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Innovation

Everyone knows that good news travel fast. But how fast does news in our sector travel? Rather ironically, travel news doesn´t travel very fast. Beyond the trade media, our news normally comes in the form of a supplement in your weekend paper: full of fantasy photos of destinations no one will ever really visit.

This year the pace quickened noticeably: many travel &amp; tourism industry stories made the front page globally. Why? For many years this has been the biggest industry in the world. But more recently one in which all of us have slowly become stakeholders, and suddenly everyone cares.

For example, this was the year in which ´overtourism´ became an official word. The world, and in a few extreme cases some accosted tourists, woke up to the concept that not all tourism is welcome. This was especially the case in countries like Spain, which along with many other southern European destinations had the busiest year ever on record, despite such a high proportion of the nation´s GDP coming from tourism.

This was also the year in which finally a travel industry executive achieved the same rock-star, magazine cover status as leaders of other industries. Daria Khosrowshahi beat off some real heavy weight business names to take over at Uber.&nbsp; The combination of travel and technology was simply too sexy to resist for both investors and journalists.

Sadly fame is often accompanied by infamy though, and this year saw front page news for all the wrong reasons. Most epically, the case of United Airlines violently ejecting an overbooked passenger from a flight, with the video going viral immediately. For those in the UK the Monarch collapse also saw widespread coverage of stranded passengers all over Europe; and in Germany the demise of Air Berlin doubtless caused some handwringing.

Our industry has also seen its fair share of high profile challenges that were not of its own making, but were nonetheless left to our industry to resolve. Terrorism attacks in tourist destinations have become all too common, with the Barcelona and Las Vegas cases leaving many asking what more our industry can do to protect our customers from harm. The Trump administration´s ban on citizens of many Muslim countries entering the United States, followed by a surprise laptop ban on many Atlantic flights, caused significant headaches for many airlines and airports.

For a sector that generates 10% of world GDP and the same proportion of jobs, the business of tourism still remains under-represented in the media. Too many travel adverts, not enough actual travel news. But as this year has shown, travel news is slowly becoming about more than just destinations – travel is finally arriving.


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Did travel finally arrive in 2017? Destinations are no longer the only news


	Group announces sale of Destination Management for enterprise value of €110 million
	Move allows Hotelbeds Group to focus fully on innovation in its market-leading bedbank
	TUI to acquire division´s assets and continue recent strong growth trajectory


&nbsp;

Palma de Mallorca, 28 March 2018. Hotelbeds Group, the world´s leading bedbank, has today announced the sale of its Destination Management division to TUI, the world´s leading tourism group, as continuation of Hotelbeds Group’s strategic focus on its bedbank core.

TUI will acquire for an enterprise value of €110 million all of the assets of Hotelbeds Group´s Destination Management division, which represents the Group´s incoming services offering and is made up of three main global brands: Destination Services, Intercruises Shoreside &amp; Port Services, and Pacific World.

This news follows Hotelbeds Group doubling the size of its business by sales through the acquisitions during 2017 of Tourico Holidays and GTA, two leading bedbanks with a strong presence in North America and Asia-Pacific respectively. Following the integration of these two leading bedbank brands into the Group, there are now over 170,000 hotels selling to over 60,000 travel intermediaries globally via the Group´s proprietary B2B technology platform.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory and anti-trust approvals.

Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman of Hotelbeds Group commented: “Today’s sale represents yet another important milestone for our Group since becoming an independent business in September 2016. &nbsp;This simplified structure will enable us to focus fully on our bedbank core, where following our recent acquisitions of Tourico Holidays and GTA we are already a market-leading business innovating the hotel and ancillaries distribution chain via our best-in-class B2B technology platform.

“Our Destination Management division has been highly successful over the last 18 months, growing revenues significantly and enhancing its range of services. However, TUI recently approached us and after careful consideration we believe that this is in the best interests of all stakeholders: not least our employees and business partners. TUI is well placed to continue the division´s growth trajectory, given its own core tour operator strategy as well as the longstanding and significant relationship between our two groups, with TUI being an important customer and partner.

&nbsp;“Our leading position in the Bedbank segment has been built on the origins of our legacy incoming services business, and I would like to thank all of the staff in the Destination Management division for contributing so significantly over the years towards our Group becoming the mature and independent business it is today – and I wish them all the best for the future.

“We also look forward to a continued strong relationship with TUI, a strategic customer for our bedbank business.”

The Destination Management division of Hotelbeds Group is led by Managing Director Jordi Cerdó and works across more than 150 offices globally; it includes three leading global brands, Destination Services, Intercruises and Pacific World.

