China trading establishes it as key strategic market for Hotelbeds

Spanish B2B wholesaler revealed trading for its full year 2016/17 at ITB Asia in Singapore Continue reading →

Hotelbeds Group reported 20% year-on-year growth in room night booked in the Asia Pacific source market.

The Spanish B2B wholesaler revealed trading for its full year 2016/17 at ITB Asia taking place in Singapore this week.

During the year China was the top source market for the second year running in the region with 46% growth in room nights.

Other top Asian source markets are India, South Korea, Indonesia and Australia

Top APAC destinations booked via Hotelbeds platform globally were Bangkok followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Bali.

Hotelbeds said the performance shows China has emerged as one of the key strategic markets for Hotelbeds Group in APAC, becoming the fifth biggest source market, up from 22nd place only five years ago.

Sam Turner, sales director at Hotelbeds Group, said: “The potential for the Chinese travel source market, both domestic and international, is vast and almost unimaginable.

“China has the world’s largest population with a rapidly expanding middle-class and they are all looking for travel experiences.

“This explosion of Chinese travelers worldwide requires both travel providers and travel sellers to adapt their offering to the needs, preference and desires of the Chinese market.

“To do so, it is not only about adapting the booking process but also the whole cycle of payment, check-in, visa processes, social media platforms, and so on – and that´s why we´re focusing hard on making sure we have the best and most relevant technology for the market.

“The strong APAC presence and local knowledge of GTA , which has recently joined our Group, will also boost us further in this key strategic market in order to lead the bedbank niche in the APAC region.”

Andy Tan, sales director Asia-Pacific at Hotelbeds, added: “Our success story in the APAC region is the result of the strong relationships with client partners that are defined by co-creation and collaboration, as well as our commitment both to gaining local knowledge and building strong teams in the APAC region.

“Moreover, the investment in best-in-class technology and the use of data and analytics haves also emerged as key drivers of our success in the region during the last year.”