{"id":613846,"date":"2026-02-08T18:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T02:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/blog\/post\/automation-and-cx-integrations-help-transform-travel-management"},"modified":"2026-02-08T18:32:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T02:32:53","slug":"automation-and-cx-integrations-help-transform-travel-management","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/blog\/post\/automation-and-cx-integrations-help-transform-travel-management","title":{"rendered":"Automation and CX Integrations Help Transform Travel Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]It\u2019s 7:30 AM in Chicago, and a storm has grounded flights across the Midwest. Business travellers are stranded; meetings are at risk of being cancelled; and airline call centres are flooded with customer queries. For companies that rely on corporate travel management firms, this is the moment of truth. <\/span><\/p>\n

At Acendas Travel, part of the BCD Travel network, automation has become essential to meeting rising traveller expectations. Whether it\u2019s a routine booking to Los Angeles or a last-minute re-route during a weather crisis, customers demand fast, personalised support<\/a>. And increasingly, it\u2019s customer experience (CX) technology, not just manpower, that makes that possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Acendas sees automation through CX technology as the key to resilience, providing the agility to navigate airline IT issues, weather disruptions and even the challenges of a shrinking travel agent workforce. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always taken pride in providing high-touch service, but we had to find a way to make bookings faster and more efficient,\u201d said Dan DeSive, Director of IT\/Telecom at Acendas. \u201cAutomation allows us to do that without sacrificing quality.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Delivering consistently high-quality service is especially important for Acendas because its service delivery is integral to its corporate customers\u2019 employee experience. \u201cThis really is about serving the client\u2019s customer,\u201d Vince Fulgenzi, CEO of implementation partner Vitec. \u201cIt\u2019s about helping those business travellers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But Acendas was struggling with a legacy system that didn\u2019t offer visibility into performance or the flexibility needed in an increasingly digital, unpredictable travel environment. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Elevating Customer Experience to New Heights<\/span><\/h2>\n

Acendas aimed to use CX automation in new and creative ways to elevate service levels while also improving the employee experience. Travellers would receive faster, more accurate responses, and agents would be freed to focus on the moments when human reassurance and expertise matter most. The journey began with implementing a cloud-based CX platform.
\n<\/span>
\nWhen Acendas first evaluated CX technology options, the Genesys Cloud\u2122 platform<\/a> stood out as the optimal choice for its scalability, openness and responsiveness. DeSive points to the platform\u2019s open APIs and deep analytics as game changers \u2014 enabling the company to complement the platform\u2019s functionality with solutions from the Genesys AppFoundry\u00ae<\/sup> Marketplace<\/a> and elsewhere. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGenesys is such an open platform,\u201d said DeSive. \u201cIt allows us to connect to third-party systems, collect data in real time, and use that information to personalise and speed up service. That\u2019s been huge for us.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond scalability, Genesys Cloud provides access to robust analytics that inform decision-making and enable continuous improvement. By pairing Genesys Cloud with tools like PureInsights<\/a>, an AppFoundry partner, the Acendas team can explore interaction data, combining it with information from external booking systems to build a fuller picture of the traveller’s experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

These insights not only drive efficiency projects like email automation, but also help Acendas anticipate customer needs, balance agent workloads and continually refine the quality of service. <\/span><\/p>\n

Before moving to Genesys Cloud, for example, the company measured its performance primarily by transaction volume, with little visibility into factors like handle time or agent utilisation. Now, Acendas can track detailed metrics across every interaction \u2014 data that revealed a 24-minute average handle time for email bookings and justified investment in automation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Much of that handle time came from back-and-forth exchanges: A traveller might request \u201ca trip to LA next week,\u201d leaving agents to chase missing details about departure airports, hotels or rental cars. <\/span><\/p>\n

Acendas reimagined this process using third-party AI vendors in the Genesys AppFoundry<\/a>. The system now scans incoming emails, extracts key details and generates smart follow-ups when information is missing. It can also tap into historical booking data and traveller profiles to suggest personalised options. <\/span><\/p>\n

Travellers receive tailored itineraries within minutes \u2014 often cutting booking times to just 12 minutes \u2014 before agents step in for a final review. This allows for a faster, smoother experience that encourages quicker traveller responses. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to bring solutions to the table that require less agent touch,\u201d said DeSive. \u201cLike many companies, we want to book more transactions more quickly and accurately without having to grow headcount.\u201d <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Balancing Automation and Human Touch <\/span><\/h2>\n