Destination Services is the leading B2B provider of incoming services to tour operators globally. The company offers tours, transfers and other in-destination services to its tour operator partners in over 70 countries worldwide and handles around 2.2 million passengers per year. Destination Services has a strong footprint across all regions with four large hubs in EU &amp; Med, Americas, Indian &amp; Indian Ocean, and APAC.

Intercruises is a global ground handling and port agency business specializing in the cruise sector, offering services in around 60 countries covering over 400 ports. Every year Intercruises handles more than 12,000 port calls, providing services to millions of passengers on behalf of its cruise partners.

Pacific World is a leading meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) company operating in over 30 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Founded in 1980 in Hong Kong, the company handles around 1,300 events per year globally.

&nbsp;

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

Roman Townsend

rtownsend@hotelbeds.com


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Hotelbeds Group to focus on strategic bedbank core 


	Completion of over 350 appointments in second and third tier management roles
	Globally diversified and strengthened structure ensures Group’s competitive offering


Palma, 27 of March 2018.- Hotelbeds Group, the world’s leading bedbank and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally, has today provided an update on the completion of the appointment of the top 350 managers in its newly revised structure.

The news follows significant growth in the size of Hotelbeds Group’s business through the acquisitions of Tourico Holidays and GTA, two leading bedbanks with a strong presence in North America and Asia-Pacific respectively. Following the integration there is now a portfolio of over 170,000 hotels selling to over 60,000 travel intermediaries globally via the Group´s proprietary B2B technology platform.

Following an objective and comprehensive process to select the very best profiles from a strong talent pool, around 350 positions drawn from all three businesses, at both senior management and management levels, have now been confirmed. Based on organisational design principals created with the support of expert external consultants, the appointments are designed to respond to the new reality of Hotelbeds Group’s expanded operations following the integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA.

Since February the Group has been confirming in stages, internally and to partners, the appointments of colleagues who will report to members of the Executive Committee and lead key sub-functions and geographies. Additionally, over the last two weeks the line-up of the next layer of management – commonly referred to as ‘Managers’ within the Group – has been confirmed. Almost all roles have now been appointed, with the handful remaining to be completed in the coming weeks.

Joan Vilà, Executive Chairman at Hotelbeds Group states, “Firstly I would like to congratulate all of those who have been appointed recently. We recognize the contribution that each and every one of them will make to ensuring that Hotelbeds Group remains the most innovative and leading bedbank globally.

“We additionally would like thank the employees for their patience whilst we have been reviewing the optimum structure for our organization. Given that GTA only became part of our Group in October we are confident that we have allowed for an appropriate timeframe to ensure the most appropriate decisions were taken.

“In many cases the increased size of our newly combined business has meant that we have been able to appoint people into exciting and fulfilling new roles within our organization. However, sadly in some cases there have not been appropriate roles for every single person due to the strong talent pool available. The appointments followed a rigorous and robust review process, supported by external experts. Factors such as geography or new skillset requirements played a significant part in the difficult decisions taken. We recognize the contributions of these people and wish them all the best for the future.&nbsp;

“Nonetheless, in the context of our global business – which now employs thousands of staff around the world – the impact has thankfully been relatively small, and this is down to our continued growth and ambitious plans for the future. While the shape of our operations will continue to respond to the needs of the market, over the medium term we expect our headcount to remain roughly stable, and in fact over the longer term even grow. In some areas, such as Sourcing, we are currently on an active recruitment drive.

“We are confident that we have established a very strong management team, one that is more diverse geographically as well as in terms of culture, experience and skills. Having such fighting-fit leaders at the forefront of our business across the globe will be an important factor that will enable us to lead our segment in this competitive space. The bedbank sector is evolving quickly and facing continual challenges from new entrants and technological innovation. It’s only by providing our hotel partners and travel intermediary clients with the most cost-effective and competitive solutions that we will continue to remain a market leader and grow further.”&nbsp;

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is a business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally and the leading bedbank worldwide.

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.

Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

Facebook: @HotelbedsGroup

And Twitter: @hotelbedsgroup

&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; 

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Elisenda Barreda · ebarreda@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Communications Department

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Roman Townsend

rtownsend@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 619 988 580

&nbsp;


Hotelbeds Group PMI.jpg

Hotelbeds Group completes management appointments    


	El mercado doméstico refuerza su posición como destino favorito de los mexicanos para pasar sus vacaciones de Semana Santa.
	Los destinos de playa se sobreponen a los “city breaks” con Riviera Maya, Cancún y Puerto Vallarta como los más reservados.
	El gasto medio es de 122 dólares por día y con una estancia media de 3,07 noches.


