News Roundup: ibis budget brand’s first showing in Singapore, Travelstart’s acquisition of Travel Club Group finalised, TripAdvisor Connect’s launch on social media platforms, a 24/7 online chatbot for Cebu Pacific
Hotels: Accor debuts ibis budget brand in Singapore
(Image credit: Accor)
Accor has unveiled 13 new ibis budget hotels rebranded from Fragrance hotels as part of the franchise deal the French hotel group inked with Global Premium Hotels Limited (GPHL), the owner of one of the largest Singapore-owned hotel chains, in August.
Ranging in size from 32 rooms to 168 rooms, selected hotels have a pool and/or gym, while some have a dining café.
The newly branded hotels coming online include ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay, ibis budget Singapore Selegie, ibis budget Singapore Imperial, ibis budget Singapore Mount Faber and ibis budget Singapore West Coast.
Accor said these hotels are progressively available for booking through Accor’s distribution network starting 7 October.
The two Parc Sovereign hotels will undergo renovations at the end of the year, and one will be rebranded to Mercure and the other ibis Styles hotel by mid-2020.
“With its nifty and modern design these new ibis budget hotels spread across central and suburban locations in Singapore are perfect for savvy business or leisure travellers,” said Garth Simmons, chief operating officer, Accor Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore & South Asia.
GPHL CEO Ko Lee Meng stated the rebranding and enhancement of the group’s existing properties “marks not just another milestone for our group, but an evolution in our business and a boost to our expansion strategy.”
According to Accor, the partnership with GPHL “cements its position as the largest hotel operator in Singapore” with an inventory of 7,625 rooms across 30 hotels (3,357 rooms in the luxury and premium space, 1,840 in midscale and 2,428 in economy).
Travel: Travelstart completes acquisition of Club Travel Group
Travelstart has finalised its acquisition of Club Travel Group for an undisclosed sum with the approval of South Africa’s Competition Commission for the transaction.
The deal, announced in June, sees Travelstart assumes ownership of 100% of the Club Travel Group and its subsidiaries.
The company said in a statement the acquisition would boost its offering with the addition of Club Travel’s complementary corporate and franchise divisions, creating one of Africa’s largest full-service travel groups.
Club Travel will continue as a standalone company within the Travelstart portfolio. Thebe Tourism Holdings (Thebe), the majority shareholder of the Club Travel Group since 2009, has sold its stake in the Club Travel Group to Travelstart. Thebe and Travelstart have jointly invested in Club Travel Corporate, a level one B-BBEE rated division of the Club Travel Group.
The two companies will cooperate to enable the Travelstart to expand its business and reach new customers, and for Club Travel to gain the expertise needed to deliver digital product innovation and remain competitive.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Club Travel as the newest member of the Travelstart family,” said Travelstart CEO Stephan Ekbergh. “Together we will continue to concentrate on building the best place for people to plan, book and manage travel.”
Club Travel’s managing director and founder Wally Gaynor addedL, “We are delighted to join Africa’s leading online travel agency and we know that Travelstart’s knowledge and footprint will help us ensure a sustainable future for Club Travel in an increasingly technology-dependent market.”
Africa’s travel and tourism industry is worth an estimated $194 billion and digitisation among consumers is still growing.
Marketing: TripAdvisor Connect lands on Facebook and Instagram
Travel information platform TripAdvisor has launched TripAdvisor Connect, previously in beta testing, on Facebook and Instagram globally.
Developed as an off-platform media solution TripAdvisor Connect is guided by traveller and diner data, enabling advertisers to reach custom audiences beyond TripAdvisor’s website and app.
Advertisers benefit from its traveller data that drives the creation of custom built audiences that can be reached off the company’s platform, said TripAdvisor in a statement.
“By leveraging the @TripAdvisor brand on channels like Facebook or Instagram advertisers can utilise a variety of multi-media creative solutions to more effectively build awareness and consideration with consumers that have a predisposed affinity for their goods or services, all beyond the TripAdvisor platform,” added the statement.
The company aims to further expand TripAdvisor Connect to other media channels in the near future.
Christine Maguire, vice president of advertising revenue at TripAdvisor, said the company is continuously innovating ways for advertisers to leverage its global data and brand.
“Fuelled by deep consumer insights we can help advertising partners reach, engage and activate new and large high-intent audiences beyond the TripAdvisor website and app. For 10 million highly engaged followers of our brand on sites like Facebook and Instagram, TripAdvisor is a trusted resource and influential part of their decision making process.”
Chatbot: Cebu Pacific introduces online travel assistant Charlie
Philippine low cost airline Cebu Pacific has officially presente its online chatbot as part of its ongoing digital transformation.
Working 24/7, Charlie assists both first-time and seasoned travellers with their flight check-in, provide flight itineraries and boarding passes.
The chatbot is also knowledgeable with Cebu Pacific promos, as well as provide information about other offerings such as premium seat selections, inflight meals, and baggage allowance.
To chat with Charlie the passenger types in the query in English one at a time, or chooses from a variety of suggested topic options when opening the chat box.
“We’ve always talked about being an enabler of fun and accessible travels, and as part of our thrust to enhance customer experience with the airline we created Charlie,” said Candice Iyog, Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience at Cebu Pacific.
“As we officially launch our chatbot we hope to offer convenience and helpful information within our travellers’ fingertips.”
According to the airline, Charlie has engaged with more than 393,000 passengers since its inception in January this year, addressing majority of their concerns and queries.
“Charlie still has a long way to go in terms of learning – just like any chatbot. Rest assured, we are continuously working on expanding Charlie’s knowledge in order to provide our passengers with the best customer experience possible,” added Iyog.
The chatbot is available on Cebu Pacific’s website and official Facebook page.
• Featured image credit: Accor