Tourplan Reviews & Alternatives (2026 Buyer’s Guide)

Tourplan vs Tourwriter 2026: Which Tour Operator Software is Right for You?

The definitive guide to choosing between ERP logistics and design-focused booking platforms for your travel business.

Summary

If you are looking for group tour logistics, you need Tourplan. It is an ERP system built for volume, inventory control, and traditional accounting.

If you are a luxury agency or DMC looking for affordable tour plan solutions for small travel businesses that prioritise itinerary design and speed-to-quote, you need Tourwriter. It is an end-to-end platform designed to create, convert, and manage complex, high-margin, multi-day trips. It integrates with best-in-class modern cloud accounting platforms like Xero.

The Core Difference: Logistics vs. Design

The most common mistake buyers make is thinking these two tools do the same thing. They do not.

Tourplan is “Database First”

Tourplan is designed for tour plan management and booking at scale for groups. It excels at managing allotments, yielding seat inventory on buses, and handling “Series” tours (e.g., “Best of Italy” departing every Monday). It treats a booking as a transaction to be fulfilled.

Tourwriter is “Experience First”

Tourwriter is built for the tailormade workflow. It excels at creating custom trip itineraries easily. It treats a booking as a story to be sold. The workflow flows from “Design” → “Quote” → “Booking,” whereas Tourplan often flows from “Contract” → “Inventory” → “Booking.”

Real-World Example

Scenario: A 14-day Greece tour with 4 hotels, 6 transfers, 8 activities, and 2 internal flights.

Tourplan Approach: You create codes for each component, manage allotments across departure dates, track seat inventory on transfers, and generate manifests for suppliers. Perfect if you’re running this tour every Tuesday for 30 weeks.

Tourwriter Approach: You drag-and-drop each component into a visual builder, adjust any of the rich descriptions and images for that client, adjust margins in real-time, and send a mobile-responsive web link to the client. Perfect if each Greece tour is customised to client’s preferences.

At-a-Glance Comparison

Feature Tourplan (NX/Enterprise) Tourwriter (Pro/Premium)
Best For Large wholesalers, Group trips and Series Operators Luxury DMCs, FIT Specialists, Tailor-made Designers
Primary Goal Volume. Managing big groups, inventory & ledgers. Conversion. Itinerary quality, speed-to-quote.
Learning Curve Steep (3-6 months) Moderate (2-4 weeks)
Implementation 6-12 months 2-6 weeks
Itinerary Builder Requires complex coding Drag-and-drop
Pricing Engine Static (Tariff sheets) Dynamic (Real-time margin edits)
Accounting Native General Ledger 2-Way Deep Sync with Xero/QuickBooks

Itinerary Building: How to Create Multi-City Trips

The Tourplan Way:

You enter data codes (dates, service IDs). The system stacks them into a list. To make it look presentable, you generate a PDF.

  • Pros: Handles massive complexity and strong manifest/operations reporting.
  • Cons: Steep learning curve; output is rarely “pretty” out of the box; often requires paid 3rd party integrations for visuals.

The Tourwriter Way:

You use a drag-and-drop builder. You search for “Hotel X” and drag it onto Day 1. You drag “Transfer Y” onto Day 2.

  • Pros: Visual drag-and-drop; high-res images pulled automatically; live pricing updates; mobile-responsive client links.
  • Cons: Less robust for inventory-heavy group tours.

Expert Tip: If your value proposition is “Luxury Design,” Tourwriter’s digital output acts as your marketing tool. If your value is “Logistical Execution,” Tourplan’s manifest reporting is superior.

Accounting: Native Ledger vs. Xero Integration

Tourplan: Has a full General Ledger inside the software.
Why choose this: You process >10,000 invoices a month and need easy access to basic accounting in your group tour operator software platform.

Tourwriter: Uses a “Best-in-Breed” approach (pushes invoices/bills to Xero).
Why choose this: You want modern cloud accounting without the bloat of an ERP. Your accounting team already uses Xero or QuickBooks.

Supplier & Product Management

Tourwriter’s Database allows for deep product nuances:

  • Option Codes: Load a hotel (Supplier) with multiple room types (Products) and configurations.
  • Private vs. Public Data: Store “Guide Notes” separately from “Client Notes”.
  • Smart Grouping: Sends one single booking email covering all services rather than spamming the supplier.

Tourplan excels at Allotment Management. If you have a contract that says “You have 5 rooms/night, release-back 14 days,” Tourplan tracks that countdown timer meticulously.

6. Pricing & Affordability

Trying to find affordable tourplan solutions for small travel businesses? This is the deciding factor for 80% of agencies.

Tourwriter Pricing:

  • Model: SaaS (Software as a Service)
  • Cost: From USD $99/month/user
  • Implementation: From USD 1,199 (2-4 weeks setup)
  • Risk: Low (Annual contracts available)

Tourplan Pricing:

  • Model: Enterprise License
  • Cost: $900–$3,000+/month
  • Implementation: $15,000–$50,000+ (6-12 months setup)
  • Risk: High investment required upfront

Verdict

Tourwriter is the affordable solution for small-to-medium businesses (1-50 staff). Tourplan is the option for large enterprises (50+ staff) focused on groups.

Decision Matrix: Which One is For You?

Choose Tourplan if:

  • ☑ You process over 10,000 bookings per year
  • ☑ You are searching for group tour logistics software
  • ☑ You need sophisticated inventory/allotment management
  • ☑ Your operations team requires detailed manifests
  • ☑ You run “Series” tours with fixed departures

Choose Tourwriter if:

  • ☑ You are a Luxury DMC or tailormade agency
  • ☑ Your team spends too long formatting Word/Excel
  • ☑ You want to send “Digital Itineraries” (Web Links)
  • ☑ You use (or want to use) Xero or QuickBooks
  • ☑ Your priority is speed-to-quote and visuals

Additional Resources
See the Visuals: Request a Sample Tourwriter Itinerary
Compare Live: Schedule a Platform Walkthrough

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tourplan an ERP system?

Yes. Tourplan is a travel-specific ERP that manages the entire business cycle, including inventory, reservations, operations, and a full native accounting system.

Does Tourwriter integrate with Xero?

Yes. Tourwriter features a deep 2-way integration with Xero. It pushes invoices and supplier bills to Xero, and automatically updates the booking status to “Paid” when the bank is reconciled.

Can Tourplan create visual itineraries?

Tourplan creates functional PDF/Word itineraries. For high-end visuals, most Tourplan users integrate with third-party tools like Wetu or Travefy, whereas Tourwriter has visual builders built directly into the platform.

Which system is better for small tour operators?

Tourwriter is generally better for small tour operators (1-50 staff) due to its lower cost, faster implementation, and easier learning curve. Tourplan becomes cost-effective at an enterprise scale for group bookings.

Do I need technical skills to use Tourwriter or Tourplan?

Tourwriter requires minimal technical skills. Most users are proficient within 2-4 weeks. Tourplan has a steeper learning curve (3-6 months) and often benefits from having a dedicated team of system administrators on staff.

What happens to my data if I switch systems?

Both platforms offer data migration services. Tourplan → Tourwriter is the most common migration path. Budget 30-90 days for data cleanup. Always export your historical data before initiating any migration.