The post Tourism Authority of Thailand to boost country’s appeal in China via partnership with Baidu appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology (Baidu) to strengthen Thailand’s tourism appeal among Chinese travellers. 

The LOI was signed on Thursday, 27th February by TAT deputy governor for marketing communications Nithee Seeprae and Wang Yanli, Baidu’s general manager for its channels ecosystem cooperation department.

This strategic partnership leverages Baidu’s advanced digital platforms, AI capabilities, and vast user base.

In 2024, Thailand welcomed over 35.54 million international visitors, with 6.73 million Chinese tourists, making them the largest inbound market. 

This strong tourism relationship highlights the deep-rooted ties between Thailand and China. 

The newly signed LOI is expected to further boost Chinese arrivals, contributing significantly to Thailand’s tourism revenue targets for 2025.

An initiative in alignment with a greater campaign

The collaboration aligns with the government’s Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025 initiative, and is meant to attract high-quality Chinese tourists thereby establishing Thailand as a global tourism hub.

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said: “This agreement marks a key step towards a long-term partnership between TAT and Baidu. By working closely together, we aim to enhance Thailand’s tourism brand, promote key campaigns, and attract quality Chinese travellers in 2025. This collaboration will not only boost arrivals but also strengthen Thailand’s connections with key tourism partners in China.”

For her part, Wang remarked: “We are happy to work with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to increase the understanding of Thailand among Chinese people. We look forward to leveraging our platform to enhance cultural exchanges and further collaboration between China and Thailand.”

Leading the way 

Baidu operates in Thailand through its official Southeast Asian representative Yunshang Technology, and its local partner We Bridge Marketing Solution. 

As a technology leader, Baidu offers a range of services beyond its flagship search engine, including Baidu Maps, Baidu Cloud, and AI-driven innovations.

Through this partnership, Baidu’s expertise will help enhance Thailand’s tourism image among Chinese travellers by focusing on digital marketing, AI-powered travel insights, and customised content. 

With Thailand positioning itself as a Tourism Hub in 2025, this agreement signals the country’s readiness to welcome international visitors and ensure a vibrant, engaging travel experience.

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The post Traveloka’s Birthday Sale offers up to 50% off appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

In 2025, Traveloka marks a significant milestone, celebrating 13 years of growth and innovation. With a vision to revolutionize travel, Traveloka began its journey in Indonesia in 2012 and has since evolved into a one-stop travel platform, serving travellers across Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to experience the region and the world.

As part of its birthday celebrations, Traveloka is launching the Birthday Sale, offering exclusive discounts, special coupons, and flash sales across Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia. Running from February 24 to March 4, 2025, the campaign invites travellers to plan their 2025 adventures with greater ease, value, and flexibility.

Reflecting on the journey of the company, acknowledging how far the company has come, Caesar Indra, President of Traveloka said, “For over a decade, Traveloka has redefined travel—not just in Southeast Asia, but across key global markets, combining deep market expertise, strong industry partnerships, and a commitment to advancing tourism. With over 40 million monthly active users and operations in 8 countries, we have grown into a global travel platform, evolving with our travelers to offer innovative, tailored experiences. The Traveloka Birthday Sale is a celebration of this journey—our way of giving back to customers and reaffirming our commitment to delivering seamless and rewarding travel worldwide.”

Unlock exclusive travel deals and make every journey more rewarding with Traveloka

As a token of appreciation for its valued customers, Traveloka is offering a series of exclusive deals to help travellers maximize their 2025 travel plans. In collaboration with thousands of partners—including airlines, hotels, attractions, and more—Traveloka is offering special promotions that provide exceptional value:

• Enjoy up to 50% off on flights, hotels, and travel activities, making dream destinations more affordable than ever.
• Extra coupon worth up to IDR13 million for additional savings across a variety of travel categories.
• Everyday Flash Sales are available twice a day at 09:00 – 11:00 WIB and 21:00 – 23:00 WIB.
• One-Day Bonus! On March 3, enjoy an extra 33% off cashback coupon

With a diverse portfolio of over 20 products, spanning transportation, accommodations, and attractions, Traveloka empowers users to curate personalized travel experiences. Now enhanced by Traveloka 5.0, powered by AI, the platform offers a more intuitive interface, innovative features, and expanded offerings. Cruise and Tour Packages are now available, streamlining trip planning from transport to attractions. With AI-driven search for endless travel inspiration and an upgraded Traveloka Points system for greater rewards, Traveloka 5.0 delivers a more seamless and personalized experience for every traveler.

