Hotelbeds Group confirms strong China sales growth ahead of ITB Asia

Group confirms double-digit growth in wholesale room nights for the 2017/18 year¹
China remains the number one source market in the wholesale channel for Hotelbeds Group in Asia Pacific
China is now the 4^thbiggest source market for the Group globally, up from 5^th last year

Singapore – October 17, 2018 - Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, has today confirmed ahead of the launch of ITB Asia the continuation of strong growth in wholesale sales in the Chinese source market.

According to Hotelbeds Group’s booking data for the full 2017 / 18 financial year, the Group grew the number of room nights sold from the China source market by double digits year-on-year.

As a source market China remains the Group’s largest wholesale market in APAC for the third year running. Additionally, it has now become the 4th biggest source market for the Group globally in the wholesale channel, up from 5th place only last year – and from 22^nd place in only 2011.

The Group sells in the wholesale channel – via 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.

The top 10 international destinations booked via the Group’s platform this year remain all Asian, with each destination registering double digit growth. The list was topped by Hong Kong, followed in descending order by Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Bali, Osaka, and Beijing. Paris is the top destination outside of Asia, with strong growth year-on-year.

ITB Asia is held in Singapore this week and representatives of the Group will be attending the show to meet with travel intermediary sellers and hotel partners to discuss the upcoming year’s priorities. Booking data from the Group’s platform has positioned the city as amongst the fastest growing destinations within the region.

Sam Turner, Wholesale Sales & Sourcing Director at Hotelbeds Group, said, “I am very proud to see that – once again – during the last financial year we have achieved outstanding sales growth in China. Of course, this is in part a reflection of the fact that Chinese travelers have now become the world’s number one travel segment, spending one in five of all dollars spent on outbound tourism globally.

“But this success is also a reflection of our hard work and persistence, having been in the market for well over ten 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.”

Hui-Wan Chua, APAC Regional Director for Wholesale Sales at Hotelbeds Group, said, “We are thrilled to confirm that we grew room nights by double digits year-on-year this year in China – and in this new year, which we started back on 1 October, we are confident to experience the same growth or more. The demand for travelling continues to grow in China as many Chinese people take their first overseas trips.

“Since Tourico Holidays and GTA joined our Group last year we now have over 170,000 hotels available – many of them sourced with Asian travelers in mind, and many of those contracted with exclusive rates and unique content. I am looking forward to another busy and exciting edition of ITB Asia this week as I meet with our B2B clients to tell them more about the latest deals and offers we have available for their consumers.”

¹ All figures quoted in this press release refer to bookings made via Hotelbeds Group’s bedbank platform – which includes the Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands – during the 2017 / 18 financial year, which closed on 30 September.

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank.

The Group’s proprietary technology helps providers of travel services distribute their offering to travel sellers globally via an easy-to-use, advanced technology platform that increases reach, revenue and yield for both the provider and the seller.

Operating mainly under the Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays and GTA brands, the company connects over 60,000 travel intermediaries across more than 140 source markets globally with travel providers in over 185 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 24,000 transfer routes and 18,000 activities.

In September 2016, the company became independent under the ownership of Cinven and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). In June 2017, Tourico Holidays became part of Hotelbeds Group, followed by GTA also joining the Group in October; both companies remain independent brands whilst they are being integrated into the Group.

The Group is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

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