FAQ
1. What is the IX-key solution?
The IX-key is a booking portal which can be added to your own homepage, enabling your customers to mix your product with other services. You can promote your products with local interest, culture, heritage, special events or points of interest and package rooms with flights, excursions, transfers or your own special promotions around a country branding process.
2. What are the benefits?
The IX-key web solution is a tool which allows you to tailor your services with other content relevant to your destination and product. You will benefit from following features:
• Drive more business through your own portal with your own dynamic packaging tool
• Take back control of your distribution channels
• Combine your hotel’s products with flights from anywhere to your destination
• Sell at prices you dictate on your own site
• Market packages and promotions direct to consumers
• Become the destination concierge with your service as core
• No charge for bookings by IX-key, regardless of volume
• All optimized for online search engines
• Be in charge of your portal content online
• Image archiving
• Multi currency bookings
• Monitor and track the visitors and their surfing behaviour on every page of your dynamic website
3. What is IX-editor?
With your registration confirmation you will receive the login data to the IX-editor, a content management system enabling you personalise your IX Interactive Travel Planner from a selection of templates provided. You can upload your logo and banners, edit descriptions, content and add unlimited packages, partners, promotions and images.
4. How will I know how to use the IX-editor?
The IX-editor is easy to use, and you will receive an online guide on how to manage changes. You can either download or print the guide or just open the information boxes while you are working in the system
5. What must I do to join?
All you need to do is fill in the registration form and subscribe, and you will receive your login data by e-mail
6. What is the cost to join?
The cost for IX services has been kept low through sponsorship in order to insure as much grass roots collaboration as possible and based on low annual subscription fees regardless of volume of bookings made all of which are delivered free of commission. This is the first FAIR TRADE tourism network in the world and not for profit network.
7. Who can I contact if I have problems?
You can reach us at IX Tourism
E-mail: newsmaster@ix-tourism.com
8. How secure is the IX-key system?
The IX-key system is based on proven robust xml technology that has been used by various tour operators and tailored specifically for the IX-key dynamic and fully interactive engine. The system derives from and has been successfully used for thousands of hotels. All online bookings are secured with PAYPAL and provide users with a safe credit card processing environment as well as protection of the consumer’s private details.
9. What security is behind Tourism Exchange Networks?
IXeo is a certified IATA Electronic Reservation Service Provider (ERSP Code 02-4 0798 5) and guarantees that all airline ticketing through the system will be under full IATA regulations and conditions using at all times only certified IATA travel agencies.
10. Relationship partners involved?
Subscribers may add their own partners and affiliates at a local level in support of their core product and earn additional revenue directly.
11. When does TEN Interactive Travel become involved in the booking?
TEN is only involved as a facilitator providing consumers with access gateways to your product for direct bookings.
12. What happens if we want to update our web site with another dynamic provider?
All engines and systems are owned and operated by Tourism Exchange Networks.
13. Can I also add local destination content in addition to what IX-key provides?
Yes, you can add local content and other information via the IX-editor.
14. Is there any other license fee or costs related to destinations that we should be aware of?
All licence fees as well as destination and event content are included in the quoted price. There are no extra costs.
15. Where does the destination content come from and who updates and maintains this?
The destination content is provided by Tourism Exchange Networks and uses open content such as Wikipedia., while the event content is provided by suppliers at each destination point.
16. Why is it important for a hotel to provide dynamic packaging for consumers?
Dynamic packaging allows hotels to take back control of their allotments and prices and offer attractive ‘side products’ in combination with their own services. While an airline will offer their flight product to your destination, featuring your hotel along with many others, you may offer your hotel rooms featuring all possible airlines which fly to your destination.
17. Is it also possible to have the IX-key booking engine embedded within our site or have a home page that is delivered entirely by IX-key?
Yes, an embedded version as well as a complete white label solution is possible.
For further information and prices please contact newsmaster@ix-tourism.com.
18. Does this also apply to a group or a brand of hotels?
Yes, a multiple hotel solution, i.e. a version for brands are in development.
