Overseas growth for MyBookingRewards.com after WTM showcase

MyBookingRewards.com has credited its presence at world Travel Market this year with its move into new overseas markets.

MyBookingRewards.com has credited its presence at World Travel Market this year with its move into new overseas markets.

The rewards programme for travel agents agreed deals for Germany, Italy and the Caribbean during the annual trade show in London in November.

This year WTM held a technology show within a show and Travolution is the global media travel technology partner.

Darren Pearson, founder and chief executive of MyBookingRewards.com, said WTM had been very effective for finding new business.

“We entered the event with such a full ‘dance card’ of genuine appointments, and we are still reeling with follow up and closure of contracts.”

Pearson said the business had 24 major meetings, many of which ended up in a signed deal, with some relationships going live less than four weeks after the event.

MyBookingRewards.com was specifically looking for suppliers – hotels, tourist boards, bedbanks and OTAs – interested in making their inventory available to travel agents, offering incentives such as gifts, points or cash upon booking.

Deals signed at WTM 2013 include Heritage Hotels and Veranda Hotels, luxury operators from Mauritius which went live on December 1.

Jaz Hotels Resorts & Cruises was another supplier who signed up with MyBookingsRewards.com at WTM.

MyBookingRewards.com has extended its reach into the Caribbean by adding more tourist boards from the Bahamas, and launched its partnership with Tobago to the travel industry at WTM.

Another business win was a deal signed with a German and Italian travel agency consortium.

“This is good news for our Asian suppliers in particular because this group of agents have a lot of clients interested in that region,” he added.

The biggest deal so far from WTM 2013 is still to be confirmed but will see 24 regional tourist boards link up with the site as part of a single deal.

“There was an appetite for getting deals done – suppliers were on a mission, which played into our hands.”

WTM organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions senior director, World Travel Market, Simon Press said: “WTM is the event where the travel industry conducts its business deals, as highlighted by the success of MyTravelRewards.com.

“It is great to hear of so many deals signed at WTM 2013 and see how attending WTM helps to expand businesses within the industry.

“Overall, WTM 2013 will facilitate more than £2 billion of industry deals – which is a record for all of the past 34 WTMs.”