Critically, automation hasn\u2019t replaced Acendas travel agents<\/a>. Instead, it has amplified their value. <\/span>
\nImplementing Genesys Cloud has allowed the travel management company to use AI-powered capabilities to handle repetitive tasks like information-gathering and option generation, freeing agents to focus on complex needs or distressed travellers. <\/span><\/p>\n

This balance ensures that travellers never feel like they\u2019re at the mercy of a machine. Instead, they get faster responses to simple queries without losing the empathy and expertise of a seasoned travel professional for their more complex travel needs. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to provide a better experience than travellers would get waiting on hold with an airline for 45 minutes,\u201d said DeSive. \u201cAutomation helps us get there, but the human element is still essential.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The push toward automation is also a response to workforce realities. Many experienced travel agents have been in the industry for decades, navigating complex global distribution systems that resemble old mainframes. Training younger workers on those systems has proven difficult. <\/span><\/p>\n

As older agents retire, the talent pool shrinks. This creates urgency for automation to fill the gap. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got agents moving out of the workforce and there\u2019s nobody coming in to replace them,\u201d added Fulgenzi. \u201cThat unique skillset is tied to systems that new hires just aren\u2019t interested in learning.\u201d <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

The Future of Travel Management <\/span><\/h2>\n

Looking ahead, Acendas sees automation as central to its long-term success in delivering outstanding experiences. Whether it\u2019s navigating weather disruptions, responding to airline IT meltdowns or adapting to a shrinking workforce, automation provides the agility needed to meet modern demands. <\/span>
\nDeSive is also watching closely as Genesys rolls out new AI-driven capabilities<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s always a new wave of innovation coming from Genesys to consider,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re a small shop trying to do more with less. Genesys helps us accomplish that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The goal is clear: Empower agents, speed up transactions and deliver a service experience that\u2019s better than anything travellers could achieve on their own. In an industry often defined by uncertainty, CX automation has become an asset Acendas can count on. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read the 2026 Buyer\u2019s Guide for AI and CX<\/a> to see how you can evolve your customer experience with AI-powered technologies.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]It\u2019s 7:30 AM in Chicago, and a storm has grounded flights across the Midwest. Business travellers are stranded; meetings are at risk of being cancelled; and airline call centres are flooded with customer queries. For companies that rely on corporate travel management firms, this is the moment of truth. At Acendas Travel, part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":880,"featured_media":610024,"template":"","tax_priority":[55],"tax_blogtype":[17756],"tax_blogcategory":[15928,15990,17554],"tax_contenttheme":[14902],"tax_bundle":[],"tax_contenttheme2":[16156],"tax_capability_sitewide":[16201,16256,16445],"tax_products_programs":[16477,17548],"tax_buying_job":[16738],"tax_buyer_persona":[16887,16919],"tax_sector":[],"tax_segment":[17079,17104,17125],"class_list":["post-613846","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tax_priority-55","tax_blogtype-genesys-en-sg","tax_blogcategory-ai-and-machine-learning-en-sg","tax_blogcategory-customer-highlights-en-sg","tax_blogcategory-workforce-engagement-en-sg","tax_contenttheme-improve-customer-experience-en-sg","tax_contenttheme2-improve-employee-experience-en-sg","tax_capability_sitewide-ai-and-automation-en-sg","tax_capability_sitewide-digital-en-sg","tax_capability_sitewide-wem-en-sg","tax_products_programs-genesys-ai-en-sg","tax_products_programs-genesys-cloud-cx-en-sg","tax_buying_job-job-5-validation-en-sg","tax_buyer_persona-business-en-sg","tax_buyer_persona-technical-en-sg","tax_segment-enterprise-en-sg","tax_segment-midsized-en-sg","tax_segment-smb-en-sg","tax_content_type-blog-en-sg"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/613846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/880"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/613846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":613848,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/613846\/revisions\/613848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/610024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"tax_priority","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_priority?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_blogtype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_blogtype?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_blogcategory","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_blogcategory?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_contenttheme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_contenttheme?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_bundle","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_bundle?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_contenttheme2","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_contenttheme2?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_capability_sitewide","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_capability_sitewide?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_products_programs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_products_programs?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_buying_job","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_buying_job?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_buyer_persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_buyer_persona?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_sector","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_sector?post=613846"},{"taxonomy":"tax_segment","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genesys.com\/en-sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tax_segment?post=613846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}