Online travel agencies tips

Looking to establish itself as the number 1 online travel agency in Southeast Asia, Air Asia Move, previously known as AirAsia superapp, announced the launch of its ASEAN Explorer Pass on Thursday.

Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip.com on Monday confirmed an investment in business-to-business (B2B) travel portal ETrav Tech.

CEOs at MakeMyTrip and Yatra Online agree: India holds more than just a country. 

GetYourGuide launched a suite of tools for tour and activity operators on Tuesday. The company, which has raised roughly $1 billion in funding, aims to make it easier for solo and mom-and-pop entrepreneurs to sell their walking tours, cooking classes, and other services through its online travel app.

Trivago is rolling out its first major brand advertising campaign since the company changed its leadership seven months ago, and the multi-country ad blitz replaces its roster of professional pitch people with one actor who speaks numerous languages thanks to the power of AI.

Klook, an online travel agency for tours and activities, transport, and travel services, said it had raised $210 million (about $290 Singaporean dollars) in capital with a mix of venture equity and bank financing.

Tripadvisor’s Viator has long been one of the largest online travel agencies for tours and activities. But to juice its revenue, it began letting tour operators spend more for better placement in Viator search results.

Five travel tech startups have announced fundraises this week totaling more than $144 million. 

How much will hotel companies pay OTAs (online travel agencies) and similar third-party distributors this year? That was the thought-provoking question raised on Thursday by Max Starkov in a LinkedIn post.

Amid the experience sector’s digital transformation, a notable trend is emerging: the importance of direct bookings, with smaller tour operators looking to capitalize on the next wave for experience travel businesses.

Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group has a few issues with airlines at the moment.

Busbud, an online marketplace for bus and other ground transport tickets, is now offering more software services to operators in that industry following a company acquisition. 

Yanolja said this week it expected that a post-pandemic rebound in international travel will continue to boost its twin businesses of online travel sales via a superapp and software sales to hotels and other travel companies. The South Korea-based startup has made progress on both ambitions since 2011, when it received a $1.7 billion investment from the Softbank Vision Fund in a transaction that valued Yanolja at the time at approximately US$9 billion.

Spain’s eDreams Odigeo said on Tuesday the number of bookings made on its various online platforms was rising faster than across the wider industry, boosting its profitability.

The numbers show solo travel is expected to increase in the year ahead while tour operators push to provide enhanced flexibility for single travelers, many of whom take trips in small groups.

Travel platform Agoda has been pushing ahead with a series of new fintech partnerships, with its eye on Asia’s corporate travel recovery.

Yoga enthusiasts wanting an immersive cultural retreat, football fans looking to meet their sporting heroes or individuals with a penchant for the mixology of gin — these everyday interests and hobbies are shaping “passion-driven” itineraries for travelers looking for more meaningful travel experiences.

Americans want savvy pricing regarding their travel experiences in the new year, as they keep an open mind about the type of things they plan to book. 

The potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to produce personalized travel recommendations and itineraries, as well as on-point content for travel companies, is setting the travel sector abuzz. 

There’s nothing quite like a surprise travel gift — and U.S. travelers are ready for it.

Indian online travel agency EaseMyTrip announced this week that it has acquired a 55 percent stake in hotel booking marketplace cheQin, owned by Gleego Innovations, for around $370,000.