Hotelbeds is joining forces with the Tourism Authority of Thailand on a campaign to promote the destination to US travel agents, one of its most important outbound markets.
With over 3,000 hotels contracted, Thailand has always been one of the top destinations for Hotelbeds, consistently ranking in the top 5 most popular locations. And now, thanks to this new opportunity, the company will not only further develop its presence in the region but will also play a crucial part in helping to open up countries in the Asia Pacific region, supporting its clients in the recovery of a market that has been so badly impacted by the COVID pandemic.
“This is a great partnership that has been a long time in the making. We started discussions before the pandemic and, now with the decrease in covid restrictions, we are very excited to activate this marketing campaign with the Tourism Authority of Thailand” said Joe Sheller, Head of Global Destination Marketing.
Florian Blois, Hotelbeds’ Regional Director of Destination Marketing, added: “Thailand is a key destination for Hotelbeds globally. Signing this partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand will allow us to secure promotional rates in the country and encourage all our US agents to book in Thailand over the coming months.”
He added that he is confident the company will act as “a key player in driving tourism to the destination and converting pent-up demand in Thailand.”
Through this partnership, Hotelbeds will also be introducing booking agents to the Test & Go programme created by the Thai government, which allows tourists from all countries who have been vaccinated to enter the country.
“While the travel landscape continues to change and requires keen navigation of COVID 19, we look forward to welcoming international travelers back to curate more unforgettable moments in Amazing Thailand” said Siriwan Seeharach, Director of The Tourism Authority of Thailand Los Angeles. He added that Thailand “is ecstatic for the opportunity to work alongside Hotelbeds, who is such an influential industry player in the travel sphere. This strong alliance is a first for Thailand and will offer a platform for the diverse range of Thai properties and partners to showcase their offerings.”
Up until mid-June, the campaign will be promoted through the bedbank’s two main distribution channels, Hotelbeds (for wholesale distribution) and Bedsonline (for retail travel advisors), targeting its extensive network of travel advisors in the US.
Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank
In a fragmented and complex travel landscape, Hotelbeds provides over 300,000 hotel properties across the globe with access to high-value, complementary distribution channels that significantly increase occupancy rates and optimise RevPAR – whilst not competing with the hotelier’s direct distribution strategy.
Hotelbeds does this by offering hoteliers access to a network of over 60,000 hard-to-access B2B travel buyers such as tour operators, retail travel agents, airline websites, and loyalty schemes in over 140 source markets worldwide.
These channels provide hotel partners with returning guests that book further in advance, cancel less, spend more in-destination and stay longer.
In addition to accommodation, Hotelbeds is also the world’s largest B2B seller of travel ancillaries, offering woldwide coverage of transfer routes and 18,000 activities, as well as experiences and car rental suppliers.
Operating under the ‘Beyond the Bed’ product line, it provides both hoteliers and travel distribution partners with an efficient platform and powerful tools to easily integrate and commercialise its leading portfolio of high-margin products.
The company is headquartered in Palma, Spain.