Cancún, 26&nbsp;de Marzo, 2018. Bedsonline, el proveedor global líder en hospedaje y productos complementarios online exclusivo para agencias de viaje, ha anunciado hoy las tendencias de los turistas mexicanos durante las vacaciones de semana santa. Los datos de reserva de la plataforma de Bedsonline revelan que los mexicanos eligen el mercado doméstico para viajar en Semana Santa. Los destinos de sol y playa despuntan frente a los “city breaks”, siendo Riviera Maya el destino más reservado seguido de Cancún y Puerto Vallarta. Le siguen en la lista Mazatlán, Orlando y Nueva York.

El gasto medio de los mexicanos durante este periodo vacacional se estima en 122 dólares de media por día y la media de noches por estancia apunta a 3,07; siguiendo la tendencia del año pasado.

México como destino experimenta – según los datos de reserva de la compañía- un crecimiento en número de noches reservadas por encima del 5%. La fuente de turistas principal del país durante las vacaciones de Pascua son México, Colombia, España, Estados Unidos y Costa Rica.

Xisco Morla, Responsable de Bedsonline &nbsp;para el Sur de América, explica “Nuestros datos confirman que el mercado doméstico sigue siendo el motor de la industria turística del país que año tras año, consigue mantenerse como primera opción. Del mismo modo, los destinos de playa siguen siendo el principal atractivo turístico de México, donde este año Riviera Maya ha conseguido asentar su posición de liderazgo que lleva manteniendo desde hace años.

“Asimismo, el gasto medio por día y las noches por estancia se mantienen estables, lo que confirmar la solidez del mercado mexicano dentro de la industria turística. 

“Estos datos positivos del mercado mexicano se unen al despegue en la venta de actividades que se produjo el año pasado, con un aumento del 6% en el número de reserva, confirmando así, la solidez y madurez de Bedsonline en el país”. 

&nbsp;

Sobre Bedsonline

Bedsonline es el proveedor global líder de acomodación y productos complementarios exclusivo para agencias de viaje. A través de su plataforma online distribuye su producto -acomodación, excursiones, tickets y traslados- entre una cartera de clientes compuesta por más de 30.000 agencias repartidos entre 30 países.

La compañía destaca por su extenso portfolio – más de 170.000 hoteles en 200 países, 22.000 rutas de traslados en 140 países y 16.000 actividades -, por un servicio personalizado local y una herramienta de reserva online intuitiva y fácil de usar. De esta manera, Bedsonline garantiza una alta disponibilidad, precios competitivos y una elevada satisfacción de sus clientes.

La mayorista, líder de la distribución online, ha centrado su estrategia en los últimos años en la expansión por nuevos mercados de Europa, América y Asia, como Alemania, República Checa, México, Estados Unidos, Colombia, China, Japón o Filipinas. Esta visión estratégica ha llevado a la compañía a ocupar una posición de ventaja en la industria.

Bedsonline forma parte de Hotelbeds Group, el proveedor global de servicios para la industria del turismo a nivel mundial. Con sede en Palma de Mallorca, emplea a 6.150 empleados entre sus 210 oficinas repartidas por todo el mundo.

Síguenos en Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

&nbsp;

Y Twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

&nbsp;

Media contacts

Media Relations and Corporate Affairs

Anna Monreal

amonreal@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 971 624 687


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Riviera Maya se sitúa como destino número uno de los mexicanos en Semana Santa


	Paris ranked top destination for European travelers, followed by Orlando and New York
	Overall bookings from European source market register moderate growth[1]
	Domestic tourism boom for Spain,&nbsp; representing 71% of total bookings


&nbsp;

Palma, 22 March 2018 - Hotelbeds Group, the leading bedbank worldwide and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally, has published today European source market bookings for the Easter period measured by room nights for its bedbank brands – including Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, Tourico Holidays, and GTA.

The Group has seen a marked trend for city breaks by European travelers this early-Easter year. Paris ranks first destination for European visitors, followed by Orlando, New York, Rome and London. Asia's most preferred destinations for Europeans are Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali and Tokyo. Meanwhile, traditional sun &amp; beach European locations such as Mallorca, Algarve or the Canaries have fallen in the rankings of the most popular destinations this Easter holidays.

Overall bookings from European travelers have registered moderate growth compared to the Easter period last year, with Spain as the source market with the highest growth.

Although Paris is the top destination for Spaniards – and also Europeans – for this Easter holiday, Spaniards are more likely than any other nationality to stay in their own country; in fact 71% of Spaniards will travel internally this year, a figure that has raised by 7 percentage points since last Easter.

The favorite domestic destinations for Spaniards are cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, and leisure spots like Tenerife, Mallorca or Benidorm. By contrast Germans prefer traveling to the rest of Europe or even long-haul locations like the USA or Thailand. Britons follow the same trend, but also prefer international holiday spots such as Orlando or New York.

