“Talent can come from anywhere.” The Cairns business helping to deliver world first platform to boost tourism sector

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Cairns tech company, ResPax, has partnered with Silicon Valley software giant, SugarCRM, to deliver a world-first platform it says could turbocharge post-pandemic tourism.

It’s described as the first fully integrated customer relationship management (CRM) and tour booking platform for the travel and tourism industry.

SugarCRM CEO, Craig Charlton, said the new platform will help the tourism industry bounce back after a tough time.

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“We’re making the hard things easier for tour operators and their guests by streamlining processes and engagement to help the tourism industry rebuild and embrace a period of new growth.

“We are pleased to partner with ResPax, to deliver a purpose-built solution to help tourism operators make the most of every interaction to rebound following years of pandemic lockdowns.”

Respax has been developing reservation software for tourism operators since 1999. Millions of travellers a year use its platforms to book with small local operators and big multinationals.

CEO, Tony Bridgewater, said integrating CRM and bookings is a holistic approach that will drive tourism industry growth.

“We were looking for enablement for our operators, to make sure they can go into the next generation of booking platforms.

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“Tour operators can revolutionise the guest experience and build stronger, more profitable relationships.”

SugarCRM was one of the pioneers of customer relationship management technology and is now among the top three companies in a huge global industry.

Innisfail-born Tony Bridgewater got their attention through connections he made working in Silicon Valley in the 1990s.

“I worked at some big global companies in strategic positions with multiple start-ups, and then I was poached by Microsoft to be a product manager.

“Sometimes it helps to know people, so I reached out to my contacts and put forward what we could do together, and they said that sounds very interesting.

“SugarCRM was a natural fit, they’re innovators, they’ve got great technology, and we’re innovators in our field.

“It was the foresight of those leaders that said there’s this great company in this little town called Cairns in Australia that can meet world demand.

“Talent can come from anywhere.”