Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2016
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Effects of Computer Reservation System in
the Operations of Travel Agencies
Sevillia S. Felicen1, Alex P. Ylagan2
College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management,
Lyceum of the Philippines University, Batangas City, Philippines
Asia Pacific Journal of
Multidisciplinary Research
Vol. 4 No.4, 23-28
November 2016
P-ISSN 2350-7756
E-ISSN 2350-8442
www.apjmr.com
sevillafelicen@yahoo.com 1 , ylagan_alex@yahoo.com.ph 2
Date Received: June 7, 2016; Date Revised: July 25, 2016
Abstract - In travel industry, the main tool used is the computerized booking systems and now
known as Global Distribution Systems or GDS. This paper aimed to determine the effect of using Computer
Reservation System among Travel Agencies in terms of technical, human and financial aspect. This will
help the Internship office to include the identified travel agencies in their linkages where the students will
be deployed for internship. The result of this study will also be helpful and can be utilized in the course
travel and tour operations with computer reservation system. The descriptive method of research was used
with managers and users/staff of 20 travel agencies as participants of the study. Questionnaire was used as
main data gathering instrument utilizing percentage, frequency and weighted mean as statistical tool.
Abacus System is the computer reservation system used by all travel agencies in Batangas. All travel
agencies offered services such as domestic and international hotel reservation, domestic and international
ticketing and package tour. The CRS can connect guest to all forms of travel; it has installed built in
system security features that can improve agency’s efficiency and productivity.
Keywords: Computer Reservation System, Travel Agency
INTRODUCTION
In travel industry, the main tool used the
computerized booking systems known as Global
Distribution Systems or GDS. In reservations for
travel product, the use of GDS effectively is the key
skill of Travel Industry employees. In Australia and
New Zealand, Amadeus and Sabre reservation
systems are used daily by travel agency, airline, and
tour company employees. Being competent in these
skills will help graduates land his first job in travel.
[1].
GDS or CRS system is for purely (information
transfer) logistical functions. They store current
information about all available service providers and
have the necessary infrastructure to transfer such data.
This means that the system also performs additional
tasks related to service distribution, which in the area
of goods is typically carried out by freight forwarders.
They support the transport of goods by eliminating the
physical distance between the producer and the sales
mediator or the consumer respectively. CRS's are a
combination of infrastructure measures offered to
interested providers in the tourist industry [2].
Over
time,
technology
has
improved.
Transforming tour has been overwhelming due to the
influence of technology. Virtual world has never rest
because the 24 x 7 internet connection. Today, buying
and selling on the internet has reached ubiquitous
proportions. This concept note explains how the
traditional travel services model changed with the
advent of Internet, resulting in disintermediation, and
forced traditional service providers, Global
Distribution Systems (GDS) and others to migrate to
the new model. Consumers are increasingly looking at
a convenient and comfortable way to purchase
services at no cost/burden. Researchers and experts
opine that although the scope of technology is
immense, it has its own limitations. It is also
concluded with suggestions that the field of travel
services research is vast and an open area in India
where industry and academic researchers can
collaborate and benefit [3].
Nowadays, a travel agency needs at least an easily
manageable website because tourists preferred to
transact through websites that provide them with
many different travel offers. A management as
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Felicen & Ylagan, Effects of Computer Reservation System in the Operations of Travel Agencies
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
effective as possible of an agency is made by
centralizing the data available in the databases and by
informing clients through the agency website.
Moreover, in order to increase the efficiency of the
agency, to decrease the response time and to increase
clients' satisfaction, the travel agency should also use
business intelligence solutions [4].
Global Distribution Systems were set up by air
lines and subsequent to that, travel agencies, tour
operators, independent tourist accommodation units,
hotel networks, car rent companies, cruise organizers
etc. got connected by means of the Internet. These
information systems allows the user (particularly
travel agencies and companies, more than individual
clients) to get information about available places,
tariffs, booking and ticket sales. Therefore, one can
notice that the connection to these Hotels, Airlines
Rehabilitators, Car Rent Companies, Travel agencies.
Management – Marketing - Tourism computerized
networks helps travel agencies to conceive by
themselves certain tourist products without being
compelled to ask for the help of tour operators [5].
Distributors are Computer Reservations Systems
(CRSs) technology companies that consolidated
supplier information, inventory and pricing data, also
provided a way to electronically search, book and
issue tickets and documents. The travel agent is
another supply chains using CRSs that provide
business travellers with leisure, one-stop shopping
guidance nd pricing and schedule advice to make
reservations, issue tickets and provide ancillary
services such as currency conversion or passport
processing [6].
Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced
technology solutions for the global travel industry.