Commenting on this Easter's travel trends, Carlos Muñoz, Managing Director Bedbank, Hotelbeds Group, said “This year Easter falls particularly early. It was mainly skiers who used to benefit from such an early timing, but this year the great winners are city destinations. More and more European travelers prefer to spend their holidays in European and North American cities. Holidaymakers are also prepared to travel further afield, with some Asian destinations seeing an increase in bookings. We believe this reflects a positive economic trend and a high level of confidence in travelling, which bodes well for this summer´s bookings.

“Although this early Easter has a slight impact on leisure destinations, Europeans are more likely to travel this spring holidays compared to Easter last year. Domestic tourism will enjoy another strong year in Spain, with 71% of Spaniards who are taking break doing so in Spain.”

&nbsp;

---------------------------------------------------

[1] All figures quoted in this press release refer to bookings measured by room nights made via the Hotelbeds Group´s bedbank platform – including the brands Hotelbeds, Bedsonline, GTA, and Tourico Holidays – from European source markets (including the UK) for the period surrounding Easter.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group: 

Hotelbeds Group is a business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally and 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.

Additionally the Group also operates a Destination Services division offering in-bound destination services, such as tours or transfers, in around 40 countries. The Group also owns several other B2B travel brands such as Pacific World (focusing on the MICE area), Intercruises (shore side cruise solutions) and more.

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 has 8,300 employees globally (including Tourico Holidays and GTA).

&nbsp;

Follow us on Linkedin

Twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

Facebook: HotelbedsGroup

&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; 

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Elisenda Barreda · ebarreda@arenalia.com

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Communications Department

Antonia Aguiló

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 638 874 038

&nbsp;



&nbsp;




Hotelbeds Group Easter Paris.jpg

European travelers opt for city breaks in early-Easter year

Mark Twain famously stated that “rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated”. Likewise around 10 years ago many analysts were pronouncing a slow, agonising death for the travel agent. But just like Mark Twain, the rumours were false – in fact traditional travel agencies still represent a sizeable share of all intermediated travel sales globally.

For sure, globally traditional travel agencies have been facing continuous threats for some time, not least the threat of disintermediation and just more competition in the form on online travel agencies. If someone can get it cheaper elsewhere, why bother with you?&nbsp; And more recently they have faced an even greater threat as their ‘expert role’ is undermined by &nbsp;more sophisticated travellers with easy-to-use mobile apps at their disposal to search, book and even cross-reference information through applications such as TripAdvisor, Google Trips, Uber, Airbnb or Skyscanner.

And yet somehow your local high street still has one, if not more, bricks-and-mortar travel agencies? Just like many businesses that have modernized to stay alive, many traditional travel agents realized they could not stand still and have managed to stay relevant to their customers by introducing all kinds of new measures. In fact, recent studies in the United States reveal that even one in three millennials go to travel agents to plan their holidays.

Just what is it that a traditional travel agent offers you that makes it so relevant still in 2018 – and will do over the coming decade? Here are five points to consider: 


	Most importantly a travel agent can still offer that ‘trusted adviser’ status. Agents have learned to specialize as nowadays travelers want proposals that fit their particular tastes and interests, which is why many agencies have focused on travel typologies such as adventure, groups, cruises, luxury or even corporate trips.
	Whilst of second most importance is the technology on offer that enhances that trusted adviser status. Agents are now more connected than ever before and they have a great knowledge of what they sell. They have been updated in terms of product and tools, they are well informed and well-traveled. So the holidaymaker continues to rely on travel agencies, betting on their experience to give advice and not just as a mere seller. Travelers do not look for information in the agency, they already have more than enough, and they look for clarity, security, recommendation and organization.
	The safest option to avoid surprises. Although it may seem that they won’t happen to us, many things can ruin your holidays: extreme weather, flight cancelations, and revolutions even. Many times agents have saved episodes of crisis and, thanks to their power of negotiation and their extensive network, have relocated their clients or gotten the last seat available on a plane after an overbooking. Travel agents will leverage vendor relationships to advocate for travelers when unexpected changes occur.&nbsp;&nbsp;
	Easy way for multi-leg bookings and organizing complex trips. Digital travelers, although they are hyper-connected and up-to-date with the latest travel applications, tend to have more purchasing power and are willing to plan more complex and international trips. They realize that using a professional travel agent can improve the overall travel experience and the ease of reserving everything in the same place, what we call a "one-stop-shop model". The client will leave the agency with everything but the packing done.
	Lowest prices possible. Believe it or not, travel agents have tricks up their sleeves that automated websites have never heard of. They know when a price is actually at its lowest point. Also travel agents can put a price quotation on hold for 24 hours so the client has more time to make a decision. You will never have that option directly on a website where prices fluctuate by the minute, and might change before you even reach the checkout.



