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	The company will donate to the charity A21 the 15,400 euros raised from each booking made through its platform on June 12th
	Together Bedsonline and A21 will be able to reach a minimum of around 1,460 children to prevent exploitation in vulnerable South East Asia communities.


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Palma, June 25th, 2018. Bedsonline, the leading global provider of accommodation and complementary products exclusively for travel agencies, has announced today that it has raised a total amount of 15,400 euros during the World Day Against Child Labor, which took place on June 12th.

The money gathered will be donated to A21 &nbsp;&nbsp;– a nonprofit organization that aims to abolish slavery everywhere – to focus on the charity´s Thailand Child Advocacy Center.

The total amount resulting from the one-day campaign – in which the company donated 1 euro for each booking made through its platform to A21– &nbsp;will benefit around 1,460 children to help prevent exploitation in some of the most vulnerable communities in South East Asia.

In particular the money will be deployed to support a primary school program focused on the risks of trafficking and exploitation for children, a street-children food and prevention program, and to develop a prevention picture book to report human trafficking.

The campaign was launched globally in Bedsonline’s main markets in Asia Pacific, EMEA and the Americas and aligned to the company’s commitment to fight against the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the travel &amp; tourism industry.&nbsp; This commitment is the result of the Group’s Child Protection Policy and The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism.

Alistair Rodger, Director of Retail Travel Agents at Hotelbeds Group, commented: “We are very proud to have raised such a large amount of money to support the World Day Against Child Labor as part of our commitment to stop the awful but sadly too common practice of the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

“We would like to thank all the travel agents that everyday book through our platform, and in particular those who made bookings on June 12 aware of the fact that we´d be making a donation to A21 for every booking. In total,15,400 bookings were registered on the Bedsonline platform that day across Asia Pacific, EMEA and the Americas regions, which far exceeded our expectations.

“Asia Pacific is one of our fastest-growing regions and Thailand is our 4th most booked destination globally. Therefore it seemed only natural to focus our efforts on the region and that´s why we chose A21, with its strong commitment to the region through its Child Advocacy Center.”

Follow us on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

Twitter: @Hotelbeds_Group

&nbsp;and Facebook: facebook.com/BedsonlineEs/

&nbsp;

Arenalia Comunicación&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Laia Jardí · ljardi@arenalia.com

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Media Relations and Corporate Affairs

Anna Monreal

amonreal@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 971 624 687

&nbsp;

&nbsp;


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Bedsonline raises 15,400 euros during World Day Against Child Labor


	Juliana Luengo appointed as Country Manager for Brazil.
	Most booked destinations for market include Orlando, Paris, New York, Miami, and Lisboa


Sao Paulo, Brazil - June 14 2018 – Bedsonline, the leading global provider of accommodation and complementary products exclusively for travel agencies, has announced the appointment of Juliana Luengo as the new Country Manager in the Brazilian market.

Juliana has over 15 years of experience in the travel industry, including working in Sales at Bedsonline for 6 years. She has an excellent record of accomplishments, following her previous role as Commercial Manager and her experience at SuperClubs, a large collection of hotels and resorts. With her knowledge, Luengo has proven to be a key individual in the growth and development of the local market.

Leading the report, as the top selling destination for Bedsonline in Brazil, is an all-time favorite, Orlando, Florida. In descending order, Paris, New York, Miami, and Lisboa, were also listed as front-runners. Trending destinations for Bedsonline within the Brazilian market include Sao Paulo, taking the first place, followed by Rio de Janeiro, Gramado, Salvador, and Maceio.

“Luengo’s contribution will be pivotal during these exciting times of change as a result of the merger of Tourico Holidays and GTA into the Hotelbeds Group earlier last year – with her knowledge of the industry and her expertise in retail sales, we are confident in her leadership to further expand the Bedsonline footprint in Brazil,” said Francisco Morla, Retail Travel Agents South America Regional Manager at Hotelbeds Group.

The bedbank has already seen a significant increase in its product portfolio to travel agency subscribers from 120,000 to 170,000 hotels as a result of the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into the group that Bedsonline belongs to. The appointment of Luengo is one of the many strategic decisions to consolidate Bedsonline’s presence in the Brazilian market.