For further information and prices please contact newsmaster@ix-tourism.com
19. Are there additional charges for web enhancements or a tailored template?
For the standard version there are no additional costs. If you require an individualised/tailored version the costs are subject to development. For further information and prices please contact newsmaster@ix-tourism.com.
20. How does the tracking and reporting work?
After subscription you will receive the login data as well as the link to the IX-statistics login page. You will not only be able to view statistics on number of visitors, their country or areas of origin but also survey the visitor paths of individual visitors, i.e. how they navigate your site, as well as view the overall statistics – a highly valuable tool for defining future or analysing current online marketing campaigns!
21. Who is responsible for packaged bookings if something goes wrong?
Tourism Exchange Networks will handle all customer issues on overall packaging and for hotel specific questions the hotel is responsible.
22. Is the hotel responsible for any liability?
You are liable only for any of your hotel’s services or products
23. Why should a hotel enhance their own portal to provide live bookings?
There are many reasons: along with the above listed benefits you will be more flexible in the market, you will be able to sell rooms without paying commissions and be more competitive in the market. You will be more attractive to customers who like all services in one booking process and be able to provide a complete product choice of services around your hotel.
24. What is the move in buying habits through online bookings?
There is an explosion on movement in online travel bookings worldwide. Consumers increasingly want to have the ease of purchasing all services on one trustworthy website – all in one booking process. Especially in destinations they haven’t visited before they want to rely on the hotel as a reference.
25. How flexible can a hotel be with adding packages and special offers?
Very flexible! You may describe new packages referring to the corresponding uploaded rate codes at any time in IX-editor. Changes are visible live immediately.
26. If we earn advertising from partners we add into the system can we keep this income 100%?
Yes, all advertising space you provide to your partners is to your own benefit and subject to your negotiation. You may finance the annual fees solely by providing this space to your partners.
27. What should we do when customers asks us about their flight bookings or other services?
They will already have a purchased ticket and service connection through to the airline direct and your concierge may handle the query in the normal manner to the local airline office at your destination.
28. Can we share this dynamic packing link to our partners? Can our partners use the link on their site to generate more bookings?
After registration you will receive your link (URL) to your personalised portal. This URL must be posted at least once on your website, but can also be placed on as many external websites as you wish. The more links are placed the more traffic you may generate on your booking portal. You only need one link.
29. What is the IX-concierge?
The IX-concierge is a uniquely designed filtering & wizard system, always at the customer’s service. It is a tool designed to help online dynamic bundling of different products. The IX-concierge works in the background as consumers browse the database and start making their choices.
Dynamic content interacts seamlessly in the system. Bundling means literally packaging components of a trip or vacation around what it is the customer really wants. This enables customers to select their preferred flight to the airport closest to your destination, staying at your hotel at a preferred time for a preferred price. In addition, they can then add other services provided.
No matter what service or information the consumer selects, the intuitive concierge will offer all available corresponding services and products, which can also be saved to the travel planner in the MyPlans section
30. What forms of payment are possible through the IX-key product?
Payment is based on an annual subscription of only €249 due to sponsorship in support of Africa and as a none profit network.
31. Which credit cards are accepted?
PayPal accept many different credit cards in a secure zone used by over 27million users globally.
32. When will the credit card be charged?
On registration.
33. Where can I subscribe for the IX interactive country and hotel KEY product?
On www.IX-tourism.com you can first subscribe under “Sign up” based on a renewable 12 month subscription.
34. Is it possible to change my log-in name?
To change your log-in name please contact us at:
E-mail: newsmaster@ix-tourism.com
35. Does IX-key help to promote my services?
Yes, with the IX-key solution you can immediately add numerous features to your website enabling customers to create bespoke packages around your property. You can promote your services and products much more effectively due to new features including flights, excursions, transfers, local interest, culture, heritage, special events or points of interest. In addition, you have the unique opportunity to create special promotion packages for your hotel based on season, local events, special days etc. By branding your IX-key pages with special colours, buttons, your logo, banners and pictures you have a new attractive area representing and promoting your property.
