With the launch of the BEX App Store in 2021, Booking Experts was transformed from a reservation system into a platform for the entire leisure industry. To put this into perspective: the average Booking Experts client uses 11.5 apps, and in 2023, no fewer than 1,100 apps were installed. Booking Experts users can choose which tools they want to work with, while app developers can reach a large (international) target audience. The App Store is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
BEX App Store, the key to growth
Even before the introduction of the App Store, it was possible to integrate with a number of external systems through Booking Experts. These systems were directly integrated into Booking Experts’ reservation system. However, a rapidly growing number of users also increased the demand for additional integrations. To facilitate this quickly and smoothly, we decided to build an open marketplace: our BEX App Store. Because everyone has the opportunity to develop an app and add it to the App Store, we are shaping the platform together with the industry. In this way, desired integrations can be realised and implemented more quickly.
Rein de Lange, Senior Software Engineer of Integrations, recalls, "The first app in the BEX App Store back then was ICY Campsite Management - a tool for wireless power management. Right now we have about 100 apps in different categories and we add a new app every week on average. Having been involved in this project from the beginning, I am personally very happy and proud of this development."
OpenAPI offers independence
Our goal is to ensure that users feel complete freedom in their choice of partners. For this, a strong App Store with a wide range of offerings is essential. To drive the growth of the App Store, our mission is to make integration with Booking Experts as easy as possible, without compromising the quality of the apps. Our OpenAPI makes this possible. You can easily develop a public app for all Booking Experts users, or just for private use.
To ensure Booking Experts quality, public apps go through a strict validation process before being accepted into the App Store. The apps are checked by us for critical issues such as user experience, rate limits, and timeout errors. Only when the app meets our quality requirements is it published in the App Store.
Renewed API documentation
Our integration team works tirelessly on quality assurance and optimisation of our App Store. Thanks to their efforts, the entire API documentation was recently renewed and improved. These updates make collaboration between various systems even easier. "Good API documentation is of great importance. Clear structures, clear descriptions, and attractive design contribute to our API documentation being recognised as exceptionally good in the industry, which makes collaboration much easier," explains Rein.
Moreover, code in the documentation itself can be tested, copied, and pasted. If you have any questions, you can contact our support team directly through the documentation, which allows us to automatically see where the problem is. This enables us to provide even better support and give our App Store partners the service and assistance they deserve.
(New Release: Booking Experts API Documentation v3.0)
Always evolving
Booking Experts is constantly evolving, and the BEX App Store is never at a standstill either. What is our team currently working on? "The full-content integration with booking.com. An extensive project with great results. There was already an integration with booking.com in which availability and prices were synchronised, but with the full-content integration, accommodation descriptions and photos are also automatically taken from the BEX PMS. This really makes work easier for many users, especially for rental agencies," explains Maureen Ilboga (COO).
The App Store is also important with internationalization in mind. Each country has different laws and regulations that entrepreneurs must comply with. With Fiskaltrust, for example, you have a strong compliance partner that ensures that the financial management of connected POS systems complies with local laws. This will be implemented for our German and French users in the near future.
Become an App Store partner?
Are you interested in developing an app for the BEX App Store? Our integration team is looking forward to exchanging ideas with you! Read more and sign up.
