# How to build a travel agency platform in Bubble

- Tool: Bubble
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Time required: 25-30 min
- Compatibility: All Bubble plans
- Last updated: March 2026

## TL;DR

Build a travel agency platform in Bubble with trip package listings, inquiry forms, an itinerary builder, booking management, and a customer communication portal. This tutorial covers the data types, page layouts, and workflows needed to let travel agents manage packages and customers book trips — all without code.

## Overview: Building a Travel Agency Platform in Bubble

This tutorial walks you through building a travel agency platform in Bubble. You will create data types for trip packages, bookings, itineraries, and customer inquiries. You will build a public-facing trip catalog with search and filters, an inquiry form that captures customer interest, a booking management dashboard for agents, and a simple itinerary builder. This is ideal for travel agencies wanting to manage their operations online.

## Before you start

- A Bubble account with an app created
- Basic understanding of Bubble data types and workflows
- Familiarity with Repeating Groups and page navigation
- Images or placeholder content for trip packages

## Step-by-step guide

### 1. Create the core data types

Go to the Data tab and create four data types. TripPackage with fields: title (text), destination (text), description (text), price (number), duration_days (number), image (image), category (Option Set: Beach, Adventure, Cultural, Luxury), available_dates (list of dates), and is_active (yes/no). Booking with fields: trip (TripPackage), customer (User), travel_date (date), travelers (number), status (Option Set: Pending, Confirmed, Cancelled), and total_price (number). Inquiry with fields: customer (User), trip (TripPackage), message (text), and status (text). ItineraryItem with fields: booking (Booking), day_number (number), activity (text), location (text), and time (text).

**Expected result:** Four data types exist: TripPackage, Booking, Inquiry, and ItineraryItem.

### 2. Build the trip catalog page

Go to the Design tab and open your index page or create a trips page. Add a search Input for destination text, a Dropdown filtered by the category Option Set, and a number range for price. Below, add a Repeating Group with type TripPackage and data source: Do a search for TripPackages where is_active = yes, with constraints matching the search input and dropdown values. Check Ignore empty constraints so empty filters show all trips. In each cell, display the image, title, destination, price, duration, and an Inquire button.

> Pro tip: Use the Ignore empty constraints checkbox on your search so users see all trips when no filters are applied.

**Expected result:** A trip catalog page displays active packages with search and filter functionality.

### 3. Create the trip detail and inquiry page

Create a new page called trip-detail with type TripPackage. Add elements to display: the trip image as a full-width header, title, description, price, duration, available dates in a Repeating Group, and a section for the inquiry form. The inquiry form includes a Multiline Input for the message, a Date Picker for preferred travel date, a number Input for travelers, and a Submit Inquiry button. Create a workflow: When Submit Inquiry is clicked — Create a new Inquiry with trip = Current Page TripPackage, customer = Current User, message = Input's value, status = New.

**Expected result:** Users can view trip details and submit inquiries that are saved to the database.

### 4. Build the agent booking dashboard

Create a page called agent-dashboard (restrict to admin users with a page load redirect). Add a Repeating Group showing all Inquiries sorted by date (newest first). Each cell shows customer name, trip title, message, and two buttons: Create Booking and Dismiss. The Create Booking workflow creates a new Booking with trip = Current cell's Inquiry's trip, customer = Inquiry's customer, status = Pending, and opens a popup for the agent to set travel_date and total_price. The Dismiss workflow changes the Inquiry's status to Dismissed.

> Pro tip: Add a tab layout with three sections: New Inquiries, Active Bookings, and Past Bookings for easy navigation.

**Expected result:** Travel agents can view inquiries, create bookings, and manage their status from a central dashboard.

### 5. Design the itinerary builder

On the agent dashboard, when an agent clicks on a booking, open a popup or navigate to an itinerary page. Display the booking details at the top. Below, add a Repeating Group with type ItineraryItem filtered by the current Booking, sorted by day_number then time. Add an Add Day button that opens a form popup with inputs for day_number, activity, location, and time. The workflow creates a new ItineraryItem linked to the current Booking. Agents can build a day-by-day itinerary that customers can view on their booking confirmation page.

**Expected result:** Agents can add, edit, and organize itinerary items for each booking in a day-by-day format.

### 6. Build the customer booking view

Create a page called my-bookings accessible to logged-in customers. Add a Repeating Group with type Booking filtered by customer = Current User, sorted by travel_date descending. Each cell shows the trip name, travel date, status (with conditional coloring — green for Confirmed, yellow for Pending, red for Cancelled), and a View Itinerary button. The itinerary view shows all ItineraryItems for that booking organized by day number. For complex travel platforms with payment integration and automated communications, consider reaching out to RapidDev for expert Bubble development.