&nbsp;“It is a great honor to be chosen for this role and I am looking forward to the challenge of helping Brazilian travel agents increase their sales by offering them the tools and products that convert curious customers into committed travelers.

“Despite approaching the low season in Brazil, we see consistency in the top destinations for the market – these are great times for tourism because of the mild weather and the lesser number of visitors at the tourists sites,” said Juliana Luengo, Country Manager at Bedsonline.

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About Bedsonline

Bedsonline is the leading global provider of accommodation and travel ancillary products that exclusively caters to travel agencies. It distributes through its online platform accommodation, excursions, tickets and transfers to more than 32,000 travel agencies in 30 countries.

The company stands out for its extensive portfolio - over 170,000 hotels in 200 destinations, 22,000 transfer routes in 140 countries, and 16,000 activities in 185 countries -&nbsp; to offer a personalized local service through an intuitive and easy-to-use online booking tool. In this way, Bedsonline guarantees high availability and competitive prices to the great satisfaction of its clients.

The business-to-business online provider has focused its strategy in recent years on the expansion of new markets in Europe, America and Asia, such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Mexico, the United States, Colombia, China, Japan and the Philippines. This strategic vision has led the company to occupy a position of advantage in the industry.

Bedsonline is part of Hotelbeds Group, the business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally, and is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

&nbsp;

Follow us on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

and Facebook: facebook.com/BedsonlineEs/

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contacts

CWW Travel&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Marcella Corona

marcella@cww.travel &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Media Relations and Corporate Affairs

Alicia Orta Stanford

alicia.ortastanford@hotelbeds.com &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;


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Bedsonline confirms new Country Manager for Brazil

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	The Guest Experience Desk will allow Hotelbeds Group to enrich its value proposition for the hotel industry and City Expert to strengthen its presence in the sector.
	The project will begin in Spain, but with the aim of being quickly rolled-out internationally.


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Palma, 13 June 2018.- Hotelbeds Group, the world's leading bedbank, and City Expert, specialists in the sale of tourist products through tourist information points, announced today a strategic partnership for the implementation of the Guest Experience Desk.

The new initiative will allow both companies to offer a specialized concierge service within hotels, providing the end consumer with information about a destination, as well as the sale of activities, tickets for events and transfers.

This model for the distribution of tourist products and services comes in addition to those that the Group’s bedbank already offers to the hotel industry: Hotelextras B2B for hotel receptions, along with widgets and white label solutions for hotels in the direct channel. For the Group it also means the opportunity to substantially enrich the value proposition it has traditionally offered to hotels with which it maintains a commercial relationship in the main Spanish cities.

Meanwhile City Expert, through its team of in-destination experts and service-desks located within hotels, will be able to assist the end consumer in purchasing a wide portfolio of activities, transportation, car rental and other services in the main Spanish tourist destinations. These include Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Seville, Benalmádena, Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba and Jerez among others.

Although this partnership is focused around the main Spanish cities, both companies aim to extend and replicate this collaboration model in other popular and emerging destinations, with Dubai as the next target market.

Javier Arévalo, Director at Ancillary Bank of Hotelbeds Group, comments: "Traditionally, the information points (or tour desks) have been located in holiday destinations. However, now there are many destinations which are undertaking great initiatives to enrich the proposal for independent travellers who seek to live local experiences.

"This alliance is a response to the new dynamics of the market. City Expert is a perfect ally to meet the expectations of both hoteliers and their own guests, not only for its presence in the main Spanish destinations but for the excellence in its customer service. I am convinced this is the beginning of a success story.”

Enrique Ybarra, President of City Expert, said: "The agreement with Hotelbeds Group will allow us to expand even more the City Expert network of information points and the sale of tourist services. We are convinced that we will also provide what is necessary for travelers to enjoy the best in-destination experiences and for hotels to offer personalized attention to their guests. Without a doubt, all parties will benefit from this partnership. "

Roger Moragues, destination lead for Ancillary Bank at Hotelbeds Group, an area specialized in-destination, emphasized the value proposal for the hotel industry: "With the partnership of City Expert, we offer a personalized service to hotel guests that allows them to enjoy a wide portfolio of experiences in destination, assisted by a local team of experts. At the same time we customize our proposal to the hotelier, with the possibility to divert some tasks normally handled by the concierge. "

Isaac Flores, Director of City Expert Spain, added: "City Expert is present in several of the most popular destinations in Spain and with the help of Hotelbeds Group we are going to extend our services to many more, continuing with the values that have brought us to this point: strategic locations, personalized attention and technology.”

