PKFARE and Umetrip step out together
As China bounces back from the pandemic, the challenge for companies is to seize emerging opportunities in the accelerating outbound travel market – and find the right partners to achieve lasting results.
Cue, PKFARE which has inked a strategic partnership with Umetrip – a leading app in China’s aviation information services – to serve as a technical partner, international hotel supplier as well as a hotel connectivity platform.
Capitalising on the return of China outbound travel, Umetrip says it is expanding its international hotel booking business “to provide Chinese travellers with a more diverse, high-quality, and competitively priced selection of hotels”.
PKFARE played a pivotal role in defining project requirements, constructing business logic, customising API interfaces, and conducting hotel and room mapping.
“This collaborative effort successfully resulted in the establishment of a dynamic inventory management system for international hotels at Umetrip,” PKFARE said in a statement.
PKFARE offers a portfolio of nearly 650,000 hotels worldwide through one-stop API integration, while Umetrip has expanded its services to include airport transfers, flight tickets, hotels, duty-free shopping, visas, and other business areas.
Umetrip says its international hotel booking business has outperformed expectations since the partnershiplaunch, attributed to PKFARE’s accumulation of upstream and downstream data and technological advantages as a travel trade marketplace.
To date, PKFARE has extended its reach to over 100 countries and regions, offering access to a portfolio of 650,000-plus hotels worldwide and connecting with more than 2,000 distribution channels, including OTAs, TMCs, B2B travel agencies, offline travel agencies, and novel platforms.
Long stays made easy in Thailand
Thai Longstay (TLS) is working with Singapore-headquartered Trip Affiliates Network to offer one-stop services to foreign retirees who intend to stay in Thailand for an extended period.
TLS – a joint private sector-government initiative – is the only travel agency authorised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to grant Special Tourist Visas (STV) to foreign visitors.
CEO of Thai Longstay Management, Chakkrit Changsalag, said, “Our primary objective since our founding is to support and promote tourism in Thailand as the world’s most popular tourist destination.”
TLS will work with TA Network’s digital solutions and ecosystem to assist hotels and their B2B channels in increasing direct bookings and reservations.
TA Network works with leading travel operators and hospitality operators to access a wide range of turnkey solutions that simplify booking management, land operations, and driver/guide engagement.
Further digital solutions include multiple hotel/supplier connectivity, digital payment choices, and multi-product booking engines.
TLS activities cover hotels, ticket booking, car rental, tour guide services, online shopping, tourist attractions, sports, healthcare and wellness.
Thailand’s streaming success with Chinese tourists
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in partnership with Trip.com Group, generated more than 100 million baht in sales on a single day during the Thailand edition of the “Super World Tour BOSS LIVE” streaming event held in Bangkok on 31 January. The activity saw more than 20 million viewers.
The live-streaming event was conducted by Sun Tianxu, vice president of Trip.com Group. Also present were Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Thailand’s minister of tourism and sports, and Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, who said the live streaming event would boost confidence by Chinese tourists planning to visit Thailand.
The event offered Thailand travel deals, including discounts on air tickets, deals on accommodation, and tour packages.
The next live-streaming session is scheduled to be held in Phuket on 28 February 2024.
Airlines look to AI to curb disruptions
Business Intelligence (BI) is the biggest area of technology investment for airlines in the coming three years, according to SITA’s 2023 Air Transport IT Insights report. Almost three quarters of the world’s leading airlines will invest in major IT programmes, the report notes.
Nearly two-thirds of airports and airlines collect and integrate data, and with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), they are now looking to AI and machine learning to leverage this data and generate insights, SITA says.
Most cite the “use of data to improve operational efficiency” as a significant business challenge.
David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, said, “Airlines and airports have learned from the congestion and disruptions seen in the past two years.
“Advanced data sharing and analytics tools will allow them to unite stakeholders and identify opportunities for greater efficiency and leaner operations.
“Solutions like total airport management and BI for passenger processing provide airports and airlines real-time insight into the management of assets and passenger flow, allowing for agile, collaborative responses to any disruptions.”