Journey Beyond builds cloud tech stack for safari resort
Journey Beyond has rolled out a cloud-based communications and contact centre setup at Monarto Safari Resort in South Australia after taking over management of the newly built property with less than four months before its first guests arrived.
The experiential tourism and leisure group said the resort did not have the IT platform or applications required for day-to-day operations when it assumed management responsibility. The project marked Journey Beyond's first hotel deployment, after technology work across its train services, touring, cruises, eco lodges, venues and experiences.
Monarto Safari Resort sits within Monarto Safari Park, a 1,500-hectare conservation area around an hour's drive from Adelaide. The resort overlooks a central watering hole and has 78 rooms and suites, a day spa, two swimming pools, and conference and dining spaces.
Journey Beyond manages 17 brands at the resort's launch. The company later added two more brands through acquisitions of Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo and Grand Pacific Touring in New Zealand.
"We thought we had the technology stack covered, but we quickly realised how different the resort was from our other tourism businesses. There were a lot of different solutions that we needed to implement specifically for a hotel," said Madhumita Mazumdar, Executive General Manager of Technology, Journey Beyond.
Communications rollout
Journey Beyond used its existing relationship with RingCentral for telephony and contact centre services. The company started a consolidation programme in 2021. It standardised on RingCentral for staff unified communications and deployed a cloud contact centre integrated with Salesforce.
The company said that foundation reduced the work required to extend services to a new brand. It added new extensions and licences for resort staff. It also provisioned handsets for guest rooms and configured speed dial access for key resort services.
The deployment also connected RingCentral to the resort's property management system. Journey Beyond used a pre-built integration with TigerTMS iLink. It linked RingCentral with Newbook property management software.
"Once we understood what was required, and with some help from RingCentral on how to do the integration, the telephony rollout was extremely simple," said Mazumdar.
Journey Beyond said the set-up allowed its distributed contact centre team to supplement support for guest services. The company also outlined plans for communications at the next phase of the resort's accommodation.
A safari lodge and 20 luxury tents are scheduled to open in early 2026. Journey Beyond said it expects the tents' guest handsets to connect over WiFi.
Connectivity challenge
The company reported a connectivity issue linked to the resort's location. Fibre connectivity was not available at launch. Journey Beyond initially planned to rely on cellular services during the interim period.
That approach did not meet requirements for reliability, according to the company. It switched to Starlink satellite internet. Journey Beyond said the change improved service stability and call quality.
It also framed the project as largely software-led, with limited onsite infrastructure required. The company pointed to its existing experience with RingCentral deployments across its other brands.
"The implementation costs were minimal because there was no hardware infrastructure required - apart from the handsets - and we could do most of the work ourselves. We have very strong internal knowledge of how to deploy RingCentral and what changes need to be made because we have done it so many times already," said Mazumdar.
AI guest chat
Journey Beyond also introduced a chat tool for guest communications at the resort. The company said it built JB Agentforce Chat through its internal AI development team. It described the tool as part of a broader AI strategy across the group.
Journey Beyond said it has focused on joining its communications and customer data environments. It already uses RingCentral contact centre integrated with Salesforce. The company linked that approach to consistent customer handling across its brands.
"What stood out for us was the sheer breadth of specialised platforms available for every hotel function, from reservations to guest communications to in-room experiences, along with modern integration tools that made it possible to stitch it all together into a cohesive, high-performing environment," said Mazumdar.
"In just four months, from foundational infrastructure to AI-powered guest service, we delivered a robust, scalable tech stack that supports every facet of resort operations."
The company said work will continue as the lodge and luxury tents move towards opening in early 2026.