allows you to control when your tours, experiences, or accommodations are available for bookings. By setting operating hours, booking durations, buffer times, and maximum capacity, you can prevent overbookings and improve the guest experience. For example, set a 30-minute buffer between tours to allow for setup and cleanup.
Accessing this feature
REQUIRES_DEVELOPER_INPUT - The navigation path "Settings > Booking Settings" does not exist.
How to use it
Set Your General Availability
You'll likely see a section labelled something like "Operating Hours" or "General Availability". This is where you tell Tourism Accelerator which days of the week you're generally open for business and during what hours.
For each day (Monday to Sunday), you can tick a box to indicate if you're "Open" or "Closed".
If you're open, use the drop-down menus to select your Start Time and End Time for bookings on that specific day. For example, Monday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If you have a lunch break or a specific time your business isn't taking bookings, you can often add multiple time slots for a single day (e.g., 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM).
Configure Your Booking Durations/Slots
Next, you'll want to define the length of your bookings. Are your tours 2 hours long? Do you offer 1-hour slots?
Look for a section like "Booking Slots" or "Service Durations". Here, you can add new booking durations.
Give it a name (e.g., "Kayak Tour - Standard" or "Accommodation Night"), and specify its Duration (e.g., 2 hours, 1 day). This helps the system understand how long to block out for each booking.
Add Your Buffer Times (Your Breathing Room!)
You'll find options for "Pre-booking Buffer" and "Post-booking Buffer".
Enter the amount of time you need for each – for example, 30 minutes for pre-booking to get ready, and 15 minutes for post-booking to tidy up.
If a booking ends at 3:00 PM with a 15-minute post-booking buffer, the system won't allow another booking to start before 3:15 PM, giving you that essential downtime.
Set Your Maximum Capacity
Look for "Maximum Capacity" or "Available Spaces".
Enter the highest number of guests you can take for a single booking slot or tour.
The system will automatically stop taking bookings once this number is reached, preventing you from ever overbooking your services.
Don't Forget to Save!
Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
You'll see a prominent Save or Update Settings button. Click it!
Tips
Review Regularly: Your business might change with the seasons or as you grow! Make it a habit to pop into your Booking Settings every few months (or before a big season) to ensure they still reflect your current operations.
Be Generous with Buffers: It's always better to have a little extra time than not enough. Consider all aspects: setup, guest arrival, safety briefings, travel between locations, pack-down, and even a quick cup of tea! Happy staff means happy guests.
Don't Overcommit on Capacity: Think about comfort and safety, not just maximum numbers. A slightly smaller, more comfortable group often leads to better reviews and a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Consider Seasonal Changes: Do your operating hours or capacity change during peak season versus off-peak? You can adjust these settings as needed to perfectly match your seasonal demands.
Test it Out: Once you've saved your settings, try making a test booking on your own system. Does it block out the correct times? Does the capacity work as expected? It’s a great way to double-check everything.
Need help?
For further assistance, contact us at [email protected]