**Expected result:** Customers can view their bookings, check status, and see the full itinerary for confirmed trips.

## Complete code example

File: `Workflow summary`

```text
TRAVEL AGENCY PLATFORM — WORKFLOW SUMMARY
============================================

DATA TYPES:
  TripPackage
    - title (text)
    - destination (text)
    - description (text)
    - price (number)
    - duration_days (number)
    - image (image)
    - category (Option Set: Beach/Adventure/Cultural/Luxury)
    - available_dates (list of dates)
    - is_active (yes/no)

  Booking
    - trip (TripPackage)
    - customer (User)
    - travel_date (date)
    - travelers (number)
    - status (Option Set: Pending/Confirmed/Cancelled)
    - total_price (number)

  Inquiry
    - customer (User)
    - trip (TripPackage)
    - message (text)
    - status (text: New/Responded/Dismissed)

  ItineraryItem
    - booking (Booking)
    - day_number (number)
    - activity (text)
    - location (text)
    - time (text)

PAGES:
  trips — public trip catalog with search/filters
  trip-detail — single trip view + inquiry form
  agent-dashboard — admin booking/inquiry management
  my-bookings — customer booking list + itinerary view

WORKFLOW 1: Submit inquiry
  Event: Button Submit Inquiry is clicked
  Action: Create new Inquiry
    trip = Current Page TripPackage
    customer = Current User
    message = Input Message's value
    status = New

WORKFLOW 2: Create booking from inquiry
  Event: Button Create Booking is clicked
  Action 1: Create new Booking
    trip = Current cell's Inquiry's trip
    customer = Current cell's Inquiry's customer
    status = Pending
  Action 2: Make changes to Inquiry
    status = Responded

WORKFLOW 3: Add itinerary item
  Event: Button Add Day is clicked
  Action: Create new ItineraryItem
    booking = Current Page Booking
    day_number = Input Day's value
    activity = Input Activity's value
    location = Input Location's value
    time = Input Time's value

WORKFLOW 4: Confirm booking
  Event: Button Confirm is clicked
  Action: Make changes to Booking
    status = Confirmed
```

## Common mistakes

- **Not restricting the agent dashboard to admin users** — Without access control, any logged-in user could view and manage all bookings and customer data Fix: Add a Page is loaded workflow that redirects non-admin users: Only when Current User's role is not Admin, navigate to the home page.
- **Displaying inactive or sold-out trip packages on the catalog** — Users may try to book trips that are no longer available, creating a poor experience Fix: Always filter the trip catalog search by is_active = yes and remove packages when all dates have passed.
- **Not linking itinerary items to a specific booking** — Without the booking link, itinerary items cannot be displayed on the correct customer's booking page Fix: Always set the booking field when creating an ItineraryItem so it can be filtered by the relevant booking.

## Best practices

- Use Option Sets for trip categories and booking statuses to keep values consistent across the app
- Add Ignore empty constraints on catalog searches so empty filters show all results
- Restrict the agent dashboard to admin users with a Page is loaded redirect workflow
- Use conditional coloring on booking status to give agents quick visual feedback
- Store available dates as a list on TripPackage so the date picker can show only valid options
- Add Privacy Rules so customers can only see their own bookings and inquiries
- Paginate the trip catalog Repeating Group to 10-12 items per page for faster loading

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I add payment processing to the booking flow?

Yes. Install the Stripe plugin and add a payment step to the booking confirmation workflow. Charge the total_price when the agent confirms the booking or when the customer self-books.

### How do I send booking confirmation emails?

Add a Send email action to the booking confirmation workflow using Bubble's built-in email or the SendGrid plugin. Include booking details, travel dates, and the itinerary link.

### Can customers book trips directly without agent involvement?

Yes. Add a Book Now button on the trip detail page that creates a Booking directly with status Confirmed and triggers a payment workflow. This bypasses the inquiry step.

### How do I handle trip cancellations?

Add a Cancel button on the booking that changes the status to Cancelled. If you have payment integration, trigger a refund workflow via the Stripe API at the same time.

### Can RapidDev help build a more complex travel platform?

Yes. RapidDev specializes in Bubble development and can help build advanced features like real-time availability calendars, multi-vendor travel marketplaces, and automated itinerary generation.

### How do I add a map showing trip destinations?

Add a geographic_address field to TripPackage and use Bubble's built-in Map element. Set the map's data source to your trip search results and each marker will show a destination.

### Will the platform work on mobile devices?

Yes. Use Bubble's responsive engine with Column and Row container layouts, set appropriate min/max widths, and test at mobile breakpoints to ensure the catalog and booking flows work on all screen sizes.

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Source: https://www.rapidevelopers.com/bubble-tutorial/create-a-travel-agency-platform-in-bubble
© RapidDev — https://www.rapidevelopers.com/bubble-tutorial/create-a-travel-agency-platform-in-bubble