March 2024

Leveraging the power of popular searches, digital travel platform Agoda has expanded its partner marketing portfolio and is providing a new way for hotel and accommodation partners to reach consumers through a series of dedicated landing pages to innovatively match with some of travellers’ top themed searches.

Utilising these data insights, Agoda launches the initiative, called ‘Top stays Anywhere’ in Thailand with sixteen distinct themes that resonate with travellers’ preferences.

These themes include a variety of options across travel budgets and traveller interests, including private islands, seaside villas, beach cabanas, family-friendly and pet-friendly accommodations, with each dedicated page offering a carefully selected list of accommodations by Agoda’s specialist teams.

This tailored approach enhances the trip-planning process, delivering a customised experience directly to the doorstep of ready-to-travel consumers and an opportunity for hoteliers and accommodation providers to reach travelers with intent.

“Often travellers are looking for very specific types of holiday experiences, so we curated these landing pages to quickly allow travelers with high intent to travel to connect with properties that excel in delivering those experiences, whether that’s pet friendly spots or rooftop hotels in Bangkok.  For partners, it’s an additional way that Agoda is supporting their ambitions to grow their business and optimise their inventory,” said Pierre Honne, senior country director for Thailand at Agoda.

Agoda’s initiative typifies the company’s data-driven approach to supporting its partners to attract more business, harnessing the intel from today’s customer travel search behaviours.

“The initiative not only aligns with travellers’ specific preferences but also opens up new avenues for hotels and accommodation providers to increase their visibility among potential customers. The thematic landing pages act as a bridge, connecting properties with consumers who have a demonstrated interest in particular experiences. With Agoda at the forefront, leveraging robust search analytics, hotels are well-positioned to capitalize on up-to-the-minute travel trends and stay competitive in a dynamic market landscape,” Mr. Honne added.

HotelREZ, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing hotel representation companies, dedicated to connecting independent properties with bookers worldwide and Sabre Hospitality, has renewed its longstanding technology partnership.

This renewal reaffirms HotelREZ and Sabre’s mutual commitment to leveraging both companies’ strengths – combining Sabre Hospitality’s cutting-edge technology with HotelREZ’s representation services.

The agreement marks the continuation of the partnership, utilising Sabre Hospitality’s comprehensive suite of products, including Sabre Global Distribution System, SynXis Booking Engine, and Channel Connect, to enhance HotelREZ’s extensive range of hospitality solutions across more than 2,500 customers. Both companies’ broad portfolio of hospitality solutions empowers hoteliers to create and deliver a unique and differentiating guest experience based on their specific brand.

By leveraging Sabre’s technology solutions, HotelREZ customers will benefit from Sabre Hospitality’s SynXis Platform and distribution technology to promote their content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents globally.

In addition to this, HotelREZ customers will have access to Sabre’s SynXis Booking Engine, which offers a simple booking process to help hotels convert shoppers into guests while maintaining full control of their customer relationships and upselling with merchandising. This collaboration provides hoteliers with solutions that enable them to maximise revenue and operate more efficiently.

The SynXis Platform not only enhances HotelREZ’s own connectivity, as well as other solutions. It enables hotels to distribute their rates and inventory across more than 600 online channels globally. Built on flexible and reliable technology, it allows hotels to control their brand experience and deliver user experience converting shoppers into guests.

Support for sustainable tourism development in the digital age has been growing. The integration of the tourism sector with technology, promises to yield substantial benefits for travellers, the travel trade, and the world. This is particularly significant given the pivotal role tourism plays in the global economy.

Can technology enhance the travel experience? What are the opportunities and potential obstacles that could arise from this integration? Are there any tangible examples of technology propelling sustainability?

These questions and more will be addressed by industry leaders from the tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as academics, in a panel discussion scheduled for June at the upcoming ITE Hong Kong. This event has been the city’s premier travel fair for many years. The panel discussion is a crucial component of the ITE2024 Industry Forum on Innovation and Sustainable Tourism.

Titled “Charting the Digital Path: The Intersection of Technology and Sustainable Tourism”, the Forum is organised by Hong Kong Metropolitan University, and co-organised by TKS Exhibition Services Ltd., the organiser of ITE. In addition to the panel discussion, there will be a keynote speech and Q&A session.

“ITE has been promoting sustainable tourism, but seldom before from the perspective of technology! We warmly welcome this timely Forum and express our deep appreciation to HKMU for such an excellent programme”, said Mr. KS Tong, managing director of TKS.

ITE Hong Kong 2024, which will take place from June 13 to 16 at Halls 1A to 1E in the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), is strongly supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Macao Government Tourism Office and travel and MICE trade associations as supporters.

The first two days of the event are reserved for trade only, while the last two days are open to the public.

For enquiry about the Forum’s programme, please email: ba@hkmu.edu.hk

Details and enquiry about ITE Hong Kong, please visit www.itehk.com or email: travel@tkshk.com