The group sells in the wholesale channel — through its Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays and GTA bedbank brands — to B2B buyers such as airlines, points redemption schemes and MICE operators, as well as online travel agents and tour operators.
Hotelbeds group is reporting strong growth in wholesale sales in the Chinese source market. The number of room nights sold for the 2017–2018 financial year rose by double-digits year-on-year.
The group sells in the wholesale channel — through its Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays and GTA bedbank brands — to B2B buyers such as airlines, points redemption schemes and MICE operators, as well as online travel agents and tour operators.
As a source market, China remains the group’s largest wholesale market in APAC. Additionally it has now become the fourth biggest source market for the group globally in the wholesale channel, up from fifth place last year — and from 22nd place in 2011.
The top 10 international destinations booked via the group’s platform this year are again all in Asia, topped by Hong Kong and followed by Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Bali, Osaka and Beijing.
Sam Turner, wholesale sales and sourcing director at Hotelbeds Group — speaking ahead of ITB Asia where the group is represented — said the growth in wholesale business reflected the fact that Chinese travellers have become the world’s number one travel segment, ‘spending one in five of all dollars spent on outbound travel globally’.
Turner added, “This success is also a reflection of our hard work and persistence, having been in the market for well over 10 years and dedicated ourselves to creating a product tailored to the needs of the local market — not least on the sourcing side where we look for Chinese-friendly hotel accommodation and negotiate exclusive deals for Chinese B2B buyers.”
This article is part of Travel Weekly Asia’s special report from ITB Asia 2018.