Transforming Travel With Our Partners

Beyond its mission of helping millions of customers explore new destinations, Traveloka is also dedicated to supporting the growth of tourism businesses and local communities. In partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Traveloka has provided sustainability training to over 150 hotels across Southeast Asia. In 2024, Traveloka became GSTC’s first ever platinum sponsor, further demonstrating our unique position to promote best practices in sustainable tourism and standards in the travel industry. Additionally, through the Traveloka Goodwill – Digital Literacy program, more than 96,000 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), business owners, and students in the hospitality and tourism industry in Southeast Asia have gained essential digital skills and knowledge enabling them to adapt to an increasingly digitalized market.

Beyond platform initiatives, Traveloka actively contributes to environmental conservation in Indonesia. Since 2022, the company has funded the planting of over 150,000 mangrove trees in Java and Bali, reinforcing its commitment to long-term climate resilience. Traveloka also collaborates with Waste4Change to enhance recycling efforts in its office and supports social enterprises tackling plastic waste pollution. Additionally, Traveloka’s partnership with the ROLE Foundation in Bali funds skills training for marginalized women in the hospitality sector, driving sustainable economic empowerment. Through these initiatives, the company reinforces its long-term commitment to preserving natural ecosystems and fostering sustainable tourism.

Looking Ahead: Empowering Partners and Strengthening the Travel Ecosystem

Throughout these years, Traveloka has established strong partnerships with over 300 airlines, 2.2 million accommodation providers, and more than 90,000 travel activity partners across 100+ countries, delivering comprehensive and seamless travel solutions to customers worldwide.

“Our longstanding partnership with Traveloka has significantly expanded our reach by connecting us with a larger and more diverse customer,” Dian Anggriani Hidayat, Area Manager Indonesia of Philippine Airlines said. “Through Traveloka’s platform, we’ve been able to streamline the booking process and enhance the overall customer experience, making travel more accessible and efficient for passengers to reach their dream destinations, both domestically and internationally.”

As travel trends evolve, in partnership with YouGov, Traveloka released a study, “Travel Redefined: Understanding and Catering to the Diverse Needs of APAC Travelers” to help partners refine strategies and stay ahead in a dynamic market. Based on insights from 12,000 travellers across nine countries, the study highlights key trends shaping the APAC travel landscape.

In Indonesia, 70% of travellers prefer domestic trips, with natural attractions like mountain ranges and national parks being the top choices, followed by beaches, coastal resorts, and historical/cultural destinations. As domestic travel remains strong, Traveloka continues to enhance access to diverse experiences that cater to evolving traveller needs.

“Traveloka has enabled us to understand evolving travel trends,” Chris Legaspi, Chief Commercial Officer of Archipelago International said. “With its insights and extensive customer base, we can refine our offerings to better align with travelers’ preferences and expectations. Beyond enhancing guest experiences, this collaboration has also played a crucial role in supporting local tourism by creating more hospitality job opportunities. As we celebrate this birthday, we look forward to deepening our partnership and making an even greater impact on the region’s tourism industry.”

 

 

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The post GDETO launches ‘Hong Kong Mega Events HSR’ appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Starting from late February, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regionhas launched the “Hong Kong Mega Events High Speed Rails” promotion campaign to introduce Hong Kong’s mega events in 2025 and diverse tourism resources to the nine Mainland municipalities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). GDETO has also set up a “2025 Hong Kong Mega Events Page” on its WeChat official account, facilitating the general public to access to the latest information.

From late February to late April, GDETO will promote the theme “Hong Kong: A Premier Hub for Mega Events & Tourism is Everywhere” on three sets of high-speed rails (HSR) covering the nine Mainland cities in the GBA. The campaign will showcase information across five major categories: culture and arts; sports; finance, innovation & technology and exhibitions; panda-themed events; and eco-tourism to passengers travelling on the HSR.

The campaign also introduces Hong Kong’s exclusive IP “Panda Friends & Family Hong Kong” to accompany passengers’ journeys and enhance the vibrancy and appeal of Hong Kong’s exciting mega events and diverse tourism offerings.

On February 28, GDETO held a launch ceremony for the “Hong Kong Mega Events High Speed Rails” at the Guangzhoudong Railway Station.

The Director of GDETO, Linda So, said at the ceremony that the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address set out to promote the integrated development of culture, sports, and tourism, and foster economic diversification. In light of such, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region released the “Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0” late last year, proposing four positions, four development strategies and 133 measures. More tourism products with local and international characteristics will be launched, including “culture + tourism,” “sports + tourism,” and “mega events + tourism”.

“This is the first time GDETO promotes Hong Kong tourism simultaneously across nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA. We look forward to seeing more friends from the GBA to visit Hong Kong, to explore its unique charm, and experience its vibrant offerings”, said Miss So.

The ceremony was officiated by representatives from the Guangdong Department of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee; the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province; the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau; and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

The “Hong Kong Mega Events HSR” promotion campaign is organized by GDETO and supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, with the use of the “Panda Friends & Family Hong Kong” IP authorised by AllRightsReserved (ARR).

