Trip.com, TAT go live in Bangkok
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and key business partners were on hand when Trip.com launched its Asia Live Streaming Centre, a marketing initiative which the company says will “revolutionise the way partners and consumers connect to boost the tourism industry”.
The Bangkok centre will facilitate daily content to showcase Thailand’s tourism offerings, “providing travel inspiration and deals to adventurers via livestreaming,” the company said.
The Asia Live Streaming Centre will serve as the group’s regional hub, broadcasting daily content in Thai on the social media channels of Trip.com Thailand in the first phase, and subsequently in English for international audiences.
Bo Sun, chief marketing officer, Trip.com Group said the livestreaming centre aims to capitalise on Thailand’s active social media user base and status as “a top travel destination in the region”.
“The move has the potential to elevate travel in the Asia region to new heights, as we leverage the power of livestreaming to engage with passionate travellers,” Sun added.
The group plans to partner with hotels, local attractions and businesses in Thailand to showcase various travel products and deals.
Air India’s flying returns goes to sea
Air India and travel loyalty provider Arrivia will partner in Air India’s Flying Returns loyalty programme.
The partnership enables Air India Flying Returns members to earn reward points on their cruise trips on more than 40 major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean International, P&O Cruises, Norwegian Cruises, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Costa & Cunard, offering over 30,000 itineraries across the world.
Through the partnership, Flying Returns members can gather reward points on their cruise fare when booked via flyingreturnsicruise.com.
Flying Returns members will also be able to earn reward points on a range of experiences, including river cruises.
“We are committed to making Flying Returns a truly world-class loyalty programme, and this exciting new partnership with arrivia International is one of the many ways in which we are reimagining Flying Returns,” said Sunil Suresh, head of marketing, loyalty & E-commerce at Air India.
Travelex on the money with new app
Foreign exchange brand Travelex has launched a new Travelex Money Card (TMC) app that, it says, “offers a more simple, efficient and secure experience for customers worldwide”.
The app, which replaces the old TMC app, has been redesigned with simpler navigation and reduced complexity.
Real time wallet balances and latest transactions are now instantly available on the homepage, while currency transfers and TMC top ups can be undertaken more easily than before.
Travelex says the app will also offer “greater stability and reliability compared to its predecessor”.
To access the new app, existing customers need to download the latest update.
Last year Travelex introduced an industry-first automated, self-service digital kiosk at London Heathrow, which followed the launch of the retail FX industry’s first ever ATM click-and-collect product.
Travelex has also been investing in new digital, self-serve concept stores across its international portfolio, as well as upgrading its backend and cloud digital infrastructure.
Oneworld’s AI travel agent gets to work
Booking round-the-world fares with the oneworld has become easier thanks to the alliance’s partnership with Elemental Cognition.
The use of advanced AI capabilities in the EC AI Platform, powered by Google Cloud, is touted to “revolutionise” the booking process for oneworld’s RTW’s tickets.
Operating in real time, the AI travel agent is designed to streamline booking intricate flight itineraries, addressing complex product rules and fluctuating flight availability.
Fares include all oneworld airlines, hundreds of destinations, and millions of flight combinations.
