API Setup Guide
Setting Up Your API Keys
TravelSmart uses your own API keys to access AI and travel supplier services. This guide explains why each key is needed and how to obtain them.
Your Keys Stay Private
Your API keys are stored securely on your device using encrypted storage. They are never sent to our servers—only directly to the respective service providers when making requests.
OpenAI API Key
RequiredPowers the AI that generates personalized travel itineraries from your natural language requests, voice recordings, and images.
What it's used for:
- Converting text/voice requests into structured itineraries
- Analyzing travel inspiration photos
- Generating day-by-day activity suggestions
- Creating marketing descriptions for proposals
How to get it:
- 1 Go to platform.openai.com and create an account
- 2 Navigate to API Keys section in your dashboard
- 3 Click 'Create new secret key'
- 4 Copy the key (it won't be shown again)
- 5 Add billing information and set usage limits
Pricing: Pay-per-use: ~$0.01-0.03 per itinerary generation (using GPT-4)
Tip: Set a monthly spending limit in your OpenAI dashboard to control costs. $10-20/month is typically sufficient for most agents.
Amadeus API Key
Optional (enhances results)Provides real-time flight and hotel search data from 400+ airlines and 2+ million properties worldwide.
What it's used for:
- Searching for real flight options with live pricing
- Finding available hotels at destinations
- Getting accurate travel times and connections
- Displaying airline and property details
How to get it:
- 1 Visit developers.amadeus.com and create an account
- 2 Create a new app in your dashboard
- 3 Select 'Self-Service' APIs (free tier available)
- 4 Copy your API Key and API Secret
- 5 Start with Test environment, upgrade to Production when ready
Pricing: Free tier: 2,000 API calls/month. Production: Pay-per-call (very affordable for travel agents)
Tip: The free test environment uses cached data. Apply for Production access when you're ready for live bookings.
Google Places API Key
Optional (enhances results)Enriches itineraries with real consumer reviews, ratings, photos, and detailed place information.
What it's used for:
- Fetching real customer reviews for activities
- Displaying star ratings and review counts
- Getting accurate addresses and opening hours
- Showing place photos in proposals
How to get it:
- 1 Go to console.cloud.google.com
- 2 Create a new project (or select existing)
- 3 Enable 'Places API' from the API Library
- 4 Go to Credentials and create an API key
- 5 Restrict the key to Places API only (recommended)
Pricing: $200 free credit/month. Places API: $17 per 1,000 requests (typically pennies per itinerary)
Tip: Enable billing but set a budget alert. The free tier is generous for most use cases.
Viator API Key
Optional (enhances results)Access to 300,000+ tours, activities, and experiences worldwide with real-time availability.
What it's used for:
- Searching for tours and activities at destinations
- Getting experience descriptions and inclusions
- Displaying pricing and availability
- Providing booking links for commissions
How to get it:
- 1 Go to partners.viator.com/signup and create an account
- 2 Complete the partner application form (free, no minimums)
- 3 Start with Basic Access (instant) or apply for Full Access
- 4 Access your API credentials in the partner portal
- 5 Review the API documentation at docs.viator.com
Pricing: Free API access. Earn commission on bookings made through your affiliate links.
Tip: Viator requires approval as a travel partner. Apply early as review can take time.
Try Demo Mode First
Not ready to set up API keys? TravelSmart includes a Demo Mode with sample data so you can explore all features before committing to any API subscriptions. Perfect for evaluating if the app is right for your business.
3-day free trial • No credit card required