According to the passenger flow data provided by the China Railway Guangzhou Group, the three sets of HSR will operates over 300 trips throughout the campaign period, reaching an estimated total of 920,000 passenger trips.

 

 

 

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The post Hotelbeds’ Bertrand Sava on Gen Z and travel agents in the 21st century travel landscape appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Bertrand Sava, general manager for retail and travel agencies for HBX Group’s Hotelbeds, was part of a panel at the recently concluded MarketHub 2025 trade conference which discussed key trends happening in the sector, particularly within the Asia Pacific.

Sava, as well as other HBX officials, pointed out that, far from becoming obsolete, travel agencies and their agents are thriving well in this day and age.

In this exclusive interview, Save shares further insights with Travel Daily Media’s own Gary Marshall.

Travel Daily Media (TDM)    Right now,  travel agents are in, I think you used the word, a re-emergence of the travel agencies; and you also commented that travel agents are misunderstood; so, let’s just touch on those two topics, if we may. 

Bertrand Sava (BertS)      Let’s start with the misunderstanding about travel agents, I would say. 

Actually, the example I gave you, is my own case; I mean, I’m relatively new to this industry, here for three years now. 

When I was invited to join [HBX Group] to take that role as its retail general manager, I was really thinking about whether or not there was a real and thriving business and growing business; and indeed, there was and it’s still growing. 

What is surprising is that what is actually fueling that growth is not only transactions from the older generations that used to use travel agencies regularly, but from the Gen Z, which is something that people may consider a little bit surprising.

Indeed, 40 percent of Gen Z are aware that they are relying on travel agents whenever they book their trips. 

They really want something unique, something that connects to their values.

Gen Z really wants something that suits them so they value the experience all the more, particularly the add-ons, the hidden gems they wouldn’t have found out about.

They value all that more than just the total cost of the trip, and that’s exactly where travel agents need to be at.

In the context of overtourism

TDM      Okay;now, let’s touch on that word over-tourism. 

My assumption, and I could be wrong here, is that this Gen Z, to use your terms, is looking for more experiential places, maybe even getting out of the big cities and so forth.

Are they just tapping into the travel agents for another level of expertise about where to go that’s beyond the big cities? 

BertS    I think that it’s balanced, right; because on one hand, they like to go where they can have that post, that picture, that selfie, and therefore that’s relying a bit much on over-tourism. 

On the other hand, they also prefer to do solo travel, that uniqueness that they are looking at; so I think they are also open to the potential solutions to the over-tourism which may involve travelling off-season or going to places that aren’t as famous as the regular attractions, right?

TDM     You made a comment this morning, and it was so telling: 65 percent of travelers feel overwhelmed. 

And I liked that saying: Too much information kills information.

BertS   Yeah, it was actually a French journalist who said that.

But I love it, because there often really is too much information. 

That’s what happens when you want to book somewhere or even if you’re just searching, 

You get bombarded by offers; there’s just too much information, and it just feels overwhelming.

TDM    So a lot of these Gen Zs are actually using social media of some kind.

You also made a comment saying a travel agency or agent needs to be where the customers are.

But, to be more specific, on what sort of platform do you think they ought to be based on your research? 

BertS     Well, I mean, you know, it’s social media, it’s travel blogs,  it’s opinions posted online, even instant messaging platforms.

Those are all the platforms that Gen Z is using these days; and, for travel agents, that’s where they need to be.

They also need to be active, posting, reacting, and showcasing, because they’re really creating a relationship with clients even before they show up at the door, and that’s very important today.

Being service oriented gets results

BertS    I think that successful travel agents have always focused on amazing customer service. 

If you give great customer service, you will have a winning business.

I mean, you want your customers to come back, and they will come back if they know that you are going that extra mile they need in some cases.

Then they will come back for the next one, and the next one after that; so this is very important. 

TDM     You made a comment in the session that customers are willing to spend 67 percent more if the experience is worth it. 

Now, are you talking about the experience with the travel agents or about the actual experience at the destination? 

BertS     I was speaking of that in general.

As a consumer, you’re ready to spend more if the sales experience is worth it, right? 

Now, if the sales experience is good, the price is less important. 

Statistically, Gen Zs seek out luxury accommodation, and it’s like every two out of three, right? In which case, they’re mean, they’re seeking something unique, something that really suits their tastes.

Another interesting statistic is that Gen Z actually spends 20 percent more than the average traveller.

So, if it’s worth it, they’ll do it.

TDM     I also liked what was said earlier today wherein a lady on one of the panels said that the oldest generation was all “Let’s work now, then travel later.”

BertS     But Gen Z wants their travel time now, not when they retire, and they will repeat the experience.

That’s why they think it’s worth it, and also why they’ll happily pay up for it.

