Northstar

www.travelweeklyweb.com www.travelweeklyweb.com 10 | ■ TRAVELWeekly AsiA | JULY 2014 INsIdEr INsIghTs Unprecedented growth expected in mobile and last minute bookings We speak to Abhiram Chowdhry, Vice President and Managing Director, Hotels.com Asia Pacific to find out more about the OTA's take of the travel industry in Asia. 1. What is your forecast for the travel industry in Asia within the next 3 years? Abhiram Chowdhry: The rapid adoption of mobile and social media by consumers has changed the industry dynamics with consumer engagement becoming the key factor in a business' success. Over the next three years, we expect to see continued and unprecedented growth in the areas of mobile and last minute bookings, as well as luxury travel, within the industry. • Mobile and last-minute bookings: Globally we are seeing 20% of bookings now made via mobile devices, 70% of which are made on the same day – or via last minute bookings (within 24 hours of check-in). With mobile devices enabling travellers to conveniently access information, services and bookings on the go, they've also grown to become the cornerstone of customer engagement and the ultimate customer experience. As a result, we are also seeing the steady rise of investments across the industry into technology innovations and mobile applications. • Luxury travel: Luxury travel is a popular trend at the moment across the region. This is especially so amongst next-generation travellers, who are increasingly requesting the best of everything and are willing to pay for premium products and services. Furthermore, luxury stays are increasing across the Asia Pacific region along with a rise in affordability. Bangkok, Guangzhou, Delhi and Mumbai offer 5-star accommodations for less than S$250 a night – according to our latest Hotel Price Index. In contrast, the same price would only cover 2-star lodging in Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Asia Pacific consumers are certainly going for the luxury yet affordable option. 2. Based on this, where do you see your Hotels.com fit into the scheme of things? Abhiram Chowdhry: At Hotels.com, we continue to be focussed on mobile and digital innovations, as this is where the growth potential is. With already 20% of bookings now made via mobile devices globally, we are certain this is the right area to focus on. Fundamentally, to cater to the technological shift, we are investing heavily in our technology platform, in particular on our award-winning mobile app as well as our overall user interface across platforms. In fact, mobile is already a core component of Hotels.com's business strategy, and we're constantly working to make our products and services a lot more mobile-friendly. Moreover, in an increasingly crowded market, it is as important as ever for online travel agencies to differentiate itself through novel offerings that keep the customer continually engaged. At Hotels. com, our Welcome Rewards loyalty programme exemplifies this – the programme is designed to reward our loyal customers and is finding huge favour with our customers in Asia Pacific. The beauty of the program is in its simplicity – stay 10 nights and get a night on us. 3. The China story has been on for some time now. What has the organisation's strategy been for the Chinese market, and are there any further development plans? Abhiram Chowdhry: Recognising the growing importance of the Chinese travel market, Hotels.com launched a website in simplified Chinese in 2009. In addition to special deals and promotions aimed particularly at Chinese travellers, it now also includes customer reviews and destination guides, as well as visa application information and a new starter guide advising travellers how to use the site – all in local language. In line with the findings in the report, Alipay has been introduced as one of our payment options for Chinese customers. The Hotels.com range of special apps for smart phones and tablets are also available in Chinese, giving customers the ability to research and book on any of their devices, including access to thousands of last minute deals. In March this year, Hotels.com launched its Chinese name "Hao Ding" which means easy and good booking experience. This Chinese name reflects our value and commitment to delivering the best booking experience for our mainland Chinese customers. There is also a revamped homepage, featuring a more intuitive, search-based user interface that allows travellers to quickly and easily locate the hotel information they need to book the perfect trip. In addition, the Hotels.com call centre has native Mandarin- speaking agents available to help bookers and the portfolio of apps for mobile phones and tablets are all available in simplified Chinese. Hotels.com also has a presence on major social media sites in China such as Weibo, where travellers can find further travel tips and information as well as provide feedback. Hotels.com offers its customers more than 290,000 hotels around the world, many of them in international destinations popular with Chinese travellers – not only across Asian cities such as Hong Kong and Seoul, but also farther afield in Australia, Europe and the USA. Abhiram Chowdhry

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