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Creating bookings via XML API

Information

This page details the subset of the TourCMS Marketplace API related to booking creation only. Don't forget there are also booking searching, retrieval and modication API methods (in addition to all of the other areas the API covers).

A very rough implementation of the methods outlined on this page has been released as the Very Basic Booking Engine.

Limitations

Currently the API can book Tours/Hotels only, subsequent updates to the API will add support for booking of Options.

Alternatives

Hosted Booking Engine

The traditional method for creating bookings in TourCMS is to use the standard hosted Booking Engine pages, these can be added to any web page just as a regular web link (URL) and so are technically much simpler to implement than the API. Of course staff can also make bookings by logging in to TourCMS and heading to "Bookings".

Enquiries

Enquiries can be seen as an alternative to bookings rather than as an alternative to the API. Enquiries are general purpose (i.e. not necessarily product / date specific) free text entries that can be lodged against a customer record (new or existing) inside TourCMS.

Tour Operators can add enquiry forms to their website, Marketplace Partners can use the create enquiry API.

Booking creation API methods

Mandatory steps

This list is presented in the chronological order you would likely follow when creating a booking engine or programatically entering a booking into TourCMS. These don't necessarily have to be presented to the customer as separate steps/pages.

Show Tour

Not strictly a booking API call as this is also the call you will likely be using if you display the full product details to the customer. This call returns vital information for those building their own booking engines as it details the various rate types available ("Adults", "Children", "Double room" etc) plus the minimum and maximum number of customers.
Requesting a Booking Key
For use by Tour Operators only (Marketplace Partners should skip this step). Strictly speaking this is a step rather than a method. This step redirects the customer to the TourCMS server briefly so that any previous Marketplace affiliate clicks etc can be correctly tracked.
Check Tour/Hotel Availability

Check live availability for the chosen product, rates and number of customers.
Start New Booking

Create a temporary booking holding off places for the customers on the product specified.
Commit New Booking

Convert the temporary booking created with Start New Booking into a live booking.

Optional steps / other things to consider

Show Tour/Hotel Dates & Deals
If you are building a user facing booking system this could be used at the start of the process to get the possible start dates, perhaps to populate a calendar control (use the distinct_start_dates parameter).
Show Booking
Retrieve details of the newly created booking, perhaps to show some details to the customer once their booking has been completed or to send in an email if you are doing so manually rather than relying on TourCMS automated emails.
Show Channel
Retrieve information regarding the channel the Tour/Hotel is being booked with, includes the terms and conditions (which you may need to display to the customer).
Record a payment / refund
For use by Tour Operators only (not Marketplace Partners). Log details of a payment onto the sales ledger of a booking, reducing the outstanding balance.

More information

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