WHY IT RATES: TravelBound is providing a major source of Asia bookings for agents and lots of choices for consumers. -Michael Isenbek, TravelPulse Senior Editor
James Phillips, president of TravelBound, the leading supplier of fully independent travel (FIT) to destinations around the globe and among the largest suppliers to Asia, announced the company's first major marketing campaign to several key destinations in Asia to help meet increased demand from North American travelers.
TravelBound is a leading supplier to Asia with more than 8,200 hotels in the region, from four and five-star luxury hotels and resorts to traditional Japanese "ryokans," and 1,200 tours and sightseeing experiences in 11 countries.
"This is an exciting opportunity for travel agents who currently sell into Asia and for those looking for new destinations for their clients as we're seeing double-digit increases in bookings to several countries throughout the region," said Phillips. "TravelBound's unique proposition for travel agents is the breadth and depth of our product and product knowledge in Asia, as we have more than 50 market managers in the region who personally source hotels and tour products. Bottom line: our expertise in Asia in unmatched in the marketplace."
In the first half of the year, Phillips cited growth in North American bookings as high as 66 percent to Thailand compared to 2015. Indonesia realized a 31 percent increase while the Philippines experienced a 22 percent increase in bookings. Projections for arrivals in 2017 are as encouraging: TravelBound expects to see 62 percent growth in China bookings; 63 percent growth in travel to the Philippines, and 41 percent growth to Indonesia.
"This extraordinary growth in Asia demonstrates that travelers are committed to continue to explore exotic destinations, a reassuring sign that is also an avenue for business development for travel agents," he said. "This variety of accommodations, including 1,800 luxury properties in our inventory, and sightseeing tours enables our travel agent partners to create completely customized experiences for their clients to one or multiple destinations across Asia, and, in fact, the world."
All elements of a booking on TravelBound - hotels, transfers and sightseeing - are fully commissionable.
TravelBound's multi-week campaign launched with a focus on Thailand and will continue to highlight a specific destination in Asia each week with a "passport" of special tours and travel tips for travel agents to share with clients. Additional destinations include Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan.
Across the region, travel agents will find legendary luxury city hotels featured in the campaign, including: The Peninsula Bangkok and Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok; Raffles Hotel Singapore; The Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Regent Beijing, China; the Sofitel Saigon Plaza, Vietnam; The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul, South Korea, and more. Among the luxury resorts featured are the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, in Fiji; the Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu Island, the Philippines; the Banyan Tree Ungasan in Bali; the Golden Temple Residence in Siem Reap, Cambodia; and many others.
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