The Best Accounting Software for Multi-Day Tour Operators: (+ Why Integration Matters)

Running a tour operation involves more than just bookings and itineraries—you also have to tackle the complex financial side. Without the right accounting software, you’re stuck juggling invoicing, expense tracking, tax compliance, and supplier payments—all while trying to focus on growing your business.

So, what’s the best solution? While there aren’t many accounting tools built specifically for tour operators, you have options. You can choose general accounting, ERP, or CRM software solutions that cater to businesses across multiple industries, or you could go for a booking reservation system with built-in accounting features.

But, which is the better choice—an all-in-one solution or booking software that has a financial component, or should instead focus on the booking system that works for your business, but that is capable of integrating with your preferred accounting tool?

Here’s what you need to know.

Why Tour Operators Need Specialized Accounting Software

There are many ways to keep track of finances when you're running a tour operation. But, unlike traditional businesses, tour operators deal with unique financial transactions, including supplier payments, deposit management, due dates, and more. It's a lot to keep track of. This is why many tour operators look to an accounting software to help take some of the load off.

Ultimately, an accounting software for tour operators should be capable of handling invoicing, expense tracking, tax compliance, multi-currency payments, and supplier settlements—all while keeping your finances organized and streamlined. The right software can save you time, reduce errors, and give you better control over your cash flow, so you can focus on growing your business.

The problem is, standard accounting systems don’t always cater to these specific needs, so tour operators have to find a software that does.

Key Financial Challenges for Tour Operators

• Invoicing & accounts receivable: Managing payments from customers, tracking outstanding balances, and ensuring seamless reconciliation.

• Expense management: Handling costs such as vehicle maintenance, website upkeep, and supplier fees.

• Tax compliance: Generating accurate tax reports, ensuring alignment with local government requirements, and filing returns efficiently.

• Reconciliation: Matching payments from bank deposits with customer records automatically.

Why Integration Capabilities Should Be Top of Mind

Once you do find an accounting software you like, in most cases, you're not going to want to change it. Doing so would require you to redo a lot of data entry, staff training, and all the other tedious tasks that come with learning a new system. Who has time for that when you're meant to be creating awesome experiences for travelers?

Therefore, once you adopt any other system or automation tool to help your business—like a booking reservation software—you'll want to make sure that your accounting software can be seamlessly integrated with it. This is not just so you won't have to re-learn a new system, but that reservations coming in through your booking software can be automatically fed into your accounting software.

The Benefits of Integrating Your Accounting Software with Your Booking Reservation Software

For tour operators, managing finances goes beyond basic bookkeeping. You’re handling deposits, supplier payments, commissions, refunds, and multi-currency transactions—all while keeping track of booking changes and customer balances. If your booking reservation system and accounting software aren’t connected, you’re likely spending hours manually entering data, reconciling payments, and chasing down financial discrepancies.

By integrating these systems, you can:

• Sync booking and financial data automatically: Every confirmed booking, deposit, and refund updates in real time within your accounting system, reducing errors and ensuring accuracy.

• Streamline payment reconciliation: Match customer payments with outstanding invoices instantly, so you always know what’s been paid, what’s due, and what needs follow-up.

• Improve cash flow visibility: Get real-time insights into revenue, expenses, and profit margins, helping you make smarter business decisions without waiting for monthly reports.

• Automate supplier and commission payments: Easily calculate and schedule payments for suppliers, guides, and third-party vendors without manual data entry.

• Ensure tax compliance: Automatically apply and track tax rates based on location, customer type, or service type, minimizing compliance risks.

• Reduce admin time and costs: Free up hours spent on manual financial tasks so your team can focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences.

  
  

Ultimately, for a seamless integration between the two, your booking system and accounting software should be able to share key data like invoices, transactions, payment statuses—and more—in real time.

With the right setup, you’ll eliminate unnecessary admin work, gain clearer financial insights, and have more time to grow your tour business while these tools do the work for you.

What to Look for in an Accounting Software for Tour Operators

Though most accounting software serve the same purpose of helping companies manage their financials, no two solutions are the same. You'll find that when you start doing your research that some offer more capabilities than others. And, while there are many features that you'll be looking for an accounting solution, don't forget to see that your top contender is one that connects easily with your booking software, or that it at least offers API integration to ensure smooth financial operations.