The Ancillary Bank business of Hotelbeds Group distributes ancillary products (excursions, event tickets, theme parks, cruises and car rental products) to retail travel agents, wholesalers, tour operators, airlines, online travel agencies, hotel industry partners, activity providers, tourism boards and points of sale. Ancillary Bank provides a global portfolio with the aim of leveraging its customer base to obtain additional income from the cross-selling of ancillary products. The products are also distributed through two sub-brands: Carnect, the car rental distribution specialist that offers more than 500 car rental providers, and Isango! a leading B2C tours and activities website.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally.

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 185 source markets globally with travel providers in over 200 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 22,000 transfer routes and 16,000 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.

&nbsp;

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

&nbsp;

About City Expert

City Expert is the leading private tourist information company in Spain. Since its creation in 2012, the firm has been consolidated in several of the main Spanish destinations, managing a wide network of offices and tourist information points in cities such as Seville, Madrid, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Toledo, Santander and Barcelona.

Its network of information points has 48 offices throughout Spain, including visitor centers, kiosks, mobile points, stands at train stations, seaports, airports and shopping centers, as well as the Concierge service of large hotel chains such as Meliá, Barceló or Silken. Its offices are emerging as the ground zero of tourism where the traveler can discover and explore the most prominent places in destination, as well as acquire and book among a wide range of local tourism products.

The international expansion of City Expert has taken the company to cities such as Moscow and Dubai.

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contacts

Arenalia Comunicación&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Laia Jardí · ljardi@arenalia.com

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contact

PR, Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló · a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com

&nbsp;

City Expert Media contacts

Communications Department

Antonio M. Ortega · a.ortega@cityexpert.es


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Hotelbeds Group and City Expert join forces to transform the sale of in-destination experiences


	Bedsonline will donate 1 euro to A21 campaign for each booking made through its platform on June 12th.
	A21 is a charity that campaigns to abolish slavery worldwide and will use funds raised by Bedsonline for its Thailand Child Advocacy Center.
	Initiative is aligned with Bedsonline’s parent Group’s commitment to fight commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in tourism.


Palma, June 6th, 2018. Bedsonline, the leading global provider of accommodation and complementary products exclusively for travel agencies, has announced today its support for the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Day Against Child Labor on June 12th.

During the one-day campaign, Bedsonline will donate 1 euro for each booking made through its platform to A21 &nbsp;&nbsp;– &nbsp;a nonprofit organization that aims to abolish slavery everywhere – &nbsp;to support its Thailand Child Advocacy Center.

The campaign, which will be launched globally in Bedsonline’s main markets in APAC, EMEA and the Americas, aims to support the more than 168 million children that the US Labor Department estimates are in forced labor worldwide.

This initiative by Bedsonline is aligned to the company’s commitment to protect against the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the travel &amp; tourism industry and forms part of the Group’s Child Protection Policy. As part of this commitment, the company is already implementing best-practice actions and has conducted training for staff worldwide.


Alistair Rodger, Director of Retail Travel Agents at Hotelbeds Group, commented: “We are very proud to join the World Day Against Child Labor as part of our commitment to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.&nbsp;

“We encourage all the travel agents out there that use our platform to make as many bookings as possible on Tuesday 12 June using just our Bedsonline platform only – for every single booking, be it a hotel or a transfer or activity, we’ll give 1 euro to A21 to help them stop the hideous practice of the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

“We recognize that the tourism industry has the legal and moral obligation to ensure that the protection of children and adolescents is included in its development agenda. &nbsp;That is why we wanted to launch a global campaign to both raise money and raise awareness with travel agents about this global problem.

“We chose to focus the funds raised on Thailand for two main reasons. On the one hand, A21’s Thailand Child Advocacy Center is 100% dedicated to children in the region; on the other hand, Thailand is our 4th most booked destination globally and therefore our commitment to the country is strong.”