Customer groups include travel providers, travel
sellers and travel buyers. Amadeus provides a
comprehensive offer to the travel & tourism industry.
These combine technology in distribution, IT, point of
sale solutions and more, helping customers to take
advantage of the technology and convert it to business
success [7].
Sabre is an innovative technology used by more
than a billion people around the world to plan, book
and experience their travel at a time and price that is
right for them. They set their lives in motion daily
across the globe, diligently working magic behind the
scenes to make the world a better place, one journey at
a time. Sabre helps travellers to find the best price,
improve a travel agency’s efficiency and profitability,
make sure a flight has a qualified crew ready to go,
helps hoteliers fill their rooms, and give an executive
assistant the tools to book travel online [8].
The researchers chose this topic to determine the
effect of using Computer Reservation System among
Travel Agencies in terms of technical, human and
financial aspect. This will help the Internship office
to include the identified travel agencies in their
linkages where the students will be deployed for
internship. The result of this study will also be helpful
and can be utilized in the course travel and tour
operations with computer reservation system.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study aimed to assess Computer Reservation
System used in the travel agencies in Batangas City
and Lipa City, Philippines. Specifically, it determined
the profile of the travel agencies in Batangas, identify
the reservation system used by travel agencies, find
out the services offered by travel agencies; determine
the features of the CRS; and determine the effects of
using computer reservation system in terms of human
aspect, technical aspect and financial aspect.
METHODS
Descriptive type of research was utilized in the
study. The respondents of this study were the
managers and users of computerized reservation
system. There were twenty (20) out of twenty-five
(25) or 80 percent of total travel agencies in Batangas
City and Lipa City participated in the study. The
participants were one (1) manager and 2 users or staff
from each travel agency with a total of 60
respondents. The method used to select them was
simple random sampling technique.
Questionnaire served as the main data gathering
instrument to obtain the essential information that
pertaining to the use of computerized reservation
system in travel agencies. Part of the instrument was
adapted from the tool used in the institutional research
of Vizconde and Felicen [9] titled "Computer
Reservation System: As a Feature
of Business
Operations of Travel Agencies". Interview was also
conducted to support and validate the data taken. The
instrument was validated by the former tourism
officer, who is now employed as faculty member of
CITHM. Questionnaires were administered in twenty
(20) different travel agencies in Lipa City and
Batangas City, Philippines.
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P-ISSN 2350-7756 | E-ISSN 2350-8442 | www.apjmr.com
Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2016
Felicen & Ylagan, Effects of Computer Reservation System in the Operations of Travel Agencies
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This study utilized percentage and weighted mean
as statistical tool. These were used to determine the
effects of computerized reservation system in travel
agencies. Personal encoding was done and Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to
interpret the data gathered.
The given scale was used to interpret the result of
the study: 4.50 – 5.00: Strongly Agree (SA); 3.50 –
4.49: Agree (A);
2.50 – 3.49: Moderately
Agree(MA); 1.50 – 2.49: Disagree (D); 1.00 – 1.49:
Strongly Disagree (SD).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1. Percentage Distribution of Business
Profile
Profile Variables
No. of years in operation
Less than one year
1 to 5 years
6 to 10 years
11-15 years
16 to 20 years
21 years
No. of employees
1 to 2
3 to 4
5 to 6
7 to 8
9 to 10
11 or more
Accreditation
Accredited
Non- Accredited
f
%
2
3
10
6
0
0
10%
10%
50%
30%
0
0
3
10
3
0
0
2
20%
50%
20%
0
0
10%
12
8
60%
40%
Table 1 presents the percentage distribution of
business profile of the travel agencies in Batangas
City. In terms of the number of years in operation,
majority or 50 percent of the Travel Agencies are
operating for 6 to 10 years and 30 percent are
operating from 11 to 15 and 10 percent both are
operating from less than a year and one to five years.
This implies that travel agencies in Batangas are
considered as expert in the business operation because
they stay in the business for quite long years.
In terms of number of employees, 10 or 50
percent of the travel agencies have 3 to 4 employees,
20 percent had 1 to 2 employees and 10 percent had
11 or more employees. This implies that the use of
CRS can help the travel agencies in Batangas to have
only few employees. Those travel agencies with more
than 10 employees are big companies and offering
transport services.
From twenty travel agencies, 12 or 60 percent are
accredited by different accrediting bodies such as
Philippine Cities Trade and Tourism Information
Services (PCTTIS), National Statistics Office (NSO)
National Statistics Office (NSO), Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Tourism
(DOT), and National Association of Independent
Travel Agencies (NAITAS). This shows that majority
of the travel agencies in Batangas are reliable because
they passed the requirements of different accrediting
agencies.
