London Eye aims to automate booking system

Top tourist attraction develops system to administer new products

The London Eye has updated its ticket booking and reservations systems to help boost sales.

The development and phased rollout of a more automated IT system will help to speed up queues for visitors at the top tourist attraction. It will also allow travel companies to create tailored packages through a direct link between the Eye and its business partners.

‘We don’t have retail space or space for events, so we introduced a series of new products,’ said Eleanor Harris, commercial director for London Eye.

‘But the restraints of our ticketing system weren’t able to keep pace with them.’

The company is installing Java-based RialtoPlus software from BT for its online, business-to-business and print-at-home ticket collection systems.

Wireless scanners will cut queueing times by automating ticket collection when visitors arrive. A web-based extranet will allow travel providers to automate booking processes in real time, removing manual and paper-intensive processes.

And customers will also be able to print tickets, removing the need to collect them on site, starting later this year.

‘This technology is supporting our biggest areas of revenue growth and allows us to be innovative about how we get extra value out of our business,’ said Harris.