The thought of switching software strikes fear into agency owners. But staying stuck costs more in the long run. Here's the exact 8-step process for a safe, complete migration.
The thought of switching travel agency software strikes fear into even the most tech-savvy owner. Years of customer data, booking history, supplier relationships—all at risk if something goes wrong. But staying stuck with outdated or inefficient software costs you far more in the long run. Here's exactly how to migrate safely, completely, and without losing your mind.
Let's acknowledge the fear upfront. You're not being paranoid—data migration can go wrong. Agencies have lost customer records, corrupted booking histories, and spent weeks untangling messes caused by rushed migrations.
But here's what those horror stories have in common: they skipped the planning. A well-planned migration is actually straightforward. The agencies that struggle are the ones who tried to do it over a weekend without a proper process.
This guide gives you that process—the same one used by hundreds of agencies who've successfully migrated without losing a single customer record.
Before you move anything, you need to know exactly what you have. Create an inventory of:
Pro tip: This audit often reveals you have more junk data than you realised. Migration is the perfect time to clean house—don't migrate data you don't need.
Your old system and new system won't have identical fields. Create a mapping document showing:
This is non-negotiable. Before any migration begins:
Store backups in at least two locations. If your current provider shuts off access post-migration (some do), you need independent copies.
Most systems allow CSV or Excel exports. Export each data type separately: customers, bookings, suppliers, transactions. Check the export is complete—row counts should match your records.
Before importing, clean your data:
Never import everything at once. Start with a small test batch—perhaps 50-100 records. Verify:
Manually check 10-20 records in detail. Compare the original data to what's now in the new system. Look for missing information, formatting issues, or broken relationships.
Once testing passes, import the complete dataset. Do this during off-hours if possible. Keep your old system running in parallel—don't shut it down yet.
Upload all your documents to the new system. Organise them as you go—this is a chance to establish a proper filing structure. Link documents to the relevant customers and bookings.
Create user accounts for your team. Configure permissions appropriately. Set up email integrations, calendar syncs, and any personal preferences.
Connect your payment gateways, email systems, accounting software, and any other integrations. Test each one before go-live.
Don't switch off your old system immediately. Run both systems in parallel for at least one week:
Critical: Don't update data in both systems during parallel running—you'll create sync nightmares. The old system is read-only; all new work happens in the new system.
Schedule training sessions before go-live. Focus on:
After a successful parallel period, make the new system official:
Allow 4 weeks minimum. Agencies that try to migrate in a weekend almost always have problems.
Always do a test import first. Finding problems with 50 records is easy; finding them with 50,000 is a nightmare.
Choose your slowest period. January-February is ideal for most agencies.
Know how you'll recover if something goes catastrophically wrong. Those backups aren't optional.
Payment gateways, email, accounting—test every integration before go-live.
Yes, migration requires effort. But the agencies who've done it consistently say the same thing: "We should have done it sooner."
A successful migration gives you:
The pain of migration lasts weeks. The pain of staying on outdated software lasts years.
Our migration team has helped hundreds of travel agencies move their data safely. We provide data import tools, dedicated migration support, and a proven process that protects your business.
See how SimpTrav can save you 52-68% compared to piecing together multiple tools.
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