Kayla Henry, A21 Global Supporter Engagement Manager said: “We are grateful for Bedsonline having chosen to support the fight against human trafficking on this significant day. There are more slaves on the earth today than ever before and millions of children are being affected by human trafficking every day. We believe that it is not up to any specific group to combat slavery, but that when we all come together and play our part, we can see change take place – and it is fantastic to see companies such as Bedsonline rising up to that challenge, making a direct contribution that will help protect children in Thailand.”

A21, also known as A21 Campaign, is an Australia-based non-profit organization founded in 2008&nbsp;that works to fight human trafficking, including sexual exploitation&nbsp;&amp; trafficking, forced&nbsp;slave labor, bonded labor, involuntary domestic servitude, and child soldiery. In Thailand A21 has supported over 30 survivors, 65% of whom were under 17 years old.

&nbsp;

About Bedsonline

Bedsonline is the leading global provider of accommodation and travel ancillary products that exclusively caters to travel agencies. It distributes through its online platform accommodation, excursions, tickets and transfers to more than 32,000 travel agencies in 30 countries.

&nbsp;The company stands out for its extensive portfolio - over 170,000 hotels in 200 destinations, 22,000 transfer routes in 140 countries, and 16,000 activities in 185 countries -&nbsp; to offer a personalized local service through an intuitive and easy-to-use online booking tool. In this way Bedsonline guarantees high availability and competitive prices to the great satisfaction of its clients.

The business-to-business online provider has focused its strategy in recent years on the expansion of new markets in Europe, America and Asia, such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Mexico, the United States, Colombia, China, Japan and the Philippines. This strategic vision has led the company to occupy a position of advantage in the industry.

Bedsonline is part of Hotelbeds Group, the business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally that is headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Follow us on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

Twitter: @Hotelbeds_Group

&nbsp;and Facebook: facebook.com/BedsonlineEs/

&nbsp;

Arenalia Comunicación&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Laia Jardí · ljardi@arenalia.com

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Media Relations and Corporate Affairs

Anna Monreal

amonreal@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 971 624 687


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Bedsonline supports World Day Against Child Labor

They´ll change. They just need to grow-up. That’s how many perceive the millennial generation, not least many hoteliers when it comes to explaining why many young people shun hotels. But is it millennials or the hotels that need to grow-up? If you believe the customer is always right, then perhaps you already know the answer.

It was a pleasure to attend the biggest travel forum in Spain recently. Madrid hosted the annual Hosteltur Forum, organized by the widely-read travel trade publication by the same name, and our Executive Chairman Joan Vilà was interviewed live on stage.

Joan spoke about the exciting times our company is going through and captured the audience’s attention with his views on hot travel industry topics.

One of the key topics on the table was how hoteliers should adapt to the growing group of individuals known as millennials. No longer penniless students, what does our sector need to do to gain access to their wallets?

Also known as generation me, generation Y, digital natives and echo boomers, millennials have been criticized as being impatient, disloyal, tight-fisted, selfish and overly dependent on their parents. However, they’ve also been praised as smart, perceptive, civic-minded, entrepreneurial, adventurous, tolerant and progressive.

This generation is not just a passing fad. Within a few years, millennials will represent more than 50% of working adults worldwide. Hoteliers now need to consider this demographic as employee material for both junior and senior roles, and increasingly more as business travellers and even travellers accompanied by children

Joan Vilà highlighted that millennial brand loyalty is almost non-existent, this segment is open to other products. Hoteliers should adapt to millennials’ requests and offer experiences and adapt to their demands. If they don’t do so there will be a full generation that has never set foot in hotels and will instead prefer to stay in apartments which offer more flexible services.

Vilà pointed out that more flexible services are key for this segment, if a hotel only allows to do the check-in from 12 onwards, they are prioritizing housekeeping over guests. Some minor changes should be made to adapt to the changing needs of consumers and place them at the top of a hotel’s priorities.

When it comes to hotel rooms for millennials it’s all about free WiFi and plenty of plugs to charge electronics, plus glass walls and large windows that are perfectly Instagrammable. Young guests want innovative technology that enables them to quickly and easily get the service or information they desire; in particular they crave features that are integral to their hotel experience, such as a simplified check-in and check-out process or keyless room access.

As with any big demographic shift, changes can be made gradually, but need to be made. Companies that don’t adapt will start to look very old, very quickly. We might all dream of staying in a grand old hotel – but it’s the building you want to be old fashioned, not the experience.


