforms have attracted tens of billions of dollars in investment over the past decade, much of it focused on booking infrastructure, automation tools and systems that support travel operations.
Some DMCs are introducing and embedding AI-assisted tools alongside Tourplan.
These tools usually focus on accelerating parts of the reservations workflow.
Examples include:
analysing enquiry emails
generating initial itinerary drafts
suggesting services that match travel requirements
identifying potential pricing inconsistencies
Consultants still review and refine these outputs before sending quotations to clients.
The technology therefore acts as an operational assistant. Reservations expertise remains essential.
The Operating Question for DMC Leaders
For DMC leaders, the key question is how the organisation structures its workflow around Tourplan.
Mid-sized operators often prioritise flexibility and consultant ownership.
Larger operators typically focus on consistency, throughput and risk management.
Both approaches can succeed. The most effective organisations design their workflow deliberately and ensure responsibilities are clear across the reservations process.
When teams are structured well, Tourplan becomes a powerful operational platform that supports growth rather than slowing it down.
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