 

About Bertrand Sava

A French national, Bertrand Sava has been general manager for retail and travel agencies for HBX Group subsidiary Hotelbeds since March 2022.

He has a well-demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry.

As such, he is highly skilled in the fields of banking, sales management, as well as financial technologies (fintech.)

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The post HBX’s Alexander Stutely on travel insurance products in today’s world appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

While travel insurance has grown more important over the past several years, most people still have no idea how it works, let alone what options are currently available for both business and leisure travellers.

At the recently concluded MarketHub 2025 forum held by the HBX Group in Macau, its insurance strategy director Alexander Stutely cast this vital sector into the spotlight.

Travel Daily Media’s Gary Marshall had the opportunity to sit down with Stutely to gain additional insights regarding the matter.

Travel Daily Media (TDM)    Alex, you’re in charge of the strategic direction of HBX Group’s travel insurance section; how does that interface with the customer side of the business, and what type of customers do you actually look for?

Alexander Stutely (AS)     There are actually several types of insurance products that we’re launching and offering, products that are designed to be B2B2C, meaning that we offer them to our clients. 

Currently, HBX Group works with approximately 60,000 tour operators, travel agents, OTAs, and so on. 

We can offer these insurance products to them which they can eventually distribute to travellers who are the end-consumers.

Travellers can purchase those products to protect themselves when they’re traveling.

We also have some products that are designed to be B2B, so we offer them to the clients to enable them to protect their own businesses.

These could be anything from cyber protection, liability insurance, and so on. 

So, to make a long story short, there are two types of products: B2B and B2B2C.

TDM     So, if I’m a tour operator or even a high street travel agent or a travel management company, I can connect with you and then the underwriters for the business.

Also, how many underwriters do you have across the business itself?

AS     To be clear, HBX Group is not directly the insurer.

We have partnerships with underwriting capacity insurance providers operating in a number of different markets. 

Thus, insurance is regulated based on the home country of the traveller. 

We have underwriters through our partners that are in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and so on.

These are able to create products that are suitable for end-travellers who are from those source markets, as well as for our clients who are also located there.

On top of that, we also have a global product through one of our partners, Battleface, which can be offered to residents of over 180 countries worldwide as well. 

A working timeframe

TDM     What is the implementation time period from when a travel agent and yourself speak to the time they can technically be up and running?

AS     It depends on how our client wants to integrate the insurance: if they want to have a very light touch model where effectively they are just redirecting their customers to a third-party site to be able to purchase the product, it can be done extremely quickly.

However, if it is going to be embedded into their booking journey, it takes longer. 

The timeline is really driven by the resources, the tech capability, and the product roadmap of the client. 

There are some cases where we have a client who is already keen to be up and running very quickly.

We can integrate in a matter of weeks and they can start selling very quickly. 

For others, maybe their product roadmap is saying that they have a space for this four months from now, six months from now. 

Of course, we then just work to their timeline as well.

TDM     Can you give me some examples of some customers that have taken on maybe a white-label experience and have actually benched the front cover, so to speak, with their own branding? 

AS     Because insurance is a regulated service and product in most countries, if the partner doesn’t want to go through a complicated process to sign up and be authorised to distribute the products, they can go for a sort of co-branding approach where the insurer’s name is there alongside their own name so that the end customer still understands that there is this insurer behind the scenes that’s providing the product.

That co-branded version can be up and running in between a few days or a couple of weeks. 

We’ve done this with a few partners in the US and Europe primarily. 

But again, for example, with this global product, it could be done anywhere in the world; I think it’s certainly a great product to bolt onto any B2B business. 

 

About Alexander Stutely

Alexander Stutely joined the HBX Group in 2023 as its insurance strategy director, and it’s a position he holds to this day.

Prior to this, he served as head of business development and partnerships in the United Kingdom for global insurance provider battleface.

At present, he is based in London.

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The post Mark Antipof and David Amsellem talk about The Luxurist appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

In January, HBX Group revealed an innovative platform that is set to revolutionise the contemporary luxury travel sector: The Luxurist.

The Luxurist is the world’s first comprehensive luxury travel ecosystem which leverages innovative travel technology to connect best-in-class travel advisors with extraordinary global hotel properties via a seamless interface designed exclusively for the luxury segment. 

As such it aims to establish a new reference point in the B2B premiere travel market, addressing a need for intelligent backend infrastructure and a robust planning ecosystem for luxury travel advisors.

At HBX Group’s MarketHub 2025 in Macao, Travel Daily Media’s Gary Marshall had the opportunity to gain further insights on the evolving luxury travel market with the people behind The Luxurist: its chief executive David Amsellem and HBX’s chief growth officer Mark Antipof.