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Many millennials came of age years ago: has the hospitality industry taken note? 

Another year, another profitable Memorial Day weekend for the travel space.

A record-breaking almost 1 million travelers were expected to pass through LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) this past Monday, accounting for a 6% increase in travelers on the previous year according to LAX officials. This shows just how busy this 3-day holiday break was.

These travelers also spent their hard-earned cash on activities such as theme parks and museums, making this holiday weekend a big contributor to the tourism industry even at a global level.

The United States has seen the highest spike in gas prices since 2014 and yet travelers were flooding the highways to kick-off the start of the summer with a Memorial Day getaway! A growing consumer confidence and a strong economy are big drivers for Americans to continue to vacation despite high gas prices.

Did we mention that the storm Alberto was heading its way to Florida too? A subtropical storm that made its landfall by Monday afternoon in Florida and later affected the Alabama and Mississippi states, somehow Alberto did not significantly affect the eagerness of travelers to celebrate. &nbsp;

Regardless of these events, nearly 42 million Americans were expected to travel during this year’s Memorial Day weekend, the American Automobile Association (AAA) predicted. Our home city of Orlando continues to be one of the most visited destinations for Memorial Day in the U.S. Other high-demand destinations at a domestic level included Seattle, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Anchorage, and Phoenix, respectively, said the AAA.

At Hotelbeds Group, it is not surprising that Orlando is our most booked destination for the second consecutive year in a row, with over 70 million people visiting the city on a yearly basis. The United States travel sector is big and getting bigger, recently we identified the market as our second largest source market worldwide for hotel bookings.

Memorial Day is the cornerstone of the summer season in the United States, for many officially kicking-off the period and thus preparing them for their summer break. In that respect, it works as a key indicator of economic health for the rest of the period. On that basis, this year the travel &amp; tourism sector can look forward to a long and profitable summer.


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Despite high gas prices and a storm alert, nothing stopped Americans travelling on Memorial Day 

There’s no beach, it rains frequently and there’s even a hurricane season. Hardly an obvious candidate for one of the most visited destinations on the planet?

Nonetheless more than 70 million people visit Orlando, Florida every year. To place that in context, a similar amount of people each year visit Spain, itself one of the most visited countries in the world. These tourists spend around 33 billion dollars in the destination.

When in the early 1960s Walt Disney chose the site to open an East Coast version of his popular Anaheim, California theme park the Orlando area was little more than wetlands in the interior of Florida. But land was cheap and plentiful, allowing for ambitious plans and ceaseless expansion without concerns for planning permission limitations.

Fast forward a few decades and the lure of Walt Disney World had not only attracted tourists in their hundreds of millions, but also other theme park competitors: not least Universal Orlando Resort, Sea World, and most recently the LEGOLAND Florida, with more parks and attractions to come!

Golf courses and just about every activity imaginable under the sun of the Sunshine State complement the offering for tired parents who have enough energy (and money) left over to relax after white-knuckle ride rollercoasters and endless hours waiting in line.

Today the main airport in Orlando (MCO for the airline buffs out there) ranks amongst the top 30 busiest airports in the whole world with around 44 million passengers a year. That is almost the same as London Gatwick and ahead of even Miami.

At Hotelbeds Group we are very proud to have a considerable presence in the city of Orlando. As a destination we have an experienced local sourcing team working hard to secure the most exclusive theme-park and accommodation products on the best available terms.

But additionally the city of Orlando operates as our hub office for the whole of the Americas, collectively employing around 500 people following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into our business last year. Where better to recruit travel talent than in a city built on tourism?


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A kingdom built on magic? One destination’s phenomenal success certainly requires an explanation 


	Leadership team confirmed with Javier Arévalo appointed Director of Ancillary Bank
	Dedicated regional Sales &amp; Sourcing roles will ensure cross-selling to the 60,000 travel intermediaries using the Group’s bedbank platform
	Completion of integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA ancillary units into Group expands number of products available and adds cruise offering


Palma, 24 May 2018.- Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank, has today confirmed the structure of its Ancillary Bank business and provided a product update following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into the Group last year.

The leadership team has been confirmed with Javier Arévalo as the Director of Ancillary Bank. Senior leadership positions and the departmental structure have also been confirmed, combining the best talent from Tourico Holidays, GTA and Hotelbeds.

