Rezdy Channel Manager: Wendella Tours and Cruises case study

About Wendella Tours & Cruises

Founded in 1935, Wendella Tours & Cruises is the original provider of architecture tours in Chicago. With a rich heritage and decades of experience, they offer an unparalleled experience for customers looking to explore the city’s stunning architectural wonders and scenic waterfront. Wendella’s world-class fleet of passenger vessels ensures both comfort and style.

Guests booking a tour can expect an immersive journey that combines educational insights, breathtaking views, and top-notch service. Wendella’s knowledgeable guides breathe life into Chicago’s architectural history, while the picturesque cruise routes along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan offer a unique vantage point to admire the city’s skyline.

Wendella cruise

The Problem

Wendella, like many other tour operators, wanted to expand their reach across multiple reseller channels to saturate the market and increase bookings but didn’t have the time or resources to effectively connect or manage connections independently. Andrew Sargis, Chief of Operations, shares, “We were not using channel management, so every OTA needed to be directly compatible with our ticketing software. This severely limited our reseller options.”

Some key points of frustration faced by Wendella prior to Rezdy Channel Manager:

Cumbersome management: Managing direct connections across multiple resellers was labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Content & schedule consistency: Updating content and schedules across various platforms posed challenges, especially during peak seasons.
Quality control: Maintaining quality control when presenting products across different sites and resellers was a concern.

Wendella’s reseller options remained limited, hindering their ability to compete in various marketplaces. Realizing this would result in excess inventory and a slower recovery post Covid, Wendella sought out a solution.

“Prior to using Rezdy, it was too cumbersome to manage direct connections with several resellers and OTAs. Changes to content and schedule meant updating several different platforms and ensuring consistency, which was problematic especially in the peak summer season. Rezdy's central management has been instrumental in ensuring quality control across several different sites and resellers”

Andrew Sargis

Chief of Operations for Wendella

The solution

After several reputable referrals, Wendella chose to partner with Rezdy and has experienced significant benefits. Andrew shared “Our channel management with Rezdy is a major contributor to our recovery. We are now merchandising products on several ideal online marketplaces, and have become more competitive. Our products sell very well, and our OTA partners have begun marketing and pushing our products in their own ad campaigns through search engines and social media. This has greatly amplified our digital marketing reach and frequency.”

"Rezdy Channel Manager is a major contributor to our recovery. We expanded from 2 OTAs to 6 OTAs once we began working with Rezdy and sales are up 89% from 2020."

The impact

Since using Rezdy Channel Manager, Wendella has witnessed a substantial upswing in business operations. This growth is attributed to the platforms’s multifaceted capabilities, which have allowed Wendella to not only manage but thrive in their relationships with numerous resellers.

With Rezdy’s robust Channel Manager, Wendella has been able to streamline the often complex process of handling multiple reseller connections. This newfound ease in management has translated into several tangible benefits including increased market reach, operation efficiency, quality control, marketing amplification and revenue growth. “In 2021 through August, OTA sales increased by 89% compared to 2020. This growth came as a result of expanding from two OTAs prior to Rezdy to six OTAs after partnering with Rezdy” says Andrew.

This growth post-Rezdy Channel Manager has not only met but exceeded Wendella’s expectations. It underscores the importance of leveraging technology and strategic partnerships to thrive in the evolving landscape of the Experience Industry. Wendella’s success story serves as a testament to the significant impact that effective channel management can have on a business’s growth and competitiveness.

Rezdy has been awarded winner of the “Overall TravelTech Innovation Of The Year” award for it’s progressive Channel Manager distribution platform. Read more here.

If you’re searching for a solution to effortlessly connect with resellers, streamline operations, and boost your bookings, Rezdy Channel Manager has a solution for you, regardless of your booking system or size of business. Book a demo today and find out how Rezdy Channel Manager can help your business grow.