The technology that underpins The Tourism Open Partnership is eviivo's property management system (frontdesk). However, frontdesk is part of a wider technology platform - the National Tourism Open Platform.
The National Tourism Open Platform (NTOP) is predominantly a 'search and referral' system. The system searches a database of tourism product records - the widest range of hotels, B&Bs and Guesthouses in the UK - and presents these properties with availability and pricing to the end customer.
DMOs licence this technology and embed it into their websites because it is highly configurable, customisable and is a leading-edge search system for accommodation (as well as events, attractions and activities) which returns availability from multiple booking engines in real-time.
This allows local tourism businesses to have their pricing, availability and booking systems to be integrated into DMO websites seamlessly - and because the platform is open, any booking system can be integrated and plugged into it.
Up to September 2011, VisitBritain funded and operated part of the platform. However, the core components were always built and operated by eviivo. Since VisitBritain's support of the platform has been withdrawn, eviivo continues to invest in and operate the entire platform.
EXAMPLES OF NTOP IN ACTION:
- The AA's Hotel & BB Search
- Visit Wales Acommodation, Events, Attractions and Activities Search
- The Cotswolds' Accommodation, Events and Attractions Search
- Yorkshire's Accommodation, Events and Attractions Search (via XML API)
- South West Coast Path Accommodation Search
The diagram below gives a logical indication of how DMOs and tourism websites use the search platform and integrate the search into their own websites, either as a white label or using a set of JSON or XML APIs.
For licencing enquiries and to find out more, please email Ian Hardwick, NTOP Partnerships Manager.
