DMC software
Destination management system for DMCs that cost, sell and run ground services
A destination management system is the software a DMC uses to cost group programmes, hold supplier contracts and sell ground services to agents. PHPTRAVELS keeps transfers, excursions, hotels, guides and meals in one costing sheet, then turns it into a quote, a booking and an invoice.
- Group costing sheets
- Direct supplier contracts
- Agent portal and API
- Multi-currency invoices
Ground-services costing
Cost a five-day group programme line by line
Every service in a group file has a day, a supplier, a net cost and a margin. Change the group size and watch the price per person move: coaches and guides are paid per group, rooms and tickets per person.
| Day | Service | Supplier | Net cost | Margin | Sell | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival transfer, IST airport to hotelPer group · 420 | Coach partner, 46 seats | 420 | 15% | 483 | 483 |
| Old City hotel, 2 nights, twin share, breakfastPer person · 140 | Boutique hotel, Sultanahmet | 3,360 | 12% | 3,763 | 4,246 | |
| Day 2 | Full-day Old City guide, EnglishPer group · 180 | Licensed guide | 180 | 15% | 207 | 4,453 |
| Palace and museum entrancesPer person · 45 | Museum ticket office | 1,080 | 8% | 1,166 | 5,619 | |
| Bosphorus dinner cruisePer person · 55 | Cruise operator | 1,320 | 20% | 1,584 | 7,203 | |
| Day 3 | Kayseri airport to Cappadocia transferPer group · 380 | Transfer partner, Kayseri | 380 | 15% | 437 | 7,640 |
| Cave hotel, 2 nights, half boardPer person · 160 | Cave hotel, Göreme | 3,840 | 12% | 4,301 | 11,941 | |
| Day 4 | Sunrise balloon flightPer person · 210 | Balloon operator | 5,040 | 10% | 5,544 | 17,485 |
| Valleys excursion with coach and guidePer group · 520 | Excursion partner | 520 | 18% | 614 | 18,099 | |
| Set lunch in AvanosPer person · 18 | Local restaurant | 432 | 25% | 540 | 18,639 | |
| Day 5 | Departure transfer to Kayseri airportPer group · 220 | Transfer partner, Kayseri | 220 | 15% | 253 | 18,892 |
- Total net cost
- USD16,792
- Total sell
- USD18,892
- Gross profit
- USD2,100
- Price per person
- USD788
Sample screen. Supplier names, rates and margins are illustrative.
- Group costs split, person costs scale
- A coach costs the same for 16 or 32 guests, so a bigger group lowers the price per person. Rooms, tickets and meals grow with every guest.
- A margin on every line
- Set a different margin per service. Hotels often carry less than excursions, and the sheet shows the profit before you send the quote.
- Flights stay outside
- Most DMCs sell land only. Domestic or international flights can be added from the flights module when an agent asks for them.
Services and suppliers
Five ground services, three ways to source them
A DMC rarely buys every service the same way. Hotels may come from your own contracts or a wholesaler, while guides and meals are almost always local agreements. The system keeps each source next to the others.
| Service | Priced per | Direct contract | Supplier extranet | XML or API supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfers | Vehicle, per transfer or per hour | Rates by vehicle type and zone | The partner updates its own rates | Live transfer content from connected suppliers |
| Excursions | Person, with child and group rates | Seasons, departures and child rates | The partner manages its own availability | Tours and tickets from activity suppliers |
| Hotels | Room per night, by season and board | Seasons, allotments, policies and stop-sales | The hotel updates rates and offers | Wholesaler rooms fill the dates you have not contracted |
| Guides | Day or half day, by language | Day rates added as a service line | Not used for this service | Not used for this service |
| Meals | Cover, by menu | Menu prices added as a service line | Not used for this service | Not used for this service |
Related:Airport transfer technologyTours & activitiesTravel XML API suppliers list
Definition
What a destination management system does
A destination management company, or DMC, is the local partner that runs a trip on the ground. Foreign tour operators and travel agents send it groups and individual travellers, and the DMC books the hotels, meets the flights, hires the coaches and guides, and makes sure every service happens on the right day.
A destination management system is the software behind that work. It stores what you have negotiated with local suppliers, adds content from wholesalers, builds the costing for each enquiry and keeps the file up to date until the last transfer is paid. Without one, the same rate is typed into a spreadsheet, a quote, an email and an invoice, and each copy can drift.
In PHPTRAVELS the same installation runs your contracts, your quotations and your sales channels. Agents can book from a B2B portal, direct guests from your website, and partners from your own API.