In line with Hotelbeds Group’s ambitious plans for growth, three dedicated regional Sales &amp; Sourcing roles for Ancillary Bank have been introduced to ensure the company is optimising cross-selling opportunities generated through its diverse and global bedbank client base of more than 60,000 travel intermediaries. This will ensure that Ancillary Bank product sourcing efforts are aligned to both the needs of Hotelbeds Group’s clients and markets dynamics.&nbsp;The company is also reshaping its brand HotelExtras, which provides in-destination and in-origin distribution of ancillary products to hospitality industry partners, mainly accommodation suppliers, cruise lines, activity providers, tourism boards and other in-destination points of sale.

Following the completion of the integration of the Tourico Holidays and GTA ancillary product range into the Group’s Ancillary Bank, the Group now offers an expanded offering – now adding cruise products from over 16 different cruise companies. In total over 18,000 activities and 24,000 transfer routes worldwide are now available on the platform, including attractions such as City Pass, Big Bus Hop on Hop off, Broadway shows, Merlin Entertainments, Papillon and Liberty Helicopters (NY City tours); 400 theme and water parks like Disney Parks, Universal Parks &amp; Resorts, SeaWorld Parks &amp; Entertainment®, LEGOLAND® , Port Aventura World and Parques Reunidos; 230 roundtrips and car rentals from the Group’s B2B car rental specialist brand Carnect, which offers 500+ car rental companies.

Carlos Muñoz, Bedbank Managing Director at Hotelbeds Group states, “I would like to congratulate Javier and his senior team for taking on their news roles in our new Ancillary Bank structure. This fast growing area for our Group forms a core part of our strategy for growth via offering the 60,000+ travel intermediaries around the world who use our platform the opportunity to upsell their customers with the full range of travel needs and experiences.”

Javier Arévalo, Director of Ancillary Bank, said “It gives me great pleasure to be chosen to lead the Ancillary Bank area and I am looking forward to working with my senior leadership team, some of whom we welcome from both Tourico Holidays and GTA. Following a significant amount of analysis, preparation and strategic planning behind the scenes, I am pleased to confirm that the integration of the Tourico Holidays and GTA offering into our Ancillary Bank is now complete.”

Ancillary Bank is responsible for the distribution of in-destination and in-origin ancillary products (excursions, attraction tickets, theme parks &amp; resorts, cruises, rent-a-car products) for the independent traveller through online platforms to retail travel agents, wholesalers, tour operators, airlines, OTAs and hospitality industry partners such as tourism boards and other in-destination points of sale. Ancillary Bank provides a global portfolio to travel industry players aiming to leverage their customer base to gain additional revenues from cross-selling ancillary products; it also distributes through two sub-brands: Carnect, the car rental distribution specialist that offers 500+ car rental suppliers, and Isango!, a leading B2C tours and activities website.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the world´s leading bedbank and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally.

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 185 source markets globally with travel providers in over 200 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 22,000 transfer routes and 16,000 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.

&nbsp;

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Follow APItude on twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contact

PR, Media &amp; Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló

a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com


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Hotelbeds Group confirms Ancillary Bank structure 

Over the last decade the travel industry has been at the forefront of digital innovation, positioning itself as an undisrupted leader in e-commerce. Companies that barely existed ten years ago, such as Uber or Airbnb, are now amongst the most talked about and fastest growing businesses in the world.

But industry trends suggest that there are still a great many further developments coming ahead. So, what’s next? More importantly, what should we all be doing to prepare for change?

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) our sector contributed to the world’s economy 7.6 trillion US dollars (or 10.2% of global GDP) in 2016. Travel has been an early adopter of digital technologies and recently cloud-based solutions have played an important role, increasingly replacing existing legacy systems and processes that are deemed no longer fit in the new digital era.

Cloud solutions provide travel companies with more scalability and flexibility, whilst reducing costs as they allow on demand and pay per use. This is especially important given the seasonality of our sector. But it is also relevant considering that the number of data requests grows exponentially as a result of continuous technological developments.&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group began its migration to the cloud a few years ago, thanks to a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). During the last two years the relationship has intensified as we have accelerated the migration of the company to the cloud and incorporated Software as a Service (SaaS) with suppliers such as WorkDay, Microsoft and Salesforce.

