Leading travel activities and services booking platform Klook has appointed Wilfred Fan as chief commercial officer – a new role introduced by the Hong Kong-based company to further develop destination services and provide greater support for its merchants.
Wilfred Fan: Exciting time to be in the tours and activities space. (Image credit: Klook)
Fan was most immediately the VP global partnership of Agoda, the hotel booking service owned by Booking Holdings. A member of Agoda founding team, he held senior positions with a wide range of responsibilities and introduced a direct hotel contracting strategy that propelled Agoda to become the largest hotel platform in Asia with more than 200,000 properties. Before joining Agoda.com, he held various management positions in technology and hotel companies.
As CCO, Fan will oversee Klook’s Supply Business Development & Operations division, as well as contribute to the company’s overall strategy.
Klook said in a statement Fan’s appointment “comes at a strategic time” as having raised US$300 million in investment, making it the most-funded company in the tours and activities sector, it is seeking to exponentially expand its global footprint.
“Fan will be instrumental in expanding Klook’s global portfolio of products and services, deepening merchant and operator relations, exploring new business opportunities and product offerings, and optimising supply operations,” the statement elaborated on the responsibilities.
The new CCO said it was an “exciting time” to be in the tours and activities space. “The emergence of mobile has captured traditionally offline in-destination bookings, and merchants are now more ready than ever to adopt new technology. Not only do our mobile-first services improve operations, but they also fulfil an increasing demand from independent travellers for experiential journeys.”
Added Ethan Lin, Klook’s CEO and co-founder: “Given the supply of tours and activities industry is extremely fragmented, being able to digitise the sector has contributed to Klook’s leading position today. More importantly, we can bring success to our merchant partners as well as market the destinations in a more impactful way.”
• Featured image (Guided tour to Bethlehem): Klook