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Five ways that traditional travel agents are still adding value to travellers


	Group´s isango! websites receive prestigious Trusted Service Award from Feefo.
	Status only given to brands that achieve average service rating in 4.0-4.5 range out of 5.
	Recognition reflects the significant growth and popularity of the isango! Websites.


Palma, 20 of March 2018. Hotelbeds Group, the leading bedbank worldwide and a provider of business-to-business services to the travel industry globally, has announced today that the Group´s tours &amp; activities arm isango! – the web-based specialist retailer of tickets for tours, experiences and attractions in both the B2C and white label solutions channels – has been given Trusted Service Award status by Feefo.

The Trusted Service Award status is given by Feefo, an independent company that collects ratings and reviews from verified customers for over 4,000 brands, each spring to companies that have an average service rating of between 4.0 and 4.5 out of 5 during the previous calendar year.

Javier Arévalo, Director of Hotelbeds Group Ancillary Bank, the unit that isango! forms a part of at Hotelbeds Group, states that “By spotting the fast expanding niche in the travel distribution landscape for people organizing more complex trips that require experiences, activities and tours, isango! is fulfilling a consumer need and this Trusted Service Award from Feefo only confirms that they are going about it in the right way.”

Vinay Gupta, Managing Director of isango!, confirms that “It gives us great honour to be able to display the badge of the Trusted Service Award from Feefo on our websites – and we would like to thank all of our customers who proved us with valuable feedback. We are now another step forward on our journey to becoming a “gateway”, as our name means in the Zulu language, for travellers everywhere; on this journey we remain committed to finding all the best activities in the world´s most amazing cities, delivering memorable travel experiences.”

Dharmesh Garala, Head of Digital at isango!, comments, “This recognition reflects our overall growth story, in particular the exponential growth we have had in gaining bookings from travelers who are already in-destination and use their mobile to make the booking; having the Feefo status will also help us with expanding our non-English language websites in German and Spanish – of which we have already opened five – that are strongly growing as a proportion of the overall isango! bookings.”&nbsp; 

isango! operates a range of websites such as isango.com,&nbsp;Local Paris Tours, Hop on Hop Off Bus,&nbsp;Love Orlando Tickets plus offers white label solutions to B2B clients such as airlines and online travel agencies. &nbsp;

The website’s success is driven by a significant increase over the last few years in the offering available on the isango! platform, which now sells 7,500 tours and activities in more than 300 destinations worldwide, including attractions such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and Statue of Liberty in New York.

Today´s news follows figures published late last year that isango! had achieved 87% growth in trading over the previous four years, year-on-year representing a compounded annual growth rate of 36%.

&nbsp;

About isango! 

isango! is a specialist retailer of tours, experiences and attraction tickets. We work across 300+ destinations with more than 7,500 experiences to choose from. Working alongside the best local operators from around the world, we curate travel content, products and services, ensuring our customers are well informed and easily able to choose the right experience for them. We deliver only the best to our customers, with all isango! products handpicked by our expert travel team. Our team are forever on the hunt for quality, once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences to suit the varying budgets and interests of our customers. This thorough selection process for tours, trips, and activities has resulted in a growing customer base of more than 150 countries around the world. We pride ourselves on our high customer satisfaction score conducted by independent rating agency Feefo, which in 2018 award isango! with Trusted Service Award status.

isango! is part of Hotelbeds Group, &nbsp;the B2B provider of services to the global travel industry. We sell our tours and activities via a portfolio of web sites – isango.com,&nbsp;Hop on Hop Off Bus, Local Paris Tours,&nbsp;Love Orlando Tickets,&nbsp;Just London Theatre Breaks,&nbsp;Paris Magic Moments, among others – as well as offering white label solutions to travel industry companies such as online travel agents, airlines and tour operators.

&nbsp;

About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is the leading bedbank worldwide and a provider of business-to-business 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.

Additionally the Group also operates a Destination Services division offering in-bound destination services, such as tours or transfers, in around 40 countries. The Group also owns several other B2B travel brands such as Pacific World (focusing on the MICE area), Intercruises (shore side cruise solutions) and more.

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 has 8,300 employees globally (including Tourico Holidays and GTA).

&nbsp;

Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

And Twitter: @hotelbedsgroup

Follow APItude on Twitter: @Hotelbeds_API

Follow us on Facebook: @HotelbedsGroup

&nbsp;

Media Relations &amp; Corporate Affairs

Roman Townsend

rtownsend@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 619 988 580

&nbsp;


isango-web.jpg

Trusted Service Award for Hotelbeds Group’s tours & activities website 

Once upon a time selling travel was all about the where, when, and, inevitably, how much. But recently travellers have started to do something rather unexpected. They´ve become all philosophical and started to ask ‘why’?