An exciting partnership

Travel Daily Media (TDM)     What exactly is the tie-in between The Luxurist and HBX? 

Mark Antipof (MA)    It’s actually a venture that we are doing with our partner, David Amsellem, with us (HBX) as the majority shareholder.

TDM     We’re aware that, as of 2023, the global luxury travel business is worth US$239 million, and could be worth around US$391 billion by 2028. What’s your take on that?

MA     It’s actually in the trillions as we think about luxury, because it’s not just about the content, but it’s also about the experience that you deliver and how much a luxury traveler would opt to spend. 

So, the GDP of luxury is far greater, hence why we were very interested in the platform, but there’s also other uses for it.

David Amsellem (DA)     For years, hospitality has been seen on the accommodation angle only, but if we look at the behaviour of luxury travelers today, they start by booking experiences, then the stay, then the flight.

If you look at the expenses and at the GDP, precisely, you get to consider the experiences, the activities, and of course, instead of talking about $400 billion, we’re considering for 2030, a trillion.

That’s the addressable market that we have in mind. 

There are companies like Virtuoso who will be our partners, as they’ll be using our platform as a complement to what they have today. 

They are fantastic travel advisors: they are experts in luxury, and they know the market very well.

Also, they have direct contracts with all the luxury properties; but, on top of this, we come as experts of the experiential part, and you get to know that the luxurious relies on three pillars, which is a luxury listing, the luxury properties, exclusive privileges that we have negotiated, plus a dedicated concierge service available for the travel agent. And this part is about experiences.

MA     It’s about what we call the non-transactional components, meaning that on top of the usual, the traditional activities, city guides that you can book with any agent, you can also call us for a good recommendation for a nice restaurant, for booking a table, for getting access to sold-out tickets. 

That’s the role of the concierge behind the scene, behind the travel agent. So it’s adding considerable value to the travel counselor that’s selling the luxury travel experience.

DA     Our role is to elevate the travel advisors: we are here to really enable them, enhance their job, and give them more tools to make remarkable, memorable trips.

The right set of tools    

TDM     Could you give me an example to show what you mean exactly?

MA     First of all, luxury travel advisors don’t really need us to know which place they want to recommend.

But when they book this place, they want to make sure that the content is reliable. Meaning that this room, which has been booked, the room 34 that the client has seen on Instagram, is the room that they will book.

To do so, they can call us, and our concierge will do the job to guarantee that this room, which has been booked on the platform, is the room that will be booked for the client.

DA     That’s the type of added value that we can bring, thanks to our human concierge behind the platform. 

For example: if you’re coming in London during the Olympic Games, and you want to see the show, but of course you didn’t plan it before, you can still call the concierge and get access to that type of event. 

That’s because we’ll always have access to that type of sold-out event; and that’s how we, again, that’s how concretely we can enhance such a trip. 

Educating entrants into the luxury travel segment

TDM     I imagine that you spend a lot of time trying to source travel agents that are either in the luxury market now that want to bolt on or use your API, or trying to educate travel agents that maybe aspire to be in the luxury travel sector? 

MA     We do both. I mean, on one hand, we’re talking to luxury TAs who are frustrated not to have today this kind of platform in the market that doesn’t exist. 

We’ve made a whole benchmark globally, but we haven’t found one single platform. We have found lots of luxury listings, but no real integrated platform: so you ought to know that The Luxurist is a full itinerary planner.

DA     [Currently,] There is only one like this on the luxury segment. 

At the same time, we see more and more interest coming from traditional travel agents who want to enter this very profitable luxury segment. 

We’re here to educate them and to give them the tools to enter and to meet these very high-end demands.

TDM     Does it cover the cruise sector as well? 

DA     Not yet, but we plan to before the end of 2025. We’ll be also able to offer cruise on the platform.

TDM     Are there barriers to signing up with you? How does that process work and how long does it take and how much does it cost? 

DA     Probably that we could say that we have three entry barriers. 

The first one is the inventory: having access to a global luxury inventory is not something that you can do overnight. 

You need a signature for that, you need the contacts for that; you need a network, so you need HBX Legacy to do so. 

The second point is technology because, of course, having one single platform collecting and connecting to all these different suppliers with flights, accommodation, experiences, having one full itinerary on a one-stop hub is something which you can’t reproduce overnight.

And third, probably the most complicated to replicate of all, is the luxury know-how in terms of concierge service; and you won’t find this just anywhere.

You can find high-end customer services, but you cannot find the true expertise of a true dedicated team.

MA     You were asking about how difficult it would be for a travel agent to join or become a luxurious travel agent. 

It’s not: the platform is a SaaS product, so technically you could be enabled reasonably quickly.

Obviously we’d have to onboard you and understand who you are. 

If you’re an existing client today of HBX, for example, you could quite easily use those credentials that you have with the company to apply for The Luxurist and just sign up and fill a form and off you run. 

