In the news: Partnership between tours booking platform Klook and Korea, new mobile travel concierge from Changi’s SATS, low cost carrier Scoot’s new Malaysian destinations, Travelport’s deal with Ugo
DESTINATIONS: Klook lends Korea a helping hand to woo Asian FITs
Visitors can book discounted Lotte World pass on Klook’s app (Image credit: Klook)
Korea sees strong potential in the growth of visitors from other Asian cities and sets its sights on FITs (free independent travellers) from the region, and has teamed up with Hong Kong-based tour and activities booking platform Klook Travel (Klook) to get the numbers.
Klook, launched in September 2014, has been expanding its reach across Asia with 12 offices across the region after securing US$30 million in Series B funding in March this year. It will leverage on this regional presence to help market Korea to FITs.
This has led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Klook, Lotte World Adventure (a major recreation complex in Seoul that includes Lotte World) and Incheon Tourism Organisation.
Under the MOU the booking platform will work with Incheon Tourism Organisation to market the BigCityBeats World Club Dome, one of Asia’s biggest electronic dance music concert that will be held in Incheon on 22-24 September. The event aims to attract electronic music lovers worldwide to visit Korea for the concert, and stay to experience the country’s other tourist destinations.
Incheon, apart from being home to Korea’s most important international airport, is also a major transportation hub and is gaining popularity among music lovers for the numerous international music festivals held in Incheon Munhak Stadium.
Klook will also work with Lotte World Adventure to introduce special deals for Lotte World’s daily or magic pass. Visitors can book the pass on Klook app, receive the e-voucher instantly and use it to enter the theme park.
“Korea is an important destination for Klook because of its vibrant and uniquely attractive culture. We have seen a continuous growth of bookings for Korean activities from various Asian cities since 2016,” said Eric Gnock Fah, co-founder and COO of Klook.
Soon O Park, executive director of Lotte World Adventure, said working with Klook would offer visitors a “new and innovative way” to book and enjoy Lotte World.
According to statistics from Korea Tourism Organisation, the number of visitors from major Asian countries and regions continue to grow during the first half of this year. The number of arrivals from Vietnam has grown 29% compared to the same period last year, Taiwan 14%, Singapore 9%, Malaysia: 7%, Hong Kong: 5% and Thailand 4%.
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: Now you won’t get lost at airports with this predictive mobile travel concierge
The mobile concierge to guide travellers through airports (Image credit: SATS)
SATS, Changi Airport’s ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider, is digitalising its future with the recent launch of a mobile app, Ready to Travel, which helps travellers plan their trips and guide them around airports globally.
Like most companies are wont to do nowadays with new products, SATS said its new app targets the ‘fast growing millennial traveller segment in Asia’.
Here’s how the mobile concierge help travellers:
- Receive notifications on the go such as time to the airport, travel check-in time, boarding gate time, passport renewal and visa applications.
- Getting through the airport with real-time point-to-point (airport) information instead of using a static map. This feature is currently available in four airports – Singapore Changi Airport, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, Tokyo Narita Airport and Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport. SATS will add more airports in the coming months.
- Stay connected, a feature specially for the millennials, allowing users to purchase pocket WiFi services (connectivity to 50 countries) and have it delivered to their homes before their trips.
- Access to other travel essentials such as purchasing insurance in partnership with AXA Insurance, access to SATS Premier Lounges and more.
- Plan your own unique travel experience with more than 10,000 attractions, with bookings via the app.
The Ready to Travel app is free to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
AIRLINES: Kuching, Kuantan, get ready for ‘Scootitude’
Kuching will receive Scoot in October (Image credit: JudyDillon/iStock)
Singapore-based low cost and long haul airline, Scoot, refers to the ‘unique travel experience’ it brings to its guests as ‘Scootitude’. Well, two Malaysian cities – Kuching in Sarawak and Kuantan in Pahang – will soon get a dose of this.
The airline will Scoot will be operating daily flights from Singapore to Kuching from October 29, and three times weekly flights from Singapore to Kuantan from February 2, 2018.
The new services will increase the number of Scoot’s destinations in Malaysia to six cities. It is already flying to Ipoh (Perak), Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Penang.
Kuching and Kuantan are among the five new destinations announced on July 25 in conjunction with the completion of the Scoot-Tigerair integration under the single Scoot brand. The other three are Honolulu, Scoot’s maiden USA destination, Harbin in northeast China, and Palembang in Indonesia.
“Malaysia has been a very important market for Scoot, and our new destinations will strengthen our robust network in Southeast Asia,” said Scoot CEO, Lee Lik Hsin.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION: Easier for travel agents to book ground transport with Travelport/Ugo deal
More options for ground transports with Ugo Transfers
Travelport has made an ‘interconnect arrangement’ with Australian-owned Ugo Transfers, a service providing aggregated content for ground transfers, giving travel agents globally access to transport services in over 100 countries.
The travel commerce company said agents using Travelport Marketplace could download the UGO app to browse, pre-book and confirm their customers’ ground transport arrangements in advance.
Ugo Transfers has recently established a specialised service centre, which caters to requests for large groups and other customised options.
Brad Wicks, managing director of Ugo Transfers, said the service centre adds ‘another layer of reassurance and personalised service delivery’ for its customers.
Travelport’s senior director for products and solutions in Asia Pacific, Tony Hopwood, added: “Ugo Transfers will provide our agents with more content and booking choices for ground transportation. We hope that making this app accessible to travel agencies using Travelport’s Smartpoint will allow agents to create a faster and more efficient workflow, improving the response time for their customers.”
• Featured image (Incheon City) credit: Klook
