The 5 Most Common Mistakes Travel Businesses Make in Technology Implementations
- Adeeb Jano
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
After auditing hundreds of travel technology projects across multiple regions and markets (whether GDS integrations, booking engines, APIs, or mid/back-office solutions), I’ve noticed a consistent pattern: the challenges businesses face when adopting new systems are rarely technical! Here are the 5 most common mistakes I've noticed:
1. Treating Implementation as an IT Project Only
❌ Many travel companies make the mistake of putting the entire responsibility in the hands of IT teams. Technology in our industry highly depends on suppliers, agents, finance, marketing, and end customers.
✔ Lesson learned: Successful projects require a cross-functional approach. Commercial teams, operations, and customer support must be equally involved from the start.
2. Mistreatment of Data
❌Travel businesses often assume migrating PNRs, profiles, and historical data will be “plug and play.” In reality, differences in data formats, missing fields, and duplicate records can derail timelines.
✔ A strong data strategy, including cleaning, mapping, and validation, is as critical as the system itself.
3. Ignoring Regional & Cultural Nuances
❌ Global technology is often built centrally, but customer expectations differ dramatically between regions. For example, booking flows in the GCC differ from those in Europe, and supplier relationships vary across Asia.
✔ Global platforms need local tailoring. Without it, adoption rates drop and end users find workarounds outside the system.
4. Lack of Clear Ownership & Change Management
❌ I’ve seen companies spend millions on new booking tools, only for frontline staff to continue using old processes because no one “owned” the adoption journey.
✔ Implementation isn’t just about deployment; it’s about training, change management, and strong internal champions who drive usage.
5. Forgetting about the ROI
❌ Too often, the measure of success is “system went live.” But was the project worth it? Did it improve margins, reduce leakage, or increase booking efficiency? Without clear KPIs, businesses can’t answer this.
✔ Define measurable ROI deliverables in the beginning, and align the project plan to achieve them.
✒ Final Thought
The travel industry is evolving faster than ever. Airlines are pushing NDC, OTAs are reshaping distribution, and customers expect seamless, mobile-first journeys. Technology is central to this transformation; but only if implemented wisely.
Are you avoiding these pitfalls in your projects? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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