In the news: Qantas has a new NDC platform; Dubai and Tencent partnered to drive tourism in the Emirate; Minor International acquires additional shares in NH Hotel Group; Andaz Singapore introduces its digital concierge
Distribution: Qantas launches distribution platform, more personalised experience for customers
QDP enhances customer experience with trade partners. (Source: Qantas)
Australia’s national carrier Qantas has launched a new technology platform, Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP), to enable its trade partners to interact with its customers on a more personal level through enhancing the airline’s retailing, booking and servicing capabilities.
The QDP improves the functionality of indirect agent channels by aligning them more closely with the capabilities currently available via qantas.com, making it easier for trade partners to sell the airline’s products and provide more seamless customer service.
The platform was developed in partnership with Farelogix Inc. and utilises IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC), the new industry standard. It has been certified to NDC Level 3, IATA’s highest certification.
According Qantas, its trade partners will now have access to richer content including images of cabins and meals and ability to book extras such as extra legroom seating. It will also provide Qantas Frequent Flyer information and tier status at the point of sale.
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas chief customer officer, said the platform was a key part of a broader digital evolution of the airline’s booking channels.
“There have never been more ways for a customer to research and book their travel. We want to make the booking experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible, no matter their booking channel preference.”
Qantas’ trade partners can access the QDP either via approved partner connections, or directly by developing a connection to the airline’s NDC XML Application Program Interface (API).
Travelport, Serko and CTM are the early adopters of the platform. The airline is working closely with its other GDS and agency partners to adopt the new technology.
In a separate statement announcing its integration into the QDP, Travelport said the agreement with Qantas also includes distribution of the airline’ content via the Rich Content and Branding merchandising solution. Over 65,000 of Travelport-connected travel agencies globally now have access to Qantas’ booking and ancillary services.
Travelport is the first operator of a global distribution system to be granted the highest certification by IATA for its NDC airline distribution technology. The company said it is well-positioned to support the QDP and improve the flexibility of content distribution as the airline becomes one of the first to deploy NDC content later this year.
Destination: Dubai joins forces with Tencent to get a bigger slice of the Chinese travel market
Dubai wants more Chinese tourists to visit the Emirate (Image credit: beer5020/iStock-Getty Images)
The Chinese outbound travel market shows no sign of slowing down, with an estimated 86 million projected to travel to overseas destinations in 2018, making up 56% of all trips this year to take place beyond Greater China, according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI).
It is not surprising that countries are seeking partnership with travel companies in China to court Chinese travellers. The latest to do this is Dubai which, through Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), has signed an MoU with Chinese internet giant Tencent to increase visits to the Emirate.
The partnership, apart from deepening cooperation, aims to drive the tourism industry in Dubai and explore business opportunities along the Belt and Road route.
Tencent views Dubai as an important flagship city to promote smart tourism as it is its first strategic partner in the Middle East, said Poshu Yeung, vice president of Tencent IBG.
Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, added the MoU was an extension of the organisation’s ongoing partnership with Tencent was to build affinity with the Chinese target audience.
“Through the extension of our agreement, Chinese travellers will receive targeted social feeds about our city’s offerings and enjoy a more immersive discovery of Dubai.”
Last year Dubai Tourism gets an interactive platform to connect with Chinese travellers when WeChat rolled out the CityExperience Mini Programme in November. As Tencent’s offerings increasingly penetrate Dubai’s tourism sector, the programme could also be enhanced with Tencent Cloud’s suite of smart travel solutions to provide value-added functions such as AI customer service.
Tencent Cloud will continue to incorporate an array of advanced offerings such as cloud computing, IoT, AI and big data to work towards a Smart Dubai.
To help Dubai Tourism develop targeted marketing strategies for the China market, Tencent will provide users insights into the Chinese traveller’s behaviours and preferences.
In addition, the Chinese internet company will offer recommendations for other local stakeholders to open or improve their WeChat official accounts.
Tencent hopes, through Dubai Tourism’s network in Dubai, to promote its offerings including WeChat and WeChat Pay as an option for convenient and secure mobile payment among Chinese tourists at local merchants.
Dubai Tourism, on its part, will also encourage Dubai merchants to adopt and leverage Tencent Cloud and ad solutions to enhance the experience of Chinese visitors and drive their spending.
Acquisitions: Minor International increases stake in Spain’s NH Hotel Group
Venezia Palazzo Barocci in Venice, Italy, an NH Collection property
Thailand-based Minor International (MINT) has upped its stake in NH Hotel Group with the purchase of 30,000,000 shares in the Spanish-based hotel group for 192 million euros (US$225 million).
Together with its existing shareholding, the deal will increase MINT’s stake in NH Hotel Group to 8.6 on a fully diluted basis.
NH Hotel Group, founded in 1978, is the sixth largest hotel chain in Europe with 382 hotels and resorts with 59,350 keys spanning across 30 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
This investment is a further move into Europe by MINT following its earlier expansion into Portugal and Brazil through the acquisition of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts in 2016 for US$320 million, and one that is complementary to the geographical footprint of MINT’s pre-investment portfolio.
Following the investment, the properties will continue to operate under NH Hotel Group’s brands, including NH Hotels, NH Collection Hotels, nhow Hotels and Hesperia Resorts.
No management changes at NH Hotel Group are expected in connection with this investment.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels, described the investment in a statement as “a significant milestone” for Minor Hotels. “Over the past few years NH Hotel Group’s board of directors and management team have re-invigorated the business, and delivered strong business performance in line with its five-year strategic plan.
“As a key shareholder in the business we look forward to supporting the management team as a strategic shareholder to continue this success, and build long-term shareholder value for NH Hotel Group and its shareholders including MINT. MINT can also support the NH hotels with its food & beverage expertise where appropriate to maximize financial performance and enhance customer experience.”
Chatbots: Andaz Singapore now has a digital concierge to serve guests
The chatbot answers guest queries and serves as a guide. (Image credit: Alexey-Bezrodny-iStock-GettyImages
Andaz Singapore, a lifestyle hotel brand by Hyatt Hotels Corporation, has introduced the ConcierGO programme, a chatbot system designed to further improve guest experience through technology.
In a statement, the hotel said it is the first (hotel) in Singapore to introduce the programme with Vouch. It is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as part of the ‘Tourism Innovation Challenge for Hotels’ launched last year to crowdsource innovative solutions to address key pain points and opportunities in the hospitality and travel agency industries.
Andaz Singapore cites the need to improve manpower productivity and service experience as reasons behind the development of the digital concierge system, which functions as a chatbot with artificial intelligence (AI) through the hotel’s Facebook messenger account.
The chatbot helps answer queries about the hotel, as well as serves as a guide providing curated tours and recommendations for various food haunts and interesting activities in the neighbourhood.
Phase two of the project will see the chatbot managing guests’ basic room requests through an integration with the hotel’s direct logistics system.
“Being the first hotel in Singapore to implement the chatbot onto our social media platforms we are creating a barrier-less environment for us to engage with guests and potential guests alike,” says Olivier Lenoir, general manager of Andaz Singapore.
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