When it comes time to start evaluating accounting software, here's what you want to be sure it has:

• Integration capabilities: Can it connect with your booking system, banks, and government tax portals? Murray, CEO of Tour Amigo, explains: "Tour operators need an accounting system that integrates with their business processes—not just a generic tool that requires constant manual input."

• Automation features: Does it support automated reconciliation, tax reporting, and invoice tracking?

• Multi-currency & tax compliance: Does it handle different currencies and tax structures for international transactions?

• Scalability: Can it support a growing business with increasing financial complexity?

• Cost-effective: How much will this separate accounting system cost you? And, what will it save you? Murray adds,"The cost should be weighed against the time and effort saved—manual reconciliation and reporting can take hours each week."

  
  

The 7 Best Accounting Software for Tour Operators

Let's say integration is top-of-mind when searching for accounting software as a tour operator. Once you've determined that both your booking software and your accounting software can be integrated together (you wouldn't want to find this out before it's too late!) and that it has the other features you want, it's time to start researching.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular accounting solutions that can be integrated with Tour Amigo, and can serve your needs as a tour operator:

Software	Invoicing	Expense Tracking	Multi-Currency Support	Automation	Time Tracking	Advanced Reporting	Starting Price (USD)	Ease of Integration	Best For Which Tour Operators?
QuickBooks Online	✅	✅	❌ (Limited in lower tiers)	✅	❌	✅	$30/month	Easy, integrates with many third-party apps	Small to mid-sized tour operators needing user-friendly accounting
Xero	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	$13/month	Easy, integrates with various business tools	Tour operators with international clients who need strong multi-currency support
Zoho Books	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	$15/month	Moderate, best within Zoho ecosystem	Budget-conscious tour operators who want automation but don't need many integrations
FreshBooks	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	$15/month	Easy, but fewer integrations compared to competitors	Solo tour operators & small teams who prioritize client management and invoicing
Sage Intacct	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	Custom Pricing	Complex, best for enterprises with ERP needs	Large tour operators managing multiple locations, entities, or complex finances
NetSuite	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	Custom Pricing	Complex, highly customizable with extensive integration capabilities	Enterprise-level tour operators requiring comprehensive ERP solutions with scalability and customization
Odoo	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Free (Community Edition); Paid plans vary	Moderate, extensive modules with integration capabilities	Tour operators seeking an open-source solution with modular features for customization and scalability

Remember, if integration is a top priority when choosing accounting software, you’ll want to ensure your booking and accounting systems work seamlessly together—before committing to a solution. Once integration is covered, it’s time to evaluate other key features.

Other Considerations When Choosing Accounting Software

When looking at factors that impact daily operations, long-term scalability, and security. Here are some key considerations:

Support & training

• Does the provider offer 24/7 customer support, or are there limited hours?

• Is onboarding assistance available to help you set up integrations with your booking reservation system?

• Are there training resources such as tutorials, webinars, or a knowledge base to help your team maximize the software’s capabilities?

  
  

Cloud-based vs. on-premises

Cloud-based accounting software:

• Accessible from anywhere, making it easy for tour operators managing bookings on the go.

• Automatically updates with the latest features and tax regulations.

• Requires a stable internet connection for optimal use.

  
  

On-premises accounting software:

• Installed on local servers, offering greater control over data storage and security.

• May require manual updates and IT management.

• Best suited for large tour operators with in-house financial teams.

  
  

Data security & compliance

• Does the software comply with financial regulations in order to protect customer data?

• Are financial transactions encrypted to safeguard against cyber threats?

• Does it provide role-based access controls so only authorized team members can view and edit financial records?

Tour Amigo: Seamlessly Integrate Your Accounting Software

The days of relying on outdated or disconnected accounting methods are over. Busy multi-day tour operators don't have the time to manually do their financing, nor do they have the time to bring information over from their booking software to their accounting software. Tour operators, therefore, need an accounting system that doesn’t just track finances, but actively helps them manage multiple aspects of their business.

Though Tour Amigo’s accounting features help operators simplify financial operations, reduce manual work, and ensure compliance with ease, Tour Amigo has the ability to integrate with different accounting tools. Whether you need simple expense tracking or full-scale reconciliation with an API, Tour Amigo will work with you to identify your needs and form the best solution.

Want to see how Tour Amigo can transform your tour operation’s accounting? Or, want to find out if your accounting software can be integrated with Tour Amigo? Book a call today!