By a rather ironic coincidence, or perhaps for that very reason, these existentially anguished travellers also just happened to be called the generation ´Y´ (also known as ´millennials´). And they ask a lot of challenging questions for those of us involved in selling travel.

Despite their soul-searching needs, thankfully the most important question they ask about a trip seems to be: is there free Wi-Fi? In an age when every company has become a technology business, it seems that we´ve all become technology consumers – certainly for the millennials anyway. Once again rather ironically, it seems no coincidence that Wi-Fi is pronounced with a ´Y´ in English. &nbsp;

There is not still any clear convention about the exact age range of this generation. But what everybody agrees is that this disruptive group is dictating the new rules of interacting, working and consuming.&nbsp; This ‘Y’ group is changing our reality (or the reality we knew to date) and the travel sector is far from an exception.

New and exciting ways of travelling and booking are emerging, pushing companies to re-invent endlessly with technology at the very core of everything. But what are the real interests of these illusive new tech-savvy consumers when it comes to travel? According to experts, the preferences of millennials when travelling are focused mainly on:

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	Firstly, having memorable experiences. This has led, on the one hand, to the growth of long-haul destinations and, on the other hand, the increase of demand for customized hotel experiences. Have you ever imagined sleeping in a tree or in an igloo?! Your 24 year old colleague or neighbor possibly is. &nbsp;


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	Secondly, responsible tourism. New travellers are now more concerned about the environment, pushing them to avoid ´overtourism´, a very new concept. Millennials are therefore more likely to look for places not in the traditional guides.


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	Thirdly, mobile interactions and personalized experiences during all of the whole travel cycle: caring is great, but it seems that sharing is more important – and being cared for (via exclusive offers) trumps it all. In this sense, platforms such as Instagram will play a key role in showcasing these ´wild´ experiences.


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In this new scenario, where nobody seems to really understand &nbsp;‘Y’, Sergi Mesquida, Head of Innovation &amp; New Ventures at Hotelbeds Group participated this&nbsp;week at Millenials 20/20 Europe’s Summit in London – where over 3,000 delegates attended to have more light shed on this topic.

Over 200 cross-industry speakers from a wide range of sectors shared their knowledge, experiences and insights. Sergi participated in a ´fireside chat´ about the latest trends shaping our industry and highlighted that “all sectors today are looking at Artificial Intelligence as the new disruptive technology that will reshape all industries in the near future. The different sessions helped us better understand the behavior of customers and therefore use this knowledge to improve the customisation of our services.” He also added, &nbsp;“it was really inspiring to see how other companies from different sectors use technology to correspond to customers’ changing needs and solve challenges that are similar to the ones we also face!”

Millenials 20/20 is Europe’s only summit focusing on fresh thinking and progressive change in the future of retail, marketing and commerce that presents the latest campaigns and innovations in marketing, advertising, retail, payments e-commerce, social media, video, data, AI, VR &amp; AR, voice, and robotics – all driven by the fast-evolving needs of the millennial generation.

You can find photos and more information about the summit on its website: http://www.millennial20-20.com/&nbsp;

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The travel sector is no longer about where and when, but ‘Y’


	Teresa sustituye a Javier Galí, y junto a Javier Milans del Bosch se encargará del seguimiento comercial de la zona centro
	La nueva comercial de Madrid se incorpora al equipo de Bedsonline tras 10 años en Travelcube (GTA)
	Bedsonline se centrará en su nueva estrategia de consultoría a las agencias para desarrollar al máximo sus negocios


Palma, 14 de marzo de 2018. - Bedsonline, el proveedor global líder de acomodación y productos complementarios exclusivo para agencias de viaje, ha anunciado hoy el nombramiento de Teresa Chulilla como nueva comercial de Bedsonline en Madrid.

Teresa sustituye a Javier Galí que pasa a gestionar grandes cuentas de la plataforma y, junto a Javier Milans del Bosch, se encargará del seguimiento comercial de&nbsp; la zona centro de Bedsonline en España.

Teresa se incorpora al equipo de Bedsonline tras 10 años en la plataforma dirigida a minoristas de GTA, Travelcube, ahora del mismo grupo (Hotelbeds Group). En su anterior cargo de Retail Account Manager cubría el norte y sur de Italia y previamente, como Account Manager, las zonas de Madrid y del norte de España. Chulilla, licenciada en Turismo por la Escuela Oficial de Turismo de Madrid, acumula más de 20 años en el sector turístico en los que ha desempeñado diferentes roles tanto en el sector viajes como el de la aviación.

