The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the global tourism industry, leaving uncertainty and economic devastation in its wake. Small businesses make up around 80 percent of the South African travel and tourism sector, and the truth of the matter is that many will not survive the shutdown. It is estimated that more than half of all small Destination Management Companies (DMCs) will close their doors forever.
Those who will survive this pandemic will have to be agile, as the demands of the customer will remain unchanged in an extremely competitive environment. Businesses will therefore need to find innovative solutions to service their clients at the same standard pre-COVID-19, but without many of their critical human and financial resources. Minimising costs while maximising service delivery will be the golden formula for success as we emerge from this global catastrophe.
The solution lies in technology. The unprecedented digital transformation initiated by COVID-19 is as much about transforming business processes as it is about empowering people to work in new ways.
About e.DMC
e.DMC was born from the need to provide critical technology infrastructure and administrative to support inbound Destination Management Companies (DMCs) in South Africa, which have been forced to downscale and cut back, or to start up with limited operating capital.
Tourvest Destination Management is one of southern Africa’s largest DMCs, with over 30 years of integrated travel experience. Its success has been earned on the back of experience, supplier relationships, competitive rates, financial stability and the investment in cutting edge technology development.
COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on most businesses. As an active contributor to the local southern African tourism industry, the company’s leadership team recognised the opportunity to support DMCs by making available its advanced B2B technology software solution, enabling them to serve their clients at an exponentially lower cost through streamlining work processes, connecting suppliers and customers, and maximising value through digitisation.
In a nutshell, e.DMC is an Enterprise Management Platform available to Southern African inbound DMCs, and at no cost.
An Enterprise Management Platform
e.DMC’s purpose is to provide Destination Management Companies with a cutting edge, reliable,
up-to-date digital solution which facilitates;
Centralised procurement
e.DMC’s team is based in Johannesburg. The value of this service is based on longstanding relationships with many of Southern Africa’s suppliers, built on trust and mutual support. You benefit from the best available rates and value adds. The comprehensive procurement process is handled by e.DMC, including management and maintenance of the database where supplier information, special offers and promotions are loaded. This live database is accessible to you 24/7.
Dynamic pricing and access to best available rates
Thanks to e.DMC’s advanced electronic platform and IT infrastructure, the system will simultaneously offer – if available – BAR (Best Available Rates) as well as best contracted STO rates. You are therefore able to choose the best rate available for your client at the time of booking, giving you the edge over your competition.
Live availability & instant supplier collateral
If enabled by the supplier, live availability will automatically reflect on the e.DMC platform, saving you time and increasing the probability of client confirmation due to fast turnarounds on enquiries. Each supplier’s updated Hygiene, Health and Safety Standards (managed by Tourvest Verified) are loaded on their profiles, ensuring your risk of non-compliance is mitigated, and your peace of mind in a post-COVID-19 world is guaranteed.
Itinerary building and travel documentation
e.DMC’s B2B system comes with a digital itinerary builder, which generates a branded itinerary designed for the traveller, including supplier descriptions, images and videos; inclusions and exclusions; available facilities; and route mapping linked to Google Maps.
A singular monthly payment solution
Once the booking process is finalised and the full itinerary is confirmed, the booking will be confirmed by your dedicated e.DMC consultant. Each e.DMC customer has access to their own e.DMC consultant to lend administrative support and to round off the digital offering with a human touch. At the end of the month all invoices will be consolidated into a comprehensive statement for one singular payment.
Financial reporting
A set of month end reports will be consistently and timeously generated, including agent, consultant and supplier performance figures.
The value to your business
Experience the power of e.DMC
Martijn Mellaart
Chief Operating Officer of e.DMC.
Born in Holland, Martijn grew up in West Africa (Niger, Togo and Burkina Faso) before returning to the Netherlands to study marketing. After losing his heart to Africa he then left his local hospitality job to pursue his dream. In 1998 he opened Uitkyk Holidays, a Destination Management Company specialising in Southern Africa, and after four short years launched Mozambique Voyages in 2002. It didn’t take long for him to pioneer the untouched tropical destination, and he earned his reputation as a market leader.
Mozambique Voyages was sold to Tourvest Destination Management in February 2019, and Martijn joined the company as COO for their new business unit Sense of Oceans, which launched at Indaba 2019. After having successfully run the specialised medium-sized DMC for 20 years, Martijn embraced the opportunity for change within Southern Africa’s largest diversified travel management business.
During the Covid-19 lockdown period, Martijn took on the role of Sales and Product Synergies Director for the group, with the task of developing new business units. He soon identified an opportunity in the market, which served the dual purpose of opening up a new revenue stream while at the same time serving the broader Southern African tourism industry in its time of crisis. In the face of near financial devastation, many DMCs were under threat of closure, having had to drastically cut back on their operating expenses with zero revenue for up to 5 months.
It took Martijn 6 months to design the model. This passion project drew on all of his experience gained over two decades, enabling him to make a difference to the Southern African inbound tourism industry that he lost his heart to so long ago.
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