The technology used in the tours and activities industry is becoming increasingly interconnected. At the same time, we hear from many of our activity providers that they often have to rely on several different systems to run their businesses. Booking platforms, partner integrations, reporting tools, marketing platforms, and websites all need to work together.
To make these connections easier, Bilberry is now expanding its technical capabilities with support for the OCTO API, in addition to a publicly available Open API.
Both are designed to make it easier for operators and partners to connect Bilberry with the rest of the technology ecosystem they use.
What OCTO Means for the Industry
OCTO is a standardized API developed specifically for the tours and activities industry.
For those of you like me, that do not work directly with tech, I did a bit of research for all of us: the OCTO API allows different systems to communicate with each other by using a shared structure for things like product information, availability, and bookings.
Instead of every platform needing to build completely custom integrations, OCTO creates a common “language” that systems can use to exchange information in a more reliable way.
For operators, this means it can become easier to connect to distribution partners and marketplaces without needing to develop complex, custom integrations for each one.
Why Integrations Matter for Operators
Running an activity business rarely involves just one tool.
Operators often use several systems for things such as:
When these systems are not well connected, it often leads to duplicate work, manual updates, or inconsistent data.
Strong integrations reduce this friction and help operators keep everything synchronized.
Bilberry’s Open API
In addition to supporting OCTO, Bilberry also offers an Open API. This allows partners and customers to build their own integrations between Bilberry and the other systems they use. In practice, this could mean connecting Bilberry with a CRM system, internal reporting tools, custom-built websites, or other software that supports the day-to-day operations of the business. The goal is to give operators greater flexibility in how they build their technology stack.
Building for a More Connected Industry
The tours and activities industry continues to evolve, and technology plays an increasingly important role in how businesses operate and collaborate. By supporting standards like OCTO and offering an Open API, Bilberry aims to make it easier for activity providers to participate in this growing ecosystem while keeping their operations structured and well connected.