Carlos Feliu, director de ventas de Bedsonline de Iberia y UK opina sobre la nueva incorporación: “Damos la bienvenida a nuestro gran equipo a Teresa y confiamos en su experiencia y profesionalidad. Estamos seguros de que aportará a su nuevo puesto todo el bagaje adquirido durante su trayectoria dedicada a grandes cuentas y viajes corporativos en múltiples roles”.

Feliu añade: “Además, la incorporación de Teresa se suma a la estrategia de Bedsonline de ofrecer la máxima cobertura comercial a nuestros clientes en España. Con su incorporación, hemos podido focalizar a parte de nuestros equipos en la labor de consultoría. El objetivo de esta nueva estrategia es ofrecer un valor añadido a las agencias, con información de calidad que les hagan ir más allá en el desarrollo de sus negocios”.

Sobre Bedsonline

Bedsonline es el proveedor global líder de acomodación y productos complementarios exclusivo para agencias de viaje. A través de su plataforma online distribuye su producto -acomodación, excursiones, tickets y traslados- entre una cartera de clientes compuesta por más de 30.000 agencias repartidos entre 30 países. En España, 8.000 agencias confían en Bedsonline para hacer sus reservas.

La compañía destaca por su extenso portfolio –más de 170.000 hoteles en 200 destinos, 21.000 rutas de traslados en 140 países y 16.000 actividades en 120 países–, por un servicio personalizado local y una herramienta de reserva online intuitiva y fácil de usar. De esta manera, Bedsonline garantiza una alta disponibilidad, precios competitivos y una elevada satisfacción de sus clientes.

La mayorista, líder de la distribución online, ha centrado su estrategia en los últimos años en la expansión por nuevos mercados de Europa, América y Asia, como Alemania, República Checa, México, Estados Unidos, Colombia, China, Japón o Filipinas. Esta visión estratégica ha llevado a la compañía a ocupar una posición de ventaja en la industria.

Bedsonline forma parte de Hotelbeds Group, el proveedor global de servicios para la industria del turismo a nivel mundial. Con sede en Palma de Mallorca, emplea a 6.150 empleados entre sus 153 oficinas repartidas por todo el mundo.

Síguenos en Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hotelbeds-group

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bedsonline

Y Twitter: @HotelbedsGroup

&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; 

Cristina Vilà · cvila@arenalia.com

Elisenda Barreda · ebarreda@arenalia.com&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tel. +34 660 201 020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Media Relations and Corporate Affairs

Antonia Aguiló

a.aguilo@hotelbeds.com

Tel.&nbsp; +34 638 874 038

&nbsp;


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Bedsonline ficha a Teresa Chulilla como nueva delegada comercial en Madrid

Once upon a time any pre-trip 'to do list'&nbsp;included items related to clothes, medicines or personal hygiene. And not least a passport and tickets! In the modern world we'&nbsp;re all also now searching for our mobile phone (and its charger).&nbsp;

But with every trip we also become more concerned by what mobile apps we are taking on our trip. Netflix for many is a must on long trips nowadays. But what about apps that help us travel? Travel apps are fast becoming the 'unforgettable'&nbsp;item when on the move.

So which are the travel apps you simply shouldn´t travel without? And even more importantly, which are the travel apps indispensable once you are in-destination? Are we fully taking advantage of technology to improve our travel experience?

According to App Annie – a provider of analytics and market intelligence to developers – the most downloaded travel apps in 2017 were Uber, Hotels.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor and Fly Delta. &nbsp;What is clear is that the needs of travelers are related mainly to transportation and the search for accommodation, as the rankings show.

But App Annie does not discriminate between pre-trip and in-destination, which makes it difficult to establish which apps we reach for when packing our virtual suitcase.

To clarify this dilemma we have asked our very own expert here at Hotelbeds Group: Sergi Mesquida, Head of Innovation and New Ventures.

Sergi states that the most indispensable apps when abroad are ones related to transportation.&nbsp; Top of the list is Citymapper: “It is very useful when looking for the best transportation, as it shows you in real time all the possibilities of public transportation in the city where you are located”. He also is fond of Trip advisor, Google Translate and XE currency converter. &nbsp;

When it comes to planning the trip logistics, as a good Google fan, he recommends Google Trips. This automatically maps out a half -day or a full-day of activities with suggestions for things to see and do.

Last but not least, he could not miss the top-ranked Google Maps, when it comes to maps and orientation in an unknown city.

It seems very clear that travelers needs in-destination are more much more focused on transportation and navigation, than booking for flights, accommodations or activities – something perhaps developers are overlooking.