How long would it take? I think 15 minutes to sign somebody up and get going, basically.

A not-so-traditional model

TDM     What about cost structure? 

MA     Our model is a traditional model that we’ve had with HBX. 

As you know, we’re a B2B only, so our job is to make our partner’s job successful.

We share, if you like, the revenues through commission structure or a net margin that is shared with the travel agents so that they can either discount their clients or add prices or add their value on top. It doesn’t change too much. 

Obviously, the content is different because here you’re not talking about a standard room rate.

It’s luxury rates, so the product itself is a lot wealthier, let’s say; but you get what you pay for.

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The post HBX’s Andrew Boocock on the art of selling travel in an evolving industry appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Sales and marketing are a critical sector for any business, but most especially for the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries, given the post-pandemic boom in all three.

At the recently concluded MarketHub 2025 summit held in Macau by the HBX Group, Group vice-president for sales in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific (MEAPAC) Andrew Boocock was part of a panel that discussed trends in these evolving sectors.

Travel Daily Media’s Gary Marshall caught up with Boocock to hear more of his relevant insights.

Travel Daily Media (TDM)   You’ve attracted a very high level of people, quality- and quantity-wise, this year; how many people are currently here?

Andrew Boocock (AB)  I think, in total, we’re about 350 in all. 

For us it’s the first time that the MEAPAC conference was the first of the market hubs that we run; last time, when we had it in Bangkok, it was the last event of the year.

This year, we’ve switched it around, and it’s exciting for us to be leading the way at an exciting period in the business.

TDM     I want to get down to your role within the business itself; what is your mandate per se and what sort of customers are you trying to attract?

AB     We focus on anybody that’s selling travel from a leisure perspective: whether that’s your OTA businesses, partners that sit in between that OTA and retail agent model, airline partners, we look at both the obvious as well as any of the non-traditional travel markets as well. 

We look at things like subscription groups and corporate businesses that use travel as part of their ecosystem.

Things like credit cards and affiliate companies are also a focus point for us. 

Beyond that, we touched on airlines through our white label technology. 

Obviously, we do have retail agents, which is what we manage for our retail team. 

So yeah, for my own team really within APAC, it’s a very dynamic and online market.

Our focus is on those markets for customers that operate in that particular space.

Dealing with the brick and mortar scene

TDM     Can you give us some examples of the types of clients from a brick and mortar point of view that would actually use your services?

AB     Look at the Australian market, for example: someone like Flight Centre would be an example of a brick and mortar travel agency who still has quite a significant presence in the market, and Hello World is another example of that in the Australian market. 

When you expand outside of Australia, Japan still is a fairly traditional market in that sense so you look at players like HIS and JTB, for example, as two major traditional brick and mortar style businesses that still have people that will go in and purchase packages and they produce brochures and those sorts of things, which is becoming increasingly rare in this region. 

Beyond that, I think people are becoming more and more interactive when it comes to looking online for different products, and they’ll use that as their source of inspiration.

Then again, you still have people that will go and want the comfort and the ability to go and talk to a travel agent or go and talk to somebody who can physically book a hotel or a holiday for them and have the assurance and the comfort that it’s all been sorted for them.

Strategic partnerships

TDM     From what I believe, there’s a lot of infantry as such within the system for the agents to book, ranging from car hire, I believe insurance as well?

AB     We launched a partnership with Battleface last year as well from an insurance perspective. 

But, historically, Hotelbeds was known for our accommodation, which remains our bread and butter.

In recent years, though, we’ve really expanded that out. 

We have transfers, which is incredibly important for us and which we offer globally. 

There’s very few markets where we don’t have an exceptional presence. 

Car hire through CARNECT is another really important part of our business. 

People love to self-drive and a car hire service is something that allows them to do that. Activities are also part of what people want from their holiday, and we just had a conversation before the presentations about how the activities and experiences market represents $1 trillion of the total global market.

These are things like theme parks, coach tours, all these different types of experiences that people want to have and why they go on holidays; that’s also something that we offer.

A foray into fintech and more

AB     Fintech products are something that we’ve continued to expand into, particularly when you look at some of the digital payment solutions and options that are available in the market. 

So, yes: we’ve gone beyond just accommodation now and our HPX ecosystem continues to grow and evolve.

TDM     So if somebody wants to connect with you and your particular division, how do they get that going?

AB     They can go straight onto the HPX website, raise a request, explain a little bit about their business model, and they’ll be directed into the right team that can start onboarding them and connect them to us as quickly as they can.

With regard to onboarding, it’s a process of how long typically depends on the business, you know If a client’s looking for web access It’s literally a matter of giving them credentials and away they go. 

They can log on to the system if they’re looking at something like an API or a white label solution that generally takes a little bit longer.

