Traveltech Lab profile: Travel firms use Epteca platform to target new revenue streams

Thirteen unnamed new travel companies have been added to a growing portfolio of clients using the Epteca platform.

Thirteen unnamed new travel companies have been added to a growing portfolio of clients using the Epteca platform.

The technology gives marketplace capabilities to agents, operators, hotels, airlines and OTAs to sell relevant merchandise in addition to travel.

The company is also expanding into Norway, Switzerland and Austria while launching seven new brands since January, with six more coming in the next two months.

Epteca has developed a ‘marketplace ecosystem’ where travel companies and suppliers have the capability to tap into new revenue streams, by offering a range of products relevant to each step of the customer journey.

These include pre-travel accessories and care – such as GPS trackers, city guides, waterproof beach bags – to in-destination services such as restaurant bookings and beach accessory packs, to post-travel necessities including grocery deliveries and digital photo printing.

Using customer data and predictive algorithms that match the context and intent, Epteca claims to accurately anticipate not only what travellers need, but also what they are likely to want and do during their trip.

Only the most applicable options are offered via personalised white-labelled communications that function more like a practical checklist of relevant reminders than a sales pitch, according to the company.

Bojan Jokic, chief executive and co-founder, said: “We continue to see a tremendous demand for our platform.

“There are currently over one billion travellers annually and 79% of them want to be offered relevant third party ancillaries by their travel supplier after the booking.

“Our data-centric ancillary selling strategy brings together one marketplace focused on the individual traveller and leverages the influence of timing, technique, channel, service and price to drive conversions.

“We are proud that Epteca is helping travel partners and vendors worldwide grow their business, increase customer satisfaction and build strong customer relationships.”

Chris Harrison, sales and marketing director of Dawson & Sanderson, said the concept mixes useful information specific to customers travel plans, with relevant travel merchandise that can be purchased to further enhance their holidays.

“We were apprehensive that in the very crowded e-commerce space, any communication we did would have to add value and benefit the relationship with our customers,” he said.