Travelers to Queensland have the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking views of majestic humpback whales in their natural habitat when they tour Hervey Bay with Freedom Whale Watch.Sue Reid, owner and operator of this tour and activity company, provides her customers with morning tea, a buffet lunch and tropical treats while they experience nature’s beauty at its finest.As a new company, she was heavily reliant upon agents and other local distributors to grow her business.She knew she had to increase her direct bookings in order to grow in the way that she wanted, and this is how she moved her business forward.1. Recognize the need for an online presenceSue’s business was already popular, given the type of tour and activity that she offered.But she wanted to expand her business and increase her reach to a larger audience, which is why she focused on developing an online presence.She began the process by setting up a TripAdvisor profile and investing in search engine optimization.Since more people recognized her business and became interested in booking her tours, she also knew she had to offer online booking for her customers.“Our booking system was allowing us to take online bookings from several destination websites, but I wasn’t getting that many bookings from it.”2. Look for a booking system with a fair pricing structureMany of the online booking systems available for tour and activity providers offer a commission-based structure, which can increase online bookings but will have a detrimental impact on the cash flow of the business.Sue recognized that the online booking system she had was not allowing her to increase her revenue and grow her business.“The commission rates of our previous booking system were a killer for our cash flow. I’m happy with the way Rezdy’s pricing works.”Rezdy’s simple and affordable payment plan encouraged Sue to begin her free trial, and she quickly realized that it was the best booking system for Freedom Whale Watch.3. Implement the chosen booking softwareRezdy not only offered the pricing structure that she wanted for her online booking system, but it also was easy to implement. By using it regularly, she was able to easily understand the program and help train her staff members as well.“Since we’ve put Rezdy in, I’ve definitely seen an increase in both direct and agent bookings, and I’m not as reliant on my agents for bookings.”The online booking system also provides Sue with an overview of her business, allowing her to easily access manifests for each day, evaluate the calendar and understand where all of her bookings have generated from. In addition, she enjoys that there are always new and improved features available.“It’s good to see that Rezdy’s software is always being improved.”Your tour and activity company can benefit from the Rezdy online booking system as well.This system offers live availability and resource management, and it allows you to manage bookings online from direct customers as well as distributors.To begin growing your business and increasing your revenue, start your free trial of Rezdy today.