Trio of tech integrations step up Pathway GDS’s trade reach

Trio of tech integrations step up Pathway GDS’s trade reach

Pathway GDS, the start-up holiday rental distribution platform, is poised for a step change in its distribution having integrated with three key travel technology providers in the UK.

Pathway GDS, the start-up holiday rental distribution platform, is poised for a step change in its distribution having integrated with three key travel technology providers in the UK.

Deals with Traveltek, Intuitive and Dolphin Dynamics means Pathway’s 90,000 properties will become available to most of the major online retailers.

Pathway GDS is also starting to bring some owner-managed properties into its portfolio with a view to becoming a supplier to peer-to-peer websites like HouseTrip and Airbnb.

An agreement has been struck with a Spanish start-up in this fast-growing sector called Alter Keys to supply 25,000 professionally managed properties.

A further bid to expand distribution has been to develop a Sabre Red app that is currently in the approval phase with the technology provider and GDS.

Once it is available in the Sabre Red App Centre it will be available to travel agencies using the Sabre system worldwide.

James Marchant, Pathway GDS co-founder, said the firm was also looking to expand its property portfolio and reach into travel agents in the US and the Middle East.

It is also adding agency-managed properties in the Far East and is in discussions with two major airlines about supplying self-catering properties into their holiday websites.

“Certainly in terms of product recruitment and now access into the trade this is going to be a big game-changer for us,” Marchant said.

“It now means that from all of the agents’ point of view there is no practical work needed to access our whole portfolio.

“The core business will remain putting professionally-managed portfolios in to the trade but clearly there is demand and scope to help connect owner-managed properties as well.

“You have the trade who only want to work with our core professional suppliers but also the likes of HouseTrip who want access to more owner managed inventory – it’s just two different sets of customers.”

Marchant said he had always been optimistic there was a good opportunity for Pathway GDS when the business first emerged in January.

But he said ever since things had gone very well particularly in terms of the number of agencies, airlines and other suppliers expressing an interest in selling the product.

“They see this as incremental business. While there might be some switching from less value hotels to this sort of accommodation it is genuinely incremental business to be had.

“There is growing awareness that this type of holiday can offer good value and still there is a crucial role for travel agents and brands holidaymakers, who are maybe new to this, trust.

“While the peer to peer side is going well you have still got a huge number of people who will always want to book though a brand they have been with before. That’s where we see demand coming from.

“If those brands are dealing with Pathway it means they are dealing with one supplier. We have done all the nitty gritty and put the product, pricing and mapping all in a standardised form.”