Online Booking Platform for Tours in Thailand (B2B-B2C)

Project Overview

We were approached to take over an online booking platform catering to both B2B and B2C users in Thailand's tourism industry. Initially an MVP, the platform had no documentation, poor code quality, an unoptimized database, and a lack of adherence to REST API principles. Additionally, the client needed a robust admin panel and a clear separation between B2B and B2C operations.

Target Audience

The platform primarily served 65% B2B users (tour operators and travel agencies) and 35% B2C users (individual tourists).

• B2B Needs: Efficient communication between businesses, centralized tour management, and tools for employee and subcontractor administration.
• B2C Needs: A user-friendly booking interface, secure payments, and real-time tour updates.

Client's Goals

The client aimed to scale their local tourism business in Phuket into a digital-first platform. Their priorities were:

• Ensuring scalability to accommodate growth.
• Resolving existing bugs to enable a stable launch.
• Building features to unify B2B and B2C operations effectively.

Challenges

Taking over the MVP presented several challenges:

• Scalability and Code Quality:
  • Challenge: The codebase was poorly structured, with logic bundled into a single layer, impacting scalability and maintainability.
  • Solution: We refactored the codebase, introducing separate layers for business logic and adding robust test coverage to ensure maintainability.
• Database Optimization:
  • Challenge: The MySQL database was inefficient, with unnecessary table joins, lack of transaction handling for critical operations, and no safeguards against issues like double booking attempts. It also lacked the scalability required for large-scale operations, resulting in performance bottlenecks.
  • Solution: We restructured the database to improve performance and maintainability, optimized queries for faster execution, and introduced read/write replicas and indexing to handle high-volume operations. Additionally, we implemented robust transaction handling to ensure data integrity during simultaneous operations and designed mechanisms to detect and prevent double booking attempts, providing a seamless and reliable experience for end-users.
• Payment Integration and Booking System:
  • Challenge: The payment system and booking functionality were buggy and unreliable.
  • Solution: We redesigned the payment flow, implemented more reliable endpoints, and enhanced the booking process for smoother transactions.
    
• Real-Time Features:
  • Challenge: The platform lacked features for instant communication and updates.
  • Solution: Using WebSocket, we implemented group and personal chat features, along with real-time notifications for bookings and updates.
    
• REST API and Admin Panel:
  • Challenge: The API lacked adherence to REST principles, and there was no admin panel to manage operations.
  • Solution: We revamped the API to follow REST principles and built a robust admin panel for user management, supporting employees, subcontractors, and agencies.
    
    
    

Technologies Used

Our technology stack for the project included:

• Angular: For the front-end development, providing a dynamic and responsive user interface.
• NestJS: Used for the back-end, offering a structured and scalable approach to API development.
• MySQL: Serving as the database, which we optimized for better performance.
• WebSocket: To enable real-time communication features.

Results

Our efforts transformed the platform into a scalable and efficient solution:

• 100% ROI in four months: The client recouped their investment quickly due to the platform's enhanced efficiency and scalability.
• Operational reach: Successfully managed over 1,000 agencies across Thailand, Indonesia, and nearby regions.
• Seamless integration of B2B and B2C operations: The admin panel allowed businesses to manage employees, subcontractors, and tours efficiently.
• Real-time communication: Enhanced user engagement with instant notifications and chat functionality.

Key Features Delivered

• Dashboard Endpoints: Provided intuitive tools for analytics and booking management:
  
• Booking and Tour Pages: Improved the user interface for booking tours, simplifying the process for end-users.
  
• Convenient Payment Page: Streamlined the payment process with secure and user-friendly features.
  

Conclusion

This project resulted in a significant business success for the client, who saw a 100% return on investment (ROI) within just four months. The platform's robust infrastructure and improved operational efficiency helped establish the company as a successful startup, with a foundation in place for future growth and scalability.