Then again, depending on the amount of resources that the client has, it can be a matter of days to a couple of weeks. 

It really just depends on how much time and resources that they’ve got, but there’s a team there ready to go and to start that conversation as quickly as possible.

 

About Andrew Boocock

Currently based in Australia, Boocock stepped into the role of vice-president for MEAPAC sales in November 2024.

In this role, he leads sales teams across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Australia.

As such, his primary focus is on strengthening HBX Group’s market position and fostering growth in these strategic regions.

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The post HBX’s Paul Anthony speaks about the evolving global hospitality sector appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

With the return of travel sector numbers to nearly pre-pandemic levels, the global hospitality sector has been growing by leaps and bounds.

HBX Group’s senior vice-president for global sourcing Paul Anthony recently shared his insights on this evolving field in an exclusive interview with Travel Daily Media’s own Gary Marshall at the recently concluded MarketHub 2025 held in Macau.

Travel Daily Media (TDM)     I’ve noticed how far a distance that the HBX Group has come, so I would like to catch up about where you’ve been and where you currently are.

Paul Anthony (PA)      Go back up maybe 20 years ago: we started out as a as a business based in Spain.

We were, at the time, largely leisure-based and we then moved into cities in Europe and a small bit in Latin America; and then we started in the US.

Then, as a result of expansion in Asia, we eventually became a global partner in the B2B space.

That worked very well for us; very, very well, as a matter of fact.

Back then, we had a lot of what we called FIT static contracts and we started moving and down the direction of the way the hotel industry was moving, where that dynamic inventory often made a better performance for a hotel.

We wanted to make sure that we were helping hotels move into that dynamic inventory, and we were very successful at making that happen.

Today, we’re very very comfortable in the position that we are in right now.

On parity and distribution

TDM     I’d say that it was a good move on your part. 

PA     We have had some hiccups along the way.

As you know, hotels are increasingly obsessed around parity and controlling the direction of distribution. 

I think that we probably let ourselves down, and that was the result of a combination of factors, including the fact that we brought three companies together, but we made it work. 

[But I was thinking:] “Let’s help the industry and to make sure that distribution control and parity is what it really needs to be for all of us.”

I think we’ve come a long way since then with those partners that where I think we were sometimes seen as rogue players.

I think it’s helping us build more strategic relationships with our partners

Now, we’ve begun to think: where can we grow together?

Where are their markets whose business they aren’t getting a fair share of, and what can we do together in those markets?

I’m trying to be there with the hotels to actually make both our businesses better and bigger; that’s something important. 

The journey has been a long one, but I think we’re in a really good place at the moment with regard to the development of technology.

HBX Group as an industry intermediary

PA      For us it’s always about being an intermediary: we need to be the ones that can normalise the very different tech stacks that our supply partners have.

How do we make sure we can make sense of that in order to normalise things so that the right product is going to the right type of customer and the right distribution channels.

We are constantly looking at how and what we invest in, so that we can make it the best it can be.

The hospitality industry is hugely fragmented: there are so many players out there. 

Luckily, we know today that the hospitality sector contributes ten percent of the global GDP; that means there are a lot of players involved, and that’s great for the industry.

With so many players, it becomes such a dynamic environment as well.

We want to be the ones that can normalise that environment in a way where suppliers are getting what they need from customers in the right way.

What does global sourcing entail?

TDM   What does your day look like in your line of work?

PA     Obviously, we have our teams with whom we have relationships around the world, from our biggest chain partnerships right down to individual hotels.

We have programmes wherein we invest together in the hotel to make sure we’re pushing them well. 

It’s really about making sure that the teams are all using the right value propositions, educating our hotel partners about what we’re doing and making sure that we find those gaps to be able to make sure we become a better business.

While I’d love to be more involved with some of our negotiations, time doesn’t really allow it. 

I’m involved in some of the largest ones, but it really is about having the right teams with the right value propositions and the right level of consistency.

By doing so, we make sure that we’re delivering according to our promises in a consistent way right the way around the world.

 

About Paul Anthony

Currently senior vice-president for global sourcing for the HBX Group, a position he has held since October 2024, Paul Anthony was also the director for commercia digitisation for its company Hotelbeds for the better part of three years.

Prior to these, he was Hotelbeds Technology’s director of information technology and strategic projects from 2009 to 2012.

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The post Lion Air launches non-stop Manado – Bali route appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Lion Air, one of Indonesia’s airlines, has officially announced the launch of a new non-stop route from Manado, North Sulawesi, to Bali. This route will be operated using a Boeing 737-900ERwith 215 economy-class seats and a Boeing 737-800NG, which can accommodate 189 passengers in economy class. Lion Air is committed to providing a comfortable, efficient, and affordable flying experience for all customers.

