TravelPlugin integration with the HubSpot CRM system

CASE STUDY

Simplify your travel bookings with seamless TravelPlugin integration in HubSpot CRM

For whom

Destin

Expertise

HubSpot development, Integrations

The challenge

Five unique travel specialists form the heart of Destin Travel Group: Aircruise Collection, Friendship Riviercruises, Hannick Muziekreizen, Incento Treinreizen, and Robinson Zeecruises. These travel architects tirelessly explore the most enchanting destinations, culinary highlights, and stylish accommodations.

In January 2022, Destin Travel Group launched their stunning new website on the HubSpot CMS, crafted by Bright Digital. Additionally, Destin Travel Group actively embraced HubSpot's CRM system for all their marketing endeavors. Alongside HubSpot, Destin Travel Group utilizes TravelPlugin, the ERP application tailored for the travel industry. To fully harness HubSpot's potential, Destin Travel Group insisted on seamless integration of information from TravelPlugin into the HubSpot CRM system. Within TravelPlugin, Destin Travel Group manages all relationships, offerings, inquiries, and bookings.

The solution

To ensure that the data would always be available and correct, we initiated a technical design process. This technical design was developed in collaboration with TravelPlugin since it was possible to receive data within TravelPlugin, but not to send data to an external platform (such as HubSpot). For this integration, TravelPlugin also had to develop a custom API.

Starting from a data model, a 'mapping' was created between all objects and fields in TravelPlugin and the objects and properties in HubSpot. This data model served as a blueprint to determine which information needed to be exchanged between the two systems. Subsequently, we detailed how the integration should work. This outline focused on when data needed to be sent, which platform should be the 'source of truth,' and how the integration would function for Destin Travel Group, ensuring that Destin Travel Group did not have to work for the integration, but rather the integration worked for them.

In the technical design, the decision was made to store all bookings as deals in HubSpot. This allows for effective segmentation within HubSpot based on destination, the number of booked trips, contact interests, and all other information from TravelPlugin. Additionally, Destin Travel Group can view the ROI within HubSpot, providing them with precise insights into the revenue generated by an advertisement or campaign.

Ultimately, we delivered an integration that stores real-time data from TravelPlugin in HubSpot. Whenever Destin Travel Group creates or edits a contact or booking, this information is sent to the integration. The integration then checks if the contact or booking already exists and creates or updates a contact or deal in HubSpot accordingly. It also establishes an immediate association between a deal and a contact, allowing Destin Travel Group to identify contacts that frequently travel with them.

The website features various forms such as 'brochure requests' or 'booking services.' To ensure that Destin Travel Group can work seamlessly from TravelPlugin, an additional functionality was implemented to transfer all form submissions directly to TravelPlugin. This enables Destin Travel Group staff to promptly handle and process requests, managing everything within a single system.

Results

Since the integration went live in June, over 1500 deals have been synchronized to HubSpot, and we have kept more than 6000 contacts updated with TravelPlugin.