The big question however is, will new technologies such as AI, Virtual Reality or Robotics change the needs, desires even, of travelers once in-destination? Will entirely new apps appear – companies even – or will existing apps just incorporate these technologies into them? Only time will tell.&nbsp;


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Different applications: booking vs travelling in the world of travel apps


	APItude, the Group’s newest hotel distribution API, is now handling up to 300 million requests per day.
	Solution is now fully migrated to the cloud, allowing for response times of below 0.5 seconds.


Berlin, 7 March 2018. Hotelbeds Group, the leading bedbank worldwide and provider of business-to-business services to the global travel industry, has confirmed today at ITB Berlin that 2017 was a very positive year for APItude, the Group’s latest hotel distribution API.

By the close of 2017 the number of daily requests processed by the APItude platform had grown by a factor of almost ten compared to the previous year, reaching a daily total of around 300 million.

Additionally the Group has confirmed that it has improved response times to below 0.5 seconds as a result of a complete migration to the cloud, following the launch of APItude Cloud in late 2016.

Sam Turner, Wholesale sales &amp; sourcing director commented: “An increase in the number of daily requests processed by APItude by a factor of almost ten can only be described as exponential growth. This can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly, our deep understanding of the needs and demands of our clients – and in turn their clients, the traveler – drove us to continually innovate APItude since its launch in 2015 by offering faster response times; thanks to the launch and complete rollout of APItude Cloud those response times are now down to below 0.5 seconds. Secondly, we have increased the functionalities &nbsp;– &nbsp;such as booking modifications or more advanced filters to help clients find exactly what they need – thus allowing many of our most strategic clients to migrate over.”

APItude is the fastest and lightest hotel distribution API in the market. It enhances the developer experience by making the integration process easier, faster and more intuitive – allowing partners to develop their own travel website or mobile app using Hotelbeds Group’s product portfolio more easily than ever before.

Forming part of Hotelbeds Group’s commitment to innovation, APItude was launched by Hotelbeds at World Travel Market (WTM) 2015. Its successful rollout and rapid growth continues the company’s quest to simplify the B2B distribution of accommodation for its varied customer base of over 60,000 intermediaries from across 185 source markets globally.

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About Hotelbeds Group

Hotelbeds Group is a business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry globally and 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.

Additionally the Group also operates a Destination Services division offering in-bound destination services, such as tours or transfers, in around 40 countries. The Group also owns several other B2B travel brands such as Pacific World (focusing on the MICE area), Intercruises (shore side cruise solutions) and more.

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 has 8,300 employees globally (including Tourico Holidays and GTA).

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 and Corporate Affairs

Anna Monreal

amonreal@hotelbeds.com

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Exponential growth for Hotelbeds Group’s APItude in 2017

A group of lions is a pride and rhinoceroses en masse are a crash. But what is the collective noun for a group of travel industry professionals? This week it´s not even a noun, it´s an acronym: ITB. And it´s taking place in Berlin.

Stepping onto the plane from Palma de Mallorca to Berlin yesterday almost everyone in the departure lounge was speaking travel guru jargon: PAX this, source market that, revenue per seat mile, revenue per available room, and, of course, everyone was occupied by occupation rates.

That unique ITB feeling only amplified as we took the train from the airport to our hotel, with travel industry professionals from every nation, some in rather fetching national dress outfits, speaking all manner of languages. In the hotel reception of the Park Inn waiting patiently to check-in it was all handshakes and even hugs with industry colleagues from near and far, competitors or not.

Germans are Europe's number one traveler by both spend and absolute numbers. And this week we're all here to ensure that they'll keep coming back to fly with our airlines, check-in to our hotels and visit our beaches. In some cases newer destinations are muscling in, as we showed in a press release last week that confirmed more Germans will be travelling long-haul this summer.

Besides, what self-respecting travel professional would miss this jamboree? Over 10,000 exhibitors and up to 160,000 visitors every year make it unmissable; and on the weekend it is open to the public as well, so those of us in the consumer end of the game get double value for money.

At Hotelbeds Group we never miss a chance to visit ITB and this year we've a stand combining our Hotelbeds, Tourico and GTA&nbsp;brands all under one roof. A decent sized delegation has flown in from all over the world, including our colleagues from our car rental business (CARNECT) and our activities business (TAB).

Aside from meeting hotel partners and travel intermediaries on our stand, this year we're also participating in interviews with the media and our Head of Innovation, Sergi Mesquida is giving a keynote speech about Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Friday on the eTravelLab stage at 1:30pm. Come along and hear him live? We'll be broadcasting a recap across our social media channels for those who can't attend.

Otherwise pop by and visit us in Hall 9, Stand 110. Whatever language you speak, we know you want to speak about travel.

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