Flight Schedule

Starting March 21, 2025 – Operates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Route	Flight No.	Departure	Arrival
Manado (MDC) – Bali (DPS)	JT-771	09.50 WITA	12.20 WITA
Bali (DPS) – Manado (MDC)	JT-770	13.20 WITA	15.50 WITA

As one of the major cities in Eastern Indonesia, Manado has great tourism potential. Destinations such as Bunaken, Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, and the rich Minahasa culture have attracted both domestic and international tourists. Meanwhile, Bali remains Indonesia’s top tourism destination, offering world-class beaches, cultural attractions, and facilities.

This new Lion Air route will facilitate travel for tourists while also boosting economic and tourism growth in both regions. Additionally, the route is expected to serve as a bridge for business owners, as Bali is a key center for economic and cultural activities.

Benefits of the Manado – Bali Route

1. Faster Travel Time – With a non-stop flight, travel between Manado and Bali is significantly shorter, making it easier for customers traveling for leisure or business.

2. Wider Connectivity – Travelers from Manado can enjoy Bali’s attractions and continue their journey to various domestic and international destinations through Lion Group’s extensive network.

• Domestic: Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Solo, Majalengka, Lombok, Sumbawa, Bima, Tambolaka, Kupang, Sumba, and more.
• International: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Perth, Brisbane, and other cities across the Asia-Pacific region.

3. Convenient Booking & Benefits – Customers can use the BookCabin app to book tickets, check-in online, and join CabinClub for exclusive deals and point accumulation.

 

 

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The post RAKTDA launches ‘Not a Vacation…Our Vacation’ appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

 

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has unveiled its latest destination marketing film, ‘Not a Vacation…Our Vacation’ – a bold and witty take on what makes the emirate a holiday destination unlike any other.

Produced by Goldmine, directed by renowned filmmaker Mark Middlewick and brought to life with creative direction from Impact BBDO, the film offers a fresh perspective on the UAE’s northernmost emirate. Breaking away from conventional travel narratives, it redefines Ras Al Khaimah as a place where curiosity sparks unexpected discoveries, and every experience feels refreshingly different.

With Ras Al Khaimah gaining global recognition as a must-visit travel destination, the film’s upbeat approach aims to reshape perceptions, challenge clichés and highlight the emirate’s rich offerings in a way that is fun, dynamic and full of personality.

It’s narrative cleverly juxtaposes the ordinary with the extraordinary, playing with contrasts to showcase what sets Ras Al Khaimah apart, where travellers (not tourists) venture beyond the usual to discover hidden gems, rich traditions, and exhilarating outdoor experiences.

“Ras Al Khaimah isn’t just another vacation spot – it’s a destination that offers something entirely unique,” said Alka Winter, Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “With this campaign, we wanted to move away from the typical tourism marketing playbook and embrace a more fun, authentic, and engaging narrative. We’re inviting travellers to experience a destination where the unexpected becomes the unforgettable, where nature, adventure, and heritage come together in a way that’s distinctly Ras Al Khaimah.”

The film’s fresh, experience-driven approach aligns seamlessly with 2025’s emerging travel trends, as highlighted in Expedia’s latest Unpack ’25 report. With travellers increasingly prioritising destinations that offer distinctive, off-the-beaten-path experiences, Ras Al Khaimah stands out as a prime example of what the report calls a “Detour Destination” – a place that offers a refreshing alternative to overcrowded tourist hubs. According to the report, 63% of global travellers are more likely to seek out unique destinations that offer authenticity, culture and outdoor adventures.

“When RAKTDA approached us with this project, we saw an opportunity to push the boundaries of traditional destination marketing,” commented Martino Caliendo, Creative Director at Impact BBDO. “We wanted to challenge expectations, using humour and contrast to highlight the unique ‘RAK Effect’ – a place where curiosity leads to something truly different. This campaign marks the first step in a collaboration that we are confident will be an incredible journey for all of us.”

Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism sector soared to new heights in 2024, achieving record-breaking visitor numbers and unprecedented growth. The emirate welcomed 1.28 million overnight arrivals, driving a 12% increase in tourism revenues and further cementing its reputation as the region’s fastest-growing tourism destination.

Its success was fuelled by exciting new hotel and resort openings, a growing calendar of international events, enhanced connectivity to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, and standout global marketing campaigns. RAKTDA also ramped up its international outreach, leading 2,200 market engagements across 70 cities, expanding its global footprint and reinforcing its appeal as a must-visit destination for adventure, culture, and relaxation.

With momentum at an all-time high, ‘Not a Vacation…Our Vacation’ aims to build on this success, inviting travellers to see Ras Al Khaimah through a fresh lens – one that’s as bold, dynamic, and unforgettable as the destination itself.

 

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Source: traveldailymedia