The verdict in three sentences
For a destination management company (DMC) working with around a hundred travel agencies, a custom B2B booking platform costs EUR 23,000 to 51,000 excluding VAT in 2026 (250,000 to 550,000 MAD on the Moroccan market we benchmarked) and ships in 4 months. It replaces quotes by email and WhatsApp with a portal where each agency sees its negotiated rates and real-time availability, then books on its own at 11 pm Paris or Brussels time. Observed result on this type of project: 3 hours of quoting removed per day and about 18% more bookings from the first season.
Custom build or off-the-shelf booking software: the comparison
Consumer booking software is designed for direct sales to travellers. B2B inbound tourism has specific needs: rate sheets per agency, allotments, commissions, monthly invoicing.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf booking software | Custom B2B platform |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 1,400 to 3,700 setup | EUR 23,000 to 51,000 |
| Recurring cost | 1 to 3% of bookings or EUR 230 to 740 per month | EUR 280 to 650 per month (hosting, maintenance) |
| Negotiated rates per agency | 3 to 5 price levels at most | Unlimited, per agency, season and product |
| Transfers with vehicles and drivers | Rarely handled | Built-in fleet scheduling |
| Monthly invoicing to agencies | Manual export | Automatic statements, multi-currency |
| Supplier connection (hotels, guides) | No | API or supplier extranet |
| Data ownership | Vendor | DMC |
Above EUR 750,000 to 900,000 of annual revenue, a 2% booking commission exceeds the maintenance cost of a custom platform. That is usually the point where custom becomes the rational choice.
Features and budget per work package
| Work package | Content | Budget excl. VAT | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and mock-ups | Agency journey, back office, mock-ups in 2 languages | EUR 2,300 to 4,200 | 3 weeks |
| Catalogue and availability | Tours, transfers, slots, allotments | EUR 5,600 to 12,000 | 5 weeks |
| Negotiated rates engine | Rate sheets per agency, season, group size | EUR 4,600 to 10,200 | 4 weeks |
| Agency portal | Booking, PDF vouchers, history | EUR 3,700 to 8,300 | 3 weeks |
| Fleet and guide scheduling | Vehicle, driver and guide assignment | EUR 3,200 to 7,900 | 3 weeks |
| Invoicing and payment | Monthly statements, card payment, multi-currency | EUR 2,800 to 6,500 | 2 weeks |
| Testing and go-live | Acceptance with 5 pilot agencies | EUR 900 to 1,900 | 2 weeks |
The negotiated rates engine is where the complexity lies: the same Sintra day trip can have 120 different prices depending on agency, season and group size. It is also what removes the 3 daily hours of quoting.
Mini case study
Ricardo, managing director of a DMC in Lisbon (14 staff, 120 partner agencies in France, Belgium and Spain, EUR 830,000 revenue), sees his sales team spend 3 hours a day preparing quotes. Over 22 working days, at EUR 8 per loaded hour on the benchmarked market, that is EUR 520 a month, or EUR 6,200 a year.
He invests EUR 39,000 in a platform delivered in 4 months. Agencies now book on their own, including evenings and weekends: bookings rise by 18%, i.e. EUR 150,000 of extra revenue. At a 22% margin, the gain reaches EUR 33,000 a year. Adding the quoting time saved and subtracting EUR 5,500 of annual maintenance, the net gain is about EUR 33,700 a year. Payback: 14 months.
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FAQ
Can agencies pay in their own currency?
Yes, the platform invoices in EUR or other currencies and collects by card or SEPA transfer. Allow 1.5 to 2.9% fees per card payment depending on the provider.
Can we manage allotments from partner hotels?
Yes, through a supplier extranet where each hotel updates its available rooms. This module adds EUR 2,800 to 5,600 to the budget.
Can the platform connect to large agencies' systems?
Yes through a documented API, useful for the 10 to 15% of agencies that run their own tool. Plan EUR 3,700 to 7,400 for a public API.
Where should the data be hosted?
GDPR applies to the personal data of travellers and agency staff. EU hosting is the standard choice, for EUR 140 to 370 a month.
How long until agencies adopt the platform?
With 5 pilot agencies followed by an onboarding campaign, 60 to 70% of active agencies book online after 3 months. The rest keep using email, entered by the team into the same tool.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your products, number of partner agencies and pricing rules: we will price the platform package by package with a 4-month schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
