VISA assistance company,
SVS, has integrated its
services with Travelport
Smartpoint, allowing travel
agents to process clients’
visas directly in Smartpoint
using a new app. This is the
first time agents in South
Africa can book visas directly
on the GDS.
SVS offers business and
tourist visa assistance,
visa consulting and online
visa application assistance
services in South Africa.
The app needs to be
downloaded from My
Marketplace within the
Travelport platform.
Once the app is
downloaded, agents can
process visas by signing into
Travelport Smartpoint and
creating a PNR. Once the
PNR has been created, the
information from the PNR is
populated into the SVS app.
The agent simply clicks on the
icon and, from there inputs
nationality, destination and
the province of residence
and then clicks ‘search’. The
different visa options and
rates are then given, allowing
the agent to select the visa
required. There is also a tab
to input notes for the SVS
team, for example if the client
is leaving in 10 days.
Once the visa application
has been made within the
app, SVS will dispatch
a courier to collect the
passport. The reference
number for the application
can be found on the notepad.
There is also an agent
dashboard that gives a
record of the agents’ visa
applications along with the
status of each.
Agents have an option to
work with SVS as their client,
or SVS can manage the client
on the agent’s behalf, in which
case commission is paid to
the agent.
Travelport gm for Southern
Africa, Robyn Christie, says
she is delighted with the
integration. “The application
essentially simplifies the
processes and keeps the
agent in the travel commerce
platform, simplifying the
workflow.”
The integration was made
possible after Dinoosys
Technologies, became
an accredited Travelport
developer. Sadiq Anwar,
global resources adviser at
Dinoosys Technologies, says
the accreditation allows for
the development of further
tools in future.