Table 2. Computer Reservation System Used
CRS
Abacus
Galileo
Amadeus
SABRE
f
20
0
3
2
%
100%
0%
15%
10%
Based from the result, all of the travel agencies in
Batangas are using Abacus as their reservation
system. A computer reservation system is based on a
large central computer, or main frame, in central
location serving many different sites, such as airline
ticket offices and travel agencies. Global distribution
system is reservation system that provides services to
users in both hemispheres.
Since 1988, Abacus is Asia Pacific’s leading
provider of travel solutions and services. It widens the
distribution of travel content from hundreds of travel
suppliers including airlines, hotels, and insurance
providers. It fuses end-to-end technologies to create a
differentiated portfolio of solutions and services
driven by insights on how travel business operates in
Asia Pacific. It helps enhance competitiveness, creates
better customer experiences, optimise business
operations [10].
Table 3. Services Offered by Travel Agencies
f
1. Domestic and International Air Ticketing
2. Domestic Hotel Reservation/Booking
3. International Hotel Reservation/Booking
4. Package Tour
5. Visa and Immigration Assistance
6. Red Ribbon
7. NSO Authentication/Certification
8. Embassy Translation/Authentication
9. Education and Recreation Trip
10. Passport Processing
*Multiple Responses
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Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2016
60
60
60
60
39
54
51
48
45
48
%
100%
100%
100%
100%
65%
90%
85%
80%
75%
80%
Felicen & Ylagan, Effects of Computer Reservation System in the Operations of Travel Agencies
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One hundred percent (100%) or all travel agencies
offered services such as package tour, international
hotel reservation/booking, domestic and international
ticketing. Ninety percent are offering red ribbon
services, eighty five percent offers NSO
authentication and certification, eighty percent offers
embassy translation/authentication and passport
processing, seventy five percent offers education and
recreation trip and sixty five percent offers visa and
immigration assistance.
A full service agency sells standard travel agency
goods and services, including travel packages and
airfare. Additional services include passport
assistance, providing access to top-of-the-line
equipment and supplies, and a superior offering that
includes accommodations, entertainment and access to
better than average terrain and activities. The
knowledge and expertise, competitive rates, and
specialty focus on adventure travel is the value added
offering of travel agency which translates into
increased satisfaction for the customer [11].
Table 4. Assessment of Computer Reservation System
on Human Aspect
Human Aspect
WM VI
Rank
1. Connecting guests to all forms of
4.57 SA 1
travel
2. Developing and nurturing the
4.47 A
2
best skills in the travel agency
industry
3. Unfamiliar features and
3.67 MA 6
commands that crop up during
actual booking & ticketing
4. Lack of human touch due to
3.38 MA 7
relying more on the systems
capability
5. Making work load more easier
4.13 A
5
6. Provide a free-stress working
4.30 A
4
environment
7. Reducing human errors in pricing
4.33 A
3
and ticketing of net fares
information
Composite Mean
4.12 A
The overall result on the assessment of the use of
computer reservation system on the human aspect had
composite mean of 4.12. The respondents strongly
agreed that the good of benefits of using the CRS is
that it can connect the guest to all forms of travel with
the weighted mean of 4.57. The respondents agreed
that CRS can develop and nurture the best skills in the
travel agency industry, can reduce human errors in
pricing and ticketing of net fares information and
provide a free-stress working environment with the
weighted mean scores of 4.47, 4.33 and 4.30
respectively.
The respondents also agreed that CRS makes their
work load easier with the weighted mean of 4.13. CRS
can book air travel, land travel and sea travel by using
only one system. However, respondents moderately
agreed that there are unfamiliar features and
commands that crop up during actual booking &
ticketing and lack of human touch due to relying
more on the systems capability with the mean of
scores of 3.67 and 3.38, respectively.
The result implies that the use of CRS can connect
the guest to all forms of travel such as air travel, sea
travel and land travel, not only that but also for
accommodation CRS has worldwide connection to
airlines, ferries and land transport like rail transport,
bus liners and taxi.
Accommodation as vital
component of travel is also included in the feature of
reservation system. These services can be provided
with just a click of the fingertips. In this system the
travel agent are confident that the information given to
the passengers are accurate.
Table 5. Assessment of Computer Reservation System
on Technical Aspect
Items
WM
VI
Rank
1. Difficulty on the system-network
3.48 MA 6
connections resulting to
transaction
not generated to its component
4.07 A
3
2. Establishing proper linkages with
communication companies
3. Establishing rapport with other
4.02 A
4
CRS companies.