Last week our architecture director and cloud computing guru Santiago Pereira took to the stage at the AWS Summit in Madrid to talk about our experience and cloud migration plans for the future.

Talking about our learning and insights into AWS, Santiago explained how our partnership with Amazon helps us to innovate and deliver flexible and reliable solutions: &nbsp;

“We are proud to say that we have transformed our platform to ensure that we offer all of our partners innovative solutions that help them to increase both volumes and margins. This is one of the most powerful IT ecosystems in the world’s travel industry, and even perhaps one of the most powerful in Spain.” 

Nonetheless innovation means change and change is an endless story. And this applies to our business too. &nbsp;No doubt cloud(s) will remain on the horizon of travel technology’s future for some time, but we’re keeping a close eye-out for any change in the weather conditions.




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Cloud(s) on the horizon at the Amazon Web Services summit in Madrid 


	United States overtakes Spain as second largest source market for the Group globally in the wholesale channel[1]
	2.3% of the whole market for United States inbound Chinese hotel bookings now generated by Hotelbeds Group[2]
	Denver is the fastest growing destination for the Group within the Mountain States region


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Denver, Colorado – May 18, 2018 - Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally, has today confirmed that it is continuing its success story in the United States.

As a source market the United States has now become the group’s second largest market worldwide for hotel bookings in the wholesale channel, up from third place and overtaking Spain in the last year. The Group sells in the wholesale channel to online travel agents, tour operators and airlines via its Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays, and GTA bedbank brands.

Additionally the Group has continued its success in increasing inbound sales of hotel reservations of the United States as a destination. This has been achieved via leveraging the Group’s leading position as the largest B2B bedbank globally, a position that has been diversified and enhanced further by the recent inclusion of Tourico Holidays and GTA into the Group.

For example, in the 2017 calendar year the Group’s room nights for Chinese travelers into the US market represented 2.3% of all Chinese inbound hotel bookings across the nation.

This year’s IPW event will be held in Denver, Colorado and the Group’s booking data has positioned the city as the fastest growing destination within the region’s Mountain States for room nights, with a 19% increase in the 2018 financial year, compared to the same period last year.

This encouraging growth for the Group in inbound bookings to Denver can partly be attributed to the incorporation of the GTA and Tourico Holidays bedbanks into the Group last year. The Group’s Great Britain, South America, and the Middle East source markets have increased bookings to Denver by 25%, 40%, and 40%, respectively during the current financial calendar year; and &nbsp;Asia-Pacific is a fast-growing source market for Denver, with China having a 130% increase in bookings YoY.

Lauren Volcheff, Head of Wholesale Sales in the Americas at Hotelbeds Group said, “We are really thrilled to confirm that the US source market has now become the number two for our Group globally in the wholesale channel, overtaking Spain – with Orlando, New York, Paris, Rome and London occupying the top slots, in descending order. This comes from strong sales growth generated by the addition of new clients, in particular, in the airline and point redemption space.”

Commenting on the China-US corridor Matias Elisavetsky, Head of Sourcing in the Americas at Hotelbeds Group said, “By matching our extensive network of travel intermediary clients based in China with our exclusively sourced inventory of Chinese-friendly hotel accommodation, I am proud to confirm that last year we captured 2.3% of all incoming Chinese reservation for hotel rooms in the United States – and this year we are hoping to increase that percentage further still.”

Following the integration of the Tourico Holidays and GTA bedbanks into the Group the product portfolio has now expanded to over 170,000 hotels and over 60,000 travel-selling clients now use the platform.

Earlier this year, the Group also identified the best profiles across the three companies and confirmed the appointment of the top 350 positions at both senior management and management levels to support Hotelbeds Group’s commitment to provide its partners and clients with the most innovative and competitive solutions available. Most recently, the Group announced the appointment of Chris Branagan as its Director of Technology and Executive Committee member to further improve the bedbank’s technology offering.

Hotelbeds Group will be exhibiting its extensive line of travel offerings during IPW in Denver from May 19–23. The three wholesale brands, Tourico Holidays, GTA, and Hotelbeds will be participating together in one stand. To speak with a Hotelbeds Group representative at IPW Denver, visit Booth 558-564.