- Used by
- Inbound DMCs, ground handlers, tour operators and event agencies
- Holds
- Supplier contracts, seasons, allotments, policies and offers
- Builds
- Costing sheets, quotations, packages and fixed departures
- Sells to
- Foreign agents, tour operators, corporates and direct guests
- Issues
- Vouchers, tour plans, service orders and invoices
- In PHPTRAVELS
- Self-hosted, source code included, one-time licence
Workflow
From agent enquiry to supplier payment
A group file passes through sales, operations and finance. Each step works on the same record, so nobody re-keys a rate or a name.
Sales
- 01EnquiryAn agent sends dates, group size and wishes. The enquiry is logged and allocated to a team member.
- 02CostingThe consultant builds the programme day by day and picks a supplier and margin for every service.
- 03QuotationThe costing becomes a quotation in the agent's currency, with a price per person and the inclusions listed.
Operations
- 04ConfirmationWhen the agent accepts, the quotation turns into a booking and the services are requested from each supplier.
- 05Rooming and namesNames, room types and special needs arrive from the agent and are attached to the booking.
- 06Vouchers and tour planVouchers go to suppliers and a day-by-day tour plan goes to the agent and the guide.
Finance
- 07Invoice and paymentThe agent receives an invoice, and payments are recorded against the file.
- 08Supplier settlementWhat you owe each supplier sits beside what the agent paid, so the real profit of the file is clear.
Pricing rules
One net rate, a different price for every channel
You contract a service once. Markup rules then decide what each buyer sees, so a partner agent, a direct guest and an API partner each get their own price from the same net cost.
Rules you can set
- Per supplier, service, destination, agent or channel
- As a fixed amount or a percentage
- Seasonal rates and offers from the contract
- Automatic conversion to the buyer's currency
- Taxes applied on every invoice
Valleys excursion, per person
Sample screen. Rates and markups are illustrative.
Compare approaches
Spreadsheets and email, or a destination management system
Many DMCs start with spreadsheets, and they work for a few files a month. They start to fail when several people quote at once.
Spreadsheet and email
Destination management system
- Spreadsheet and emailRates are copied from contract files into each new quoteDestination management systemRates are loaded once and used by every quote
- Spreadsheet and emailAllotment is checked by emailing the hotelDestination management systemAllotments and stop-sales sit in the contract
- Spreadsheet and emailSeveral versions of a quote travel by emailDestination management systemOne file holds the quote, the booking and its history
- Spreadsheet and emailVouchers and invoices are typed by handDestination management systemVouchers and invoices are generated from the booking
- Spreadsheet and emailAgents wait for a reply to see a priceDestination management systemAgents price and book themselves on the B2B portal
- Spreadsheet and emailProfit per file is known after the season endsDestination management systemProfit per file is visible before you confirm
Getting started
What to prepare before you move your DMC
The move is mostly about data you already have. Gather these and the setup goes quickly.
- Your supplier contractsHotel, transfer and excursion rates with seasons and policies. Excel files can be bulk uploaded.
- Supplier accountsCredentials for any wholesalers or activity suppliers you want to connect.
- Your markup policyMargins per service type and channel, and any agent-specific rates.
- Your agent listPartner agents with their currency, credit terms and contact person.
- Document templatesYour logo and wording for vouchers, tour plans and invoices.
- Team and rolesWho receives enquiries, who costs them and who confirms with suppliers.
FAQ
Destination management system questions
What DMCs ask before moving costing, contracts and sales into one system.
Talk to salesIt is the software a destination management company uses to run its business: supplier contracts, costing of group and individual programmes, quotations, bookings, vouchers, invoices and supplier payments, all on one record per file.
Yes, the two names describe the same kind of system. Destination management system names the platform, and DMC software names who uses it.
Each service is a line with a day, a supplier, a net cost and a margin. Services priced per group, such as coaches and guides, are divided across the guests, and services priced per person are multiplied by the group size. The sheet shows total sell, profit and price per person.
Yes. Direct contracts and connected XML or API suppliers appear side by side, so you can use your own rate where you have one and fill the gaps from a wholesaler.
Yes. Partner agents get a B2B portal with their own rates and currency, and larger partners can connect to your inventory through your own API.
Yes. Rates, quotations and invoices convert between currencies automatically, and taxes are applied by your rules.
Licences start as a one-time payment, with the source code included. Hosting and any supplier contracts are your own. The pricing page compares the plans.
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