4. Installation of built-in system
4.32 A
1
security features.
5. Limiting man’s capabilities due
3.52 A
5
to depending more on the
system
6. Replacing national airline system
3.32 MA 7
of limited scope and
functionality
7. Providing a lot of information
4.13 A
2
aside from reservations.
Composite Mean
3.84 A
Data from the table show that the respondents
agreed on the effects of CRS with the composite mean
of 3.84. The respondents agreed that CRS have
installed built in system security features as indicated
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Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2016
Felicen & Ylagan, Effects of Computer Reservation System in the Operations of Travel Agencies
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
by weighted mean of 4.32 followed by provides a lot
of information aside from reservations with the
weighted mean of 4.13. Establishing proper linkages
with communication companies, and establishing
rapport with other CRS companies and limits man’s
capabilities due to depending more on the system,
rank third, fourth and fifth with the weighted mean
scores of 4.07, 4.02 and 3.57 respectively. However,
the respondents moderately agreed that they encounter
difficulty on the system network connections resulting
to transaction not generated to its component and
replace national airline system of limited scope and
functionality with the weighted mean scores of 3.48
and 3.32, respectively.
Since CRS provides services to the guest, it must
contain a built in security features to protect
information provided by the passenger/guest. The
travel agencies must protect the Passenger Name
Record (PNR) and should not be accessible to the
agents they do not authorize. Such information if not
secured will create customer relation problems.
Information-intensive service organizations made
information systems as an integral part of their daily
operations. However, it also caused consequent job
dissatisfaction and systems-related stress among frontline service employees. It finds that front-line service
workers can be motivated to use the technology not
only by technological characteristics, such as ease of
use and usefulness, but that they are also motivated by
market supplier incentive and external management
support [12].
Table 6. Assessment of Computer Reservation System
on Financial Aspect
Items
WM
VI Rank
1. High cost of subscription fee
3.05 MA
7
2. Improving agency’s efficiency
4.75
SA
1
and productivity.
3. Incurring cost for installation of
3.92
A
5
software technology
4. Increasing the number of
4.73
SA
2
customers.
4.10
A
4
5. Lessening operating expenses.
6. Improving customer satisfaction
4.43
A
3
by offering value added services
7. Investing a lot on training new
3.80
A
6
staff
Composite Mean
4.11 A
Table 6 shows that the respondents agreed on the
financial effect of CRS on financial aspects as denoted
by the composite mean of 4.11. The result revealed
that the respondents agreed that CRS can improve
agency’s efficiency and productivity with the highest
weighted mean of 4.75 followed by CRS can increase
number of customers, with weighted mean of 4.73.
Rank third was CRS improves customer satisfaction
by offering value added services followed by
lessening operating expenses at rank fourth with the
weighted mean scores of 4.43 and 4.10 respectively.
Incurring cost for installation of software technology
placed on rank fifth while investing a lot on training
new staff ranked sixth with the weighted mean scores
of 3.92 and 3.80, respectively. However, respondents
moderately agreed that CRS has high cost of
subscription fee as denoted by weighted mean of 3.05.
The result implies that using CRS can improve
agency’s efficiency and productivity because with the
use of automated system it can provide the travel
agencies with great expansion on transaction volumes.
This automation can raise booking and document
preparation productivity. As a result of these, the
travel agent can improve the services and therefore
increase customer satisfaction.
Using technology, namely the Internet and CRS,
has changed the way travel agencies operate and make
travel agency market competitive. Offering tickets online at discounted rates increased price competition.
Customer transaction in travel agency becomes
prompt and efficient through the use of CRS. In this
effect, smaller travel agencies had increased number
of travel options available that made themselves to
become specialists in one or more types of travel [11].
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Fifty percent of the travel agencies are operating
for 6 to 10 years and with 3 to 4 employees. Sixty
percent are accredited by different accrediting
agencies. They are using Abacus System as computer
reservation system (CRS). All travel agencies offered
services such as domestic and international hotel
reservation, domestic and international air ticketing,
and package tour. The CRS can connect guest to all
forms of travel; it has installed built in system security
features for airline data, flight schedules and inventory
management. It can also improve agency’s efficiency
and productivity. This further concludes that use of
technology in the workplace has positive impact as
well as negative impact. The result of this study will
used as part of the pre-orientation program and will be
included in the curriculum development. This gives
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Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2016
Felicen & Ylagan, Effects of Computer Reservation System in the Operations of Travel Agencies
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
awareness to students and practicumers on in their
internship to travel agencies.
This study was focused only in Batangas City and
Lipa City areas; therefore, future study may be
conducted using other variables and use wider scope
with CALABARON Region as respondents.
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