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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 185 source markets globally with travel providers in over 200 countries representing more than 170,000 hotels, 22,000 transfer routes and 16,000 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.

&nbsp;

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Follow APItude on twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

&nbsp;

Hotelbeds Group Media contact

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Alicia Orta Stanford

alicia.ortastanford@hotelbeds.com

&nbsp;

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[1] This ranking and the Denver booking figures refer to bookings measured by room nights from the current fiscal year (starting 1 October, 2017) made via Hotelbeds Group´s bedbank platform, which includes the brands Hotelbeds, GTA, and Tourico Holidays.

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[2] This is an estimation based upon figures provided by Brand USA for the total number of all room nights in the United States booked by all Chinese travelers visiting the country in 2017.




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Hotelbeds Group continues growth success story in the United States

You know what city houses the largest airport in North America, right? You guessed correctly!&nbsp;Not only is Denver home to the&nbsp;largest United States international&nbsp;airport by total land area, but it is also the second largest worldwide.

But if you think measuring an airport’s global ranking by land mass a little irrelevant, consider this: by passenger figures Denver International Airport is considered the 18th busiest airport in the world and registers over 58 million PAX (airline chat for ‘people’) yearly.

Its gigantic construction has over 33,000 acres of land, every inch a revenue-generating engine responsible for producing more than $26 billion for the region each year. There you have it, the fourth largest domestic network in the U.S. with passengers coming from over 190 different locations, including roughly 26 international destinations.

Also commonly known as the ‘Mile high city’, Denver receives its nickname from sitting at exactly one mile above sea level. The attractive surrounding region of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland, containing 2,850 lakes, and has over 1,000 peaks that are at least two miles high.

Denver has shown tremendous growth for Hotelbeds Group this year, proving to be the fastest growing destination within the Mountain States, with an impressive 19% increase in bookings year-on-year.

With so many outstanding facts it is no surprise that this year’s IPW, a world leading international marketplace for the travel industry and the largest generator of travel to the U.S., will be hosted in Denver, Colorado. During this fast-paced tradeshow, also known as Pow Wow, thousands of travel organizations and buyers from all over the world conduct deals that result in billions of dollars in future inbound travel spend for the country.

Hotelbeds Group has today identified the United States source market to be its second most vital market for hotel bookings worldwide. A strong presence for the Group at this world-leading marketplace is imperative and this year we have a combined stand at IPW with all of our wholesale brands under one roof, that's GTA, Tourico Holidays, and Hotelbeds.

If you are attending IPW Denver 2018, make sure to stop by and meet us at booth 558-564.


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Mind-blowing facts nobody ever told you about Denver 

Back in the olden days there weren’t so many dates on the travel industry calendar of trade shows and conferences. As the sector has grown, so have the number of supposedly ‘unmissable’ events.

But the only traveler who could find time to attend all these events also happens to be the only traveler profile that gets overlooked at such events: a time traveler. Yes, someone with a travel technology option that not even Elon Musk claims to have discovered and patented (yet).

All the rest of us must treat our time more wisely. But how to decide when there are so many appealing choices? Thankfully a strong consensus exits amongst the upper echelons of the travel sector as to which events really are must-visits.

Needless to say any conference by Phocuswright consistently ranks a high priority, especially to those of a tech bent. This week Phocuswright Europe will be in Amsterdam. Taking place over three days starting on Tuesday, many of the top leadership of Europe’s leading travel businesses will be descending on the city of canals and cafés.

Themes for this year’s show include blockchain, artificial intelligence, and ‘bleisure´; and attendees will be able to hear from industry experts from leading companies such as Expedia, Skyscanner, Amadeus, Accor, Kayak and more.

This year we’re proud to be a sponsor of the Phocuswright Young Leaders Summit, which takes place on Tuesday and celebrates industry leaders under the age of 35 in our sector.

We’re also proud that our Executive Chairman Joan Vilà will be on stage on Wednesday to be interviewed by Phocuswright’s very own Maggie Rauch. He’ll be speaking about the rapid changes in the bedbank sector and the evolution of our business following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA into our Group last year.

The best thing about discovering new perspectives and learning new information is sharing the experience with others. So hopefully this won’t be a trip where what goes to Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. Rather we should all be talking about it for months to come.


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What type of traveler finds time to attend all of the travel industry’s many conferences? 

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