Open Destinations takes majority stake in Bangkok mobile start-up

Travel technology provider Open Destinations has taken a majority stake in Bangkok-based Tineri, a mobile itinerary start-up designed for tour operators. Continue reading →

Travel technology provider Open Destinations has taken a majority stake in Bangkok-based Tineri, a mobile itinerary start-up designed for tour operators.

The new app joins group of applications from Open Destinations designed for operators, wholesalers and destination management companies.

Tineri is a white label product for operators to engage with their customers, both during the holiday and after they have returned home.

The company was founded last year by Tim Russell, whose career covers travel and technology companies in Asia and Europe.

The company recently won a place at the 2017 Travel Technology Europe Launchpad and received a Frost & Sullivan Thailand Excellence Award in a new category designed for start-ups.

Tineri can be downloaded via the Apple Store or Google Play.

Travellers have access to in-depth itineraries which are integrated with Google Maps, allowing them to follow their trip in a map view with pop up destination information along the way.

Using the ‘in-app’ rating and feedback service, Tineri also provides operators the opportunity to collect real-time ratings of customer experiences during their trip.

Operators can connect to the app through a web based content management system.

Open Destinations is developing direct integrations to a number of leading operator reservations systems through a dedicated API.

The acquisition was a result of the demand seen among Open Destination’s worldwide customer base, as well as its vision of where the industry is heading, according to CEO Kevin O’Sullivan.

“Tour operators want to engage more fully with their customers. Tineri allows them to offer a fantastic looking mobile application that keeps their customers informed and provide high levels of service throughout the trip,” he said.

“Tour operators who invest in an app like Tineri can reinforce their brand and build customer loyalty.

“Tour operators currently spend thousands of dollars a year collecting and processing customer feedback at the end of the trip, often when it is too late to react,” O’Sullivan added.

“Most tour operators will see Tineri pay for itself with just this feature alone.”

Russell believes that the mobile world opens many new doors for tour operators.

“Tineri gives tour operators the chance to really showcase their expertise and connect with their clients when they are in the destination,” he said.

“We are planning to open up even more opportunities for them to upsell during tours. We believe that Tineri can really help drive additional revenue.”